[Vision2020] Speak Out, Lose Job

[Tom Hansen]

>From the September 8, 2008 edition of the Army Times -

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Speak out, lose job 

Speaking up in the military can be hazardous to the health of your career, 
even when it’s done to help wounded soldiers or the families of fallen 
warriors.

Last month, an Army social services coordinator who told USA Today about 
poor conditions in barracks for wounded soldiers at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 
was forced to resign. In June, the public affairs director at Arlington 
National Cemetery was fired after she defended news coverage of funerals 
when the families of fallen soldiers wanted that coverage.

Chuck Roeder, the now ex-social worker at Fort Sill, was a strong advocate 
for soldiers’ concerns. He “saved a couple of soldiers’ lives” by helping 
them get through tough times, said Iraq veteran Sgt. Willard Barnett. 
Based on a tip from Roeder, later confirmed by several soldiers, USA Today 
reported that a unit for wounded soldiers was infested with mold and that 
soldiers had been ordered not to speak about the conditions. Fort Sill’s 
commander said the problems are being fixed. But Roeder won’t be around to 
see the results of his advocacy.

Ditto for Gina Gray, whose actions helped spur a fresh look at policies 
for covering the funerals of men and women who’ve died in service in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. Photos and stories of those funerals are a sad and 
necessary reminder to the public of the sacrifices that come with war. But 
in the past three years, Arlington officials had pushed reporters so far 
away that they could seldom hear the eulogies, even if families requested 
their presence. Gray tried to change that, and promptly found herself out 
of a job.

The military could use more generals and civilian workers willing to buck 
the official line and advocate for beneficial change. They should be 
prized — not forced out.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom "Retired, but Still Serving" Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the 
tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." 
 
-- Adlai E. Stevenson,
Jr.

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