Sens.: Shame may spur better care for wounded

[unhappycamper]

Sens.: Shame may spur better care for wounded
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 15, 2008 16:55:25 EST

Shame and embarrassment can do as much as, if not more than, legislation to prod the services to improve treatment for wounded combat veterans, key lawmakers said Friday.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Congress can pass laws like the Wounded Warrior Act that took effect Jan. 28, but getting the services to follow through on new policies is harder.

While Congress has the power to cut budgets if the services don’t follow orders, Levin said calling public attention to shortfalls seems more effective.

“We can require it by law. We’ve already done that. So I think kind of embarrassing and shaming them into meeting those deadlines, through that kind of public disclosure of their shortfalls, is probably the most practical way to accomplish the goal,” Levin said in a conference call with reporters.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. — who has been involved in investigating the death of an unattended soldier at Fort Knox, Ky., who was being treated for mental health issues — agreed.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_shamingservices_woundedwarrior_080215w/