Army medical system cleans house. Will vets finally get proper care?

It was very sad to read the recent reports of neglect and ill-treatment of sick and wounded veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It's bad enough that we sent our kids to fight in an illegal war of aggression based on lies. But to fail to adequately tend to their physical and mental health needs is unthinkable.

So it's kind of gratifying to watch the fallout once this issue finally made it into the mainstream media.

Yesterday, the commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center was fired. According to a Washington Post story, "the Army said it had lost trust and confidence in his leadership in the wake of a scandal over outpatient treatment of wounded troops at the Northwest Washington hospital complex."

Then today Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey resigned. According to the Associated Press, "Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Harvey had resigned. But senior defense officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Gates had asked Harvey to leave. Gates was displeased that Harvey, after firing Maj. Gen. George Weightman as the head of Walter Reed, chose to name as Weightman's temporary replacement another general whose role in the controversy was still in question."

And so the drama continues.

But hopefully these staff changes are more than just politics. Hopefully they are signs that the underlying problems will be addressed and that our veterans will finally get the care they deserve.

Fingers crossed. But I know better than to hold my breath.