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Anna Mulrine
Pentagon review focuses on the need for more military psychiatrists
There were a couple of points that immediately stood out in the
Pentagon's report on the shooting that left 13 dead and 43 wounded at
Fort Hood in November.
The most
glaring detail was the disconnect between the glowing performance
reports written by the supervisors of the alleged gunman,
This, in turn, "leads to the bottom-line question," Skelton said. "Was a great deal overlooked because this was a medical person in a specialty in which there is a shortage?"
The answer -- a resounding yes -- is of little dispute among senior defense officials. The shortage of mental-health professionals in the military is well documented.
Togo West, former secretary of the
Hasan's superiors made sure that accounts of his troubling behavior did not follow him in performance reviews.. "Supervisors don't always know what they're dealing with," West told the Senate Armed Services committee last week. The Ft. Hoodlessons learned report notes that "some medical officers failed to apply appropriate judgment and standards of officership with respect to the alleged perpetrator." These officers might soon be facing disciplinary action.
The report and subsequent hearings highlight the considerable
information-sharing gaps that still exist throughout the government,
despite efforts aimed at correcting the rifts exposed in the wake of
The report brings up other less frequently discussed issues as well, including the tricky prospect of clarifying "guidelines for religious accommodation" to "help commanders distinguish appropriate religious practices from those that might indicate a potential for violence or self-radicalization." It also raises concerns that have been circulating within the halls of the Pentagon about how the failure to reprimand Hasan for his behavior not only led to violence but also affected the caliber of clinical care that soldiers were getting. The review of the treatment that Hasan provided to patients remains classified, but the mere question has prompted soul-searching within the military about how to better support therapists who care for soldiers, to ensure that troops, in turn, are getting the help that they desperately need.
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Fort Hood Report Reveals Deeper Dilemma