FORT STEWART, Ga., (Army News Service, Oct. 28, 2003) – Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee and other top Army officials visited Fort Stewart Oct. 25 to review the needs of soldiers returning from Iraq, especially those on medical-hold status.

“We … recognize our obligation to take care of soldiers after they return from overseas, and we’re here to assess how we are doing with that and to look at any areas that may need further attention,” Brownlee said.

Brownlee said the Army staff will work to ensure that all soldiers on medical hold have indoor latrines and adequate barracks, to include air conditioning.

Brownlee met with hospital and garrison staffs at Fort Stewart to discuss how they could improve on the services the command provides.

Col. Joe Barthel, Winn Army Community Hospital commander, presented a briefing explaining the services the medical community provides to Soldiers on medical-hold status. There were three case managers working at the hospital, Barthel said, adding that number will soon increase by 11.

Case managers are present at the beginning of the Soldier Readiness Checks prior to deploying and during the demobilization process. Case managers process Soldiers’ conditions and work to get them evaluated and schedule appointments, Barthel said.

“Case managers are an advocate for soldiers and will help expedite soldiers’ medical care,” he added.

Two of the four primary care doctors will be leaving in the near future, but by Nov. 9, two will be hired and a third will be on staff within 30 days, according to Barthel.

Three physicians assistants are dedicated to the medical hold sick call. Construction has recently finished on the Preventative Medicine building behind the hospital, but it will be used to create a fourth troop medical clinic with a dedicated staff for National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, Barthel said.

During the deployment to Iraq, Soldiers went to one TMC to receive treatment, but since the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) has returned, the division Soldiers use their assigned TMCs.

“There are 3,000 to 5,000 mobilized Soldiers on average who process through this post,” Barthel said. “Mostly they receive sick call from their own unit and the National Guard Dispensary during the mobilization process so our focus will be mostly on medical hold Soldiers.”

He added that many of the Soldiers are high users of the system because they have complex conditions.

“There is one standard for our Soldiers, be they active or Reserve. We provide medical care based on the urgency of medical need and no other consideration,” Brownlee said.

“The key feature is where they can get the best medical care. If that happens to be closer to their home, that’s fine,” Brownlee continued. “The first priority is to make sure their medical needs are taken care of. We take very seriously our obligation in the Army to these young people who come in and serve.”

In addition, three civilian contract doctors have been requested and should start work Nov. 3. Two will cover medical evaluation boards and physical exams and the other will work with the Mobilization Continuity of Care Service.

“Our soldiers have served honorably for the nation and deserve the best care possible. Our staff here gives it,” he said.

There are 633 Soldiers now on medical hold status at Fort Stewart, but that number fluctuates weekly as Soldiers leave and new ones come into the Medical Hold Battalion, said Col. John M. Kidd, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield garrison commander.

The Soldiers live in the National Guard Training Center barracks at Fort Stewart. There are three types of barracks.

The improved barracks, which have air conditioning and internal latrines, are at capacity with 50 Soldiers, which includes Soldiers wounded in action. Other barracks have air conditioning and external latrines. There are 136 Soldiers living in these. The third type is unimproved barracks with external latrines, currently housing 447 Soldiers.

“There has been some discussion about the adequacy of the facilities and I’ve had the opportunity today to look at them. I’ve looked at what they have described as the best and the worst,” Brownlee said. “We kind of reached an agreement here … that those in medical status should be in the improved level of billets, which have air conditioning and some have indoor latrines.”

Brownlee visited soldiers in the barracks to talk with them and get their feedback. He said the biggest concern is that even in late October, Soldiers in medical status should have air conditioning.

“We’re going to move to address that as soon as we can. I think people in a medical status should have a latrine in the billets, and that’s a standard we will have in the Army.”

Brownlee said he told the Army staff that he wants them to look at other mobilization sites to make sure there aren’t similar conditions, and if there are, to take appropriate action.

“What happened here at Fort Stewart is not just a Fort Stewart issue, it’s an Army issue, and the people here at Fort Stewart … did what they could with what they had, but the Army has more assets,” Brownlee said. “We’ll focus those assets to solve any problems that we found here. If those aren’t enough, we’ll go to the Department of Defense and the other services.”

(Editor’s note: Sgt. Raymond Piper edits the Fort Stewart Frontline newspaper.)