It’s the first facility of its kind in the Corps
Nov 15th 2005RavenGeneral & Marine Corps
I so like this idea. If they need a nurse they can call me. I know my way around Lejeune and wouldn’t get lost.
So many Marines have been wounded — and so many want to stay in the Corps — that Camp Lejeune has performed one-of-a-kind surgery, turning a barracks into housing for injured warriors.
The idea is to give Marines hurt in Iraq and Afghanistan somewhere to stay together rather than sending them home to wait for operations or discharge papers.The barracks will be dedicated tonight.
Fourteen first-floor rooms have been fitted with ramps and grab bars, and two rooms have been made fully wheelchair accessible, as has the building itself.It’s the first facility of its kind in the Corps, but not for long: A similar project is planned for Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Lejeune Marines and sailors have taken heavy casualties in the war, particularly this year, when more than 1,200 have been wounded. The camp’s 2nd Marine Division is the main unit in Iraq’s Anbar province, where U.S. casualties have been the highest.
The revamped barracks aren’t huge, but they’re an indication of change in the military’s attitude toward the badly wounded. In earlier conflicts, those hurt too badly to fight again were almost always discharged. Now, in part because of advances in treatment, prosthetics and rehabilitation, many are encouraged to stay if they gain the approval of a board of military medical experts.
Cross Posted @ ARS
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One Response to “It’s the first facility of its kind in the Corps”
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy » Lejeune gives injured Marines a home on 15 Nov 2005 at 22:40 #
[...] Coolness. Imagine that, me complimenting the Marines on doing something right… (props begat props) MacStansbury posted this in Support the Troops, Support this, MacStansbury, The War, Iraq, Afghanistan Permalink MAIN Trackback URL for this post: http://bamapachyderm.com/archives/2005/11/15/lejeune-gives-injured-marines-a-home/trackback/ [...]