Military health care has been a hotly debated issue within the media and the issue of health care overall as of late. This resulted in the development of programs to privatize government military healthcare and the attempt to cut costs in doing so. The problems that have afflicted the veterans' health care system are not those of medical care. Rather, they entail failures involving bureaucratic and administrative errors. The government has taken many steps to improve this system. Both factors have contributed to a higher than expected tally of wounded Americans, 24,000 in the Iraq War [as of March 2007]. Most of the soldiers need long-term care. Many soldiers suffer lost limbs or mental incapacity. Two-thirds of all injuries are from bombs, and according to the Department of Defense, at least 28% involve brain trauma. (Bilmes, Linda, The VA Is Not Prepared to Meet, 2008). Since wars are unpredictable and military medical systems often struggle to keep up with the issues surrounding wars. The topic of wounded warriors is one that has caused the Department of Defense's health care budget to increase from $19 billion to $38 billion a year under President Bush's administration. Among the surprises thrown up by the Iraq war, two have aggravated the problems at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC. First, the war has lasted much longer than expected. Second, American body armor and battlefield medicine are so good that about 90% of wounded soldiers survive; 76% in the Vietnam War. Most of the soldiers died of their injuries during the American civil war [1861-1865]. As a result, the information provides an overview of how it is felt that the VA is already overwhelmed and will not be able to provide high-quality care in a timely fashion. If the VA is unable to keep up with its wounded now, how will they endure as soldiers continue to trickle in to the hospital at the disturbing rate of 16 wounded soldiers for every one fatality?.
