For Immediate Release
April 17, 2007
Media Contact: Ray Yonkura
(202) 225-2676
Jordan Tours Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC -- Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) toured Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) on Monday.
His visit included meetings with a number of wounded soldiers, discussions with staff and patients in occupational and physical therapy, and a tour of WRAMC's Building 18, which was the source of a controversy about sanitary conditions at the facility.
At the WRAMC inpatient facility, Jordan visited and thanked Major Darrell Robinson, a Mississippi native who worked in the Maumee, Ohio, area prior to his service in Iraq. Jordan presented the recovering Robinson with a Buckeye keepsake: an Ohio State University commemorative football autographed by Coach Jim Tressel.
Jordan also talked with staff and soldiers in the facility's physical and occupational therapy centers. Because WRAMC specializes in treating amputees, several of the soldiers were working to master the use of prosthetic limbs.
"The optimism of the individuals in physical and occupational therapy was incredible," said Jordan, who listened to many soldiers' accounts of how they sustained their injuries. "It was humbling to see the drive and determination of these young soldiers in their effort to overcome their injuries and regain full mobility."
The tour of Building 18 was provided by Colonel Michael Doherty, Director of Safety, Health, and Environment at WRAMC. Jordan said he was impressed by the honesty and candor of Colonel Doherty and his staff.
"Though they have since cleaned up some of the problem areas, it is clear that the conditions in this part of the facility were unfit for our men and women in uniform," said Jordan.
"I appreciate the Pentagon's willingness to accept responsibility for what happened. From this point forward, it is imperative that everyone up and down the chain of command root out the rest of the problems, clean them up, and ensure something like this never happens again," Jordan added.
