A Gag Order At Walter Reed

From the Army Times:

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

"Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media," one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

A reader comments:

As a vet, who has experienced the mind games that are part of army life, it certainly does sound like these heroes are being punished for seeking the fundamentals of quality care! The question here is: did any of these soldiers express their concerns to the chain of command first? And if the chain of command failed, did they write to the Inspector General's office before talking to the media? Every soldier is instructed (as early as Basic Training) to use these two avenues first. And the option to do so is open to every solider regardless of rank. So long as their complaint is genuine, they will not get in trouble and are protected as a witness would be in a civilian court case (in theory anyway).