JOHN CORNYN TEXAS Mnifcb Estates? $911919 WASHINGTON, DC 20510?4305 December 15, 2014 The Honorable John McHugh Secretary of the Army 1600 Army Pentagon Room 3E560 Washington, DC 203 10 Dear Secretary McHugh: I write today regarding the recent news reports about the Army Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) at three of our nation?s key military installations in my home state of Texas Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, and Fort Sam Houston which I found highly disturbing. As you know, in 2007, in the aftermath of astonishing revelations that soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center experienced very poor conditions while waiting for care, the Army created WTUs all across the country. The purpose of these WTUs is to help soldiers heal and recover from physical and wounds of war and then either return to their units or transition to civilian life. Yet, the environment described in the recent news reports from the Dallas Morning News and NBC 5 falls far short of that standard. These news reports, if representative of the state of things in these three WTUs, indicate a need for increased congressional oversight. Moreover, they raise a number of serious policy questions, including: 1. Has there been a hostile climate within these WTUs, in which verbal abuse, disrespect, and unfair treatment of wounded warriors is the norm or is implicitly condoned by the WTU chain of command, even while disregarding soldiers? physical disabilities and mental health problems? 2. Within the WTUs, do cadre members and other key personnel understand Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), recognize it as a real and legitimate medical condition, and know how to interact with those who suffer from it and other ailments? If no, is this a broader cultural problem within the Army? 3. Does the organizational structure of the WTU, in which both the medical staff and the chain of command play key roles, result in friction between military requirements and medical needs, such that a soldier?s recovery might be undermined? Are the medical needs and treatment of wounded warriors prioritized over the regular demands of military life? For example, do early morning formations take precedence over other activities, even when against medical advice pertaining to sleep or when it would require a soldier to drive while heavily medicated? 4. In August of this year, the Department of Defense Inspector General IG) issued a report that casts doubt on whether the Army?s selection and training of WTU cadre members is adequate. The IG found ?systemic issues and challenges with the selection and training of leaders and cadre? at WTUs, as well as a lack of consistency in The Honorable John McHugh December 15, 2014 Page 2 training and development of the cadre. As it currently stands, has the Army fully implemented the DOD recommendations for improvement and reform? 5. The news reports make clear that some wounded warriors in these WTUs are prescribed an abundance of prescription medications. With the advancement and growing availability of effective non-drug treatments for conditions such as Traumatic Brain Injury and PTS, are pharmaceuticals being overused as a treatment for wounded warriors with PTS or other ailments? What effect does this have on the quality of life of these wounded warriors? Is the Army considering broader use of treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy for our wounded warriors, instead of treatment regimens based almost entirely on pharmaceuticals? 6. The news reports also allude to wounded warriors enduring long waits for medical appointments. What are the average wait times for wounded warriors to see their primary doctors, specialists, and other service providers? I would appreciate answer to these questions. As an original co-sponsor of the 2007 Di gni?ed Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, the enactment of which led to the creation of WTUs, I can assure you that the complaints and conditions described in these news reports are directly contrary to the goals that Congress had envisioned when it enacted this legislation. I believe this situation requires your personal attention to address these apparent problems within these and other WTUs. Our nation has a solemn duty to care for these wounded warriors, many of whom have sacrificed far greater than most of us can imagine. While the federal government can never do enough to repay them for their service and sacri?ce, at a very minimum we must ensure they receive the very best care, treatment, and benefits available. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your service to our soldiers, their families, and our nation. Sincerely, ,tr ., Uniicd' States Senator