Key lawmakers, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, have just introduced the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 (HR 1538). Skelton said the measure is “our initial legislative response to address the most compelling of the issues that have emerged surrounding the treatment of wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.” In a joint statement, Vic Snyder (D-Ark.), chairman of the military personnel panel, said that the bill won’t fix every problem, but “it is intended to be a bipartisan first step in cutting through the bureaucracy and making sure that our service men and women are treated right.” Congressman Bob Filner (D-Calif.), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, explained that the legislation “would provide for a pilot program to streamline the records transmission process” between DOD and VA.
Defense experts say the drone threat represents only part of a larger, looming problem: U.S. air bases in the Pacific are increasingly vulnerable to air attacks.