I spent two years stationed at Ramstein AB, just a few miles from Landstuhl. It was a terrible hospital then and from what I've heard, it hasn't gotten any better.

Most of the people I knew on Ramstein had heard too many Landstuhl horror stories to ever want to be a patient there. I decided that unless I was bleeding to death, I'd take leave back to the States before being admitted to Landstuhl. A coworker of mine was giving birth unattended in her room while her husband ran up and down the halls trying to find someone to tend to her. In another case that was reported in "Stars and Stripes" back in 1980, an Army soldier collapsed in the field and was taken to Landstuhl. They gave him animal tranquilizers and killed him. According to the manager of the local flying club (whose husband was a pathologist there), that was by no means the worst of their crimes.

A coworker's son broke his leg (compound fracture) in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. After waiting 4 days for a medevac flight, he was taken to Landstuhl. They expected him to walk in, and that was the high point of his treatment. Fortunately, he was soon transfered back to his unit in California where he was treated properly.

Get those wounded soldiers to a real hospital where they can receive the treatment they deserve.