'Washington Post' Duo Who Exposed Walter Reed to Keynote MRE Conference

By: Joe Strupp The Washington Post's Dana Priest and Anne Hull, whose investigation of conditions and treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center sparked a national uproar, will be keynote speakers at the Military Reporters and Editors conference in Washington.

In announcing the selection, MRE officials said, "Their articles in February 2007 described the 'Other Walter Reed,' highlighting long-standing problems with outpatient treatment programs at the Army's premier treatment center for wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They shined a spotlight on intolerable living quarters for injured soldiers and their families that had mold and mildew on walls, pest infestations, and other problems. They also chronicled long waits for treatment and bureaucratic red tape."

The report later prompted "a series of wide-ranging investigations by the Army, Pentagon, and a presidential commission." It also led to the resignation of Army Secretary Francis Harvey, the early retirement of the Army's top doctor, and the firing of Walter Reed's commanding general.

Priest and Hull will take part in one of two keynote addresses during the conference, slated for Oct. 11-13. The other address will be delivered by Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded U.S. troops in Iraq.

The conference, which marks MRE's fifth anniversary, will be held at the Doubletree Crystal City in Arlington, Va. More information is available at www.militaryreporters.org.