Free plastic surgery for Army members
Find a Conversation
| Thu, 07-22-2004 - 12:28pm |
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/07/21/military.perks.reut/index.html
Report: Bigger breasts offered as perk to soldiers
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 Posted: 6:46 PM EDT (2246 GMT)
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers' dime.
The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free -- something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.
"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, chief of plastic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio told the magazine, which said soldiers needed the approval of their commanding officers to get the time off.
Between 2000 and 2003, military doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries on soldiers and their dependents, the magazine said.
The magazine quoted an Army spokeswoman as saying, "the surgeons have to have someone to practice on."
I'd much rather see them spending this on pay and housing for military, I think.
Glassy

I'd be hard pressed to be anyone's practice dummy...I don't care how bad I wanted bigger breasts or a smaller nose....lol
I agree with you that military pay and housing should have a priority, but I don't feel that the additional amounts being spent here would really make much difference.
~mark~
I hate to think they're doing cosmetic surgery on Army members when we have people without flak jackets in harm's way. I'd much rather see my tax dollars on someone's chest than in it.
Glassy
Merlins_Own
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW!
"And if those doctors have time to do these type of elective procedures on active duty, why are some veterans waiting for months to see a doctor or specialist?"
Because either A: for one reason or another the doctors in question aren't where those veterans are; and/or B: those aren't the specialists those veterans need to see?
~mark~
Here's more info.
http://www.hood-meddac.army.mil/default.asp?page=surgery_plastic&vi=n&mnu=0
For patients interested in Plastic Surgery, the following operations are done at DACH at Fort Hood:
There is a waiting list for operations, whether cosmetic or medically therapeutic, if the procedure is elective (non-emergency).
For more information, call the Plastic Surgery Department at 288-8931
Breast reduction
Breast augmentation (with breast implants)
Breast lift
Breast reconstructions (with breast implants)
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
Suction lipectomy (Liposuction)
Scan revisions
Excision of skin lesions
Others "
And we have to admit that some of these procedures may not be done on a purely cosmetic basis. Breast reduction for example would have been a great health benefit for my thin, but very well endowed friend when she was in the military and constantly at the doctor for back pain. 'Course, at that time, she had to pay for the more modern, less invasive procedure that would have left her with the best chance of her breasts functioning for their intended purpose in the event she wanted to nurse children in the future. She couldn't afford it, so she passed.