The Washington Post has written an article about the funding controversy  surrounding the Department of Defense (DOD) Medical Research Programs.  I urge everyone to go to the web site and add your comments.  Members of congress do read the Washington Post daily.

Please go to: The Washington Post

It would be a good idea if we all weighed in with comment. This is my comment which I posted:

To all the individuals who made negative comments about these programs, first learn about them before you draw any opinions. If after learning about these programs you still feel the same, then do what you believe is necessary.

Medical research with in the DOD has a history going back to the civil war where it developed battlefield solutions to the loss of limbs. In the Korean War the concept of MASH Units saved thousands of our battle field injured. Vietnam caused thousands of our men to develop prostate cancer because of agent orange exposure.

The DOD funds research differently than the traditional funding provided by the NIH and the CDC. DOD funding is designed to specifically fund research that is high risk, but provides HIGH IMPACT. This is the only funding program that does this and the dollar impact on people’s quality of life and their SURVIVAL far exceeds any other research funding program.

This is not pork-barrel spending, it is vital to our military families and it is vital to each and every American. Currently, there are over 11 million Americans dealing with cancer and this number is exploding. The DOD programs have clearly demonstrated that they provide significant life extension to many of us as well as relieving the pain and suffering of millions of Americans.

It would be a sin to cut these programs.

Members of Congress need to learn about these programs before they jump aboard the “cutting band wagon”, they owe at least that to their American constituents.

Joel T Nowak Director of Advanced Prostate Cancer Programs for Malecare
Men Fighting cancer, Together