Oregon Public Broadcasting

Complaints about unequal treatment of injured Oregon National Guard soldiers returning from Iraq have reached the Secretary of the Army.

Top Army officials were dispatched to meet with Oregon guardsmen Tuesday. They met at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington where the injured National Guard soldiers are receiving medical treatment.

General Peter Chiarelli is the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. He says he takes these allegations personally that Oregon guard members were treated as second class soldiers and rushed through the medical demobilization process.

Peter Chiarelli: "We've got soldiers here with multiple tours and we need to ensure that the time we're providing them at the demobilization site is adequate to take care of soldiers that have been on multiple tours."

The commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord has ordered an inquiry into the treatment of Guard and Reserve members as compared to full-time soldiers.

Members of Oregon and Washington's Congressional delegation wrote letters to the Secretary of Army outlining the complaints. One example: guard members say they were threatened with discipline if they challenged the medical care they were receiving.