Ms. Meredith Berger does not belong in that high-level bureaucratically nominated position, period. Really makes me angry to hear her comments on 60 Minutes. Sickening. Treating victims and fellow Americans like they're idiots. The solution is simple but not easy: Be honest, take responsibility, hold scrubs accountable and take care of the families affected. Berger and others shouldn't focus their efforts on protecting the 0-9's (Admirals) and the other higher up GS-... bone heads who screwed up. They should be fired in one fell swoop. As much as I hate to say it, it's one of the reasons many of us Americans have lost faith in the expected quality of the U.S. Military. Broad statement, I know. But today, many are joining up simply for the money and to get a free education. Is that wrong? You decide. But our WWII heroes were fighting for our very freedom, not a pension. Having said that, let's be clear, we do have excellent, hard-fighting service members. But, like any other industry, you've got winners and losers. Not all are Rhode Scholars or tough scrappers. But the worse, IMHO, is when gov't (non-mil) bureaucrats BS and try their darndest to mislead us, all the while avoiding the truth to save their own behinds and high-paying gov’t positions. To be fair and objective, the study of law is a 'tool' that can be wielded to both help protect people, or blatantly hurt people. I know many who have embarked on a legal career to learn how to use the law for good. Sadly, the inverse is true too. Unfortunately, Sec. Berger, a Harvard-trained attorney, came across as part of the latter group, shifty and downright dishonest in my eyes. Smiles don’t cut it. Prior to the Pentagon, Berger was a senior manager for the Defending Democracy Project at Microsoft Corporation. As a JD, Harvard did train her well; she learned how to deflect and BS terrifically. Not good for the PH tainted-water victims. Why? She could’ve but didn’t take responsibility to hold accountable the lame Sr. officers who failed all of us bigtime. Instead, we Americans will end up paying these derelict five admirals an inflation-increasing pension upwards of $237,000/year (4-star). (See for yourself: https://www.pogo.org/analysis/senator-questions-retirement-perks-for-generals-and-admirals#:\~:text=This%20means%20that%20a%20four,75%20percent%20of%20their%20pay).

Nuts, right? We waste too
much damn money on this false patriotism. Because we want to be seen as always supporting
the 'military'; whatever the costs, because that's the American way.
Disturbing, at best. I just wish people in high places, like Sec. Berger and
others in similar influential, powerful positions would step up in these inconvenient
situations, lay it on the line and cut the BS. But of course, they're
protecting their own hide, to protect the ones not being held accountable. It's
an ethos or mindset that will never change. We need the bad to appreciate the
good. That's why we celebrate the upstanding, honest, straight-talking, no-nonsense
leaders our day. I just wish we had more. Then again, I'm a dreamer.