We have now been at war in Iraq for four years. We have been at war in Afghanistan nearly five and a half years. And we haven’t heard enough about the hundreds of lives saved by our nation’s “life savers” resident in the Air Force’s Aeromedical Evacuation teams. Neither have we heard enough about the superb medical care that exists throughout our nation’s armed forces.

While we have heard much about the tragic and deplorable situation at the now infamous “Building 18” at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., we have not been adequately informed about the superb care throughout our military medical care system.

Like most Americans, I was appalled at the stories emanating from Walter Reed. Building 18 was a former off-campus hotel used to house our wounded warriors while in outpatient status at Walter Reed. The living conditions there were totally unacceptable. As a consequence of media fact-finding and reporting, the situation is now getting fixed. It is also getting some much needed new leadership. While there may have been some extenuating circumstances at Walter Reed, there is never an excuse for poor leadership. Strong leaders know where their troops live, work and recreate -- and in this case “recover.” Caring for the troops, especially the ones with physical and mental injuries, is a top priority for our military leaders.

Having said that about the failure to care for out patients at Walter Reed, let me cite a few examples of the superb care our armed forces members, families and retirees are getting.

Virtually all involved -- the press, the hospital staff, the patients and their families -- compliment the inpatient medical care received at Walter Reed. It remains a pre-eminent military care facility. They have treated many with loss of limbs and returned them to active duty. For example, one paratrooper from Fort Bragg who lost a leg in the war on terror is not only jumping out of airplanes again, he is doing it as a member of the Army’s elite parachute demonstration team, the Golden Knights. All of you who have been privileged to watch these superb soldiers demonstrate their unmatched skills should marvel at this military medical care success story.

In my title above, I mention Aeromedical Evacuation. These unsung heroes -- doctors, nurses, medical technicians and aircrews -- team up with the incredible medical attention available on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan and return our wounded warriors to large hospitals in Germany and the United States saving many who otherwise may have died. In WWII, about 30 to 40 percent of those wounded would survive. Today, more than 90 percent survive.

Last month, the Air Force’s Aeromedical Evacuation Control Team at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar notified the Aeromedical Evacuation command cell at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., that one “urgent” and one “priority” patient needed airlift from Balad Air Base in Iraq to Germany. That may not sound all that difficult to pull off, considering all of the airlift aircraft operating in that theatre, but there is more.

The “urgent” patient had suffered head trauma. He had very specific medical requirements. He needed a ventilator, a Critical Care Air Transport Team, an aircraft that could hold pressurization to no more than 4,000-foot cabin altitude, and there could be no en route stops between Iraq and Germany. Fortunately, there was an aeromedical flight inbound to Balad.

After a quick review, an Air Force flight surgeon in theatre called the folks at Scott AFB and told them the soldier’s best chance for survival would be to fly non-stop to Andrews AFB in Maryland and get the soldier to Bethesda Naval Hospital ASAP. The flight crew was notified of the outbound high-priority mission upon landing. They received a waiver to their crew duty day and quickly planned their new mission.

There is much more to this story, too much to detail here. Suffice it to say that the aircrew launched with its already planned list of patients and the urgent patient as well. The aircrew refueled from an airborne Air Force tanker aircraft over Great Britain, allowing it to fly non-stop to America. After landing at Andrews AFB, Md., the patients were met by waiting ambulances and transported to Bethesda Naval Hospital. All of this transpired in only 18 hours from the initial phone call from Al Udeid to the aircraft landing at Andrews AFB. This is a marvelous tribute to our worldwide Aeromedical Evacuation system. It is a story all Americans should hear.

Let me close with a personal touch. My family and I are much indebted to the military medical facilities and still use them often. We have other choices, but we know of the quality care available to us. Four of our five children were born in Air Force hospitals around the world. All were outstanding experiences. One of our children spent several months in Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio as a baby. Another exceptional experience.

In our retired life, we have been blessed to have Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg to rely on. Nearly six years ago, my wife had surgery for breast cancer at Womack. They could not have been more professional, more caring or more helpful. More recently, I had surgery for a massive rotator cuff tear. Without hesitation, I opted for my surgery at Womack. I couldn’t be more pleased with the surgery, my overnight stay and the exceptional follow up from my orthopaedic surgeon.

Certainly, Building 18 is a sad story, but there are thousands of more positive stories about military medical care that need to be told.