I take my medical appointments and BAMC (Brook Army Medical Center) and work nearby, so I have had the opportunity to watch this complex being built.The writer of the linked article about it is the local papers’ military reporter– he is one of the good guys, been embedded in Iraq, and worships at the shrine of Ernie Pyle and all. I’ve emailed him back and forth about military stuff, but I think he is too much of a gentleman to put the real answers about why this place is being funded by donations;

—-It would take damn near forever for our solons to get it in gear and approve this through the regular channels—

—-The usual suspects (those who have that silly-ass bumper sticker on their cars about schools getting everything they need and the military having to hold bake sales) would bitch about a lavish, gold-plated state of the art anything benefitting military people—

—-While military medicine does have their showplaces, most medical care takes place in rather spartan facilities, many decades old and built strictly for utility and to be used by many, many people; this kind of very specialized and state of the art facility is more often lavished on high-end athletes and movie stars—

It’s going to be a beautiful looking building, though, and all the more valued by the troops who will use it, and their families.