Naval Support Activity Bethesda — Attraction in Chevy Chase

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is on a Navy run installation and as a Combat wounded disabled retired Sergeant Major I have never been treated with such irresponsible and indifferent fellow service members in my life. The contemptuous nature at which I have been treated is inconceivable.

The hospital staff on the otherhand has been awesome and accommodating at every turn.

I have a service dog to assist with my disability and she has always went everywhere with me.

Well this Navy JAG LT informed that without the installation required documents my service dog would not be allowed on the installation period. They want me to have the American K9 Good citizen test certificate.

This certificate is required for therapy dogs that visit hospitals and other treatment centers.

A service dog does not have this because the training they have to pass goes leaps and bounds above that certificate.

Seeing eye dogs and hearing dogs are considered working dogs and go through even more training.

I tried to explain this and she literally told to abide by policy or don't. My wife was in the ICU from brain surgery and I am being treated this way.

I sent them all my paperwork for my dog and it wasn’t good enough. The organization that trained my dog called and emailed to explain to them that what they where asking for was incorrect. No avail.

We will see what happens tomorrow.

I am in the hospital because they understand. If someone else outside the hospital challenges me then I will be...

I have had no issues with the hospital and their service, but the ID office needs to reconfigure how they operate. I never used to have any issues with renewing my card, but this week I have been the nearly everyday and have been told they couldn't help me. This first time was understandable because I was missing a piece of paperwork needed, but I've been back three times since then with the correct paperwork and each time I have been not denied because I do not have an appointment, my ID expires in 2 days and it's clearly stated on their thing that if it's an emergency (I.E. ID cards expiring within two weeks, it's clearly listed on the paper) they can take me as a walk-in. I went in at 12:00 one day and was told they were full, which is understandable they seem to be understaffed. I went in the next morning at opening time and was immediately told that they couldn't take any more walk-ins for the day, I got there less than 10 minutes after the office opened. I came back again today to try again because I will be moving on Friday and will not have access to any military base nearby, and once again was told that their walk-ins were filled. They then told me to make an appointment so I went to the website to do so and they are booked out for over a month. I was supposed to head out on Monday so I postponed my travel plans till Friday so I could get the sorted out but despite being back many times they have been...

Getting into the front gate is always very, very challenging. It seems that there are never enough lanes open for the influx of personnel coming on base for appointments. Parking is also always a challenge and is like the biggest game of Tetris to find a parking space. However, the doctors are really good there and I always feel taken cared of when I go or I take my son there. Also those Otis Spunkmeyer cookies are always spot on. The pharmacy however is the absolute worst and something needs to be done because it is excruciatingly slow, inefficient & ineffective and a revamp needs to happen. The labs aren’t terrible but the personnel at times can be a little unprofessional. The specialty areas in the hospital are absolutely amazing and are very detailed and thorough. So is the ER! The Navy Exchange is really good and has a good deal to...