US Army Secretary Francis Harvey has resigned his post as the service's top civilian official, CNN quoted Defense Secretary Robert Gates as saying Friday.

 

 

"I have accepted his resignation," Gates said, adding that Harvey was "disappointed that some in the army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed."

 

He did not give further explanations for the resignation.

 

Harvey was resigning at a time when a scandal over substandard conditions for wounded troops returning from Iraq at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was unfolding.

 

The commander of the hospital was fired by Harvey Thursday.

 

The revelations about poor conditions at the Walter Reed, one of the leading US military medical facilities for treating wounded soldiers, have embarrassed the Army and prompted two investigations.

 

A series of disclosures published prominently in the Washington Post about the living conditions, the red tape that ensnarled the treatment of soldiers, and other problems have challenged the notion promoted for years by the Army -- especially since the war in Iraq -- that wounded soldiers received best care at Walter Reed.

 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has promised "swift and direct corrective action and where appropriate, accountability up the chain of command."

 

The Army is already cracking down on some staff members after the report of poor care at Walter Reed.

 

A number of staff members have been reassigned from their duties at the hospital, including a captain.

 

On Thursday, Major Gen. George W. Weightman, commander at Walter Reed, was fired after the Army said it had lost trust and confidence in his leadership.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2007)