I’m reading through the news today and come across this story at Stars & Stripes:

Sentencing has been scheduled for April 18 for Steven G. Potoski, who in December 2006 pleaded guilty to taking bribes in exchange for awarding Army contracts to build the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany.

Potoski, 47, was arrested in September 2005 after serving for seven years as director of contracting for Armed Forces Recreation Center Europe.

He later admitted in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York to accepting more than $350,000 in bribes from 15 contractors or subcontractors.

And I’m wondering to myself, what the heck is the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort and what does it have to do with the military? So I look it up and I find this:

Promoting Alpine Vistas and a world-class resort experience, the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort opened its doors to guests for the first time Sept. 15.

The 330-room lodge was built as a premier, American’styled resort exclusively for active duty military members, DoD civilians and retirees. Nestled on 21 acres in the German Alps, the Edelweiss includes many touches which reflect on the long tradition of AFRC as well as the region.

“It’s so much fun and such a pleasure to finally see guests,” said Christopher Forbes, director, imaging and continuity, Edelweiss Lodge and Resort. “The hotel was built for them.”

As stated in promotional material the lodge is “forged in rustic woods, stones and other natural elements to complement its environment, the rugged character of Edelweiss Lodge and Resort is in perfect harmony with the comforts provided by its ample conveniences and amenities.”

The guests entering the lodge are first greeted by the full bell service, and then enter an open space with rocks rising toward the sky, reminiscent of the valley leading up to the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, according to Corey Henderson, public relations, Edelweiss Lodge and Resort.

Now don’t get me wrong…… I think it’s great that our service men and women have a place to vacation at reasonable prices……but WTF. Our military can afford to build a resort (one of many worldwide…..and lose $350,000 in the process) but our wounded veterans don’t get the care they need? We can’t build more Veteran’s hospitals here at home? Our troops in Iraq don’t have the equipment they need??? But we can contract Halliburton to build military resorts. (God only knows what the total bill on this place was) Just part of the HUGE military empire we have goin on. It makes me sick!

Searching further, I find that TomDispatch had a write up about Edelweiss in his post, American Ziggurats, Imperial Ruins, and Other Wonders of the Modern Age:

The Bavarian Alps — Edelweiss Lodge and Resort: For hard-working American military personnel (and fans of The Sound of Music) tired of holding down a recalcitrant world, a little peaceable kingdom that offers a few quiet hours zipping down snow-covered slopes or a wondrous weekend away from it all, without a mortar shell or IED in sight. In fact, no one should miss the Pentagon’s Edelweiss Lodge and Resort with its Alpental Golf Course, Hausberg Sport Lodge, and (among its many restaurants) Zuggy’s Base Camp, a mountain’style bistro — not to speak of the well-advertised guided tours to nearby “Dachau World War II Concentration Camp” and Hitler’s lovely hideaway and aerie, Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s Nest. (”Service members and their families on R&R leave or block leave status from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and The Balkans are all eligible to receive this incredible package deal.”) Edelweiss is part of another kind of monumental global network — Armed Forces Recreation Centers — that includes the Dragon Hill Lodge, described this way: “Welcome to the Land of the Morning Calm in Seoul, Korea. Supporting the Yongsan military community, Dragon Hill Lodge has a myriad of services including a first class fitness and health club, restaurants, lounges, and a specialty shopping mall. The hotel is a pleasant escape from the bustle and excitement of downtown Seoul.”

Skippy the Bush Kanagroo has written about this, too.