When sports heroes are injured, much care and attention is focused on their recovery. Doctors, physical therapists and trainers are at their disposal. Sportscasters report updates on their rehabilitation. And money and resources, it seems, are of no concern.

Yet when U.S. troops — our nation's heroes — return home injured, many are left fighting for benefits and medical attention. In the Walter Reed scandal, stories of dismal living conditions for outpatient soldiers were documented, and a bureaucratic backlog that prevented thousands of soldiers from getting any care was exposed.

Since then, federal focus and funding have increased, but numerous stories still reveal an underfunded and understaffed Department of Veterans Affairs. Now, injured Iraq war veterans have united in a lawsuit against the VA, demanding immediate changes in the system.

It's a national shame that it had to come to that. After sacrificing their physical and mental health to fight for our nation, they deserve much more than what they have been given.

The lawsuit, which is estimated to include hundreds of thousands of veterans, charges the VA has violated their rights by failing to: provide prompt disability benefits; add staff to reduce wait times for care; and boost services for post-traumatic stress disorder.

There are also claims that the VA deliberately cheated veterans by misclassifying their PTSD claims as pre-existing conditions to avoid paying them benefits.

The lawsuit rightly seeks a federal court order for the VA to make immediate changes.

After fighting for their nation, it's a disgrace that these veterans have to battle their own government for basic medical care.

The Bush administration must address this issue — rather than dragging our injured soldiers through the legal system.