Major General George Weightman

The U.S. Army has relieved Major General George Weightman of his command of the scandal-plagued Walter Reed military hospital in Washington.

A statement by the Army released Thursday says the senior Army leadership had lost trust and confidence in Weightman's abilities to address problems with outpatient care at the facility.

The Washington Post newspaper had recently reported problems faced by outpatients at Walter Reed, most of whom were wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. Those problems range from dilapidated buildings to long battles with Army bureaucracy to schedule medical appointments and receive financial assistance.

The paper said today that the former commander of the hospital, Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, was told of the problems as long ago as 2003. The Pentagon said Kiley will now be temporarily acting as Walter Reed commander.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he endorses the decision.

The Army Times and The Washington Post are reporting that soldiers at Walter Reed have been told not to "engage" the media while a review of the problems there is taking place.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.