ReZoom

Region #13: Jacksonville, FL

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) assists men and women of the armed forces who have been injured severely during conflicts with wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations around the world. Started when several individuals took small actions to help those in need, this group provides support to soldiers during recovery with sports rehabilitation programs and strong peer relationships. One individual remarked that the peer support helped him realize that his injury did not have to ruin his life but "merely changed it." Many veterans and their families also appreciate the free benefits counseling, which includes help navigating the complex government system of paperwork and follow-up.

Winning Regional Essay

"The employees of the Wounded Warrior Project introduced themselves to me on November 18th, 2004, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and my life was immediately, literally, changed forever. That day was my first full day back from Iraq after having sustained a traumatic, above-the-knee leg amputation in an explosion and ambush. I was greeted by a fellow amputee, a volunteer for the Wounded Warrior Project, who happened to lose his leg in similar events several months earlier. His appearance was the first highlight of my rehabilitation because he was a walking, working, thriving, individual who demonstrated that my injury did not have to ruin my life, it merely changed it. Following that first introduction, I can tie all of my rehabilitation victories to several different WWP programs and services, including the personalized benefits counseling, the sports rehabilitation programs, and the network of peer relationships. I can honestly say that my children and I needed the Wounded Warrior Project because I have not come across a more relevant organization in the two years since my injury."

"As a combat-wounded, severely disabled veteran, I have so many government entitlements and benefits available to both me and my family; however those benefits are not listed in any one place. Additionally, each of them requires an application or form to determine eligibility. There are no textbooks or roadmaps to navigate the complex system, so I use the expertise of the personnel who work for the WWP. Their free benefits counseling includes help in filing the appropriate paperwork and follow-up. That service is invaluable when I consider all the applications required to gain my earned benefits, i.e. the Department of Veterans Affairs vehicle grant, traumatic injury insurance payment, disability compensation and pension, retired healthcare insurance for my family, and the adaptive equipment necessary to stay active and fit. Without WWP, I am certain I would be overlooking one or more of those entitlements."

"My teenage children and I live a wonderful active life despite my amputation, playing soccer, dancing, running and skiing. The Wounded Warrior Project gives me the opportunity to prove to myself and my kids that I am still "daddy". Sports and related activities are critical to my emotional and mental healing, so my children and I can stay active, together. No other organizations, including the military, have such opportunities. The bottom line is: I am a productive citizen, able and willing to give back to my community, and I am inspired to do so because I know many of my friends have donated to WWP, making these things possible for my family."

If They Won the $100,000 National Award ...

"The Greatest Casualty Is Being Forgotten."

"How do you thank someone who has given all they have for you? How do you show them their ultimate sacrifice has not gone unnoticed? Those are the questions that Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) answers each day as more of our brave military men and women return home with devastating injuries. Each of them needs help in returning to as "normal" of a life as they can. Our goal is to make sure each of them comes home to open arms and hearts. And to help soldiers, like Ben Goodsen rebuild his dreams."

"Ben Goodsen's plan was to make service in the Army his life-long career. But on October 25, 2004 that dream came to an end. Ben was working with his unit in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq. Without warning, they were hit by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The explosion severely damaged Ben's arms and covered his legs in deep lacerations. Ben's was immediately sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Doctors worked through 25 surgeries to reconnect muscles, re-graft nerves, and stitch up large cuts on his hands, arms, and shoulders."

"After a year spent in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, Ben is home. Since his return, Ben, a Purple Heart recipient, has been actively involved with WWP Outdoors. This specially developed post-hospital program provides access to activities such as hunting, archery, boating, and camping."

"Today, Ben considers himself lucky to be alive, but even luckier, because his injury brought him closer to his wife and two children. His life is a bit more challenging, but the warrior in Ben Goodsen will never give up. And Wounded Warrior Project will never let him. With the help of The "A Better World" $100,000 National Award, Wounded Warrior Project can help more heroes like Ben live a better life."

Backpacks deliver a ittle bit of "home"

"One of the most effective tools that WWP uses to aid our injured heroes in the hospital is WWP backpacks. A simple backpack can make a huge difference in a wounded warrior's comfort both physically and mentally. Just ask Lonnie Moore."

"It may not sound like much, but for a man or woman who returns from theater and has nothing else, it's a lot," said Lonnie Moore, a United States Army soldier who in 2004, endured a right leg above knee amputation due to injuries from a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack while serving in Iraq. Like so many other wounded warriors, Lonnie first learned about Wounded Warrior Project when he received his WWP backpack while lying in his hospital bed at Walter Reed Medical Center."

"Like all of the WWP backpacks, Lonnie's was filled with the simple things including comfortable clothes, CD player, pre-paid phone card, and other personal items that a returning soldier doesn't have but will surely need during his or her lengthy hospital stay."

"Since his release from the hospital, Lonnie, so struck by the generosity and caring he found in that simple backpack, has worked with WWP to help make sure not a single one of his fellow service women and men are forgotten. With the help of The "A Better World" $100,000 National Award, WWP can help Lonnie continue his quest to support his fellow wounded warriors."

"Taking the ‘battle' to Capitol Hill"

"Wounded Warrior Project does more than help soldiers who have physical injuries. Efforts are also channeled to assist those heroes who have suffered "unseen" physical and mental injuries. And we take those efforts out of the hospitals and into the halls of our Nation's government to enact legislation that will help provide necessary rehabilitative services after the hospital stay is over. Because for some wounded warriors, like Ted Wade, the invisible scars will never heal."

"On Valentine's Day of 2004, Ted Wade and his unit were part of a convoy in Iraq. An improvised explosive device (IED) hit Ted's vehicle and the bomb's blast not only amputated Ted's arm, it caused additional injuries including brain damage, which left Ted in a coma. Initially, the field doctors were worried that he was too seriously hurt to risk the long flight to America so they transferred Ted to a civilian hospital in Germany. In a show of strength that even surprised his doctors, Ted made it through the surgery allowing for an early transfer to Walter Reed Medical Center."

"When Ted was released from the hospital, he married Sarah, whom he dated prior to leaving for Iraq. The couple credits Ted's miraculous recovery to their refusal to give up and tireless search for the best treatments possible. Ted and Sarah Wade have teamed up with WWP to bring legislative attention to veterans coping with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Wade's tireless efforts have opened the eyes of many government leaders about TBI, which has become the signature disability of the Iraq War. The $100,000 "A Better World" National Award would benefit WWP's support of Sarah and Ted's continuing policy and legislation efforts to increase government support and awareness for others who also suffer from traumatic brain injuries."

"So quiet you can hear change happening."

"While WWP's efforts in government are undeniably critical to the success of our programs, what is even more important are the changes our efforts continue to make in the lives of our returning heroes. Take Ed Salau for example."

"Far away from the rigors of policy-making is the tranquility of Vail, Colorado and where, today, Ed Salau glides down snow covered slopes. Ed was deployed to Iraq in 2004. That November his unit was on a regular patrol in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle when they initiated contact with two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). One of the RPGs hit the Bradley, exploding and taking off Ed's leg. Two days later he found himself at Walter Reed Medical Center."

"While that kind of injury would be devastating mentally and physically to most of us, just six weeks after his injury and with the aid of the volunteers and rehabilitation specialists that are part of the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project (WWSDP), Ed was "on the side of a mountain, skiing." Before his injury he was an avid runner and with the help of WWSDP he was able to again enjoy something he could love equally as much."

"I was going fast again," he said, "and it got my brain to realize something important: I wasn't as disabled as I thought I was." Recently, Ed got his certification to teach adaptive skiing to other amputees and people with physical limitations so they could become active in sports once again. The $100,000 "A Better World" National Award would provide opportunities for Ed to show other amputees through WWDSP that they, too, can ski down a mountain. And through the words of Ed's son, the wounded warriors "can be dad again."

"Ben Goodsen sums up WWP's passionate mission with, "Just because you're disabled now, doesn't mean you have to stop living and doing things you were doing-it just makes it a little more challenging. It is what it is. Never give up."

Mission Statement

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to raise public awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.