Wounded Warrior Achieves Employment Success with Help of Navy Safe Harbor

Washington (NNS) -- Navy Safe Harbor helped a recently retired Navy wounded warrior reach an employment milestone May 3.

John C. Edmonston, a former Navy lieutenant, was hired in February 2011 as a mechanical engineer at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) in Bremerton, Wash. He has been enrolled in Navy Safe Harbor, the Navy and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program, for approximately two years.

In 2009, Edmonston was injured in a motorcycle accident, suffering a traumatic brain injury, as well as a broken arm, face, and back.

"Many wounded warriors wrestle serious issues as they prepare to enter the nonmilitary workforce," said Capt. Bernie Carter, director, Navy Safe Harbor. "They must translate military experience into civilian job skills, adapt to an entirely new workplace culture, and ensure their working environments are flexible and accommodating. Navy Safe Harbor is here to help; we provide our enrollees a host of employment support services as they reintegrate into civilian life."

During the summer of 2010, Edmonston's Navy Safe Harbor non-medical care manager, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Christensen, pursued an internship opportunity on his behalf at PSNS & IMF, which is operated by Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA). Because his retirement from the Navy was fast approaching, Edmonston had been searching for a civilian job for several months, but he had not yet found the right fit.

"I contacted my former colleagues at the shipyard to discuss the possibility of establishing an unpaid internship program for wounded warriors at the facility," said Christensen. "John's education, training, and work ethic made him an excellent candidate for the new program, and I thought an internship would nurture his professional skills and acquaint him with the civilian working world."

Edmonston previously attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and, upon joining the Navy, he completed Navy Nuclear Power Training in Charleston, S.C. He has described his subsequent assignment to the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as one of the most gratifying experiences of his life.

Edmonston's internship was developed through NAVSEA's Wounded Warrior Program, which seeks to arm experienced service members with education and training that will expand their professional skills and, ultimately, NAVSEA's workforce. NAVSEA Commander Vice Adm. Kevin M McCoy has established a goal to hire 365 wounded warriors in 2011 – one warrior each day.

In NAVSEA, Edmonston has found an extremely supportive employer; shortly after his internship concluded, he was offered a permanent position at PSNS & IMF. His colleagues readily accommodate his needs, providing extra support to Edmonston whenever necessary. Edmonston's managers have arranged for him to participate in the 2011 Warrior Games, a Paralympic-like athletic competition of wounded warriors from all branches of service.

"I imagine John felt a sense of disappointment when he first realized that he would have to leave the service; however, I believe he feels good about what he now does for a living and enjoys the challenges of the job," said Mr. Rob Gorman, a division head at PSNS & IMF. "In the end, the fact that John is a wounded warrior has not impacted his ability to fit in at the Shipyard and to be successful. I am grateful to have been introduced to him and hope to meet others like him."

To other seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors who are seeking new employment, Edmonston advises them to, "Reach out to your existing network, and use the contacts offered by Navy Safe Harbor. They have their fingers in just about everything. It is very important to ask for help; you can't do it on your own."

Navy Safe Harbor is the lead organization for coordinating the non-medical care of wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. Through proactive leadership, Safe Harbor provides a lifetime of individually tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of enrollees' recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration activities.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.