AW2 Soldier’s Sight Set on Gold

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games by on January 19, 2012 at 5:14 pm {no comments}

SGT Lester Perez started his cycling session with the arms-and-shoulder rotation, an exercise to prepare the upper body for physical activity, during the first Warrior Transition Command’s cycling clinic held January 13-14 in Coronado, CA. Photo Credit: SSG Emily Anderson

By SSG Emily Anderson, WTC Stratcom
Winning a gold medal during the 2011 Warrior Games wheelchair basketball tournament was not enough for SGT Lester Perez, an AW2 Soldier assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

“It felt great winning gold in wheelchair basketball, but that’s a group sport. I want to win in cycling, my individual event,” said Perez who participated in Warrior Transition Command (WTC) cycling clinics held in Coronado, California, January 13-14.

The training clinic gave candidates a chance to improve their cycling skills and honed their techniques as they prepared for selection for one of the cycling slots on the Army’s 2012 Warrior Games  team.

“Everyone’s working hard,” said SSG Mario Bilbrew, the Army Warrior Games cycling coach. “This clinic gave the participants a chance to see how well they are doing and what they need to continue to work on before the next one.”

Warrior Games is a sporting competition for wounded, ill, and injured athletes from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, and Special Operations Command where servicemembers compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals in seven sports at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“The games are great,” Perez said, “I love being a part of something so challenging and rewarding.”

During the clinic, athletes practiced proper gear changes, the correct way to breathe while performing, how to navigate around other athletes, and how important it is to listen to the rhythm of the bike during the ride.

“Cycling is much different than wheelchair basketball,” said Perez, who competed with the gold-medal Army team in 2011 after breaking both his legs during an improvised explosive device explosion while deployed in February 2010. “No one’s there, helping me do anything. I’m responsible for everything, good or bad.”

Participants found out their best cycling performances from the coach when he timed their completion of 6.2 miles around the track. Since only athletes with the best timed trials during the next two clinics qualify to compete in the Warrior Games, the coach made sure the athletes knew their times before they attended the next cycling clinic in February.

“I’ve had to get use to the pedaling with the hand cycle. It’s all upper body,” said Perez, who had a time of 16 minutes and 53 seconds during the timed trials. “The clinic was very informative and a learning experience that will help in the future.”

Perez, who practices six days a week for his events, will try to compete again in the wheelchair basketball event and hopes to participate in sitting volleyball during the Warrior Games.

“I think this will be my last year competing because when I  leave the WTU I  start working for another unit as an intelligence analyst,” said Perez.  Perez has completed his Comprehensive Tranisiton Plan goals and training for a new  military occupational specialty.“We all have to overcome challenges. I think I’ve adapted pretty well to everything,” Perez said. “Even if you get hurt in the Army, it’s not the end. You have to go out and live life.”

AW2 Advocate Meets with Nebraska Lieutenant Governor to Discuss Community Support for Wounded Warriors

Filed under Advocate Story, General by on January 19, 2012 at 11:14 am {no comments}

By AW2 Advocate Bill Duerr
AW2 Advocates have a significant role in ensuring that their community is well aware of the fact that there are AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families living right next to them, -going to the same grocery stores and attending the same schools and places of worship. The most significant issue is that we as a community have been given the opportunity and the privilege to be part of their healing process.

AW2 Advocates also have a significant role in ensuring that state and local governments understand that AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families need our care and support.  They must understand their role in leading our communities in care and support of our AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families and are instrumental in helping them achieve their goal of independence.

I feel honored to have been given the duty to serve Nebraska AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families as their AW2 Advocate by reaching out to community leaders. On December 20, 2011, I traveled to the Nebraska State Capital Building in Lincoln to meet one-on-one with Lt. Gov.  Rick Sheehy.  During our 30 minute visit, I shared with him a general overview of AW2.  I also shared the many difficult challenges Nebraska AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families courageously face every single day.

I told him I feel very fortunate to be a part of the great Husker State, and  I shared that there are many ongoing efforts in Nebraska of which I am personally aware to help our Nebraska Soldiers, Veterans, and Families in the areas of healthcare, employment, education, and legal assistance, just to name a few.

I found Lt. Gov. Sheehy to be a warm, caring individual who has supported our Soldiers, Veterans, and Families in the past and will continue to be a support for them in the future. He was elected by the nation’s Lieutenant Governors to lead the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) as the Associate Chairman of the NLGA.   I spoke with the Governor about this national role and the importance of AW2 to all lieutenant governors) Lt. Gov. Sheehy responded  by telling me about the upcoming NLGA in D.C. and that they have presenters come speak about issues that pertain to all the lieutenant governors.  He said he will keep in contact with me about the upcoming Lieutenant Governors Conference, and I look forward to learning more about how he and all of these public officials continue to support the AW2 population.

AW2 Veteran and Advocate Competes with ‘Fire in His Belly’ for a Slot on the Army Warrior Games Sitting Volleyball Team

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Uncategorized, Warrior Games by on December 13, 2011 at 5:52 pm {no comments}

By Erich Langer, Warrior Transition Command Public Affairs

AW2 Veteran and Advocate Armando Mejia is one of 41 Soldiers and Veterans competing at a University of Central Oklahoma clinic for a slot on the Army Warrior Games sitting volleyball team.

For one particular Veteran competing for a position on the 2012 Army Warrior Games sitting volleyball team, the selection clinic taking place this week in Oklahoma is pretty serious stuff.  Armando Mejia focused like a laser beam and was ‘all ears’ as he attentively listened to clinic organizers, USA Volleyball coaches and other cadre discuss the training schedule, expectations and responsibilities for each of the players seeking a coveted slot on the prestigious Army team that will compete for gold at next spring’s Warrior Games.

Another boring Army training brief not unlike scores of others he likely has heard throughout his military career? Nope, for Mejia this is all business.

Warrior Games is a joint endeavor between the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and the U.S. Department of Defense. As many as 200 wounded, ill, and injured athletes from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy-Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations Command will compete next spring for gold medals in seven sports at the USOC’s National Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“After hearing about the opportunity to compete and represent the Army at the Warrior Games, I knew I wanted to do this,” said Mejia who credited MSG Rebeca Garo, AW2 Adaptive Sports Liaison who is serving as cadre staff for the clinic to getting him signed up for the clinic. “She was very enthusiastic about Warrior Games and provided me all the information I needed, she got me really excited about this opportunity.”

You can tell by looking in his eyes, this is something he wants. Coaches won’t have any motivational or discipline problems with Mejia; more likely, he’ll be a team leader that younger Soldiers and Veterans will look to for inspiration and guidance.

This ‘ain’t’ his first rodeo!

“I want to push myself physically and mentally during this week’s clinic,” said Mejia. “It feels great to be part of a team and the camaraderie is outstanding. It’s hard to describe the feelings of being part of a group that is focused on winning and becoming a more cohesive unit.”

His road to the University of Central Oklahoma’s (UCO) Army Warrior Gamessitting volleyball team selection clinic began in October 2004 while on a deployment to Iraq.  Mejia was traveling in a convoy when his HUMVEE was struck by an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED). Following the blast, his vehicle rolled 360 degrees.  He was pinned beneath the HUMVEE; injuries included broken bones, internal bleeding, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Post Traumatic Stress.  After more than 22 surgeries, Mejia decided to transition to Veteran status.

 

As an AW2 Veteran, Mejia is among more than 9,000 of the Army’s most severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and Veterans.  His affiliation with the Army could have ended there after all, he wasn’t in uniform any longer and the world presented him several opportunities.  Mejia chose a different path, a path that would lead him directly back to helping and working with Soldiers. No, he wouldn’t be wearing ACUs anymore but he would be responsible for scores of Soldiers as a newly minted AW2 Advocate.

“Mejia is something really special,” said Garo.  “He knew he wanted to help Soldiers like himself and continue to be a leader and mentor for others. So, he worked with his AW2 Advocate, Sue Maloney, who provided him some advice and recommendations on how to proceed. He his among as many as 200 AW2 Advocates working with, for, and on behalf of the Army’s most severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers.”

Like Maloney, Mejia is assisting severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers in the northwest.  He currently is posted at Joint Base Lewis McCord (JBLM).

 


AW2 Veteran Helps Honor Arizona’s Fallen Heroes

Filed under Advocate Story, Uncategorized by on November 28, 2011 at 5:05 pm {no comments}

By Chris Lewandowski, AW2 Advocate

AW2 Veteran Brian Radke participated in the rededication ceremony for Arizona’s Enduring Freedom Memorial on October 29.


Retired SGT Brian Radke, AW2 Veteran, put on his Class A uniform and headed down to the Arizona State Capitol on October 29. Radke volunteered to assist with the rededication ceremony of Arizona’s Enduring Freedom Memorial. The memorial is a tribute to the men and women from Arizona who lost their lives serving our country, and Radke was more than willing to be a part of it. Radke lead the audience in the pledge of allegiance and concluded the ceremony by raising the flag atop the memorial. To him, it was important to just be there.

Radke was injured in October, 2005 on a stretch of highway near Camp Victory in Western Baghdad. He was manning the gun turret of his Humvee when a roadside improvised explosive device blew up the vehicle. The force of the explosion caused Radke to have a stroke and his heart stopped twice. It took eight doctors and 12 hours to stabilize Radke’s shrapnel-ridden body so that he could be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Retired SGT Brian Radke and other servicemembers proudly saluted the flag during the rededication ceremony.

He was badly burned, suffered a fractured jaw, a punctured lung, his carotid artery was severed, his arm was broken in four places, and he lost his right index finger. Over the next 26 months he would endure 71 surgeries. Today Radke still has 5 pieces of shrapnel in his brain. More importantly, he still helps.

Radke says he enjoys participating in events like the one in Arizona. In 2006, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) pinned on his Purple Heart during a ceremony at the nation’s Capitol. Earlier this year, Radke served as a grand marshal for the annual Parade of Bands in his hometown of Hazel Dell, Washington. When asked how he felt about participating in these events and the re-dedication of the Arizona Enduring Freedom Memorial ceremony, he stated simply “I’m humbled.”

Radke lives in San Tan Valley Arizona. He is currently enrolled in the Veterans Upward Bound program at Arizona State University where he plans to earn his degree in education.

Educating and Informing Others on AW2 through Hockey

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Advocate Story by on November 4, 2011 at 3:38 pm {no comments}

By Stephen Lew, AW2 Advocate

AW2 Advocate Stephen Lew spread the word about AW2 with his local community during the annual Lebanon Valley College vs. Navy Hockey Game during the Military Appreciation Night at Hershey Park Arena on October 28, 2011.

The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Advocates often attend events to support AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families and to educate others on the support that AW2 provides for them. I was fortunate to not only be invited, but provide AW2 information and material to attendees during the second annual Military Appreciation Night at the Hershey Park Arena in Hershey, PA.

The night consisted of the Lebanon Valley College (Dutchmen) ice hockey team playing against the Naval Academy team. During the event last year, the Hershey Park Arena hosted the event as a fundraiser for wounded warriors through a nonprofit organization.

As I stood at my AW2 table, the general public came to my display and asked what the difference was between last year’s nonprofit organization and AW2. My response –AW2 is the Army lead and designed by the Soldier for the Soldier. AW2 works inside the network of Army, government, and local and national resources to help Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families resolve many issues. Wounded warriors may apply for a wide array of benefits in order to help them recover physically, prepare financially, and build their skills for a rewarding career. AW2 Advocates, like me, ensure that AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families are connected with these benefits and services, which span:

  • Career and education
  • Insurance
  • Finance
  • Retirement and transition
  • Healthcare
  • Services for Families
  • Human resources

It was a great opportunity to inform and educate numerous Veterans and non-Veterans about AW2. In the end, The Naval Academy rolled over the Dutchmen by 3 to 2, final score.

Thank you to the Lebanon Valley College ice hockey team head coach, Don Parsons, and assistant coach, John Denver, for connecting the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program with this opportunity—and future opportunities—to help members of the community learn more about the Army’s support for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families.

 

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