New Army Video Spotlights Resiliency of Wounded Soldiers

Severely Burned Veteran and Wife Share Their Three Year Recovery Story to Teach and Inspire

March 9, 2011

Alexandria, VA―The Army released a new training video, "Wounded, Ill, and Injured Soldiers: A Story of Resilience," to support its ongoing efforts to build a more resilient force, enabling soldiers to face adversity, fear and hardship with courage and confidence. The video is aimed at the wounded warrior community and features retired Staff Sgt. Shilo Harris with his wife Kathreyn. The nine-part, 30-minute video walks viewers through injury and evacuation, medical treatment, marital challenges, coping with children, emotional recovery and future goals. It can be downloaded from the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command's website at www.WTC.army.mil.

During his second deployment to Iraq in 2007, Harris' vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device, killing three soldiers, wounding the driver, and leaving Harris with third degree burns on 35 percent of his body. Due to the severity of his burns, Harris is missing his ears, the tip of his nose, and three fingers. He also sustained fractures to his left collar bone and the C-7 vertebrae. He spent nearly two years in recovery at the burn unit of Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas.

"I actually consider myself a stronger person now, a better person because I don't take so much for granted," stated Harris. "I feel like I'm a better father, I feel like I'm a better role model for my family because of the things that I've pushed myself to do and have accomplished. And other soldiers have that. All they have to do is tap into it and use it." Harris describes his wife Kathreyn as a "rock" who was his strength throughout his recovery. Typically, she spent four to six hours on his wound care each day when he was released from the hospital to recover at home, plus cared for their children.

"The Army's focus on resiliency is an investment in our soldiers', family members' and civilians' quality of life," explained Brig. Gen. Darryl Williams, commander of the Warrior Transition Command and former director of the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program. "By giving the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we previously gave to physical strength, we are working to create a balanced, healthy and self-confident force that is responsive and prepared for what is required of them in defense of this country."

The Warrior Transition Command (WTC) is a major subordinate command under the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM). WTC's mission is to develop, coordinate and integrate the Army's Warrior Care and Transition Program (WCTP) for wounded, ill and injured Soldiers, Veterans and their Families or caregivers. A central command program is the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), which supports the most severely wounded. For more information on WTC, visit the new WTC website, www.WTC.army.mil, follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/armyWTC; or join AW2 on Facebook at http://facebook.com/armyAW2.