Helping Hollywood Tell the Wounded Warrior Story

Filed under Advocate Story, Soldier and Family Story by on June 20, 2011 at 11:39 am {no comments}

By Kathreyn Harris, AW2 Advocate and Spouse

AW2 Advocate Kathreyn Harris and her husband, AW2 Veteran Shilo Harris at the Joining Forces panel discussion in Los Angeles, CA.

Editor’s Note: AW2 Advocate Kathreyn Harris and her husband, AW2 Veteran Shilo Harris participated in a panel discussion as part of first lady Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces campaign to inform the Hollywood community on ways it can help communicate to US citizens the experiences of military Families during and after war.

I never thought my voice would represent so many amazing people. I have the opportunity daily to help on a one-on-one basis. This trip to Los Angeles for the first lady’s Joining Forces campaign event, however, gave my husband Shilo and me a chance to show our country what our wounded warrior population is made of.

We brought awareness to a larger population. We, as Families of wounded warriors, experienced the stares and snickers. Hopefully by talking to members from the Hollywood guilds we were able to open the door to awareness about what we went through.

We talked about the firsthand adversity we face and how we overcome it. We talked about many of our friends that face these challenges as well. We shared some of our personal experiences—and explained how they are not always pretty, but are necessary. We spoke about the heartache that the public seldom sees.

We talked about our children and how they had to grow up. One of the speakers spoke about how there are so many kids in our country that have no idea what their freedom costs another child. I could see as we talked about our kids and their pain, how so many people in the audience could never dream of it.

The fact that so many Families are ripped apart emotionally is something few know about. These Families may still live in the same home and carry on day to day, but they are separated because of so many reasons. This is something we as wounded warrior Families know about—maybe not firsthand, but through a friend.

With the help of the Joining Forces campaign, I hope the appreciation and awareness we feel in the city of San Antonio, will be felt throughout the nation. I know the Hollywood guilds will be able to bring this awareness into the homes of so many who might not otherwise ever gain an understanding. I also know I talked about the heartbreak and heartache, but that there are so many stories of excitement and happiness to share also.

There is amazing strength and resilience that not only the warriors express, but their spouses and children as well. Our stories need to be told, so that others will know why they are able to carry on with their lives without interruption.

 

AW2 Caregivers: Join Robin Carnes and Learn Stress Relief Techniques

Filed under Behavioral Health, Community Support Network by on June 17, 2011 at 2:09 pm {one comment}

By Patricia Sands, WTC Stratcom

Robin Carnes is the founder of Warriors at Ease.

Editor’s Note: Warriors at Ease is a participant in the AW2 Community Support Network.

Who: AW2 caregivers and spouses
What: Caregivers support group to learn stress relief techniques
When: Thursday, June 30 at 1:00 p.m. EST
Where: Nationwide conference call
Why: To give support, friendship, and new strategies to succeed

Join us this month and every month for Thank Goodness It’s Thursday (TGIT) Meditation Hour. This regularly scheduled event on the last Thursday of every month will help relieve stress and assist caregivers and spouses in finding new coping skills.

Robin Carnes, founder of AW2 Community Support Network member Warriors at Ease will lead iRest, an easy-to-learn meditation technique, during the teleconference call. Carnes teaches this technique at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and has great success. For example, after using these techniques, her students report sleeping more soundly, having less pain, and generally feeling a greater peace of mind in daily life.

If you are interested in participating, please email me at AW2communitysupportnetwork@conus.army.mil to request the phone number and access codes for the call.

AW2 Soldier Becomes Smith & Wesson Shooting Star

Filed under Advocate Story, Soldier Story by on June 9, 2011 at 3:55 pm {3 comments}

By Melvin Taylor, AW2 Advocate

While serving in Afghanistan as a Black Hawk pilot, CW3 Trevor Baucom was injured during a nighttime assault mission. The helicopter crash left him paralyzed from the waist down. Most of his rehabilitation was performed in Franklin, TN, at the Shepherd Center utilizing Beyond Therapy®, an activity-based therapy program.

While assigned to the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Unit and receiving therapy, we processed his adaptive vehicle and housing grants. He attended the vehicle driving course, and he is getting around effortlessly now. His home was modified with an elevator to assist him from one level to the next.

Also during his therapy sessions, he met Jim Scoutten from Shooting USA, a shooting and gun sport television show. The two quickly became friends, and the idea of Baucom becoming a competitive shooter was spun. With the help of Smith & Wesson, Safariland™, and Atlanta Arms and Ammo, he began training with the goal of becoming a competitive shooter. His training started with courses at the National Rifle Association (NRA) National Action Pistol Championship. He trained between doctor’s appointments and his children’s soccer schedule.

On April 30, 2011, Baucom was officially introduced as part of the Smith & Wesson team. His first competitive shooting event was the MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship during Memorial Day weekend in Columbia, MO. Competitors came from all over the world to demonstrate their abilities in precision and mistake-free shooting. To prepare for the Bianchi Cup, he trained with one of the industry’s top competitors, Billy Abbate of Atlanta Arms and Ammo. Baucom, an avid hunter, practiced with a Smith & Wesson M&P9 Pro Series pistol for a month. Every practice session became an event to improve his x-count, achieving shots closer and closer to the bull’s-eye and incurring higher points. He was one of two competitors shooting from a wheelchair.

He is very competitive and pushes himself at all times to compete on a higher level. Another goal of his is to inspire other wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers to take up competitive shooting. Since his arrival into the sport, competitive shooting organizations began to look for ways to open its doors to other disabled shooters.

Google Trevor Baucom and you will see that he is truly a shooting star.

Retired SFC Matthew Netzel Awarded Purple Heart

Filed under Advocate Story, Soldier Story by on June 8, 2011 at 9:59 am {6 comments}

By Deana Perry, AW2 Advocate

Retired SFC Matthew Netzel holds his two-year-old daughter, Abigail, while speaking to the audience at his Purple Heart Ceremony.

When retired SFC Mattew Netzel first asked for my help with his Purple Heart, I told him, “Sure, no problem, we can do that.” Then the details came. We first tracked down his treating physician for medical documentation on his injuries sustained in Afghanistan in 2006—two thousand six! Quietly, I was thinking, oh boy, how do I do that? Can I do that? But I wasn’t about to let Netzel know that I was uncertain of my success. If I told him I would only try, then I might be tempted to only try. In my mind, he was holding me accountable to follow through. He was going to get his Purple Heart. And, that required more than just a nice try.

Last month, my husband, my son, and I walked down the sidewalk outside the city hall building toward the Purple Heart Memorial in Harker Heights, TX. It was drizzling and a bit humid as we approached the crowd. I saw Netzel standing near the memorial, surrounded by his Family and friends. It was there where he received his Purple Heart during a ceremony hosted by the Military Order of the Purple Heart Central Texas Chapter #1876. I watched and swelled with pride and satisfaction as retired MG Stewart Meyer pinned the Purple Heart to Netzel’s chest and said the Purple Heart was a small token of appreciation for the sacrifices he made for his country. When Netzel spoke, with his daughter in his arms, he thanked the crowd and said, “It makes you reflect on the ones that aren’t able to be here.”

So, I did leave a lot out of this story, but the how doesn’t seem as imporatant as the who and why. Netzel is an inspiration to me, and it was a priviledge to be a part of the efforts that ensured he received recognition for his sacrifices while defending our nation. Almost every time we talk, he thanks me for helping him, but I’m not the one who is owed thanks. It is an honor to serve as his AW2 Advocate. Thank you, Matt!

Editor’s Note: SFC Matthew Netzel was injured in November 2006 when his 11-man patrol was ambushed by as many as 60 Taliban fighters. Four rocket-propelled grenades detonated next to Netzel and two other Soldiers. The blast threw Netzel off a 10-foot embankment onto a rockbed.

Cupid Takes Aim

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Staff Story, Warrior Games by on June 3, 2011 at 4:33 pm {no comments}

By Patricia Sands, WTC Stratcom

Warriors Games archer and shot putter SPC Celestine Calvert and her husband SGT Bradley Calvert.

SPC Celestine Calvert was on the Army’s Warrior Games archery team and was a shot putter on the track and field team. This was no small feat for a wounded warrior with shoulder and knee injuries who is also recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Yet, there she was going head-to-head with the best.

She stood out among a crowd. She is a petite young lady—with major talent. Her smile is genuine, and her compassion is clear in spite of her chronic pain. At Warrior Games, she was known for helping and encouraging others on the team to succeed.

Calvert went through basic training at Fort Leonard Wood and then was assigned to the 603rd Military Policy Company. While still a teen, she served a tough tour in Ramadi, Iraq, where she was injured. She was first sent to Fort Dix and then to Walter Reed for her surgeries. Without a doubt, she is wise beyond her years as she reflected on the twists and turns of fate. She said she is grateful for her injuries as she would never have been to Walter Reed or met the love of her life.

In talking to Calvert about her husband, I asked if it  was love at first sight. “Well, that could be argued,” she said. The former elite sniper, SGT Bradley Calvert, who is an AW2 Soldier, has a tough façade. It is reported that his first glance appeared to be a scowl as the two passed in the hallway at Walter Reed. However, within minutes of that scowl, they ended up in the same room visiting a mutual friend. Awkwardly, they stood squaring off at each other at the bedside. Very quickly, she told him what she thought about his scowl. He was surprised at her moxie and amused by the dialogue that followed. Soon, the conversation turned to smiles and laughter which was followed by a cup of coffee together.

During that conversation, she told SGT Calvert that she had an invitation to the inaugural ball, but did not have a date. He did not hesitate to respond to the lovely lady he just met hours before. He said he would be honored to escort her to the ball. The first date this couple went on was to the presidential ball. Just as in a story book, Cupid struck and they fell in love and were married on June 29, 2009. The years have passed and this couple is beside and supporting each other in all things and all interests.

Cupid, however, was not done yet. Not only did they fall in love, they would both start flinging arrows as well. SGT Calvert introduced his wife to archery. She explained during Warrior Games, “Through Bradley, I‘ve found a new talent and passion for archery and shot put. I was chosen for the 2011 Warrior Games and consider this accomplishment a great honor. I am taking my training very seriously while I enjoy this chance of a lifetime.”

When asked what he hopes for her, SGT Calvert replied, “I just want her to do her best, medal or no medal. I am proud of her and know what she can do.” He continued, “She is a natural talent and has the ability to win the gold.”  Her goal was to bring a medal back to Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. She ultimately did not medal, but brought something much more important back home: Calvert showed other wounded warriors what is possible.

The Calverts have a big vision for the future. They not only assist each other, but they also help other wounded warriors. They know the path and the struggle, as they have traveled it.  They have opened their home and hearts to Soldiers in need so they can make it to the next step. Their dream is to move to the Midwest and open a ranch with an equine therapy program for injured Soldiers.

Yes, love heals the wounds of war.

 

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