Archive | Guest Blogger | Warrior Transition Command

New USO PSA Shows “Portraits” of Real Servicemembers with Invisible Wounds

Filed under Community Support Network, General, Guest Blogger, Soldier and Family Story by jvargas on April 10, 2012 at 1:34 pm {no comments}

By Susan Thomas, USO Vice President of Warrior and Family Care, Guest Blogger
Editor’s Note: USO is a member of the AW2 Community Support Network.

Susan Thomas and her husband share their story of dealing with invisible wounds in a new USO public service announcement.

It’s impossible to come back from war, regardless of your exposure to direct combat, and not come back changed. This was not something I widely recognized when my husband, then boyfriend, first deployed to Iraq back in 2003. While he was away, I prayed every night for his return, and return he did, to only deploy again a few months later. He was a communications officer, he would be fine. I kept telling myself that.

He was fine, at least on the outside. Little fights were normal, a lack of focus on our conversation to drift into a memory, that too was normal. Locking the doors, checking the window latches, that became just routine—some would say this hyper-vigilance is just part of serving your nation in the military. As a spouse, you sign up to stand by your servicemember and to support their decision to join the military—whether it was your decision or not. You love your servicemember as a military spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, or best friend. What is essential to recognize is that you are not alone, and that by connecting with others who have had similar experiences you can see yourself in them, and through their stories and courage you can yourself heal.

When I joined the USO, as the Vice President of USO Warrior and Family Care, I knew I was becoming part of an amazing organization that would not just develop programs and partnerships, but would help build hope and confidence along the recovery journey for wounded, ill and injured troops, their Families and caregivers. Little did I know when I began this journey, that I would build my own hope and confidence and help my husband to regain his own.

Post traumatic stress has been coined as a signature wound of these conflicts over the last decade, and more and more Families are being impacted. Post-traumatic stress does not impact only an individual; it impacts all their loved ones. Seeking assistance whether it is through formal or informal channels is important. My husband and I realized this was an issue, and because of that, we are in an even better position today. This would not be the case if it weren’t for acknowledging his behavior was not normal, and there is nothing wrong with that acknowledgement.

It is for that reason my husband and I participated in the USO Invisible Wounds PSA campaign entitled “Portraits”. I encourage you to check out the PSA at http://www.uso.org/warriorandfamilycare/and preview the videos that offer a more in-depth look into the lives of those living with invisible wounds, as well as caregivers like myself.

The US Army Marksmanship Unit Paralympic Shooting Team is Expanding

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger by jvargas on April 2, 2012 at 11:15 am {no comments}

By LTC Scott Wales, Guest Blogger

Editors Note: The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

For many years, the face of the Army Paralympic shooting effort was SFC Josh Olson. Now, the Army Paralympic shooting team is authorized a dozen shooters to represent the United States in international competition and is in the final steps of adding two more shooters to the squad, with half a dozen more being vetted.

The two new additions to the team are SPC Shanan Lefeat, an arm amputee, and SPC Eric Trueblood, a below the knee amputee. Lefeat was transferred to the Fort Benning Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) to train with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) while Human Resources Command finishes reviewing a medical board’s recommendation that she continue on active duty (COAD). This is a necessary step, because all USAMU members are Soldiers first, competitors second.

Trueblood is a little further back in the recovery and paperwork process, but he is representative of many young Soldiers who learn about the opportunities available for continued service. When asked to describe Trublood’s reaction when he heard about the Paralympic shooting team, long-time USAMU member SFC Bill Keever said, , “His eyes just lit up when he realized there was a way he could remain a Soldier and continue to serve his country.”

Keever continued, “When I visit Walter Reed or the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center, I explain to wounded Soldiers that they may no longer be on the battlefield, but the battle isn’t over. Their new battle can be against the competition on the shooting range.” For a young Soldier who has only seen an Army at war, where life has been a constant cycle of deploy and refit, deploy and refit, this is a revelation.

Keever noted, “When someone, anyone, lays down behind a rifle to competitively shoot, the focus required to do that task seems to block out any of the other issues they may be dealing with. Every Soldier comes to us with motivation and basic rifle marksmanship skills. We believe that with the coaching and other resources available at the USAMU we can take them as far as their talent will allow. It took three years for SFC Olson to reach world class level, but that entire time—and for years to come—he will represent the Army and the United States in a positive way.”

He summed up his recruiting efforts in this way, “I don’t hire people with disabilities. I hire people with ability. The USAMU is interested in people who are motivated and willing to train hard to represent their country as a world class athlete.”

The USAMU sends out representatives and training teams to work with wounded warriors on a regular basis. Those interested in competing at a high level in either the Paralympics or the upcoming Warrior Games in May are encouraged to make this known to their chain of command. More information on the USAMU is at www.usamu.com.

Wounded Warrior’s Archery Hopes Fulfilled by a Community Worlds Away

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger, Warrior Games, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on March 26, 2012 at 10:25 am {no comments}

SSG Jorge Haddock-Santiago, (L) and Scott Dault, owner of Crossroads Archery, work to adjust a compound bow set-up donated to Haddock-Santiago through donations from the archery community and private organizations. (Photos by U.S. Army SSG Tracy J. Smith)

By SSG Tracy J. Smith, Fort Stewart, Georgia WTB
It was 2004 when SSG Jorge G. Haddock-Santiago made his first trek halfway around the world, marking the first of numerous deployments. With each combat tour, he suffered some form of injury that, in 2009, would leave the seasoned combat artilleryman unfit for continuation of active service.

Haddock-Santiago resigned to dedicate himself to the new mission of a transitioning Soldier—s to heal and transition back to active service or continue to serve the nation as a Veteran in my community.’

“I racked up a total of six deployments,” Haddock-Santiago said with a thoughtful look in his eyes. “The worst thing that ever happened to me wasn’t so much the physical injuries—it was losing my friends.”

The scars of loss are the hardest to bear for any Soldier especially carrying the guilt of ‘why not me?’

“I had so many things to work through,” he recalled, with a slight ever-present tremor in his hands. “I have come a long way working through my post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other anxieties associated with loss.”

Haddock-Santiago, a native of Puerto Rico, dreamed of a military career that would find him mentoring others. As a young boy, his father introduced him to archery as a form of relaxation, patience, and focus. Upon his assignment to Bamberg, Germany’s Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) he was reintroduced to archery as a part of the WTB adaptive sports program, never imagining the healing properties the sport would have.

When he was selected to try out for the Army’s 2012 Warrior Games archery team, Haddock-Santiago developed a renewed sense of purpose. Again travelling halfway around the world to Sumter, South Carolina, he was ready to compete to be a part of the third annual Olympic-style games for U.S. military service men and women who have become wounded, ill, or injured.

“I am ready to give my best in memory of my guys because their loss is a burden I carry throughout my life,” he said. “They were my mentors, and because of them I am alive.”

Retired SFC Steven Coleman, the U.S. Army Warrior Games archery coach, felt Haddock-Santiago’s chances for a spot on the team was strong. Unfortunately, opportunity can knock you down as quickly as you are lifted up.

“When military archers are sent this far it’s important that they come prepared,” Coleman explained about his clinic and the imperativeness of being on your ‘A-game.’ “His bow broke and the harsh reality is something like this can immediately end your chances to continue in a competition unless you are able to get that equipment repaired or replaced.”

To Haddock-Santiago it meant he had failed those he wished to honor, and he described how personal that failure was in one word-demoralized.

Soldiers are trained to be acutely responsive in tough situations, assessing then managing.

When it was suggested that a small archery shop in Summerton, South Carolina, , a 30-minute drive from the clinic grounds, may be able to fit him and his battle-buddy, SSG Albert ‘Al’ Louangketh, also a Bamberg WTB Soldier with a bow, they set off on a new mission not realizing another set of life-changing events were about to unfold.

Scott Dault, owner of the Crossroads Archery, was at his post with the same disarming smile that he has greeted customers with for more than 30 years.

“I could tell the young man was upset when he got me on the phone,” Dault recalled. “We just didn’t realize how much it meant to him to be here and how far he had travelled until I talked to him and his buddy Al filled me in a bit when they got here.”

Haddock-Santiago confirmed to his leadership in Germany that he found a bow but it may be a bit out of his budget. His First Sergeant reassured him that Haddock-Santiago should not worry about it adding, “My First Sergeant went one step further and volunteered to pay for it out of his own pocket.”

What the 17-year career Veteran did not realize was his benefits were manifesting before he had even arrived at the little shop in Summerton. Dault, along with his wife Kim, began contacting local archery clubs in the area before the two combat Veterans arrived.

“I got in touch with the president of Bowhunters of South Carolina] David Shull, and the president of Swamp Fox Archers, and they started a ripple effect reaching out to the local South Carolina archery organizations,” Dault said. “Within minutes we had the okay and were able to get Jorge fixed up.”

A customer who frequented Crossroads Archery, Bob Vaden, was so moved by the Soldier’s indomitable spirit and Dault’s determination and this fledgling brotherhood of archers that he reached in his pocket to make a personal donation.

“We look at our lives and know we owe a lot to good folks like Jorge and Al,” Dault said of Vaden’s gift.

Haddock-Santiago was the recipient an $1,100 archery setup courtesy of the Daults and his brotherhood of archers but the group’s altruism did not stop there as the man who traveled half-way around the world has sparked a new opportunity for an unlikely partnership.

“This is about rebuilding their lives,” Coleman added. “These Soldiers and Veterans have given so much as our true one-percenters and this is one of the most therapeutic gifts any of them can be given to rebuild focus, patience and self-confidence.”

SSG Jorge Haddock-Santiago, (R), a combat Veteran and U.S. Army 2012 Warrior Games archery coach, retired SFC Steven Coleman, work to repair Haddock-Santiago's compound bow during the initial archery preparation and selection clinic. (Photos by U.S. Army SSG Tracy J. Smith)

The curative benefits also match WTC’s mission of providing viable adaptive sports opportunity for the severely injured. Archery’s versatility allows those with severe disabilities to enjoy the benefits using special tactile equipment such as mouth-tabs for those with upper body strength issues or prosthetics and an upright aiming device to assist blind archers.

Dault’s band of archers has donated archery equipment to five additional wounded Soldiers since that momentous day in late January. The gift of a bow set-up can mark a new beginning for many of these Veterans and Soldiers. Although there will be therapeutic benefits knowing someone cares is the most important benefit. This is all due to an encounter born of misfortune and donations from caring communities’ worlds away from the chaos of the battlefield.

“I was never in the military but my dad was a U.S. Air Force pilot,” Dault said describing the importance of what their mission was becoming. “My first employee worked for me while he was in high school and in college joined the South Carolina National Guard. He was deployed a few times and is now a Major.”

Dault chuckles at the last statement and looks around at the mounted trophies and spoils of the hunt that hang around his internationally known shed-shop he deems a ‘one-horse-operation.’

He cannot help but fondly reminisce about the man that he says “types like he talks” and looks forward to seeing his friend when he again travels halfway around the world in March for the next archery-training clinic.

Being Confident in Your Abilities

Filed under General, Guest Blogger, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on February 13, 2012 at 11:34 am {no comments}

Mark A. Campbell, Guest Blogger
Editors Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as the WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison for the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness- Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP). He joined CSF-PREP in 2007, and serves as a subject matter expert in applying mental skills training to the areas of injury, illness, and adaptive sports. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Confidence is a topic that I get asked about quite a bit, especially in regards to injury and illness. It is one of the foundational lessons in our Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) Performance Education Model, and is a lesson I continue to learn from and apply to my own life. Confidence refers to “a sense of certainty about your ability that allows you to bypass conscious thought (analysis, judgment, criticism) and execute fully and without hesitation.”Confident people develop strategies that allow them to deliberately focus their minds on thoughts and memories that create energy, enthusiasm, and optimism.

Looking at the six domains represented in the Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP), it is most likely true that we are all very confident about certain aspects of our lives. I am also certain that we all have areas in which we could be more confident. Perhaps you have complete confidence about your relationships with Family members, but would like to build more regarding your physical self.

Injuries and illnesses can definitely affect our levels of confidence. These can create major changes in our lives, and afford us opportunities to view things differently. That is not necessarily a negative thing. Retired SSG Ryan Kelly once said, “An injury doesn’t change who you are, it’s a time to define who you are going to be.” Building confidence in a new situation can be accomplished through a number of steps.

1. Maximize Your Strengths.

This seems like an easy concept, right? When is the last time that you sat down and truly took a good look at yourself, making a list of the things that you are really good at? If I had to take a guess, based on the thousands of people I have tried this with, it wouldn’t have been any time recently (if at all). We are not conditioned to think in this way. Think back to when you were a child. If you were like me, you heard one phrase quite often, “Go to your room and don’t come out until you think about what you’ve done wrong.” This is a common thought process in our society. Looking at our weaknesses can be a good thing, because it helps us to address what we need to work on, and builds our levels of competence. Confidence, however, requires us to look at those things that we are good at. Sit down with a piece of paper and list all six CTP domains (Physical, Career, Emotional, Social, Family, and Spiritual), then begin listing strengths that you possess in each one. If it is a slow process at first, that is ok. Try listing one strength every day for a month. Go to your room and don’t come out until you think about what you’ve done….right.

2. Using Self-Talk

The way we communicate with ourselves is very important in the process of building confidence. Self-talk is an ongoing stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be very effective, or ineffective, in how we view our levels of confidence about a situation. Think about a recent performance and how you used self-talk to either set yourself up for success or failure. I met with a friend last week who has recently experienced a serious physical injury. The way he talked about himself and his situation really caught my attention. It turns out that he was setting the stage for his current situation with a consistent theme of “I can’t do this.” He was judging himself rather harshly on challenges in one of the domains. After looking at a variety of strengths that he possessed, in each of the domains, he began to see himself a bit differently. I had him take a few of those strengths and build them into our conversation. The tone changed dramatically, and he began to focus more on what he could do, instead of what he couldn’t. Re-visit your lists of strengths periodically and build them into how you speak to yourself.

Experiencing an injury or illness puts us in unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory. It can also provide us a unique opportunity to appreciate what we have. To see this opportunity requires a deep curiosity. This is where looking at our self-talk and our strengths come in. With an open and curious mind, these strengths will surface and confidence will build.

To find out more about mental skills, an overview of the program, and additional resources, go to the CSF-PREP website.

Helping Soldiers On and Off the Court

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger by cmccarrie on December 2, 2011 at 3:15 pm {no comments}

By: Mark A. Campbell, Guest Blogger
Editor’s Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as a WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison. He joined Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) in 2007, and he is currently working toward his doctorate in Health Promotion andWellness. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

The psychology of performance has been around as long as performance itself. Elite performers have always looked for ways to improve their “mental game” and gain a personal edge in competition. The most recognized arena for this has historically been in sports. In the past 50 years, a formal type of sport science has been recognized to legitimize the field of performance psychology. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) is an organization that provides education and training, based on these performance psychology techniques. CSF-PREP works closely with the Warrior Transition Command (WTC), to provide training to Soldiers and cadre.

November marks Warrior Care Month and to focus on the multi-dimensional aspects of care the theme is, “Healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit: Unlocking Unlimited Potential.” CSF-PREP is focused on helping Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) Soldiers be at their best when it matters most, by building the mental strength required to reach full potential more consistently. In addition to performance education classes, CSF-PREP also assists Soldiers in the WTUs through adaptive reconditioning programs. Adaptive sports help WTU Soldiers learn to apply principles such as building confidence, energy management, and the use of imagery. Along with other CSF-PREP performance lessons, these are a great way for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers to take their adaptive athletic performance to a higher level. All of the many aspects of care and healing play a part in unlocking that potential.

The most important aspect of this approach is what happens off the court. Excelling in wheelchair basketball or sitting volleyball is a great feat, but learning to use those same mental skills in other areas of life is the real success. The true beauty of the CSF-PREP Performance Education Model is that the skills are transferrable to all of life’s performances. One of my mentors told me that, “A ropes course, used to teach skill building, is only a pile of wood and wire unless you can learn to transfer those skills to other areas of your life.” I couldn’t agree more.

Human beings are multi-dimensional, which means we consistently have a lot going on in our lives. Stop and think for a moment about how many performances you have on any given day. This number is sure to fluctuate, as some days are much busier than others. I would wager that you would struggle with listing them all, because there are so many. How would you like to be able to do all of these things better, consistently? That is what mental skills training can allow you to do, to create the optimal mindset to be at your best consistently. The CSF-PREP model leads to “Mental Strength for Life,” not just for single aspects of life.

CSF-PREP is located at 11 Army installations and provides six days of instruction, to all other WTUs, each quarter. Mobile teams schedule trainings and adaptive reconditioning for WTU Soldiers and cadre. Another service offered is “mastery,” in which a CSF-PREP representative can plan one-on-one sessions. This allows an individual the chance to get deeper into the material by applying it to personal aspects of life.

There are many resources available such as CSF-PREP and the adaptive reconditioning programs, to help you unlock your potential visit the CSF-PREP website for more information.

A Throw of a Lifetime

Filed under Guest Blogger, Soldier Story by jvargas on October 26, 2011 at 3:09 pm {no comments}

AW2 Veteran SPC Timothy Taylor threw the opening pitch during a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game in September.

By Retired SPC Timothy Taylor, AW2 Veteran
For most people around the world, September 11, 2001, is a date they will never forget. This was true for me, but I had to wait before I could make an impact. Almost a year later, after my seventeenth birthday, I joined the Army ready to get in the fight. I had no way of knowing the effect that would have on me ten years later

On September 10, 2011, I got to throw the opening pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Just like September 11, I will never forget this day, but for very different reasons.

I never imagined that one day I would be throwing a pitch in front of 40,000 screaming fans. It was by far the coolest thing I’ve done in my life. Many great things have happened to me since I was injured in Iraq on October 27, 2005, but none more exciting than this .

I know I was lucky to be picked to attend the game, let alone throw a pitch .There are too many people to thank, but I would like to acknowledge Pat Collins, my Advocate with the Army Wounded Warrior Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), without her support this never would have been possible. To all my fellow wounded warriors continue to get help and push for what you deserve. To all the Soliders keep up the good fight, and come home safe.

Making the Most of What You Have

Filed under Guest Blogger by alanmorales on August 23, 2011 at 4:16 pm {no comments}

By Mark A. Campbell, CSF-PREP, Guest Blogger

Editor’s Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as a WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison. He joined Comprehensive Soldier Fitness- Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) in 2007, and is currently working toward his doctorate in Health Promotion andWellness. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Have you ever been walking through an airport, remember that you have to make a call before you board the plane, and realize that your cell phone battery is almost dead? You rush to the nearest outlet and plug in long enough to make the call, until you can arrive at your destination and fully recharge the battery.

Our personal energy stores are not unlike this. Have you ever left work feeling like you do not have enough “left in the tank” to spend quality time with your Family? One of the biggest performance challenges that an individual can face is effectively managing his/her energy. Life does not stop, it does not slow down, it will not wait for you. It is important to know how to make the most of the energy you have and to understand how to refill your energy tank whenever possible. “Energy management” is a term used to describe the process in which a person uses deliberate strategies to leverage the body’s energy resources.

I don’t have to tell you anything about stress. We are all masters of it. By definition, stress is “anything that causes us to mobilize energy.” If you look at it in that way, there are countless examples of this happening each day. Another good analogy would be that of an ATM machine. Imagine all day long you withdraw various increments of cash. If we only make small deposits from time to time, then we will never get ahead. One of the biggest misconceptions in our society is that “I’ll get enough sleep when I’m dead.” I think we all realize that there is a wall, and without the proper recovery, we will most definitely hit it hard. There are many different techniques that an individual can use to deliberately manage energy. Here are a few:

Recovery Breathing: Slowing down our bodies and taking good, cleansing breathes can benefit us on multiple levels. Recovery breathing is a way to relax tense muscles, calm the mind, as well as deliver more oxygen throughout the body. This will also improve your memory and ability to think clearly.
Reinterpret what you are up against: By looking at upcoming events in your life as “challenges” instead of “threats” we are less likely to unnecessarily mobilize large amounts of energy in the form of doubt, worry, and fear. By looking at an event as a challenge, then you can plan for all of the ways you can grow from the experience and be successful.
Control the Controllables: It is a common, human quality to focus on those things that we perceive as negative stressors, but have no control over (weather, traffic, other people, etc.). The only three things that we can ever truly control are what we think, what we say, and what we do. The next time you feel the negative effects of stress, look at what you can control in the situation. This will help to prioritize your stressors, and act on them accordingly.

It is important to have strategies in place for effectively managing your levels of energy. It will look a little differently for each of us, but the take-home message should be that stress happens. However, through deliberate recovery techniques we can minimize the negative effects. Our personal levels of energy are a scarce resource, and we should protect them in order to be at our best.

Mental Resilience Helps Achieve Success

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Guest Blogger, Resources, Warrior Games by alanmorales on June 9, 2011 at 10:08 am {no comments}

By Kaitlyn Donohoe, CSF-PREP Performance Enhancement Specialist

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) performance specialist Kaitlyn Donohoe, works with Army track and field athletes at the 2011 Warrior Games.

The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) educates and trains individuals on the behavioral skills that underlie human performance excellence. The program is designed to enhance personal and professional performances by developing the full potential of Soldiers, Family members, and Army Civilians. CSF-PREP accomplishes this by using a systematic process to teach and train the behavioral skills essential to the pursuit of personal strength, professional excellence, and the Warrior Ethos.

CSF-PREP education and training focuses on bridging the gap between the rehabilitation process and the Soldier’s transition back into the Army or civilian life by providing the knowledge and skills to craft their future. CSF-PREP teaches Soldiers the critical underlying skills needed to take ownership and control of their recovery, to focus on their abilities versus disabilities, and to provide the tools to help enhance their mindset so that they have a sense of purpose and are effectively motivated about their future.

In elite competition, such as the Warrior Games that took place last month, all athletes train to enhance their physical skills; what separates medal winners from the rest is mental strength. CSF-PREP trains the mental strength of individuals. In working with the Warrior Games athletes, we worked with individual athletes and teams to teach them the skills of our education model and the ways to apply them to their athletic performances. Each Soldier and Veteran who participated in the Warrior Games completed at least 16 hours of classroom education to learn and develop a foundational knowledge of the skills we utilize.

For the Warrior Games, I had the privilege to work with the Army track and field team. In addition to the general CSF-PREP training, I conducted another five hours of applied group training that was tailored to track and field events and team building. As a part of this training, each athlete created a mental performance plan for each event during individual or small group sessions.

With an individual sport like track and field, Soldiers athletes need to focus on the right thing and manage their nerves and energy to have optimal performance. For example, I worked with a Soldier for several weeks before the Warrior Games began. He was excited to have the opportunity to compete again, as he had not played sports competitively since high school, but was worried about how he would perform in such a highly visible event.

This sense of discouragement can negatively influence one’s performance. Before the Games, I discussed with the Soldier about the influence of a positive attitude on performance and how focused attention and energy on factors within one’s control has power over one’s performance. We also worked to create tangible goals for competition and plans for how to achieve them and help achieve a greater sense of control.

When we first arrived at the Warrior Games training camp, the Soldier had a more effective attitude toward his performance. Throughout the training camp, we finalized his individualized mental training plan to focus on imagery, pre-performance routines, refocus techniques, and recovery techniques. We worked to maintain focus amidst distractions and set the conditions for success, regardless of the circumstances that may try to get in the way of optimal performance. At the Warrior Games, this Soldier effectively applied the mental skills we discussed to his physical skills and techniques and earned a silver medal for the Army team.

The journey to obtain mental strength for life is a continuous process and is unique to every individual. To share in this collective journey of personal growth with the warrior athletes, cadre, coaches, medical staff and other CSF-PREP performance specialists was a priceless and tremendously gratifying experience. I can honestly say I have the best job, because I had the honor to work with the men and women who gave so much to defend our nation and our freedom.

Editor’s Note: Kaitlyn Donohoe has a background in Sport Performance Psychology and has a Master of Science from Miami University of Ohio in Sport Psychology. She has several years of experience working with athletes and individuals to enhance performance through mental skills training.

A Reflection on Warrior Games

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Guest Blogger, Warrior Games by alanmorales on June 3, 2011 at 1:16 pm {no comments}

By SFC Ronald Black, Warrior Games Track and Field Team Squad Leader

Warrior Games track and field athletes and their event squad leader (from left to right) SGT Robbie Gaupp, squad leader SFC Ronald Black, SPC Stuart Lancaster, and CPL Quintarious Almon.

Warrior Games is a once in a lifetime experience. I was blessed to be able to attend the Games for a second year to cheer on the Army team. It was a privilege to be among wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and Veterans who gave significant sacrifices for our freedom. It was a proud feeling.

Being part of Warrior Games was exciting, especially for track and field, because I saw the competiveness in each Soldier when they were training and challenging each other. The motivation and the drive to push each other and themselves to the limit was so amazing to watch. Knowing I had a part in helping make this a reality for our wounded warriors was awesome.

Throughout the training week and the competition, I was at a loss for words. Seeing a few familiar faces from last year and hearing the guys talk about how they were going to beat the Marines and take it all was so great. I could feel the excitement. Knowing our wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and Veterans haven’t lost the will to compete and haven’t let their disability hold them back was astonishing.

I also noticed how everyone seemed to pick a battle buddy. This person became someone they could go to for their power or spiritual support.

As the battle rhythm began to kick in, the coaches helped the competitors become more focused, and the preparation from Kaitlyn Donohoe, the track and field performance enhancement specialist, and associated specialists was awesome. They pulled the team together when the athletes seemed to get out of sync and helped them stay focused.

In the final days of training it was like night and day. Our team was ready. I could see the seriousness on their faces and was just amazed. I was, and still am, proud to be a part of this team.

Leading the Way

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Guest Blogger, Warrior Games by jvargas on May 21, 2011 at 5:03 pm {no comments}

By Tom Sileo, USO Director of Story Development

Editor’s Note: The USO is a participant in the AW2 Community Support Network.

If you take a stroll around the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, this week, the first thing you would notice is the sacrifice in your midst.

It’s hard to describe the emotion that overtakes every bone in your body when your eyes meet those of a fellow American who has sustained visible or invisible wounds while protecting our freedom. These men and women have already fought so hard for our nation, yet show the same courageous spirit while competing against one another in seven different sports.

The second thing you might notice, perhaps, is the presence of the USO at this joint U.S. Department of Defense / U.S. Olympic Committee event. While one might initially wonder what role the USO plays here, one might be wise to let Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Director COL Greg Gadson explain the meaning of the USO logo and the friendly face that always accompanies it.

“What really impresses me about the USO and their support of the men and women of the wounded warrior programs and events that go on throughout the country is that they’re always in the background,” Gadson said Thursday. “That says a lot, I think, about their organization.”

What Gadson thinks says a lot, as very few Americans have sacrificed more to give us all the right to think freely. In 2007, both of Col. Gadson’s legs were amputated above the knee after being struck by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Instead of retreating, he charged forward, devoting himself to fellow wounded warriors facing similar challenges, no matter how daunting. For the colonel, the Warrior Games is an annual culmination of the noble efforts of so many, as well as a part of his own healing process.

“To me, this event recognizes, on many different levels, the accomplishments of people who have really suffered severe and traumatic injuries, but now they can see promise in their life–they’re full of vitality and going for their dreams,” he said. “It’s about living life and being productive.”

As an adaptive, cutting-edge organization with an illustrious history behind it, the USO has made supporting wounded warriors, their Families, and their caregivers a top priority. The USO leadership team, which includes Susan Thomas, Vice President of USO Wounded Warriors, recognized the need for partnering with other fine organizations to ensure that the needs of the wounded are in the forefront of America’s post-9/11 consciousness.

“Once they’re back here from deployments, the journey’s that much longer,” said Thomas, whose husband deployed to Iraq twice as a U.S. Marine officer. “Given the landscape of the current conflicts, we had to expand our reach through our best in class partners.

“We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel,” she continued. “We want to coordinate, collaborate, and communicate.”
Gadson made clear that the USO’s willingness to adapt means a great deal to the military, and particularly to the wounded, ill, and injured.

“They have a brand and a kind of universal recognition to them,” the colonel said of the USO. “There’s been kind of an evolution, I think, an evolution for America and how we support our servicemembers.”

There is a reason USO employees and volunteers are assisting the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Olympic Committee with Warrior Games 2011. It’s because, as Thomas noted, the event represents recovery through physical health and recreation, which leads to stronger military Families. It’s also because, as Gadson noted, it’s simply what the USO does.

“The war-wounded have made tremendous sacrifices,” he said. “The fact that the USO is now involved in that at many different levels really shows their commitment to our servicemembers and how they really continue to lead the way.”

When it comes to leading the way, few do it better than COL Greg Gadson who, through courage and foresight, turned a terrible day on the battlefield into the cause of his life. In his eyes, you see pride as he wheels himself around the U.S. Olympic Training Center, watching his brothers and sisters in arms making progress before everyone else’s.

The USO is at Warrior Games 2011 to help. Thank you to COL Gadson and his team of AW2 patriots for showing us the way.

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