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Seventh AW2 Symposium Brought More People Together to Globally Impact Lives

Filed under 2011 Symposium, Symposium by on July 22, 2011 at 5:30 pm {no comments}

By Tania Meireles, WTC Stratcom

This year the AW2 Symposium had more female Soldiers and Family members than ever before.

“The AW2 Symposium is a venue for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Family members to have a voice,” said LTC Debra Cisney, AW2 Symposium Operations Officer. “The AW2 Symposium is a formal process that allows them to identify and resolve wounded warrior care and transition issues.”

Cisney has been involved in six of the seven AW2 Symposiums. So I asked, “What is different this year, than in previous years?”

This year the AW2 Symposium expanded to also include non-AW2 Soldiers and Families who receive care at Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) across the country. WTU Soldiers are participating in two new focus groups discussing WTU and WTU medical issues.

“It isn’t just the AW2 voice, but the global Army wounded, ill, and injured voice,” Cisney said.

There is also a different dynamic this year with more female Soldiers and Family members than ever before.

“It will be interesting to see if having more females involved in the Symposium will result in different types of issues,” she said.

The Warrior Transition Command staff subject matter experts, many of them having previously served at WTUs, provided additional support to Symposium delegates during focus group discussions. This ensured a positive, holistic experience for the delegates.

More children participated in this year’s Operation Purple® camp activities as well. Teens will have their own focus group discussion and present their issues to the Army and Veterans Affairs leadership. “I hope the teens will be candid about their challenges and give leadership insight,” she said.

“One thing is the same every year at the Symposium,” said Cisney. “The impact of the AW2 Symposium is life-altering.”

Look for updates on the 2011 AW2 Symposium issues by checking-out the AW2 blog, AW2 Facebook page, and WTC Twitter page.

Don’t Give Up on Me, I Won’t Give Up on You

Filed under Soldier Story by on August 17, 2010 at 9:26 am {one comment}
Danelea Kelly and her mother at Camp Striker, Iraq, in 2005.

Danelea Kelly and her mother at Camp Striker, Iraq, in 2005.

By Tania Meireles, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Veteran Danelea Kelly had two tours in Iraq, one in 2005-2006 and again in 2007-2008. She was a driver leading convoys of supplies. Explosions and being shot at were common occurrences. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while in Iraq and an Army chaplain had her medically evacuated in 2008. Her plans for a 20 year Army career and following her Family’s tradition of being in the military ended, she was medically retired from the Army in 2009.

“I was crushed and depressed,” Kelly said. “I lost the best part of me. Being in the military is like being with a Family. Once you have left the military, you feel like a fish out of water. No one seems to understand you, and you don’t know what you are going to do with yourself.”

Because of Kelly’s struggle with PTSD and pain in her back, knees, and feet, she was having a hard time finding employment that will not aggravate her condition and will allow her to go to frequent medical appointments at the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. She doesn’t sleep well, has mood swings, hides from people, doesn’t like leaving the house, and hates crowds. She also tried going to school but with her memory problems, school was very difficult. She couldn’t handle the stress anymore.

“With all I was going through with PTSD, my physical impairments, trying to get to VA appointments and looking for a job-having my AW2 Advocate around helped take the burden off of me,” she said. “She calls me and makes sure I am ok. If she can’t get in touch with me, she stops by and makes sure I have food and a place to stay. She encourages me, counsels me, and is available 24/7.”

Danelea Kelly during her deployment in Iraq.

Danelea Kelly during her deployment in Iraq.

Kelly praised AW2 and the National Organization on Disability (NOD), the latter of whom arranged for her to speak about her experiences with members of Congress. AW2 and NOD have been assisting her in finding the right resources, such as financial and career and education assistance. Kelly has been outspoken about her struggles with PTSD and finding employment. She talked about the importance of programs like AW2 and NOD, and asked Congress to expand these programs.

“AW2 and NOD are very important to a Veteran like me,” she said. “I don’t take them for granted. My gratitude, my words, my actions-show how sincerely grateful I am for this help during the most troublesome time of my life.”

With the help of AW2 and NOD, she is focusing on the things she can do and working around PTSD for a “plan b” or “plan c.” Kelly participated in the Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (VR&E), also known as VocRehab. This program assists with employment services such as job-training, job-seeking skills, and résumé development—as well as rehabilitation services, counseling, and training. Her Advocate also suggested that she apply for the Wounded Warrior Project TRACK program.

“TRACK really concentrates on healing the Veteran holistically,” said Kelly. “They help you with counseling, physical fitness, physical therapy, college classes, training, etc. You are in classes with other Veterans like you. Your expenses are taken care of and you leave there ready to succeed. I am so excited, I couldn’t ask for more of a blessing.”

“For all the organizations that don’t give up on me, I won’t give up on them. I keep fighting to say thank you to them. Next to God, they are my help and strength.”

True Representatives of America

Filed under Soldier and Family Story by on August 11, 2010 at 10:50 am {no comments}

By Tania Meireles, WTC Stratcom

SFC Stewart Kuehl & wife Linda at Walter Reed Medical Center during recovery.

While traveling with four Americans and some Afghani Army support in Afghanistan on July 23, 2006, AW2 Soldier SFC Stewart Kuehl’s Land Cruiser was hit by multiple remotely-detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

“It’s been four years since the Taliban won a very small skirmish in the hills around Djadrain Valley,” said Kuehl.

Kuehl sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs); shattered bones in his skull, arm, and leg; and a fractured back. He doesn’t remember what happened after the injury, but reports state that he was stabilized and evacuated to an Army base and then to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The medical staff did not think he was going to make it and his Family was flown to Germany to see him.

“I did make it,” he said with a chuckle. “It is a lot tougher for the spouses during this time than the wounded Soldier. Spouses get the phone call that they may be losing their loved one. They have to make the decisions about medical care.”

He then went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and then to The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

“I received phenomenal care at Walter Reed and Minneapolis. And I mean phenomenal. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to all the Family, friends, and support personnel that gave selfless service and contributed to my recovery.”

The injuries resulted in the loss of his right eye, memory loss, and impaired cognitive brain functions and mobility.

“I can walk with a cane, but I can’t run. I have problems keeping up with medications and remembering some things.”

He utilizes a blackberry and laptop to keep him grounded. His wife, Linda, is always there as well to help him and makes sure he doesn’t double-book appointments.

“My wife puts it all together for me.”

SFC Steward Kuehl (right) and daughter Leah (left) when she graduated from Basic Training.

After his injury, Kuehl was working for a satellite dish company, but he found the work too stressful for him and decided to retire in July 2009.

“Quality of life is great, it’s a pleasure to wake up every day and not be in a hospital bed,” he said. “Again thank you to everyone involved!”

July is also the month that “another Kuehl will enter the conflict and serve the interests of our country.” Kuehl’s daughter has deployed.

“She knows firsthand the realities of war, because she visited Walter Reed every day of my recovery there. She’s a true representative of what America is based on—selfless service to protect the freedoms of our nation. No one can be more proud than I am of her commitment to serving our country.”

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion for numerous reasons. The biggest is being able to say thank you to Linda, my daughters, my Family, and to send good thoughts to Leah so that she will have a safe and positive tour of duty.

The Votes Are In, and It’s Time For Action

Filed under 2010 Symposium, Soldier and Family Story by on June 29, 2010 at 1:59 pm {4 comments}

By COL Jim Rice, AW2 Director

At each of the last six AW2 Symposiums, we’ve given the delegates a mission: to be the voice of the thousands of wounded warriors, their Families, and their caregivers. Like delegates in years past, 2010 Symposium delegates accepted the mission and got the job done.

On Friday morning, each of the five delegate focus groups briefed senior officials from Army, Veterans Affairs (VA), and other agencies on their top issues. AW2 Veteran John Wright, spokesman for the careers focus group, got the session off to a great start when he plopped Veteran Scott Stephenson’s prosthetic on the podium and told the audience that his group “had a leg up on the rest of the delegation.”

After the briefing, the delegates voted to prioritize the top issues facing Army wounded warriors, their Families, and their caregivers. This year, the delegates selected the following things to be addressed:

  1. Medically retired service member’s eligibility for Concurrent Receipt of Disability Pay (CRDP)
  2. Post 9/11 GI Bill transferability to dependents for all medically retired servicemembers
  3. Mandatory post-traumatic stress disorder/traumatic brain injury (PTSD/TBI) training for VA healthcare staff
  4. Transfer option from Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL) to Permanent Disability Retired (PDR) for wounded warriors
  5. Benefits and entitlements information to wounded warrior primary caregivers
At the 2010 AW2 Symposium, delegates in the medical focus group reflect on their discussions as they prioritize their top issues for the brief-out to senior Army leadership.

At the 2010 AW2 Symposium, delegates in the medical focus group reflect on their discussions as they prioritize their top issues for the brief-out to senior Army leadership.

Senior Army, MEDCOM, and VA leaders listened firsthand to the delegates talk about these issues and committed to work hard to resolve them.

Now that the votes are in, my team and I will get to work. We’ll coordinate with other programs within the Army, throughout DOD, and other federal agencies, especially those within VA. In addition to their commitment, I promise that AW2 will do all it can to continue to provide personalized support for as long as it takes. It’s our honor and privilege.

This week at the AW2 Symposium, there was a lot of hard work by our delegates—65 severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. They opened up about experiences they don’t typically share, they tackled hard issues facing wounded warriors, and came together to prioritize areas for change to improve things for those who come next—all while dealing with their own ongoing medical challenges such as burns, amputations, TBI, and PTSD. I was proud of how they continued to serve the Army. Their efforts will impact generations to come.

I thought AW2 spouse Loree Pone put it well, she said, “Delegates had a lot of compassion for other peoples’ issues—we’re here to make things better for the wounded Soldiers that follow. I know that some of these issues will take time to resolve, but I know that the Army will work to fix them as quickly as possible.”

I appreciate all the 2010 Symposium delegates, as well as delegates from all previous AW2 Symposiums, for taking the time to come and tell the Army how we can continue to improve the care we provide to severely wounded warriors and their Families. We heard your concerns, and now it’s time to take action.

AW2 Weekly Digest May 17-28

Filed under Weekly News Digest by on June 4, 2010 at 4:39 pm {no comments}
  • AW2 Soldiers SPC Jake Altman and MAJ Andrew Lynch were featured in a Stars and Stripes article about being injured and returning to duty.
  • AW2 Soldiers SSG Jeffery Anderson, WO1 Johnathan Holsey, and SGT Michael Lukow were featured in a Belvoir Eagle article about representing Fort Belvoir at the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldiers SPC Michael Badman and SFC Landon Ranker and AW2 Veteran Adam Cox were featured in The Leaf-Chronicle in an article about returning from Warrior Games with more than medals.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Michael Beck, featured in Rocky Mount Telegram, is continuing to learn how to adapt to his surroundings and preparing for his future—while fighting to use both of his legs.
  • AW2 Soldiers SGT Lilina Benning, CPT Juan Guerrero, SPC Dominique Haynes, WO1 Johnathan Holsey, and SPC Craig Smith were featured in a NPR photo essay about the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier LT Dan Berschinski was featured in a WXIA-TV story about a big homecoming event in his honor and a Seattle Times article about a school raising funds to support him and other injured Soldiers.
  • AW2 Veterans Bob Briggs and BJ Jackson and their Families, along with AW2 Advocate Ken Garot, were featured in a two-part segment entitled “Wounded Soldiers Fighting New Battle at Home” and Part 2.
  • AW2 Soldiers CPT Gates Brown, CWO Ari Jean-Baptiste, and CPT Timothy Hornik and AW2 Veterans Wesley Fine, David Holden, and Robert Laurent, featured on Journal World & News and the Kansas University website, were a part of the first class to graduate from the Wounded Warrior Initiative.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Rob Brown, featured in Army News, finished third for the “Ultimate Champion” title at the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldiers SGT Robert Brown and WO1 Johnathan Holsey were mentioned in a DCMilitary.com article about the Warrior Games’ final standings.
  • AW2 Veteran Ken Butler, featured on Vermont Public Radio, discussed returning to where his injuries took place in an effort to help come to terms with them.
  • AW2 Veteran Bill Campbell was featured in a Voice of America article about service dogs helping war wounded.
  • AW2 Soldier CPT Ivan Castro and AW2 Veteran Kortney Clemons were featured in a WTC press release about adaptive sports changing lives for wounded warriors.
  • BG Gary Cheek, Warrior Transition Command Commander, was featured in The Gazette and Defense News discussing the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Veteran Stuart Contant, featured in San Francisco Examiner, cycled across America in the Sea to Shining Sea bike ride—to prove that there is life after war and injury. AW2 Veterans Stuart Contant and Chad Jukes, were also featured on KALW-NPR in another story about the ride.
  • AW2 Veteran William Cooper was featured in a PR Newswire article about how his transition began with AMVETS and led to his recruitment into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Wounded Warrior Program.
  • AW2 Soldier LTC Danny Dudek, featured on the City of Sacramento website, was a special guest at the “Thank You For Your Service” event that featured demonstrations of U.S. Paralympics-sanctioned sports.
  • AW2 Soldiers 1LT Matthew Daum and SPC Gustavo Rivera, featured in Northwest Guardian, were honored guests during Military Appreciation Day.
  • AW2 Veteran Neil Duncan, featured on ABC Evening News and NPR, was one of a handful of injured Veterans to take part in a new partnership between the Wounded Warrior Project and Vandy-1.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Brendan Ferreira was featured in a Herald News article about how his platoon saved his life and the support he is receiving from his community.
  • AW2 Soldier SSG Dewayne Frost, featured in The Sun News, conducted a prayer service during Military Appreciation Days in Myrtle Beach.
  • AW2 Soldier LTC Greg Gadson and his Family were featured in The Herald in an article about his children receiving educational scholarships from the Folds of Honor Foundation.
  • AW2 Veterans Noah Galloway, Brent Hendrix, and Jason Kokotkiewicz, featured on Army News, visited Iraq as part of Operation Proper Exit.
  • AW2 Veteran Joseph Gross, featured in Akron Beacon Journal, is helping other wounded Veterans—he is the Ohio and Michigan coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Project.
  • AW2 Soldier CPT Juan Guerrero was featured on NPR in a story about going for gold in the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Veteran Ryan Hallberg, featured on WCCO-TV, tells his story in a documentary called “For Honor With Valor.”
  • AW2 Soldier WO1 Johnathan Holsey, featured in Federal News Service, would not leave a team mate behind during the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier MAJ Andy Ingalsbe and his wife Judy were featured in a KYTV-TV story about coming home after his injury.
  • AW2 Soldier SFC Jacque Keeslar, featured in The Los Angeles Times, discussed the competitive and healing aspect of the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Daniel Lopez was featured in a Virginian-Pilot article about winning a silver medal in the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Michael Lukow, SPC Evan Marcy, SGT Robert Price, and SPC Craig Smith, featured on DCMilitary.com, participated in the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Veteran Corey Lyons, featured in Highlands Today, received an emotional homecoming from his community.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Kisha Makerney, featured in Defense News, discussed the passion that got her through the early days of recovery and competing in the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier LT Jason Mazzella and SGT Darren Mischke, along with WTC Commander BG Gary Cheek, were featured in an Army News article about the progress at Warrior Transition Units.
  • AW2 Soldier SGT Joe Mershon was featured in a Bradford Era article about a rally and dice run to benefit wounded warriors.
  • AW2 Veteran Brian Neuman was featured in a Wall Street Journal article about USAA’s recruiting drive to hire battle-scarred Veterans readjusting to civilian life.
  • AW2 Veteran Kevin Pannell, featured on KGW, works for a non-profit that helps kids and will be receiving a specially-adapted home from Homes For Our Troops.
  • AW2 Veteran Mike Payeur, featured in the Journal-Tribune, thinks his mother, Pam, deserves an award for giving freedom back to Veterans.
  • AW2 Veteran José Pequeño, featured in Naples Daily News, participated in a Memorial Day weekend picnic and concert to benefit wounded Veterans.
  • AW2 Veteran Frank Pierson, featured in Suburban Chicago News, will receive a custom home from Homes for Our Troops and his community.
  • AW2 Veteran, Joshua Revak, honored fallen Soldiers with music on a Memorial Day special for “The Huckabee Show” on Fox News.
  • AW2 Veteran Erik Schei and his mother Christine, featured in Boston Globe, will benefit from a new law providing a salary for those working as caregivers.
  • AW2 Soldier SPC Charles Shaffer is mentioned in a KSDK-TV article about a wounded Veterans advocacy group picnic trip to Fort Leonard Wood.
  • AW2 Soldier CPT Scott Smiley was featured in a CBS News story about finding a new niche in military and pulling himself up from faith-shaking depths.
  • AW2 Soldier SPC Chris “Craig” Smith, featured in Army News, about the Army winning silver in wheelchair basketball at Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Veteran James Stuck, featured in Defense News, is an ambassador for the Paralympic organization and served as a mentor at the Warrior Games.
  • AW2 Soldier SSG Johnny Wilson and his Family, featured on CBS 11 and KXAS-TV, will receive a specially-adapted home from their community.
  • AW2 Veteran Arthur “Bunky” Woods, featured in Northern Virginia Daily, will receive a specially-adapted home from Front Royal Rotary Club and Homes For Our Troops.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

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