Continuation on Active Duty–Doing What the Army Needs Me to Do

Filed under Career and Education, COL Gadson, Soldier Story by on September 16, 2010 at 2:57 pm {3 comments}

By COL Greg Gadson, AW2 Director

When I was injured, I had my heart set on staying in the Army, even though I knew I would be found unfit.  I’m a Soldier—I’ve been a Soldier for 22 years, and my desire to serve didn’t disappear when an IED exploded under me, costing me my legs.  I knew I wouldn’t be a field artillery officer out on the gun line, but I could do something else.  I wasn’t on a gun line when I got injured; I was doing what the Army needed me to do.  And that’s what I’m doing now, as a COAD Soldier leading AW2—it’s what the Army needs me to do. 

For Soldiers who will be found unfit for duty by a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), Continuation on Active Duty (COAD)/Continuation on Active Reserve (COAR) is a great opportunity to continue our service.  Currently, any Soldier found unfit will not be denied the opportunity to apply for COAD/COAR, and that is a great development for today’s Army.

As I started the COAD process, I had a lot of questions.  Would I be “worthy” to stay in? Would I have something to contribute?  I didn’t want to just hang around and draw a paycheck; I wanted to continue to do something worthwhile. 

Other AW2 Soldiers considering COAD/COAR probably have similar questions.  Some of you came into the Army to do a certain job, fly planes or helicopters or something equally exciting.  But that doesn’t mean that’s all the Army has to offer you.  As you make this decision, I encourage you to:

  1. Keep an open mind as you consider different MOS’s—you might be surprised about the opportunities out there for you, and you have more skills than you realize. 
  2. Speak up for yourself.  Tell the Army what you want to do–and make the Army tell you “no.”  The Army wants to accommodate you and help you increase your skills and pursue opportunities.
  3. Use the resources available to you.  For example, my AW2 Advocate and PEBLO (Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer) were fantastic—they kept me up to date on my requirements, appointments, and documentation. 
  4. Talk to your mentors throughout the Army.  You’ll need their recommendations as you build your case, but you’ll also appreciate their encouragement and guidance as you make these tough decisions and continue your Army career.

To the wounded Soldiers in the Guard and Reserve—my message is exactly the same.  There are slight differences in the process, but you have the same opportunity to continue serving your country.  And I hope you give it serious consideration.

It’s important for both COAD/COAR Soldiers and their leaders to understand that COAD/COAR Soldiers are still Soldiers, just like every other person in the Army.  COAD/COAR Soldiers maintain the Army values and will still have all the Army requirements, within the limits of their physical profiles. 

The Army is an institution of support for you and your Family.  For me, COAD was the right choice, and I’m proud to serve in an Army that supports the people who make it strong.

Editor’s Note: Do you have a story about your personal COAD/COAR experience or advice for Soldiers considering the COAD/COAR process?  Leave a comment below.

They Laugh At Me, That’s The Goal

Filed under Soldier Story by on August 24, 2010 at 1:57 pm {one comment}

By Alan Morales, WTC Stratcom

SSG Bobby Henline uses comedy to humor, inspire, and educate his audiences.

It’s another bout of physical therapy.

While lying down on a table, AW2 Soldier SSG Robert “Bobby” Henline is staring at the fluorescent lights above him. With 35% of his body burned, Bobby’s limbs need to be stretched to prevent scarring from immobilizing his joints. The therapist begins.

The areas that did not suffer third degree burns begin shooting pain all over him. Nevertheless, as Bobby’s mind instructs him to display the physical and mental reactions of pain, his heart leads him to another course of action—crack a joke.

It was during these moments that Bobby turned to comedy to help cope with the pain. As he explained to me during a phone conversation, “…there is no way people would get this, but I figured if I could get people to laugh at me, then I would be able to get myself through my recovery.”

And laugh they did. His jokes didn’t just help him through the 3+ years of hospitalization or through the 40 or so surgeries he has undergone, in Bobby’s eyes, they more importantly made those around him crack a smile.

“They laugh at me. That’s the goal,” says Bobby. Through his comedy, Bobby attempts to break down his story so the general public doesn’t just accept his disfigurement, but rather understands that he’s still the Bobby he was before his injury—hilarious. 

For Bobby, his stand-up comedy is part of his mission to raise awareness. From influencing people to enforce fire prevention policies to giving people inspiration to overcome their own challenges, Bobby’s stand-up is more than laughter. It’s hope.

“If a smile or chuckle from a burn joke makes even just one person think about installing sprinklers in their house later down the line, then that’s one joke that may save a life.” This is the mission that Bobby has set for himself.

Even on the phone, Bobby made me laugh. While discussing his experience with skin grafts, Bobby explained, “…we may look like zombies, except we get our meat from the local morgue.” Responding with laughter, I realized that I had experienced what his audience must experience, understanding through laughter.

Bobby has taught people many new things, myself included, and is actively pursuing his career as a comedian and motivational speaker.  It’s a goal he plans to complete with each new performance and it’s a mission he plans to accomplish one laugh at a time.

Lending a Hand: 7,000 Mile Hike for Military Families in Need

Filed under Soldier and Family Story, Soldier Story by on August 19, 2010 at 11:01 am {no comments}

By Kristle Helmuth, AW2 Spouse 

Nate Helmuth (left) and Troy Yocum (right) hike through Fort Riley to help raise $5 million for military families in need.

Between going back and forth for medical appointments, and trying to overcome the feeling that he has failed his family, my husband has few things in this world that make him feel the sense of accomplishment that he felt the day that he had the honor of joining Troy Yocum on his Hike for our Heroes trip.

Iraq War Veteran Troy Yocum is hiking 7,000 miles across America, banging his drum, and sounding the call for $5 million to help military families in need. We had known about the hike for a few weeks, but it hadn’t crossed our mind to try and be part of it.

The Wednesday before the hike, I happened to notice that Hike for our Heroes was looking for volunteers on their Facebook website to assist Troy with choosing his route, and informing the public about what he was doing. I spent the rest of the day making phone calls, and composing emails about the great things Troy and his team were doing.

I secured him an MP escort, media coverage, and permission to do a meet and greet at the local Post Exchange. After all that, I was sure my job was done until Troy and his team invited me to walk with him as they journeyed through Fort Riley.

The day of the hike, we met Troy at the gate just outside post and I began my journey. About 2 miles in, I got a call from my husband. “I want to hike too,” he said. Coming from him, this was huge. He had not really done any kind of large physical event since before he was injured in Iraq.

We switched places and I followed behind them in the car, taking pictures along the way. I was sure he wouldn’t make it far, it was really hot, and one of the issues he faces with his Traumatic Brain Injury is not being able to regulate his temperature. He also suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, so his oxygen intake isn’t always the greatest.

He ended up hiking more than I did that day, and even walked in the Independence Day Parade that Saturday. Although I was bummed that I didn’t get to hike the whole time, I couldn’t have been more proud of my husband. Troy and his team were truly an inspiration to us and to so many others, if one guy can make such a huge difference, so can we!  I couldn’t have asked to spend our 4th of July weekend any other way!

For more information on the Hike for our Heroes organization, check out drumhike.com.

The “American Citizen” Defined

Filed under Soldier Story by on August 16, 2010 at 9:35 am {no comments}

By Alan Morales, WTC Stratcom

SPC Tenniel Smith (right) and his wife Natasha Smith (left) during their wedding day in Clarendon, Jamaica.

American. It’s a word we probably hear every day either in the news or in daily conversation. It’s a word that unites us all and has an even more special meaning during our country’s time in war. Nevertheless, for Warrior in Transition (WT) and AW2 Soldier SPC Tenniel Smith, the word American has had a dynamic definition that has changed him for the rest of his life.

As a native-born Jamaican, SPC Smith enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2009. Prior to his enlistment, SPC Smith had grown up travelling back and forth from Jamaica to Atlanta, GA, where his American-born father lives. Despite the difficulties of travelling back and forth between Families, Smith attended school in Jamaica while still receiving a healthy dose of American culture during his visits to the States.

During these cultural immersions, the military culture had always been one aspect of Americana that had always fascinated Smith. As he mentioned to me on the phone, “whether it was a conversation with my dad about the Army or even just watching an Army Strong commercial on TV, I always felt a hunger to enlist.” It was this statement that sparked my curiosity. Regardless of the influencing factors, what did it really mean to fight as a foreign national?

For Smith, enlisting was a way to satiate not just a hunger but a way to give back to the country that had given him so much. During his enlistment, Smith admits that his internal call to serve was being met, but that there was still something missing–his identity as an American. It was at this point that Smith decided to apply for American citizenship.

He applied twice and was denied, but after trying a third time during his deployment in Afghanistan, he was offered a citizenship application interview. As fate would have it, before the time scheduled for the interview, SPC Smith was knocked unconscious and suffered a closed fracture to his left femur during an improvised explosive device (IED) blast. Needless to say this interview was never completed. Nevertheless, after being transferred from Afghanistan to Germany, then to Washington, and now to Fort Hood, Smith would meet an individual that would help him attain the American identity he always knew he wanted.

At Fort Hood, Smith met AW2 Advocate Brandon Hicks, who with the help of the other Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) Staff, helped Smith attain the citizenship he strived to attain. As Smith still receives treatment, he now faces his second challenge–how to get his wife Natasha to the States. “The WTU Staff has been amazing and so supportive in helping me navigate through the process to get my wife American citizenship. After getting this far, they still help me work for my Family’s happiness and that is something that I will always remember,” explains Smith.

This set of circumstances made me understand that life’s challenges may be daunting, but that in the case of SPC Tenniel Smith, there is a community and network that truly cares about helping make the hard things in life a little easier.

Hanging up after my conversation with Smith, I realized that one thing was for certain. Regardless of his medical situation or his wife’s current citizenship challenges, Smith had been steadfast in overcoming the obstacles during his journey. In the greater scheme of things, Smith had definitely accomplished at least one thing in my mind. He served his country and he served it as an American.

MP to Business Owner: Wounded Veteran Makes the Move

Filed under Career and Education, Soldier Story by on July 27, 2010 at 10:58 am {no comments}

By Alan Morales, WTC Stratcom

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure to interview CPT (Ret.) Dawn Halfaker, an Army wounded warrior and self-made business woman, who recently presented at the National Veterans Business Conference in Las Vegas. As a right-shoulder amputee, CPT. Halfaker has made many strides during her post-deployment transition and continues to prove that with the right attitude, success is inevitable.

Q: What was your MOS?

A: I was a Military Police Officer stationed in Korea during 2002-2003 and in Iraq during 2004.

Q: Can you tell me about your injury and your initial treatment?

A: I was hit with a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that went through my right shoulder, resulting in a right arm amputation at the shoulder. In addition to the arm injury, I had a collapsed lung, shrapnel wounds, and several broken bones.

Back in the U.S., I was treated at Walter Reed. The treatment I received there was nothing but phenomenal particularly given the seriousness of my injuries. I wouldn’t have wanted to be at any other place to be quite honest.  All the staff and clinicians were extremely professional, but more importantly they were dedicated to ensuring that I achieved a full recovery.

Q: After your initial recovery, did you deal with any adaptive technology or therapies?

A: I learned how to use a prosthetic device called a myoelectric arm. I was essentially re-hacked physically and learned to do a lot of different things with my left hand as I was originally right-handed. Even from the simplest of tasks such as writing to more complicated tasks such as zipping a zipper or buttoning a shirt now had to be done with my sole left hand/arm.

Q: What has been your experience with the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2)? Can you describe your relationship with your AW2 Advocate?

A: Right away, I was contacted by my AW2 Advocate, Simona Jackson. At the time, AW2 was still a relatively new program, still working out many of the issues any new program would have to overcome. Even so, my AW2 Advocate immediately made contact with me and was by my side the whole time, coming for in-person meetings at the hospital, and taking the time to actually get to know me as a person. Based on these conversations, she was able to assess my needs and do everything and anything to help.

Where she provided me a great deal of support was during my transition from Walter Reed to the VA medical center in DC. She ensured that the transition went as smoothly as possible. When we were confronted with challenges, she was there to work through them and be my advocate. She also provided me a lot of different opportunities to interface with other Wounded Warriors through social events and events where wounded warriors were being honored. These types of interactions assisted me during my treatment and transition – It just made things easier. Now, five years later, I still get calls from her on a monthly basis calling me just to make sure that I am OK.

Q: Can you talk about a specific problem where your Advocate was vital to its resolution?

A: After my amputation, the doctors and I quickly realized that wearing a prosthetic was extremely difficult due to the location of my amputation. Because of this unique medical issue, I was undergoing unique procedures that were not normally covered by the military and certainly procedures that the VA did not offer. As a result, I was having trouble getting these services during my transition. Luckily, Ms. Jackson did everything she could to ensure that I was able to get the medical care and attention that I needed even though it was something the VA hadn’t dealt with before. I wouldn’t have been able to get the treatment I needed if it weren’t for her.

Q: You own a small consulting business. How did you transition from a military police officer to a small business owner?

A: As I transitioned out of the Military, it was really hard for me and it was hard to accept a medical retirement all together. I found as I looked around, that I wanted to stay connected with the Military and continue to build my skills. Given this desire, I decided that I wanted to continue my service by starting my own business. In 2006, I started a consulting company/national security firm, as a service disabled/Veteran-owned business. In fact, this week I am in Las Vegas representing my business at the National Veterans Business Conference.

These types of events are fantastic venues that bring in industry heavy weights in the Federal Government and other small disabled/Veteran-owned businesses to network and find opportunities to do business together. The conference is in its sixth year running and has been a great forum to promote the continued growth of Veteran-owned businesses and provide a support network to Veterans returning from the current war to pursue their own employment or start their new business.

Q: Given your success as a business woman, what advice can you give to other wounded warriors?

A: Get involved. It is important to have an impact by working with different organizations that support wounded warriors. In general, surrounding yourself with a good network and people, who understand what you are going through is critical for recovery. Secondly, try and figure out how you can leverage what you did in the Military and look for ways to continue supporting the mission. If you are interested and considering starting your own business or get back in the workforce, this type of mentality is crucial. The ultimate message is regardless of what happens to anyone, there is definitely the ability to succeed. It is important to really look at what you have versus dwelling on what you don’t have and with that right attitude, anyone can be successful.

If you would like to share your story with the AW2 Blog, feel free to drop-us a line by e-mailing us your information at AW2Stratcomm@conus.army.mil.

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