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Giving a Voice to Post-Traumatic Stress on Capitol Hill

Filed under Behavioral Health, Soldier and Family Story by on May 12, 2011 at 7:06 pm {3 comments}

By Gina Hill, AW2 Spouse

Vice Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Peter Chiarelli and AW2 spouse Gina Hill speak to Capitol Hill on the behavioral health needs facing the military community

The last time I boarded a plane to Washington, DC, I was alone, scared, and on my way to see my husband who’d been medevaced out of his second deployment in Iraq. I was on my way to Walter Reed. All of that came flooding back yesterday as I made that trip again—it was my own unexpected emotional flashback. This time, however, I was returning with a greater understanding and a clear purpose: to take a stand on behalf of my husband, retired SSG Allen Hill, and the thousands of other Veterans and Army Families who struggle daily with PTSD. I was going to brief Capitol Hill at the Mental Illness Awareness Caucus.

As I looked at the panel, I was a bit overwhelmed. COL Gregory Gadson, AW2’s Director, spoke about his struggle with PTSD and TBI and how his Family got individual and Family counseling. SGM Robert Gallagher of AW2 spoke about his “wounds above the shoulders” and about his realization that there was no silver bullet to fix his brain injury—that he just had to learn and apply the tools that were provided and work in partnership with his medical providers. Army wife, Sherri Hall, told of the night she looked at her husband and said, “I might clean up your beer bottle in the front yard as you cope, but I’ll be dammed if I’m going to clean up your brains off the wall—I will not tell our kids you didn’t take advantage of the help that was available for PTSD” and how he now trains resiliency at Ft. Riley to help other Soldiers.

And then, next to me, sat the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Peter Chiarelli. I was excited and a bit surprised by his passion for and candor about PTS and TBI injuries. He pointed out that, “The science of the brain is not as advanced as the rest of the body and we need to learn as much about the brain as we do the rest of the mechanical issues.” He stated we needed a larger discussion in society about mental illness and we all need to take on the stigmas that surround it in a larger conversation, adding, “I believe it’s a national crisis.” He talked about new technology such as tele-behavioral health medicine and the TBI bio-marker and stated, “we’ve done a lot for PTS, but we’re not where we need to be.” He urged everyone to help with expanding the science of the brain and reducing the stigmas connected to those with mental illness. It meant a lot to me that he got it, I mean really got it.

I don’t share our story publically for sympathy. I share it because it’s my way to ensure people better understand that PTSD is real and to reduce the stigma associated with it. Many people fear what they do not understand. The more we know, the more we understand, the more we can help. Allen is a hard worker, a patriot, a Veteran, a father, a husband—and should not be defined or limited by his mental illness. My older son Makale bluntly put it in a blog this way, “Just because he is different now than before—he’s not crazy!”

Allen and I know that if we want things to change, we have to lead it. We hope that by sharing our personal struggles and accomplishments, we will shed some light on things that need fixed and share the blessings we have received that others may not know about. And more importantly, we can hopefully make things better for those that will follow.

As my 8 year old son said last summer at an Army event, “My dad fought in the war to save the world,” and to that I add, it’s our turn to fight for him and the thousands like him with various mental illnesses.

While the majority of his physical, or visible, wounds have healed, our Family still struggles daily with the psychological wounds. Often times, these are called the invisible wounds, but I have a hard time calling them that, for they are very visible to anyone who spends any amount of time with him.

These psychological wounds greatly affect not only the Soldier, but the entire Family. My husband’s triggers are now triggers for myself as well as our 2 children Dreyson who is 8 and Makale who is 14. In the rare times we are away from my husband, we are constantly on high alert for his triggers. It is next to impossible for us to turn that off.

The impact of my husband’s PTSD on our Family was immediate. When we left Walter Reed, Dreyson was 4 and in pre-school. We’d been home a couple of months and it was one of our first trips to the VA and Dreyson joined us. Allen, my husband and a retried Staff Sergeant, has problems in new locations and especially long hallways. A few steps into the VA, my 4 year-old son saw the physical changes in Allen, grabbed his hand, and began to lead him down the hallway saying, “don’t worry dad – he’s just a doctor, don’t worry dad – that’s just a door slamming.” I cannot hide my husband’s illness. I don’t have to explain it – my children live it every day. Since the age of 4 my son has been a caregiver to his father. In an AW2 blog, my son offered this advice to other kids of wounded Soldiers, “If your dad or mom has flashbacks, do not be afraid. It will be okay.”

My children are caregivers first, and kids second. They are well rehearsed in PTSD, calling 9-1-1, and explaining why their dad has a service dog, why he isn’t at many of their events, and why he sometimes acts really weird. They also have to understand that plans are NEVER set in stone and are always contingent on their dad’s current mental state. Even things they have their heart set on, sometimes doesn’t happen when they expect or want it to. Any friends they want to have over to our house also have to know the deal with their dad and that sometimes things quickly get very chaotic at our house. They never really know what to expect next and have to be very flexible with their needs and desires. These aren’t things most kids have to worry about.

When people thank my husband for his service, I just wish they’d stop and recognize the sacrifice of our children. They have given a lot. They served, and continue to, every day.

Although I used to teach full time, I now am a full-time caregiver for my husband. One of our biggest fears is that my Soldier will not be considered “injured” enough to qualify for the benefits of the newly passed “caregiver’s bill.” While my husband is physically capable of dressing, transferring, toileting, and bathing independently, he still requires supervision and reminders to perform these daily tasks. Without these reminders and assistance, most of these tasks are left undone. Due to the severity of his dissociations, my husband is unable to drive or to be left alone. Even within our own home there are many external, environmental triggers that can send him running to the middle of the street completely unresponsive to anything outside of his head, or ducked in a corner taking cover for hours. Many, many of these instances have ended with me having to call 9-1-1 for assistance, 15 times in a span of two years to be exact. Yet, he is not injured severely enough to qualify for much of the assistance available to the more physically injured warriors. We do not qualify for housing assistance that would allow us to move away from the rock quarry a mile from our house that blasts everyday and makes him think there are incoming mortars or the railroad tracks 100 meters from our house that cause a lot of loud noise and vibrations that he interprets as some type of danger. Recently, we got a contract on our house – and while I’m excited to find a new home that offers less triggers and turbulence for my Family, we are unsure where we’ll go. We simply put our faith in God and that He’ll provide. Currently, we also do not qualify for any type of respite care that would allow me to leave the house for errands or a job. All of these things we get denied for because they can’t see his wounds and this just fuels his PTSD and the depression and self harm feelings that go along with it.

Time and time again, we have come to realize that the whole system doesn’t know what to do with these guys. I’ve been told by someone in the system who is there to “help” that most Soldiers with PTSD like my husband’s just end up in jail, homeless, or dead. This is not an acceptable attitude.

Last summer, my husband attempted suicide. We went to the Kansas City VA, where he was admitted for a week. They directed us to the Topeka VA which has a PTSD program. Tricare would not cover this treatment because it’s the VA’s responsibility. As I was sorting out the paperwork, and how to get my husband into a local program, each day he struggled to hold it together saying, “I don’t think I can handle another day.” Each day, I feared for his life. He needed help. He wanted help. He sought help. But, he was denied help.

Finally, on my own, I found an inpatient treatment facility called The Pathway Home in California. We flew across the country in September to admit him. He’s been there now for 7 months, and recently graduated from the PTSD program but will remain there until we get settled into a new home. They are also still trying to figure out if he has been completely diagnosed and are searching for somewhere that can accurately diagnose everything that is going on with him. Three and a half years post injury, there are still many unknowns regarding my husband’s injuries.

Struggles I face specifically as a spouse of a warrior suffering with PTSD are many. It is difficult watching the person you love fighting to get back to the person they were before war because they do remember what they used to be like, they just can’t figure out how to get back to that person. We have worked very hard to focus on the best he can be now, not who he was. Every part of him is different and when I say every, I mean every. With that being said, it is extremely difficult being married to someone who is completely different than when you married him. There are times that I see glimpses of the man I married, but they are few and far between. I’m not sure whether these glimpses are a blessing or a curse!

Returning to DC this week has been amazing. My memories of fear and helplessness have been replaced with empowerment and advocacy. My uncertainty replaced with a purpose – to educate others about post-traumatic stress through an open dialogue. If you want to join me (and the Vice) in the conversation and affect change come chat at The Invisible Wounded Blog.

I am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Soul

Filed under Staff Stories, Warrior Games by on May 11, 2011 at 7:50 pm {no comments}

By Patricia Sands, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Soldier SGT Alonzo Lunsford coaches three 2011 Warrior Games wheelchair basketball players during training.

SGT Alonzo Lunsford is an AW2 Soldier and one of the coaches for the 2011 Warrior Games wheelchair basketball team. Much has happened since he was a coach last year for shot put and discus. Coach Lunsford was one of the survivors from the Fort Hood tragedy and was shot six times, resulting in blindness in one of his eyes. He is still recovering, but insisted on being at the Warrior Games for the players.

Asked why it was vital for him to return as a coach, he replied, “It is about the Soldiers and showing what is possible. These games are exciting and invigorating. The Soldiers feel alive and see progress with their mind and their bodies. Participating in athletics is very therapeutic. It releases negative feelings and gives an outlet for frustration. The Soldier can take the stress and tension out on the court and not on those in his or her life.”

Watching the players on the court, he added, “The teamwork builds friendships for life. We all have chewed the same dirt. These are my people and they have been through the same pain,” Lunsford said. “What we have been through is culture shock to those out of the military.” After listening to these words, I realized that it is therapeutic for him and the athletes to be together. It is another way to heal and is a reality about which civilians can sympathize, but cannot empathize.

He lives by the words in the title of this blog, “I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.” He will tell you that he may not be able to play basketball, but he can coach. He said life is about looking at what you have and making the most out of it. He is from a long line of military and law enforcement people. When I asked this father of five if he was planning on staying in the Army, he replied, “Of course, we are still at war. If I can be of service to the Army, I will stay. When the war is done, I will think about getting out.”

For now he hopes that Warrior Games will expand and more players will come forward. He believes the Warrior Games helps wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and their Families, while educating and involving the public in a very positive way.

Go Army!

Support in the Form of Four Paws

Filed under Behavioral Health, Staff Stories by on May 6, 2011 at 10:42 am {4 comments}

By Christin Barden, AW2 Advocate and Air Force Veteran

AW2 Advocate and Air Force Veteran Christin Barden, pictured above with her husband Edward, intends to help manage her PTSD and TBI with the help of her dog Bravo and training from Paws and Stripes.

Last week I was introduced to my new best friend. He is a rescued, 12-month-old black lab I named Bravo. Like any good friend, he provides me physical and emotional support when needed, helps calm my anxieties, and unlike humans, never judges me.

Although I have had tremendous support from Family and friends when I found out I was receiving my dog, several people questioned why I need Bravo to help me face my injuries. People wanted to know how I could benefit from him.

The people closest to me understand, but others in our communities and even in the AW2 community may not realize the significant impact from a canine companion. This is when I realized that I had an opportunity to educate people about the invisible wounds of war and how dogs like Bravo, can play a part in healing.

I am a Veteran and an AW2 Advocate who has post-traumatic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury, and mobility issues. Most people think I have it all together, however very few know about the level of pain, stress, anxiety, and sometimes depression that I live with every day since my military service.

Bravo helps me attain freedom that I have not experienced in a long time. Although we are bonding really well and already in love, we have a lot of work to do together and I am looking forward to our journey together.

Every week we will work with trainers and will face challenges that are far outside our comfort levels. The training will force both of us to confront our anxieties and in the end, this experience will teach us both to trust again. I guess it is like going through basic training again. Although I may get some barks at me, I won’t get any yelling. Stay posted for more information about my adventure in the coming months.

Editor’s note: The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Learning How to Speak Again

Filed under Soldier Story by on May 4, 2011 at 10:51 am {3 comments}

By Alan Morales, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Soldier SGT Ian Ralston at an awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

When you say good night to a loved one or say thank you to a stranger, you use an ability that most of us take for granted—speech. After my interview with AW2 Soldier SGT Ian Ralston, I asked myself, how exactly do I speak? Do I first think about speaking? Do I tense my muscles and ligaments to form words? The reality is that for the vast majority of us, we don’t think about how we speak, we just speak. For Ralston, this was an ability he thought he had lost forever.

Ralston has very few recollections from the event that changed his life in Taji, Iraq. It was July 2010 when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device (IED) hanging from the ceiling of a concrete overpass. Ralston describes, “It was like the movies. Everything turned to slow motion, my hearing was muffled, and all I could hear were the voices of other Soldiers crying out to me, asking if I was okay. Then, it all turned to black.”

A few weeks later in Landstuhl, Germany, a physician informed Ralston about his injury. Heavily sedated at the time, however, he doesn’t remember talking to a doctor and it wasn’t until he was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, when he truly understood his injuries. His first clear memory since the attack in Iraq, he awoke, stared at his Family, and tried to speak. That’s when he knew and thought to himself, “I will never speak again.”

The IED attack paralyzed him from the neck down, preventing him from speaking or eating. He eventually had a tracheotomy tube placed in his throat to help him breathe; however, after a few days, started to choke. The doctors quickly removed the tube from his throat and realized he was trying to mouth words. This was the first day of his journey to learn how to speak once again.

Ralston spent weeks working with speech therapists to relearn how to speak and eat. Because certain parts of his throat did not completely regain the ability to move, he had to learn alternative ways to shape syllables and vowels. He walked a tightrope, balancing positive and negative emotions that often left him spiritually drained. He described, “I was scared. I spent a month in bed doing nothing. Now, I was trying to speak, working so hard and not getting very far. I felt exhausted. I often thought to myself, this is just a waste of my time.”

Nevertheless, inspiration came from another source. Ralston was accompanied by his Family members who took turns driving the 12 hours from their hometown in Iowa to Walter Reed every week to be with him. The dedication of his Family shed light on his opportunity to regain what he thought he had lost. As Ralston explained to me, it wasn’t just the chance to speak again, it was the chance to say, “I love you” to his girlfriend or even simply tell a joke. He became inspired and chose not to look at each day’s progress, but the overall journey. He quickly became determined to make his dream a reality if not for him, for his Family and loved ones.

“I am very self-driven and don’t try to let obstacles get in my path and trip me up,” shared Ralston. “I stay positive. I stay motivated for my Family. Back then, I knew that if I pushed myself, then I could improve my life and improve theirs.” It took him approximately four weeks to relearn how to enunciate words and be able to digest more than a few ice chips. On the phone, I remarked at his ability to speak. I realized that for each word, he had to learn how to recalibrate his brain so his throat muscles could correctly mouth and vocalize words. I realized that speaking is no longer intuitive for him.

Before ending the telephone interview, I asked Ralston about the future. He shared with me that he intends to attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree in history to pursue a teaching career. When asked why teaching, he responded, “As a former trainer in the Army, it’s a good feeling when you realize what you are saying is getting through to your students. You get to see their eyes light up.” I ventured to say that the feeling must be similar to what he felt when he first spoke to his Family and girlfriend. It was a spark that inspired them and inspired Ralston to continue driving forward.

Welcome to the AW2 Community Support Network

Filed under Community Support Network by on April 29, 2011 at 4:04 pm {no comments}

By Patty Sands, WTC Stratcom

Join me in welcoming the newest organizations in the AW2 Community Support Network. These organizations are part of the 223 AW2 Community Support Network organizations that help better the lives of AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. Click on the links below to get to know them.

The AW2 Community Support Network was created based on direct requests from severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and Families. Wounded Soldiers stated that connection with their local community and community leaders was essential for their success and reintegration. For more information, please visit the AW2 Community Support Network webpage.

Do you know of a caring organization that wants to assist wounded, injured, and ill Soldiers, Veterans and their Families? If so, please email the AW2 Community Support Network at the below email address. I welcome your recommendations and referrals.

Send organization referrals to AW2CommunitySupportNetwork@conus.army.mil

The Story Behind the Photo, CPL Kendra Coleman

Filed under Soldier Story by on April 29, 2011 at 12:12 pm {6 comments}

By Tania Meireles, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Soldier CPL Kendra Coleman is featured on several AW2 outreach materials.

“I want to give back to the Soldiers who fight for my freedom and sacrifice their life for me,” said AW2 Soldier CPL Kendra Coleman about her future.

At 20-years-old, she knew she wanted to fight in the war on terrorism and joined the Army on July 25, 2007. She served with the 173D Special Troops Battalion, part of the 173D Airborne Brigade Combat Team as a military police (MP) officer and paratrooper. She deployed to Afghanistan on November 19, 2009, and her job was to train Afghan police and keep the local village of Charkh safe.

On May 11, 2010, she was clearing a village, she recalled, “I was hugging a wall to clear a corner, and after I cleared the corner I looked down. That’s when I saw a randomly placed pile of tires. I could feel the evil in the air.”

An improvised explosive device (IED) immediately exploded and she was knocked to the ground. “I knew I was hit,” she said. “I reached down to my left leg pocket to grab my tourniquet. My pocket wasn’t there, just the remaining pieces of what was my left leg.”

She is currently assigned to a Warrior Transition Unit and receives care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and Brooke Army Medical Center. “WRAMC has given me my life back,” she said. “The medical care I have received here at WRAMC has been phenomenal.” Now using a prosthetic leg, she said, “I almost feel like me again.”

One of the highlights of her recovery was participating in a snowboarding program. “I never thought I would snowboard again, but I did it,” she said. “I got back up on my board—it was an amazing feeling of achievement.”

With the assistance of AW2 Community Support Network member Sentinels of Freedom, she plans to attend college. “They provided me a four-year scholarship to the school of my choice, all expenses paid including living expenses,” she said.

Coleman wants to attend Georgia Institute of Technology to earn a master’s in prosthetics and work with other wounded warriors at an Army Military Treatment Facility. She hopes to motivate other wounded warriors to never give up, stating, “Don’t let the enemy determine your future—improvise and overcome.”

Warrior Games Marksman Hunts for Gold

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Staff Stories, Warrior Games by on April 28, 2011 at 1:23 pm {no comments}

By Jim Wenzel, WTC Stratcom

Warrior Games shooter SPC David Oliver poses at the Walter Reed Warrior Transition Brigade marksmanship training range.

Warrior Games 2011 is just around the corner. On May 17, roughly 200 Warrior Games athletes from all the military services will gather at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO to compete in track and field, cycling, swimming, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, archery, and shooting events. The members of the Army shooting team in particular, are determined to continue last year’s winning streak. In 2010, the Army shooting team was awarded 9 of the 12 shooting medals.

Despite the fact that last year’s winner was determined by a slim three tenths of a point, SPC David Oliver is looking for gold when he journeys to Colorado next week. Oliver was an infantryman serving in Afghanistan in December of 2009. He was serving as the gunner of a vehicle when it was attacked and rolled off the side of the road. His right arm sustained a crushing injury which required medical evacuation to Walter Reed and amputation of his arm at the shoulder.

Oliver immediately signed up for the Warrior Games after he heard the announcement at a Walter Reed Warrior Transition Brigade (WTB) company formation in January. When asked why he chose shooting, his response was both direct and confident, “I’ve always been a naturally good shot.” Oliver strengthened his natural ability by completing additional training time on the range each week and additional strength training. Noting that his injury has since turned him from a right-handed to left-handed shooter, and asked if it was difficult to switch hands, he replied, “Not really. When it comes down to it, the fundamentals of shooting are the same.” It is clear that this Sacramento, CA native mastered the mental resiliency required to meet the high pressure environment of the competitive shooting range.

MSG Howard Day, the Warrior Games shooting coach for the Army team describes the course of fire for the rifle competitors as 40 pellets shot in 70 minutes at a target roughly 30 feet away. The difficulty of this feat can only be gauged upon examination of the target. The ten scoring rings are grouped on a paper square no bigger than a cocktail napkin, and the “ten” ring is about the width of a pencil eraser. Day explained, “one dropped shot and you might as well pack it in and go home.” The finalists will most likely be determined by a computer that can calculate exactly how close to the center of the ten ring each shot is placed.

Although Day concludes that the Warrior Games are “not about the medals,” it is clear that SPC David Oliver will bring his best competitive game to Colorado Springs and feels that he will show strong for the Army and himself. As for the future, Oliver places a high priority on staying in the Army but will keep all options open. There is no doubt that he will succeed when he applies the same shooter mentality and focus he is exercising on the range to explore his future career options.

We Rode Hard, Met the Challenge

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Guest Blogger, Soldier Story by on April 28, 2011 at 10:20 am {one comment}

By LTC Marc Hoffmeister, AW2 Soldier

(left to right) AW2 Soldier COL Dave Haines, former President George W. Bush, AW2 Soldier LTC Patty Collins, and AW2 Soldier LTC Marc Hoffmeister brought their A-game during a mountain biking trek this week in Texas (Photo courtesy of Paul Morse).

When John Wordin, director of Ride 2 Recovery, invited me to mountain bike in Texas, I was more than excited at the opportunity. When he informed me that we would be riding with former President George W. Bush, I was speechless. Biking has been one of the greatest means of recovery I’ve had. It brought me freedom from the hospitals, built back my fitness level, and got me back in the fight. And now it brought the opportunity to ride with the president! As an avid mountain biker, I assumed 100 km of trail with the president wouldn’t be all that tough—after all, he’s not all that young. Fast forward to today as we wrapped up the final miles of the Warrior 100, and I can honestly say the man brought his A-game and he knows how to handle a bike.

Fourteen wounded warriors joined the president at the Lajitas Resort in Big Bend Ranch State Park, Lajitas, TX, for three days of mountain biking, April 25-27, 2011, as part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Social Enterprise Initiative. The event brought together warriors representing the Ride 2 Recovery, World Team Sports, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project to highlight the continuing commitments they have made to support our wounded.

Make no mistake, this was no pleasure cruise. The 100 kilometers of trail was rocky and technical, demanding intermediate to expert level bike handling and a high level of fitness to maintain the demanding pace set by the president and his special guest, Lance Armstrong. Between the two of them and the dry desert heat along the Mexican border, all of us had our work cut out for us to keep up the pace. But we met the challenge head on, just as we’ve maintained our strength of purpose in recovering from our wounds—there was no way we were going to be dropped by the president, so we rode hard and met his challenge.

Former President George W. Bush and professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong set a demanding pace for the group of riders (Photo courtesy of Paul Morse).

The Warrior 100 was a once in a lifetime experience which reminded me how strong our warriors are in their recovery and how incredible the support we have is, literally from the top down. The support for the event was phenomenal as well. Everything was thought of and perfectly coordinated; lodging, food, transportation, bike maintenance. It was obvious how professionally the president’s staff had planned and executed this event. It was a privilege I will not forget and an experience I hope others will share as well. The president stated the goal is to repeat this event in the future, but first you have to get back on the bike.

Check out interviews, pictures, and video from the trail at www.w100k.com.

I’m Just Competitive as Hell

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Soldier Story by on April 20, 2011 at 5:47 pm {one comment}

By Alan Morales, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Veteran Joe Beimfohr channeled his competitiveness to earn an overall second place in the handcycling division at the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Competition. It’s a fundamental aspect of athleticism that for some pushes them to achieve higher levels of excellence. For retired AW2 Veteran and handcyclist Joe Beimfohr, it was his electric, adrenaline-fueled, competitiveness that pushed him towards the finish line at Monday’s 2011 Boston Marathon in Boston, MA. Beimfohr’s performance landed him second place overall in the handcycling division and a personal best record, completing the 26.2 miles in 1 hour and 34 minutes. When asked what pushed him across the finish line, Beimfohr responded, “I’m just competitive as hell.”

On the phone, Beimfohr made his journey to competitive handcycling sound easy, casually explaining to me about the events that led to his achievement on Monday. I soon learned that Beimfohr spent years training, learning how to handcycle, building his endurance, and strengthening his body and mind to compete. Beimfohr’s first exposure to handcycling occurred in 2005 while recovering at the Malone House at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC. After looking out of his window one afternoon, Beimfohr noticed several individuals on handcycles. Curiosity sparked Beimfohr’s interest. Achilles International, an organization Beimfohr currently races with, periodically visits the Malone House to share with Warriors in Transition various adaptive sports, including handcycling. During one of these visits, Beimfohr got bit by the bug. Handcycling soon became a way for Beimfohr to tap the competitive drive that was bottled-up during the initial stages of his recovery.

Competition doesn’t just manifest itself on the road, for Beimfohr it also manifested itself during recovery. As a single man with most of his Family in Tennessee, Beimfohr spent the majority of his time at Walter Reed alone. This set of circumstances drove Beimfohr to push himself to work through his recovery as a double amputee more quickly. As Beimfohr explained, “A lot of times at Walter Reed, I’d see loved ones do everything for their Soldiers, often when they were capable of doing a certain task themselves. I’d think to myself—why don’t you let them push their own wheelchair?” Recovery became a chance for Beimfohr to compete against himself. He viewed his therapy and medical treatments as ways to beat himself. Each of these personal competitions offered a high pay-off for Beimfohr—one step closer towards being a more independent individual.

Inspiration was another ingredient for Beimfohr’s success. When I asked him what advice he had for other Warriors in Transition who may be just beginning their road to recovery, he responded, “The best advice was given to me years ago. Take the time to figure out what you always wanted to do. This is a second chance to start over. If you have drive, there are people out there who will support you and make that dream come true. You just have to figure it out.” This advice led him to pursue numerous goals, including his intent to organize a handcycling team for the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, DC in October.

Handcycling is an adaptive sport that enables individuals and athletes to ride a bicycle only using their upper-bodies. According to the U.S. Handcycling Federation, it is one of the newest competitions at the Paralympic Games and was included in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece in 2004. Handcycling is also one of the many ways athletes participate in the Warrior Games cycling competition. First held in 2010, the Warrior Games will be held in May and is a competition of wounded, ill, and injured Service Members and Veterans from all military services. Competitions such as the Boston Marathon are one of the many ways Warriors in Transition can prepare to become a Warrior Games athlete.

Counseling Awareness

Filed under Community Support Network by on April 20, 2011 at 11:16 am {2 comments}

By Patricia Sands, WTC Stratcom

Give an Hour is one of several organizations that provide free counseling to help AW2 Soldiers and Veterans.

AW2 Soldiers, Veterans and Family members deal with many stressors on their road to recovery. Their lives have changed dramatically and the impact is felt by everyone involved. This stress can manifest in many challenges including:

  • Poor communication between an AW2 Soldier or Veteran and their spouse or caregiver
  • Lack of sleep from worry
  • Kids of Warriors in Transition slipping in school and withdrawing socially.

Having an impartial professional help you work through your thoughts and feelings can make a huge difference. Trained professionals can help a person step back and evaluate their choices for the future before he or she actually makes them. A counselor can assist Warriors in Transition by helping them better understand how to communicate with their Family, how to help their kids better adjust and succeed, and how to release stress for both the wounded warrior and their Family.

To help the AW2 community succeed, there are many resources available to address the various different challenges in each of the stages of the warrior care lifecycle. Along with the Army and VA resources, several organizations in the AW2 Community Support Network have stepped forward to assist.

An example of this support is AW2 Community Support Network Member, Give an Hour. Give an Hour provides free counseling and other mental health services to active duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, and Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who have separated or retired from any branch of military service.

These services are also available to parents, siblings, and unmarried partners who are not entitled to receive mental health benefits through the military or VA. To learn more, please visit Give an Hour’s website.

In conclusion, the benefits of counseling are tremendous. Counseling can help heal unseen wounds. We encourage anyone that is struggling to reach out as there are many caring people ready to assist.

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Warriors in Transition can submit a blog by e-mailing WarriorCareCommunications [at] conus.army.mil.