By Emily Oehler, WTC Stratcom
COAD Soldier SFC Jonathan Grundy is one of the 30 delegates at the first AW2 COAD/COAR Forum determined to help the Army update its policies on allowing wounded Soldiers remain in the force.
“I am a Soldier, first and foremost. I am a professional at what I do and don’t want to change my career any time in the near future,” stated SFC Jonathan Grundy, a severely wounded Soldier attending the COAD/COAR Forum this week. He joins 29 other delegates who were severely wounded and decided to continue on active duty or reserve post injury. He is here to help the Army update outdated regulations that date back to 1967.
The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) is hosting the first Continuation on Active Duty (COAD)/ Continuation on Active Reserve (COAR) Forum January 25-27 to identify the most important issues facing severely wounded Soldiers who remain in the Army post injury, and recommend solutions.
“I chose to be a delegate because I feel that the issues that I pose are of key concern to the Army and the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2). I also want to see change and improvement in our archaic MEB/PEB structure,” Grundy added.
All Soldiers found unfit for duty by a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) are eligible to apply for COAD/COAR. This designation provides Soldiers with an exception to policy which allows them to remain in the Army even if they have significant physical limitations—and typically remain in their current military occupational specialty. This allows Soldiers to continue to serve to meet their career goals, as well as support the Army through their leadership and combat experience. Injuries that can cause a Soldier to be found unfit for duty include blindness, amputation, post-traumatic stress disorder and paralysis.
Grundy was shot in the face—more specifically, he took an AK-47 round to the face. Physicians rebuilt the left side of his face with titanium mesh and he’s blind in one eye. He pointed out that 1 in 10 combat injuries are eye injuries and it’s getting closer to 1 in 5. But on the upside, he discovered that since he lost sight in one eye that he has a better shot with a shotgun than he used to have.
He not only wants to share his experience and ideas for improvements at the conference, but he hopes the updated regulations will attract other combat wounded Soldiers to remain on active duty. “I want other wounded Soldiers to know that just because you aren’t 100% due to injuries sustained in combat, that the Army does have a place for you that is valuable in accomplishing the mission.”
As for his career, he’s most proud of being a member of the 82nd Airborne Division as a Cavalry Scout and as a Jump Master and looks forward to eventually becoming “a division liaison for the 82nd Airborne Division at Walter Reed or Landstuhl, Germany.”
With all he’s experienced, he said he’d do it all again. “The pluses in my life far outweigh the negatives. I’m still alive. How many people do you know who’ve been shot in the head and still lived? I’m still in the Army—I like my job.”
