Tag Archives: wounded warriors

The Invisible Wounds of War

Posted on January 19, 2012 by | 6 Comments

As 2012 begins, many of our troops and their families will be looking forward to a new year with new opportunities. But for some, a challenging task awaits them – tackling the invisible wounds of war.

Often difficult to detect and negatively stigmatized, these invisible injuries can cause longterm or permanent damage if overlooked. Hundreds of thousands of troops are living with post traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and many more will be diagnosed over the next few years.

A handful of brave troops have shared with the USO their deeply personal stories and how their conditions have impacted their lives. We ask you to become educated and join us in making a difference.

Watch more videos and learn more at USOInvisibleWounds.org and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #InvisibleWounds. Get educated. Get inspired. Get involved.

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Posted in Support, Troops, USO Warrior & Family Care

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Sign Your Name on Our Banner in Support of Wounded Warriors!

Posted on October 15, 2010 by | 49 Comments

We recently introduced you to Give Back 10, an initiative that asks you to Take 10, Tell 10, and Give 10 as we create a community of support around America’s wounded warriors.  And you’ve responded to that call by learning more about the needs of wounded warriors, engaging your friends in a dialogue, and donating to this effort.

We also want to invite you to show your support for our wounded warriors by signing a banner of support before October 31st.

We’ll be sending this banner to a very special hospital in Afghanistan in time for Veterans Day.  It’s a place where our brave men and women come straight from the frontlines with battle related injuries.  Please sign your name to our banner, and let our wounded warriors know that YOU have their back. As they’re recovering from their injuries, they’ll see YOUR name and know that someone back home supports them.

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Posted in Support, Troops

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Ride 2 Recovery on NBC Nightly News

Posted on October 12, 2010 by | Leave a comment

After gathering for a group photo on Day Five, the cyclists pushed off from Pismo Beach and headed south for Solvang. The 70-mile ride culminated in a concert for the wounded warriors and 900 others, all of whom were entertained by Dennis Miller and Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik. (Photo courtesy of Ride 2 Recovery)

Our friends over at Ride 2 Recovery recently completed their 7-day ”Golden State Challenge.”  Approximately 200 cyclists – many wounded warriors – made the 463-mile road trip from San Francisco to Santa Monica in order to improve the health and wellness of injured veterans by providing a life changing experience that can impact their lives forever.

“There were so many points where I wanted to quit, but you see the person next to you or in front of you and they are pushing you, they are handing you water … they don’t let you quit,” Percy Banks, a Van Nuys resident and Navy veteran, told the Los Angeles Daily News.

“You just get this great feeling when you’re riding with your fellow veterans, you’re relaxing on your bike with the scenery … everybody is talking and telling stories,” Adam Volchok said in the same interview.

Volchok, an Army medic who was stationed in Afghanistan from 2002 through 2003, was one of more than 200 injured military veterans who participated in the ride that took cyclists from the coast of San Francisco to Santa Monica in seven days.

Sporting slightly sun-burned cheeks, Volchok admitted the ride presented him with one of the biggest challenges he’d ever had, especially as he tried to make his way through the hills of Big Sur during a 93-mile leg of the ride.

But the 30-year-old said as he neared the end of the ride, he felt like he could go for another 60 miles.  ”This was a great way to end this amazing, challenging, inspiring ride,” said Chatsworth resident Adam Volchok.

The “Golden State Challenge” was featured NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams a few days ago.  Check it out!

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Posted in Support, Troops

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General Myers Shows his Support as Give Back 10 Builds Momentum!

Posted on October 11, 2010 by | Leave a comment

He’s the chairman-elect of the USO Board of Governors and now General Richard B. Myers (USAF, ret.), is also helping us kick off Give Back 10.  Learn more about this groundbreaking initiative to support our wounded warriors…and learn how YOU can be a part of it!

 

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Posted in Support, Troops

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Rehabbing with the Troops: Wounded Warrior Arena Wraps Season 1!

Posted on September 23, 2010 by | 1 Comment

Season 1 of the 10-week rehabilitation program culminated with the final workout and a trip to the New Orleans Saints’ preseason home opening game at the Louisiana Superdome, where the warriors were honored with an on-field tribute from the Saints prior to the game and had the opportunity to meet Saints players after watching the pre-game warm-up. (Photo courtesy RWTT Facebook page)

A few months back we introduced to you Rehabbing with the Troops: Wounded Warrior Arena, a groundbreaking program from our friends at Pro vs. GI Joe.  The goal of RWTT is to create a virtual community, called the Wounded Warrior Arena, in which warriors find common ground and build mutual understanding as they improve both their physical rehabilitation and emotional well-being.

But if you think this is just another day in front of the TV, think again! Professional athletes serve as “trainers” for intense workouts on Wii; Season 1′s pro trainers are the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.  This year’s first Season ran from June 10th to August 21st, with each warrior being required to complete a minimum of two workouts per week for 10 weeks.  You catch watch a video below that show a recap of the last workout!

Twenty-one wounded warriors—including Army veteran J. R. Martinez, actor in Emmy-Award-winning drama “All My Children”—gathered at the New Orleans Marriott on August 21 to perform the last workout of Rehabbing with the Troops’ inaugural season. (Photo courtesy of RWTT Facebook page)

“I get up every day, and Rehabbing with the Troops is my job,” said wounded warrior and Air Force veteran Wayne “Tom” Marcum, in a tearful description of how the program has affected his life. “It’s given me a chance to rebuild my life, learn how to communicate again with my wife and sons, and become friends with warriors who face the same struggles that I do.”

Even though Season 1 has ended, that community of support will continue for many of the participants, including Marcum, who will return as a coach for Season Two, which launches on Veteran’s Day.  This time the warriors will match up with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.  We’ll follow along and bring you the exciting conclusion at the Armed Forces Bowl on December 30!

Pro vs. GI Joe created Rehabbing with the Troops in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project and the USO; RWTT is sponsored by Armed Forces Insurance.

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Posted in Troops, US

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Pentagon Announces Second Warrior Games

Posted on September 21, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announces the second annual Warrior Games to be held in Colorado Springs, Colo., in May 2011. Mullen addressed the media at the Pentagon on Sept. 20, 2010. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

The Pentagon announced yesterday that the second annual Warrior Games are scheduled to be held May 16 through May 21, 2011, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Again hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the games will include shooting, swimming, archery, track and field, cycling, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.

“When the focus is on ability rather than disability, we see that physical fitness and sports can have a healing affect on the mind, body and soul,” Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said Monday at the Pentagon.  You can read Adm. Mullen full statement on the games at DoD Live.

From a pool of more than 9,000 active-duty soldiers recovering in Warrior Transition Units, the Army will choose 100 competitors to represent it in the games. The Marine Corps will send 50 competitors and the Air Force will send 25. The Coast Guard and Navy will combine to send 25 rounding out the 200-competitor roster.

Click through to read the full American Forces Press Service story. And read about last year’s games from On Patrol Magazine and the On the Frontlines blog.

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