Warrior Care Month started in 2008 and is observed by Military Services each November. This is a time to reaffirm a commitment to quality health care, education and careers for our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured service members. Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) is proud to announce its celebration of the Soldiers in transition assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) here at Fort Irwin and those at Naval Medical Center in San Diego (NMCSD). The theme for this year’s observance is “Success through Transition – Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship”.
The Staff and Cadre kicked the month of November off with a pancake breakfast to show support and appreciation for the sacrifices these men and women have made for our country. The Staff and Cadre have created a calendar of events to support and educate the Soldiers on all of the services available to them as they transition.
A wheel chair basketball game was hosted at Coyote Recreation Center on Nov. 9. This event is in keeping with the tradition of engaging the Soldiers in adaptive sports and reconditioning. Similar activities and engagements are planned across the Army.
On Veterans Day, Soldiers assigned to the WTU attended a luncheon at the Veterans home in Barstow. This event was sponsored by Disabled Veterans. A Job Fair hosted by the Soldier Family and Assistance Center took place on Nov. 14 at Sandy Basin Annex.
On Nov. 21, the staff and cadre of the WTU will host a Thanksgiving dinner for the supporting agencies and Soldiers assigned to the WTU, which is just another way for them to say, “Thank you for the support and sacrifices you have made for our country.”
The month of November will close with a Wounded Warrior Care Expo at Ingall’s Recreation Center on the 30th. The event features are: motivational speaker, Veterans Affairs brief, Wounded Warrior and Integrated Disability Evaluation System representatives, a barbeque, refreshments and events for the kids.
Activities also extend to our Soldiers in the WTU-B at the NMCSD where Warrior Care month started with the Department of the Navy’s Wounded Warrior hiring conference. Other engagements include briefing the national board of directors of the Armed Services YMCA, and the Director of the San Diego County Habitat for Humanity, on opportunities available to Wounded Warriors. Operation Warfighter and the Education and Employment Initiative, two DoD programs, will meet with leadership to discuss improving partnerships. They will also brief the Soldiers in transition on opportunities for internship, employment, and successful transition planning. A weeklong visit from the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness team, who will teach classes on resiliency, healing, and stress management, is planned for later in the month. Warrior Care month will conclude in San Diego with a C-5 (Comprehensive Complex and Combat Casualty Clinic) Townhall that will bring together the USMC Wounded Warrior Battalion, Navy Safe Harbor Program, and Army WTU Soldiers for fellowship and interaction with the volunteers and community members who support the event.
WTU is a place for Soldiers to heal; it is also a place for them to plan for their future; a place to develop a good, solid way ahead for them and their family. When Soldiers leave the WTU they have received the best medical care possible, along with the education and training they need to succeed.
We owe them our best, and Warrior Care Month is a special time to commemorate their strength and resilience as we show our gratitude for their service.
