washingtonscene Panel 1: The Early Years — How
Wounded Warriors/Families Are Doing Today
wife and caregiver, Danielle, and his extend- ed family was crucial to his recovery, and he worries many don’t have that support. His yearlong search for employment was “worse than the injury.” He urged employ- ers to “hold fast to that initial commitment to veteran hiring when big numbers of [vet- erans] come back … it won’t be easy, but if you invest in us and trust us, it will get bet- ter.” Danielle emphasized family members must “avoid focusing on what you’ve lost … [and] appreciate each other, because it was so close to being all gone. I told our chil- dren, ‘Daddy’s hurt, but he’s not broken.’ ” Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, USMC-Ret.,
Panel 2:
Transitions and New Begin- nings — Linking Alliances to Evolving Needs
served six deployments before suffering severe skull and other injuries in a rocket attack. His wife, Shannon, said in a video played at the event they had “planned for the worst case [death] but not for injuries.” The Maxwells started the SemperMax Support Fund to help wounded warriors discuss the issues others can’t understand. “We have troops with all kinds of shrapnel in their heads,” Tim said in the video. “Shar- ing experiences is better than any drug.” During the Wounded Heroes Recogni-
tion Reception, Sen. Elizabeth Dole de- scribed how her experience as caregiver for her husband, Sen. Bob Dole, prompted her to create Caring for Military Families: The Elizabeth Dole Foundation. Master of ceremonies Maj. Justin
Constantine, USMCR, was shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq in 2006. Since recovering from his wound, he’s worked for the Department of Justice, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and the FBI and now runs his own inspirational speak- ing company. Organizations assisting him included Give an Hour, Syracuse Univer- sity’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Vet- erans with Disabilities, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and many more. Cpl. Kevin Kammerdiener, USA-Ret., was critically wounded in Iraq, suffering
36 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2012
devastating brain injuries and extensive burns that left little hope he would ever have communication or mobility. Today, thanks to the full-time love and support of his mother, Leslie, he is able to walk and talk. The Wounded Warrior Project’s Inde- pendence Program was recognized as being critical to Kammerdiener’s ability to live a more productive and higher-quality life. Cpl. Jonathan Albrecht, USA, suffered multiple concussion-related injuries in Iraq in 2009. After months of rehabilita- tion, he and his wife and son live in a transitional apartment provided by Opera- tion Homefront while planning their next move to a new home in Maryland. Lt. Brian Naughton, USCG, was wound- ed in a grenade explosion while serving in Iraq with SEAL Team 10. Following evacuation and rehabilitation, he returned to Iraq to complete his deployment tour. He credited support from Navy Safe Har- bor, USSOCOM Care Coalition, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Master Sgt. Juanita Milligan, USA-Ret.,
sustained multiple severe injuries in Iraq as the result of an IED explosion. In re- tirement, she not only deals with her own injuries but also is a caregiver for her spe- cial-needs son and her elderly parents. She cited the Business and Professional Women Foundation’s Joining Forces for Women Veterans Mentorship Program, ICF Inter- national, and the USO for her support. Staff Sgt. Dale Beatty, ARNG-Ret., lost both legs to an IED explosion in Iraq. After an extended recovery, he oversaw the construction of a new home and co- founded Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit organization that provides personalized housing solutions for service-connected disabled veterans and their families. He cited the Iredell County Home Builders Association and the Fisher House Founda- tion as crucial to his return to productive family and work life.
PHOTOS: STEVE BARRETT
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