AW2 Veteran’s Rehabilitation Is Definitely “On Par”

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Advocate Story by on November 3, 2011 at 10:45 am {no comments}

By Chris Lewandowski, AW2 Advocate

To say it has been a busy couple of weeks for AW2 Veteran retired CPL Chad Pfeifer, would be an understatement. One week after winning the 2011 National Amputee Golf Championship, Pfeifer made his way to Irving, Texas, where he won the Inaugural Bush Center Warrior Open. The Warrior Open was sponsored by the George W. Bush Presidential Center and is part of the center’s Military Service Initiative, a program designed to showcase the importance of sports in the rehabilitation of wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

AW2 Veteran Chad Pfeifer received the Inaugural Bush Center Warrior Open championship trophy from former President George W. Bush.

Pfeifer competed against 20wounded warriors, ultimately winning the 36-hole event by nine strokes. Seven of the 20 wounded warriors participating were graduates of the Salute Military Golf Association’s program coached by PGA professional Jim Estes. After receiving the championship trophy from the former president, Pfeifer dedicated his win to “all of our brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Pfeifer suffered an above the knee amputation of his left leg after the vehicle he was in rolled over a pressure-plate- activated improvised explosive device (IED) outside Baghdad, Iraq, in April 2007. After more than a year in recovery, Pfeifer took up golf as a form of physical therapy.  While attached to the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Sam Houston, Pfeifer was allowed to hit balls and golf for free. “I just fell in love with it,” says Pfeifer.

AW2 Veteran Chad Pfeifer wins the 2011 Inaugural Bush Center Warrior Open in Irving, TX.

Three years after his injury, he finished fourth in the 2010 National Amputee Golf Championship, and immediately set a new goal. “My goal was to win it,” said Pfeifer. However, winning the Warrior Open wasn’t as easy as he made it appear. “It was a little nerve-wracking with President Bush watching a lot of my tee shots,” Pfeifer said.

Stress Less Heal More Reduces Stress by Negotiating Bills for Wounded Warriors

Filed under Resources by on November 2, 2011 at 4:17 pm {no comments}

By WTC Stratcom
Editor’s Note: Stress Less Heal More is a participant in the AW2 Community Support Network.

Stress Less Heal More (SLHM) was founded in 2009 in San Diego, CA, by Julie Kalb after going through cancer treatment. As a single mother on a limited income, she quickly realized that negotiating her bills would be the key to her financial survival. Now Julie and two assistants help others through their own medical billing challenges.

Since its inception, SLMH has been negotiating household expenses such as utilities, phone, cable, rent, credit card debt, car payments, and hospital bills for anyone with a life threatening health condition.

While SLHM initially focused on cancer, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious health conditions, they are now offering their services to active military personnel and Veterans across the United States. Cases can easily be handled in person, by mail, phone, and email. At first while they are only staffed to handle the bill negotiation for five individuals at a time, eventually they are planning to increase the number Soldiers and Veterans they can help.

To get started, the wounded warrior or Veteran can contact SLHM at contactus@stressless-healmore.com, and they will send a form that will enable them to negotiate bills on your behalf. For more information, visit http://www.stressless-healmore.com.

Do you know of a caring organization that wants to assist wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families? If so, please email me at the AW2 Community Support Network at the email address below. I welcome your recommendations and referrals. Send organization referrals to AW2CommunitySupportNetwork@conus.army.mil

Advocate This!

Filed under Staff Story, Uncategorized by on November 2, 2011 at 2:10 pm {no comments}

By Miguel A. Santos III, WTC/AW2 Training Officer

What is an advocate? By definition, an advocate is:
1) a person who  argues or pleads for or on behalf of  another
2) a person who supports or defends another
3) and most importantly a champion
As a verb to “advocate” is defined as recommend, support, propose, defend, promote, speak for, propose and champion.

The WTC-AW2 Justice League

The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Advocates strive to assist Soldiers, Veterans, Families and caregivers overcome the visible, as well as the unforeseen, while supporting the AW2 population as a whole through the life-cycle process. In August, a combination of AW2 Advocates, Advocate Support Branch Subject Matter Experts, and Soldiers from across the United States gathered at the AW2 headquarters in Alexandria, VA. This effort, facilitated by Darin Callahan and Andrea Phillips, both members of the Warrior Transition Command G3|5|7 branch, examined all processes and tools an AW2 Advocate uses in the field.

Imagine a collection of super-heroes coming together each having specific knowledge, skill set, or ability.  We had a collection of Batmen, Supermen, Superwomen as well as a few Jokers which kept us honest by poking holes in theories.  I won’t sugar-coat this; it was not easy.  There were great clashes on conflicting ideas.

After a 5.8 earthquake that was initially perceived as some great breakthrough of logic and common sense never felt before in the DC area, and Hurricane Irene that shook things up and provided some interesting challenges, everyone refocused on the week-long task at hand.

 

With the current-state, and future-state maps stretched across 50 feet of wall-space like many Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) television shows you may watch, we examined processes and commonalities and identified non-value added steps for the way forward. These steps  will remove some bureaucracy, inefficient processes, and better equip Advocates with the tools to do their job in what may be a 50% shorter process time.

Hopefully, the outcome of this event will lead to the not-too-distant future Advocates being stronger, faster, and smarter at defending and smoothing out the Soldiers’ path to independence of any and all obstacles for the AW2 Soldier population.

A Throw of a Lifetime

Filed under Guest Blogger, Soldier Story by on October 26, 2011 at 3:09 pm {no comments}

AW2 Veteran SPC Timothy Taylor threw the opening pitch during a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game in September.

By Retired SPC Timothy Taylor, AW2 Veteran
For most people around the world, September 11, 2001, is a date they will never forget. This was true for me, but I had to wait before I could make an impact. Almost a year later, after my seventeenth birthday, I joined the Army  ready  to get in the fight. I had no way of knowing the effect that would have on me ten years later

On September 10, 2011, I got to throw the opening pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Just like September 11, I will never forget this day, but for very different reasons.

I never imagined that one day I would be throwing a pitch in front of 40,000 screaming fans. It was by far the coolest thing I’ve done in my life. Many great things have happened to me since I was injured in Iraq on October 27, 2005, but none more exciting than this .

I know I was lucky to be picked to attend the game, let alone throw a pitch .There are too many people to thank, but I would like to acknowledge Pat Collins, my Advocate with the Army Wounded Warrior Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), without her support this never would have been possible. To all my fellow wounded warriors continue to get help and push for what you deserve. To all the Soliders keep up the good fight, and come home safe.

Welcome to the AW2 Community Support Network

Filed under Community Support Network, Non-profit, Resources by on September 14, 2011 at 11:37 am {no comments}

By SSG Emily Anderson, WTC Stratcom

Join me in welcoming the newest organizations in the AW2 Community Support Network. These organizations are part of the 252 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

Page 6 of 88« First...«3456789»102030...Last »
RSS feed

Write a blog for AW2

AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families can submit a blog for AW2 by emailing WarriorCareCommunications [at] conus.army.mil.