Archive | General | Warrior Transition Command

Warrior Games 2013 Recap

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on June 6, 2013 at 2:25 pm {no comments}

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – This still image from the video cameras at the 4x100 relay finish line at U.S. Air Force Academy shows SGT Ryan McIntosh from Fort Sam Houston WTB winning by 1/200th of a second. After losing his right leg below the knee, McIntosh serves as an adaptive sports NCO at Fort Sam Houston WTB, where he inspires other WTU Soldiers to participate in adaptive reconditioning activities.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – This still image from the video cameras at the 4×100 relay finish line at U.S. Air Force Academy shows SGT Ryan McIntosh from Fort Sam Houston WTB winning by 1/200th of a second. After losing his right leg below the knee, McIntosh serves as an adaptive sports NCO at Fort Sam Houston WTB, where he inspires other WTU Soldiers to participate in adaptive reconditioning activities.

By BG David J. Bishop
Warrior Games 2013 is in the history books, and what a great week of competition it was for our warriors. Team Army came close to the overall goal of winning the Chairman’s Cup with their resilience, physical strength, athletic prowess and sportsmanship. Each of our Soldier-athletes inspired everyone in attendance.

For this year’s Warrior Games, our goals included:
1)    Maximizing the opportunity to introduce as many wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers to adaptive reconditioning as possible. One way we accomplished this was by hosting 17 training and selection clinics throughout the year, compared to five for 2012. At these clinics, Soldiers received training in the flagship sports for the Warrior Games. Each of the 325 Soldiers who applied trained in at least three events, and this year, world class Olympic and Paralympic coaches worked with our athletes.
2)    Inspiring as many wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers as possible to recognize their full potential and focus on more than just their injuries. Wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers throughout the WCTP saw our Army athletes excel at the competition. Our diverse Army team consisted of 29 Soldiers and 21 Veterans, with 22 combat wounded and 7 with behavioral health conditions. The resilience, strength and determination of these Soldier- athletes serve as a symbol of hope for many overcoming obstacles regardless of their injury or illness.
3)    Fielding a great team to represent the Army in competition and enhance Army esprit de corps. This year, with more selection and training camps, we ensured a strong Army team capable of competing with the best athletes from all of the services. Our Army wheelchair basketball team dominated the court and took home the Gold for the third year in a row, and they’re just one example of the competitive outcomes our team achieved throughout the week.
4)    Providing hope to every newly-wounded Soldier who returns from Afghanistan, so they can realize that their injuries are not life-ending. When Soldiers see our Army athletes or others like them, they recognize the potential for a bright and fulfilling future.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The members of the 2013 U.S. Army Warrior Games team pose with their medals, coaches and Senior Army Leaders during the closing ceremonies at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (Photo by U.S. Army)

In a valiant effort to close the medal gap with the Marine Corps team, Team Army beat its 2012 medal count by 18 (81 medals this year compared to 63 in 2012). I am confident that Team Army’s example will motivate each of the other services to up their game in the future. With continued emphasis in the value of adaptive reconditioning and adaptive sports across the Warrior Care and Transition Program, including the exceptional training and selection camps the Army conducted over the past year, I also believe that Team Army athletes will continue to improve and that the Chairman’s Cup will be in Army hands in 2014.

Putting aside for a moment the obvious excitement that athletic competition provides, I would like to reflect on the much larger picture of what adaptive reconditioning and resilience training does for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers. Losing limbs, being severely burned, suffering a traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress – as life changing as these events undoubtedly can be, one thing stands out: the Army’s determination to honor its sacred commitment to take care of its men and women in uniform. Often, however, the state-of-the-art medical innovations that help save lives and help put Soldiers back together are not enough when it comes to coming to grips with the profound changes these injuries and illnesses mean for their lives.

At Warrior Games, in the clinics leading up to Warrior Games, and in talking with Warrior Transition Unit Commanders and Soldiers, I often hear a frequent and recurring theme: participating in adaptive reconditioning activities, athletics, and the life-coaching experiences of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program gives Soldiers the nudge they need to get back into living. These activities play a vital role in allowing Soldiers to unleash their unlimited potential and focus on something more than their injuries.

BETHESDA, Md. – Army 1st Lt. Nathan Rimpf, injured by an improvised explosive device during combat patrol in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan on July 8, 2012, works out in the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in May 2013. Soldiers like Rimpf help inspire newly wounded Soldiers to advance their recovery and quality of life through sports and adaptive reconditioning activities.

I urge everyone to get to know the Soldiers and Families that make up the Warrior Transition Units and the Army Wounded Warrior Program, and especially these great Warrior Games competitors. I can almost guarantee that you will come away from the experience uplifted yourself, just from the opportunity to let the infectious enthusiasm of these brave men and women rub off on you. I know I am a better person for the experience, and I am sure you will be as well.

Weekly Recap:

Wheelchair basketball – Team Army took home the Gold for the third year in a row
Shooting – Team Army nearly tripled last year’s medal count (3 medals lasT year, 8 this year)

Sitting volleyball – After a hard-fought effort against the Marine Corps, Team Army won the Silver medal
Track and field – Team Army won 33 medals, including a thrilling come-from-behind effort to win Gold in the 4×100 relay
Archery – Team Army dominated, winning 6 of 8 possible medals
Cycling – Team Army won 9 medals overall – with our female athletes sweeping the medal stand
Swimming– With the Warrior Transition Command’s LTC Danny Dudek leading the way with 4 Gold and 1 Silver medal, Team Army came away with a total of 13 Gold, 8 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals

Total – MEDAL COUNT: 264 medals

Army = 81: Gold (33), Silver (26), Bronze (22)
Marines = 92: Gold (34), Silver (33) Bronze (25)
Navy/Coast Guard = 23: Gold (8), Silver (5) Bronze (10)
Air Force = 30: Gold (3), Silver (10), Bronze (17)
SOCOM = 16: Gold (5), Silver (6), Bronze (5)
U.K. = 22: Gold (5), Silver (8), Bronze (9)

Total Medal Count – 264

A Closer Look at Adaptive Reconditioning

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on May 11, 2013 at 4:37 pm {no comments}

By Cait McCarrie, WTC Stratcom

MSG Jarrett Jongema of the Warrior Transition Command.

Adaptive reconditioning includes any physical activities that wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers participate in regularly to optimize their physical well-being. These activities can help Soldiers have a successful recovery whether they are transitioning back to active duty or to civilian life.

“Team building experiences, learning a new sport, and routinely practicing a challenging activity help Soldiers take responsibility for their own recovery,” said MSG Jarret Jongema, Warrior Transition Command, Adaptive Sports and Reconditioning Branch.Adaptive reconditioning programs are not traditional clinic-based rehabilitation programs, however, they often support medical goals defined in the Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP).

The CTP supports Soldiers in transition with personalized goals in six areas: career, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and Family. Adaptive reconditioning plays an important role in the CTP because it connects physical activity with each of those six components. It’s also a great way for Soldiers to incorporate competitive and non-competitive physical activity into their recovery.

Adaptive reconditioning is most well-known for servicemembers’ participation in adaptive sports, but it’s not just about sports. “The beauty of these activities is that no matter what your injury or experience, there is an activity for you,” said Jongema. Activities include competitive team sports, aquatic exercises, therapeutic recreational activities, gym-based training, functional training, and human performance optimization.

Adaptive reconditioning gives Soldiers the opportunity to integrate physical activity into their lives in new ways that addresses multiple parts of the path to recovery. “Whether competing on a team sport or in an individual activity, adaptive reconditioning reintegrates discipline, goal setting, and concentration into Soldiers’ lives,” added Jongema. While each Soldier adapts to activities in different ways, participating in adaptive reconditioning often addresses physical and emotional parts of recovery.

Many Soldiers and Veterans who participate in adaptive sports and reconditioning go on to train for and even compete in the Warrior Games. This year’s games are from May 11-17 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Learn more about the road to Warrior Games here.

Once a Soldier…Army Veteran and Two-Time Paralympic Medalist Coaches Sitting Volleyball Team

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on May 10, 2013 at 3:31 pm {no comments}

Army Veteran Kari Miller earned two Paralympic silver medals in sitting volleyball. In 2013, she’s coaching the Army team to defend its gold. (U.S. Air Force photo by MSG Sean M. Worrell)

By Sarah Bartnick, WTC Stratcom
Kari Miller holds two Paralympic silvers in women’s sitting volleyball—from London and Beijing. She holds a world title, and she was named “best libero” (a special defensive position) at several prestigious international competitions. She’s among the best sitting volleyball players in the world.

And she’s coaching the 2013 Army Warrior Games team to defend their gold medal.

Miller didn’t always play sitting volleyball—her skills shone in basketball and track in high school, and she continued to play sports, even just for fun, when she joined the Army in 1995, even during her time in Bosnia and Germany.

She went home to visit her Family for Christmas in 1999, and everything changed. A drunk driver hit her vehicle, killing her friend and causing the amputation of both legs, one above the knee, one below.

Miller kept a positive attitude from the day she woke up, and when she discovered adaptive sports (first wheelchair basketball), her recovery improved dramatically too. Naturally, as an incredible athlete, she quickly rose to the top of her sport.

But Miller is a Soldier first, even since leaving the Army. Since 2008, she’s worked with more than 450 servicemembers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, including Warrior Transition Unit Soldiers, to introduce them to the power of adaptive sports and reconditioning, specifically to sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

She’s spent the last several months helping the Army sitting volleyball team prepare at Warrior Transition Command training and selection clinics.

“It’s like going back to the time before my accident,” she said of surrounding herself with so many Soldiers during the training and competition, full of the camaraderie of her old Army unit.

She’s up for the challenge. “Warrior Games is on par with competing at the Paralympics for me. The biggest reward will be when we take home gold.”

Watch Kari Miller and the Army team defend their sitting volleyball gold live on ESPN on May 15, 8:30 pm/EST.

Think sitting volleyball’s a sleeper? Check out this 60-second Warrior Transition Command video to see the punishing sport for yourself.

Your Life Could Be Better Through Sports

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games by cmccarrie on May 9, 2013 at 10:42 am {no comments}

Lt. Col. Danny Dudek emphasizes the power of adaptive sports and reconditioning in recovery and encourages all WTU Soldiers to try a new activity.

By Sarah Bartnick, WTC Stratcom
“Your life could be better through sports.” That’s Lt. Col. Danny Dudek’s advice for all wounded, ill or injured Soldiers recovering at Warrior Transition Units.

And he knows what he’s talking about. Not only did he command the Joint Base Lewis-McCord WTB after recovering from a spinal cord injury, he’s also defending three golds and a silver from his first Warrior Games.

As a WTB commander, Dudek saw success at the individual level when medical professionals focused on a “positive” profile. “Instead of listing all the things a Soldier can’t do, some great doctors would list what the Soldiers can do,” he explained. “For example, if my profile said I could go swimming, that swimming was good for my recovery, then my Squad Leader could make it my place of duty.”

“A lot of Soldiers aren’t willing to put themselves out there,” said Dudek. “Cadre and commanders can create an environment where Soldiers are willing to try, especially in small groups of five or less—epiphanies happen in small groups.”

Dudek encourages all WTU Soldiers to try an adaptive sport that’s best suited for their personality. He competes in triathlons, skiing, and a variety of other sports throughout the year. “Not everyone’s a daredevil like me,” he grinned as he leaned his wheelchair back into a wheelie. “More exacting people like golf or shooting, but I like the element of danger.”

When he wrote the Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP) policy and guidance, Dudek emphasized adaptive reconditioning and Career and Employment Readiness, “because they’re both essential building blocks to transition,” he said. “They enhance your quality of life.”

Going into the Warrior Games, Dudek’s most excited about his parents’ support. “Cycling is on Mother’s Day,” he added, “and this year, both my parents are coming.”

“This Chair Is Not Going to Define Me”

Filed under General by cmccarrie on May 8, 2013 at 4:15 pm {no comments}

By Sarah Bartnick, WTC Stratcom

MAJ John Arbino refused to let a wheelchair define him after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He will compete in wheelchair racing and shooting at the 2013 Warrior Games. (U.S. Army Photo by Patrick Cubel)

Of all the people who influenced MAJ John Arbino during his recovery at the Fort Belvoir Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), one late-night talk with fellow Soldiers may have had the biggest impact. “There were four of us, all in wheelchairs,” said the career Soldier who was first diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis in 2009. “And we were all struggling with our identities. Who were we now? Were we still the people we were before?”

After that conversation, Arbino went back to his room and parked his wheelchair in its usual spot. The lifelong athlete started wondering what hobbies he could start, but he was frustrated that he’d only be able to enjoy stationary hobbies. “I didn’t want to do puzzles,” he said, “I didn’t want to be the old guy in the commissary with a walker.”

The harsh hospital room light shone on his new blue electric wheelchair, his racing chair and his hand cycle. The answer was clear: he was still MAJ John Arbino. There was still a lot he could do.

“Adaptive sports saved me,” he said. “It gave me a whole new outlook, a new way to redefine who I am.”

It wasn’t long before Arbino started participating in the Fort Belvoir adaptive reconditioning program and attended the Warrior Transition Command Warrior Games training and selection clinics. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” he said, “and wheelchair racing was the hardest sport I’ve ever tried.”

Arbino explained that the motion of pushing a racing chair is very different from a regular everyday wheelchair. For an everyday chair, you grab the wheel at the top and push relatively gently, just enough momentum to keep you going at a walking speed. With a racing chair, you grab the wheel toward the bottom and push with as much force as you can, since the races are usually sprints.

Arbino explained that most Soldiers start doing wheelies once they get comfortable in a regular wheelchair. That doesn’t quite work with a racing chair, and you can tell a new racer as the one tipped over on the track.

“It happens to all the new guys,” Arbino laughed. “We call it turtling, because you’re stuck looking up at the sky until someone tips you back up. At the last clinic, when I should have had enough experience, but I was laughing so hard I flipped over twice in a row. The coaches thought I’d hurt myself.”

“See, you’re hunched over with your knees at your chest,” he explained, “Your center of gravity is way back.”

After the selection clinic, he started training in a borrowed chair. “I’d go up to the top floor of the parking garage and get in a few miles going back and forth,” he said. And his face lit up when he explained that people would stop him and tell him how much he’d inspired them.

After more than 20 years as a Soldier, Arbino will retire with honor just two weeks after Warrior Games.

“I couldn’t have a better last mission,” he said, his face beaming with pride. “The Warrior Games is almost my retirement ceremony. As a Soldier, you’re always representing the Army, but as one of hundreds or one of thousands. Representing the Army as one of 50 is special.”

TSA Offers Wounded Warriors Additional Services to Ease Screening Experience at Airports

Filed under General, Warrior Transition Command, WTC by cmccarrie on April 18, 2013 at 1:59 pm {no comments}

Spc. Chris Anderson steps off a plane, January 11, 2013, at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Photo Credit: SSG Lindsey Kibler

By: LuAnn Georgia, Warrior Transition Command Stratcom Division
As summer approaches and more people are traveling, clearing airport security can get more frustrating and time consuming for everyone, especially for severely disabled Soldiers or Veterans who need extra assistance. The Transportation Security Association (TSA) recognizes their responsibility for ensuring that screening for our wounded Soldiers and Veterans is conducted with empathy and respect. In order to address the concerns of disabled travelers and simplify their screening process, TSA implemented the Wounded Warrior/Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center Program.

The program expedites the screening process for severely injured servicemembers of the U.S. Armed Forces at airports nationwide. Eligible servicemembers are escorted to and through checkpoints. In addition, TSA no longer requires them to remove hats, caps, light jackets, or shoes. Screening information for travelers regarding specific disabilities such as: prosthetics, visual or hearing impairments, internal medical devices, travel with service dogs, use of wheelchairs, and more can be found on the TSA website. It is worth noting that special accommodations do not apply to travel companions and they will still need to go through the standard screening process.

Other time saving options available for disabled travelers include completing a Disability Notification Card for Air Travel and enrolling in TSA Pre✓™, a prescreening program that allows the traveler to disclose personal information ahead of time. Both of these options can help eliminate hassles at the airport and are especially valuable to the frequent traveler. More information about these services can be found at www.TSA.gov.

In order to receive the expedited service offered by TSA, the wounded warrior or a travel companion must contact the Military Severely Injured Joint Services Operations Center via email at MSIJSOC@dhs.gov or by phone (888.262.2396) at least 24 hours prior to travel. This lead time allows TSA time to coordinate travel support at each location and helps to ensure a quicker and more favorable experience at the airport.

Continuation on Active Duty Soldier Resumes Military Service Despite Injuries

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Transition Command, WTC by cmccarrie on April 15, 2013 at 4:36 pm {no comments}

By Emily D. Anderson, WTC Stratcom

SGT Ryan McIntosh, Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, participates in the sprinters warm-up session on day one of the third 2013 Warrior Games Army track and field assessment and selection clinic. The Continuation on Active Duty Soldier was selected to represent the Army at the 2013 Warrior Games. (U.S. Army Photo by Patrick Cubel)

In the beginning of 2010, SGT Ryan McIntosh was living his dream.

He was officially trained as a U.S. Army infantryman and married the woman he loved soon after completing basic training, but all of that changed months later.

“My brother served, and I knew that is what I wanted to do,” McIntosh said. “I had only been in the Army for seven months when I was injured.”

On December 8, 2010, while performing a routine orchard-clearing mission during a deployment to the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, McIntosh stepped on a pressure plate land mine resulting in the amputation of his right leg below the knee.

Three years later, McIntosh has not allowed his injuries to overshadow his life. He currently serves on Continuation on Active Duty, an opportunity for wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers to continue their service after being found physically unfit by a Physical Evaluation Board.

“I’m a right leg amputee, but I still wear the uniform,” McIntosh said. “People have told me I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things, but I didn’t limit myself.”

McIntosh works as the adaptive sports noncommissioned officer in charge and the ceremonies noncommissioned officer in charge at the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

“I’m helping other Soldiers with their physical therapy by finding sports for them to get back into,” he said. “The Soldiers are pretty positive toward me because they see I’m still serving my country, and it motivates them.”

McIntosh had some advice for other wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers recovering at a Warrior Transition Unit and trying to decide if returning to duty is the right decision.

“You can’t take the decision lightly because there are some things that are not as easy once you get out, but there are also things that aren’t easy if you decide to stay in,” he said. “You have to decide what’s right for you and your Family.”

Occupation Therapy is an Essential Asset for Warriors in Transition

Filed under General, Warrior Transition Command, WTC by cmccarrie on April 12, 2013 at 1:50 pm {no comments}

By Kimberly Jones, Fort Polk WTU Occupational Therapist and guest blogger

Kimberly Jones, the Fort Polk Warrior Transition Unit Occupational Therapist, explains how her role is an important part of the WTU team.

As the Fort Polk Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) occupational therapist, I am an integral member of the WTU team, and play an important role in every Soldier in transition’s recovery. Through constant interaction with the unit command, cadre, and the Soldier’s primary care manager and physical therapist, I am able to impart insight into the Soldier’s functional abilities and recovery timeline. I am also the primary provider for evaluation and treatment of upper extremity dysfunction, and perform an initial intake interview with every WTU Soldier within 14 days of admission to the Unit.

Additionally, my role includes performing non-clinical and administrative duties, including but not limited to: attending WTU meetings, goal setting classes, writing temporary profiles, consulting with the PT on relevant positive profiles, assisting Soldiers with Special Compensation for Assistance in Activities of Daily Living (SCAADL) and Traumatic Service member’s Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) form completion in conjunction with the Primary Care Provider, issuing adaptive equipment to facilitate independence with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and patient education on specific diagnoses and conditions.

Fort Polk is located on approximately 198,000 acres in west-central Louisiana, about 75 miles north of Lake Charles, Louisiana’s sixth largest city. The Fort Polk WTU (Warrior Transition Unit) is housed in the WTU company headquarters, a brand new building, expressly designed and constructed to meet the needs of Soldiers in transition and those who are tasked with assisting them.

Fort Polk was initially created as a base for the Louisiana Maneuvers in the 1940s. During the 1950s, it was home to the 1st Armored Division, and was utilized as a basic training installation during Vietnam War years. In the 1970s, and through the ’80s, it was home to the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the 1990s. Fort Polk is now home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, 115th Combat Support Hospital, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the 162nd Infantry Brigade, U.S. Army Garrison, and Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital.

Wounded Warrior Offers No Excuses to Dragons in New Jersey

Filed under General, Warrior Transition Command, WTC by cmccarrie on April 8, 2013 at 2:48 pm {no comments}

MSG Jongema with Kingsway Regional Middle School’s 8th grade English teachers following his presentation to their students about being a Soldier, serving in in Iraq, and recovering from combat injuries.

By Emily Oehler, WTC Stratcom
No, this blog is not about the latest episode of Game of Thrones, but rather modern history coming to life for eighth graders in Kingsway Regional Middle School (home of the dragons). The students, whose motto is “no excuses,” listen attentively to and actively engaged with MSG Jarrett Jongema as part of a joint Social Studies and English project where they are learning about past and present wars. He shared with them 20 years of Army experience, a tour in Iraq, surviving and recovering from being severely wounded in combat due to a suicide bomber, and his return to duty preparing team Army for Warrior Games – the Olympics for wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers.

“There are several things everyone does in the Army, starting with physical training (PT). Soldiers need to maintain a certain level of fitness in order to do their job and sustain the daily demands and potentially the injuries of service,” explained MSG Jongema. “We train in our primary military operational specialty. I was manned-portable air defense (essentially infantry with surface-to-air engagement capability) and learned a variety of weapons, including the Stinger and the Avenger with night vision that allowed me to see you smoking several miles away. We also acquired additional skills like air assault operations – jumping out of helicopters.”

MSG Jongema explained that with training and experience Soldiers progress in their level of responsibility. Due to his skills, he was assigned to the president’s personal air defense detail after 9/11. “It was a sobering experience to know you might have to pull a trigger and take down a plane. There was even secret service assigned to protect me.”

In April 2004, MSG Jongema (a Staff Sergeant at the time) deployed to Iraq – stationed at Camp Blackjack (also known as Camp Victory). Answering a student’s question about the day in the life in combat, MSG Jongema explained, “Every day, six days a week, was PT, breakfast, going to the entry control points, training Iraqi Soldiers, dinner, and then rest before going with previously trained Iraqi Soldiers at 8 p.m. for night missions. The variable was Friday. It’s like Sundays for Muslims. Rather than eat meals ready to eat (MREs) or go to the mess hall, I ate with the Iraqi troops each day. Boy did I jones for a bag of Skittles!”

This was his battle rhythm for six months before his Humvee was struck by a vehicle born improvised explosive device (IED)—or suicide bomber—of 500 pounds of military-grade munitions and tungsten-carbide ball bearings. “It’s awesome that I don’t have a memory of the explosion. For my men, it is the most painful memory they carry with them – seeing me bleed out and die in their truck. I woke up in Walter Reed four weeks later – having died eight times. Along with not remembering that day, I don’t remember much of anything prior to September 2004 when I was injured. I don’t remember the best days of my life – my wedding, the birth of my son, childhood. What I do know was pieced together through photos, videos, and stories from other people.”

The Army found him unfit for duty – too injured to perform his job. But an Army policy enabled him to Continue on Active Duty (COAD). He pointed out to the students, “I have no excuse not to keep doing what I love. I don’t want to take the easy way out. Every day since September 2004 is a bonus day for me.”

Back on duty, MSG Jongema now manages the Army’s Warrior Games team, part of the adaptive sports and reconditioning program at Warrior Transition Units where wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers focus on their recovery and transition back to or out of the Army. Pointing to photos of athletes from the new 2013 team, he stated, “These Soldiers don’t use their injuries as an excuse. Everything can be adapted to do what you want. This Soldier learned archery with one arm and uses his teeth to pull the arrow. Here is a hand cycle for those without legs or spinal cord damage. He shoots without a hand. And there are team sports – sitting basketball is aggressive! Just like we adapt to new combat situations with training, we adapt to life after our injuries.”

In closing, MSG Jongema charged the teenage dragons, “You have to work hard. You only get what you train for. No excuses.”

Honoring Occupational Therapists at WTUs

Filed under General, Warrior Transition Command, WTU/WTB by cmccarrie on April 2, 2013 at 1:05 pm {no comments}

Sergeant L. M. (left) is an Army medic who is working at the Fort Hood pharmacy while in the Warrior Transition Unit. Occupational therapy placed her at this work therapy site in support of her goal to become a pharmacist upon completion of a medical board discharge. (2008)

By CPT Cindy Dean, WTC Clinical Services Division
The U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command is honoring our Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) Occupational Therapists for Occupational Therapy Month. Our Occupational Therapists have been involved with Warrior Transition Units since their inception.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, “Occupational Therapy is the use of purposeful activities or interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes which promote health, prevent injury or disability, and which develop, improve, sustain, or restore the highest possible level of independence of any individual who has an injury, illness, cognitive impairment, psychosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disability, physical disability, or other disorder or condition.”Occupational Therapists have long been a part of the medical team providing intervention to US Soldiers. Occupational Therapists have provided Soldiers with purposeful activities to perform during their rehabilitation to improve functional outcomes since World War I.

Occupational Therapy was there with the Soldiers when the first Wounded Warrior Units (WTUs) stood up in 2008. As part of the team working to transition the Soldier, the Occupational Therapist would determine the Soldier’s Occupational History, training and education, abilities, deficits and future plans. The Occupational Therapist would work with the Soldier to identify their goals, indentify avenues to reach their goals, and instill the mindset to achieve stated goals. As the WTUs have matured and developed, the Occupational Therapist is part of a large support team that collaborates to facilitate a successful transition of the Soldier.

The Occupational Therapist instructs the Soldiers in how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-bound) goals across the Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP) domains of Family, Spiritual, Emotional, Social, Physical, and Career. The Occupational Therapist in the WTU works with the Nurse Case Managers to determine readiness from a medical perspective for participation in Career and Education. Working with the Transition Coordinator, the Occupational Therapist ensures the work site placement is in line with the Soldier’s Career Goal and functional capabilities. The Occupational Therapists lead Life Skills Classes to begin to prepare the Soldier for a Successful Transition such as Anger Management, Leisure Skill Exploration, Meal Planning and Preparation. Each particular group is based upon the individual needs of the Soldiers in the WTU and are performance-based. Ensuring the Soldier is ready for transition is the cornerstone goal of all members of the team, the Occupational Therapist may engage the Soldier in career prep activities that focus on interacting with others, time management, and cognitive integrative skills.

Please take time to thank the Occupational Therapists on your team.

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