Welcome to the Wounded Warrior Mentor Program 

In 2004 the West Point Class of 1958 initiated a mentoring program for wounded Soldiers and Marines at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. when it became apparent that Wounded Warriors needed more individual attention than the Army could provide.  We found that Wounded Warriors needed additional, one-on-one, assistance to orient them on a new profession and a new life, as well as counseling on benefits, jobs, educational opportunities, and handling of finances as well as navigating the complexities of the military medical system.

WHERE WE WORK:
The Wounded Warrior MENTOR Program (WWMP) operates at and near 4 facilities in the Northern Virginia/National Capital Area Multi-Service Military Medical geographical area  (JTF CapMed):  1) Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Bethesda, Maryland “aka “Walter Reed Bethesda” (WRB).; 2) Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH) and DeWitt Health Care Network (DeWitt HCN) at Fort Belvoir, VA; 3) Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center (KACC), Fort Meade, Maryland and 4) with the United States Air Force’s 79th Medical Wing (MDW) at Andrews AFB, Maryland.

WWMP has affiliates at 1) Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) Fort Gordon, Georgia through their “WWMP” the “Augusta Warrior Project” which we helped set up and 2) McDonald Army Health Center (MCAHC) at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Lee Miller '58, Bruce Holmberg '61, Greg Gadston '89, Alton McCallum '02, and John Herren '58

Program Offers Paid Training for Unemployed Veterans

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2012

Unemployed veterans ages 35 to 60 can apply for up to 12 months of paid training through a new program sponsored by the Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs.

The population the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program will serve is particularly in need, Curtis L. Coy, the VA’s deputy undersecretary for economic opportunity, said in an email interview. Of about 900,000 U.S. veterans who are unemployed, nearly two-thirds are between 35 and 60 years old, according to the Labor Department.

“The program was created to provide assistance to unemployed veterans … who are not covered by any of our education programs and need training or [an] education boost for today's high-demand occupations,” Coy said.

“They may have had entitlement to education benefits at one time, but have either used them or the time frame to use them has passed,” he added. “This generous new benefit geared toward this specific cohort of veterans provides them the opportunity to 'jump start' a new career that they may not have otherwise been able to afford.”

Rules Liberalized for Veterans with Undiagnosed Illnesses

Application Window Extended for Five Years

WASHINGTON - Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"Not all the wounds of war are fully understood," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "When there is uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, Veterans are entitled to the benefit of the doubt."

A recent change in VA regulations affects Veterans of the conflict in Southwest Asia. Many have attributed a range of undiagnosed or poorly understood medical problems to their military services. Chemical weapons, environmental hazards and vaccinations are among the possible causes.

Over 3 Million Americans Have Had a Spouse or Parent Deploy Since 9/11

For ten years, these unsung heroes--your neighbors, coworkers and friends--have shouldered the burdens of war with the same strength and resilience as their loved ones fighting overseas. As the last U.S. troops leave Iraq this month, their families especially need our urgent support this holiday season to face the challenges that still lie ahead.

That’s why today IAVA is launching a new program for military families inspired by the findings in our latest issue report Unsung Heroes: Military Families After Ten Years of War. Be the first to read the report online and spread the news to your friends and family.

MyArmyBenefits is the Official Army Benefits Website

http://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Home.html

Finding Your Benefits is as Easy as 1 - 2 - 3!

• Browse Over 150 Fact Sheets for Benefit Eligibility and Highlights
• Calculate Estimates of Your Survivor and Survivor Education Benefits
• Forecast Your Retirement Benefits

Special information is provided for severely injured Soldiers and their families in the Wounded Warrior section of the site and for surviving family members of fallen Soldiers in the Survivor Benefits section. If you have questions or comments please contact us.

Military Health-Care Reform Leaves Wounded Warriors Entangled in More Red Tape

By Steve Vogel, Published: November 18

Reforms meant to streamline military health care for severely wounded service members have in many cases worsened the bureaucracy, causing duplication, confusion and turf battles, according to families, congressional overseers and advocates for veterans.

After reports that troops recovering from catastrophic wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other facilities were getting lost in the military’s system, a high-profile commission recommended in 2007 that every severely wounded service member be assigned a federal recovery coordinator. This “single point of contact” was to cut red tape and shepherd the wounded through recovery and the transition back to military duty or civilian life.

But at least a dozen Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs programs have sprung up to coordinate the care.

Legal Assistance for Wounded, Ill, or Injured Warriors

Pro bono (free) or reduced cost legal assistance is available to Wounded Warriors for issues beyond those that can be provided by military legal assistance officers.   These issues may include family law subjects such as divorce, custody and child support as well as legal protections available under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

WWs at Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Eustis, go to the Virginia Bar Association website:  VBA.org/veterans, complete the application form and send to the designated email address. You will receive a quick email response.  In the event there are questions, contact Bob Barrett at 804-756-7743.

WWs at Ft. Belvoir have another option through the George Mason University Clinic for Legal Assistance to Servicemembers and Veterans (CLASV).  Go to their web site at  http://clas.law.gmu.edu/ and click on “Apply for Services”, then click on “fillable application form” and follow instructions for sending to CLASV.

For issues outside the State of Virginia, WWs should go to the American Bar Association web site provided for military families at www.ABAHomeFront.org.  This site has three components – an information center, a directory of programs and a military pro bono center. 

U.S. Army Commanders Ordered To Help Soldiers Find Civilian Work

Defense News
October 10, 2011
By JIM TICE

FORT KNOX, Ky. ― Commanders throughout the active U.S. Army and Reserve soon will be ordered to help soldiers, family members and civilian employees prepare for life after military service, whether to attend school, get a job or start a business. An execution order launching the initiative will be based on an implementing directive issued August 29 by Army Secretary John McHugh.

The effort to improve the breadth, quality and integration of Army transition services comes at a time when departing soldiers face one of the toughest job markets in years.

“We want to prepare them so they can meet whatever their goal is when they leave the Army. Most importantly, we want them to be able to get a job,” Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli told Army Times on October 5.  “We’re working very, very hard to find ways that we can use information technology to provide jobs.” The effort will be important as the Army gets smaller, he said.

These posters will be displayed in the heavy traffic and display areas of the first and third floors of the Walter Reed Hospital indefinitely or until they have to be removed because of the BRAC.  They will also be displayed in the Soldiers Family Assistance Center, the Mologne House and the WW Transition Brigade Headquarters at Walter Reed.   Two posters also will be displayed at Bethesda Naval and Ft Belvoir.  

Click here for a larger image that is clearly readable.