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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Wounded Warriors face many challenges as they recover from their injuries and prepare for either continued service or transitioning out of the Army.
Some of these wounded Soldiers are part of a Community Care Unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The CCU is charged with providing command and medical management assistance to these Soldiers while they heal and receive medical treatment at their homes. This allows the wounded Soldiers to be near their families and friends for support while they heal.
Although this is a great way to recover, it makes planning for civilian life difficult while they are away from a military installation said Capt. Jenniffer B. Goulet, commander of the Community Care Unit, Hotel Company, Warrior Transition Battalion.
“At times, they may face many worries and uncertainties as to what the future might bring once they transition,” Goulet said. “Our goal is to ensure every one of our Soldiers leaves with a plan.”
To alleviate these concerns, the CCU at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., conducts a biannual Soldier Readiness Review to assist wounded, injured or terminally ill Soldiers with their care management needs and transition out of the Army.
It is a weeklong event where Wounded Warriors conduct annual mandatory training and interact with other Soldiers facing similar challenges.
In addition, the Soldiers can update their emergency and life insurance forms and receive briefings of the resources available to them at their hometowns, including legal and medical care, VA Benefits and other services beneficial to them.
However, the most important part is the face-to-face interaction with their nurse case manager, social worker and other key personnel who guide them along the way.
Goulet said that over the phone a Soldier can say that he is well and has no issues, when in reality they are facing some type of challenge and they keep this vital information to themselves.
She added that once they arrive for their weeklong review, if a Soldiers has a medical condition or is going through something that their nurse case manager is not aware of, it would be hard for them to hide it during the visit.
The Soldiers who have previously been through the SRR learned the value of face-to-face interaction.
“When you talk on the phone or send emails, it is effective communication, but to actually be physically present in front of somebody definitely changes the dynamic of that communication,” said Sgt. Joaquin M. Jauregui, SRR participant, attached to the CCU. “For me personally, being here in person and talking to people actually helped facilitate a lot of my questions getting answered.”
Another vital part of the review is the Comprehension Transition Plan.
“The CTP helps the Soldiers set goals and what they need to do to achieve them,” Goulet said. “It’s helping them set a path for when they transition out of the Army, so that they don’t transition out of the Army unprepared.”
Goulet said she understands the challenges the Soldiers go through on a day-to-day basis as they prepare for this new change in their lives.
“They’re already going through so much,” Goulet said. “We just want to ease the worry of the Wounded Warriors and their families. Through the Soldier Readiness Review they can plan, prepare and take advantage of all the resources that are at their disposal, that way they’ll be less stressed about their transition and look towards it in a positive light.”
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2015 19:10 |
| Story ID: | 159882 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT LEWIS, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wounded Warriors transitioning to civilian life, by SFC Sinthia Rosario, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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