Photo By Staff Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ryan White, the current operations officer with the 130th Engineer...... read more read more
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Volunteers with the Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA) held a day of coaching and lessons for U.S. service members during the Warriors Golf Clinic at the Kaneohe Klipper’s Golf Course, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Oct. 21, 2017.
The SMGA is a non-profit organization that serves Post 9/11 wounded veterans by introducing the sport of golf as a diversion for rehabilitation. The clinic is sponsored by the SMGA for advanced and new players interested in learning the basics to help with rehabilitation for their injuries.
Mo Radke, president of the SMGA, Hawaii Chapter, and a retired U.S. Navy command master chief petty officer, has been coordinating these clinics for about three years and assisting veterans in other programs for 10 years.
“This clinic is part of an eight-week series for wounded warriors in which our charter focuses on the post 9/11 veterans,” said Radke. “The goal is to help our wounded veterans with combat related injuries whether physical or mental, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
He said the sport of golf is a diversion for veterans to recover and reintegrate through learning the basics with other wounded warriors.
“The whole goal is to introduce them to golf which is a nice diversion to pain and some of the other medical issues they face,” Radke said. “This gives them the opportunity to branch out into a new hobby and meet other people, especially in the clinic with folks who have like injuries and talk about strategies to overcoming their personal problems.”
He said because of the SMGA, service members are afforded a set of their own clubs to continue playing the sport after graduation from the clinic and continue to stay in contact with him.
“It has helped reintegrate veterans with their families and society because golf is a social game,” he said. “People who have graduated from the clinic email me continuing to thank me for introducing them to a life-long game that’s a benefit for them.”
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Cano, command sergeant major with 25th Infantry Division, said this was his first clinic.
“I was afforded the opportunity to participate in this program and to get a distraction from both our internal and external injuries, making our lives a little bit more manageable,” he said. “It’s a way for us to get together and be the same; not have to look at one another and judge each other by our injuries.
Cano believes golf is secondary to socializing with other service members and not feel isolated.
“Interacting and bonding with my fellow wounded veterans came first,” he said. “I see positive changes happening from this program, not just from playing golf, but from meeting all these people and the camaraderie of having fun playing it.”
Frederick Pullandy, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant, attended the clinic to meet other veterans like him and to have a more positive approach to his injuries.
“My main reason to signing up for this program was to reconnect with other wounded service members and veterans alike,” he said. “I’m tired of isolating myself and with this clinic I am able to do more positive things. We play and enjoy each other’s company and I definitely would recommend other veterans to sign up.”
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2017 01:37 |
| Story ID: | 252732 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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