COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four Navy corpsmen were hand-picked for the special opportunity to provide medical care for the warrior athletes of Team Navy/Coast Guard competing in the 2012 Warrior Games held in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 1-5.
The highly-trained corpsmen came together with the common goal of providing physical therapy and acute care to the wounded, injured, and seriously ill warrior athletes. There to promote the healing phase, the corpsmen are faced with the challenge of being versatile to handle issues related to amputations, traumatic brain injuries, cancer and other illnesses and traumas.
Members of the team include Lead Petty Officer, Petty Officer 1st Class Bryant K. Hare, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Physical Therapy Department; Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Motley, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune Emergency Room; Petty Officer 1st Class Angela Acquafredda, Naval Medical Center San Diego and Petty Officer 2nd Class Baodi Hgo, Naval Hospital Pensacola.
Hare is responsible for coordinating the group of corpsmen. So inspired by the dedication and accomplishments of the athletes, Hare is in his second year supporting the Warrior Games.
“It is the joy you get from watching them try to attain their goals. It gives me joy. There is no other feeling that surpasses that,” said Hare.
In his first year of supporting the Warrior Games, Motley enjoys the time he is spending with the warriors and is driven to support the athletes.
“I’m pretty lucky being invited out here to help out,” said Motley. “Taking care of my sailors, that’s what I like.”
Having supported the athletes during training camp in Port Hueneme last month, Motley has seen growth in the athletes.
“You see when they first start out and how they progress, and then to watch them compete and see them full tilt. It’s inspiring,” he said.
Many of the athletes and coaches give thanks to the corpsmen for providing physical therapy, rehabilitation services, first aid and their continuous hard work and dedication.
Having the corpsmen available at a moment’s notice provides a level of comfort as the athletes train and compete in high altitudes and in conditions many of the athletes are not accustomed.
Such is the case of retired Seaman Roy “Dan” Peters who knows first-hand how the corpsmen respond in an emergency. He has a special place in his heart for what the corpsmen have done for him.
During the 2011 Warrior Games, after running in the 800-meter sprint Peters suffered from heat stroke and altitude sickness. First on the scene to administer care was Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Rosalyn Martin, from Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Headquarters.
“[Martin] recognized something was wrong and was the one who really took care of Dan. She got him to the USO van to cool off and stabilize his body temperature,” says Petty Officer Hare who assisted Martin as a first responder.
After the corpsmen helped Peters, he was able to go on to compete the next day and win a gold medal in the cycling competition.
Peters matter-of-factly explains, “They saved my life. I want to thank them for the quick medical attention and keeping me healthy.”
The 35 warrior athletes are participating as Team Navy/Coast Guard, sponsored by Navy Safe Harbor, the Navy and Coast Guard’s wounded warrior support program, a key component of the Department of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative. The initiative is meant to maximize sailor and Marine personal readiness, build resiliency and hone the most combat-effective force in the history of the Department of the Navy.
The Warrior Games, hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee's paralympics military program, provides an opportunity for wounded, ill, and injured service members to participate in competitive sports against members of other branches of service.
For more information about Navy Safe Harbor, visit HYPERLINK "http://safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil" http://safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil, call 877-746-8563, or email HYPERLINK "mailto:safeharbor@navy.mil" safeharbor@navy.mil
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2012 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 87736 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Hospital corpsmen support 2012 Warrior Games, by PO1 Katherine Hofman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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