By Patty Sands, WTC Stratcom
Last week, the AW2 Community Support Network held its first 2011 quarterly conference call. During the call, participants from across the country discussed the various aspects of resiliency and how to view resiliency from a variety of perspectives. Facilitating the call was AW2 Director COL Greg Gadson, who provided insight into the areas of resiliency he felt Community Support Network organizations should target in their support of wounded warriors. COL Gadson stated, “There are five aspects of resiliency that play into recovery: spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and financial.” COL Gadson then asked, “Where does your organization fit in?”
In preparation to that question, AW2 Community Support Network organizations were asked to send in a statement on how they support resiliency. I found many of them compelling and wanted to share with you one that spoke to each area of resiliency.
Financial—Sew Much Comfort, “…provides free adaptive clothing to support the unique needs of our wounded service members…we have distributed more than 95,000 pieces of adaptive clothing.”
Social—Pets for Patriots, “…supports resiliency by giving service and Veteran members of the U.S. military a renewed sense of purpose through the companionship of adopted pets.”
Physical—U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military Program, “…supports wounded, ill and injured service members by using sport to enhance the rehabilitation process.”
Emotional—Air Compassion for Veterans, ”…we help support, fortify and create a resilient format for our wounded and their families to be able to integrate into productive lives dealing with their new limitations. We have flown over 18,000 flights so far making sure they can access these services.”
Spiritual—Irunforgod, “…helps [wounded, injured, and ill] achieve their personal, social, spiritual, and professional goals by providing them with a life transforming experience.”
Each quote demonstrates that organizations provide multiple types of support that strengthen wounded warrior resiliency. Although It is hard to categorize these resources, each phase of recovery needs different types of support for both wounded warriors and their Families.
In conclusion, COL Gadson said, “There are great resources available to assist wounded warriors and their Families. Our goal is to have them connect.” And that, is our goal.
If you know of an organization that also supports wounded warriors in their local communities, please point them to the AW2 Community Support Network Web page or email recommendations at AW2CommunitySupportNetwork@conus.army.mil
