In a restructuring of the Army's warrior transition units, a Community Care Unit has been stood up at Fort Bragg.
The CCU will assist injured or terminally ill Soldiers with care management needs, said Capt. Amanda Miller, S-3, Warrior Transition Battalion.
Soldiers receive services that include medical/dental screenings, legal counseling, personnel records review, and Army Career and Alumni Program guidance.
"I love it. They've done more for me in one day than a year and a half in a community-based warrior transition unit," said Spc. James Hamrick, who arrived at the CCU compound, July 13.
James, a military police officer who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011, and his wife, Shanté, along with their son, Zachariah, 8 months, traveled from their Charleston, West Virginia, home to the CCU to obtain services.
James said the CCU staff established a means for Shanté to receive payment for taking care of him. It's something she had not previously received. Additionally, CCU staff gave the Family information to apply for a house through a Veterans' Affairs loan, said James.
"I love it -- the love and respect ... you can really feel it," Shanté said. "We couldn't ask for a better group of Soldiers to look after us."
Staff Sgt. Moses Scarberry, another military police officer, and his wife, Bethany, also traveled from West Virginia to the CCU. Like Hamrick, Scarberry said he appreciates being able to have all his care needs met in one place.
"It means a lot to be able to get everything taken care of at one base. It's much easier when everything is centrally located," said Scarberry.
"All my care is taken care of by doctors at home who work with the same doctors here (at Fort Bragg) and send them my records," he explained.
The convenience of having everything cared for centrally also means that he and his wife will probably not have to travel back to Fort Bragg for another three months, Scarberry said.
The idea is to get the CCU operational and to consistently access what needs to be done to make it better, said 1st Lt. Cindy Petithomme, CCU executive officer.
"It's a work in progress, but our main focus was to see what we can offer the Soldier and, from there, we can build off it," she said.
Part of the process of building is having Soldiers fill out an after action review to provide feedback to the CCU, explained Petithomme.
In the meantime, servicemembers and their Families will take advantage of the resources and services currently offered through the CCU.
"It's a big accommodation for a lot of people -- it's a lot easier than traveling all over the place," said Sgt. Evan Slater, assigned to the CCU because of shoulder and hip injuries and traveled to Fort Bragg from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
"You can't fail when somebody gives you the tools to survive and guides your hand while you do it," Slater said.
The Community Care Unit, Warrior Transition Battalion, is located in Building 4-1830, Normandy Drive. For more information about its services, call 907-5203.
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