JBSA-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Students from Fort Sam Houston's Robert G. Cole High School recently invited wounded warriors from Brooke Army Medical Center's Warrior Transition Battalion for a day of mentorship, food and sports.
The event, part of Brooke Army Medical Center's Adopt a School Program, has paired Warrior Transition Battalion's wheel chair athletes against Cole High School students in a basketball game. But Headquarters & Headquarters' Troop Command Company Commander, Capt. Jose A. Capellan, felt a need for a change this year.
"We really wanted to revamp the program, reenergize it since they have done this three times already" Capellan said. "It was losing a little bit of steam. This year the students were divided into committees, developed flyers, and provided music and food for the event."
Earlier in May, the students visited BAMC where they were given a Leadership and Timing Class to teach them how to plan an event at their school.
"We gave them a leadership and timing class and then gave the students ownership so they would be able to put this event together and use some of the skills they learned to welcome the wounded warriors for wheelchair basketball, " Capellan said.
The students were also given a tour of the Center for the Intrepid and had lunch with wounded warriors at the Warrior Family Support Center.
The students used the skills they learned to put a tour of Cole High School together for the Soldiers followed by a wheelchair basketball game and dodgeball May 22.
Cole High School Junior, Dakota Creason, said his fellow students were up to the challenge.
"In the beginning it was kind of rough with just getting everyone together but once we actually were able to assign different tasks and duties to people," Creason said, "Everyone really stepped up and took it as not just another assignment or job but something they were interested in and really wanted to do. I think that made the difference."
"It's really amazing to me for people who have done so much in their life to be able to overcome something like losing like an arm or a leg," said Cole High School Junior, Clarice Jahnke, "because I know for me that would be like a such a struggle."
Isabell Clayton, Cole High School's Principal, was very pleased with the how everything came together.
"I've watched it evolve over the last couple of years…and now it's turned into a leadership event which means a lot to our students," stated Clayton. "They get to spend time with the wounded warriors and the people from BAMC, they learn a lot about leadership, dealing with issues and taking care of things and they're having a good time and I think that's important. They are still learning something and every year it's been a great event for everyone."
"Honestly this is probably the best part of my job. I get to come out here and be a part of this High School and give the students some mentorship and that's a day of work for me," Capellan said. "I've been playing dodgeball, talking to students about my experience in High School and the military and this is what the Army is paying me to do."
Social Sharing