Combat-wounded Soldier assumes command of Fort Hood's WTU

By Ms. Gloria Montgomery (Army Medicine)March 10, 2016

Combat-wounded Soldier assumes command of Fort Hood's WTU
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Bruce Gannaway, who was wounded in action during Operation Iraqi
Freedom, is the new commander of Fort Hood's Warrior Transition Unit. Gannaway lost his leg and a finger on his left hand after stepping on an improvised explosive device in 20... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Combat-wounded Soldier assumes command of Fort Hood's WTU
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Bruce Gannaway, who was wounded in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom, accepts the Warrior Transition Unit guide-on from Col. Mark Thompson, commander, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, during March 3 assumption of command ceremonies a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Combat-wounded Soldier assumes command of Fort Hood's WTU
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Lt. Col. Bruce Gannaway, who was wounded in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom, is now commander of Fort Hood's Warrior Transition Unit, which, during the height of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, was the Army's largest unit specifically, created for the Army's wounded, ill and injured population.

The Purple Heart recipient, whose left leg was amputated below the knee after stepping on an improvised explosive device in 2007, assumed command March 3 from interim commander, Lt. Col. Jolanda Walker, who will now serve as executive officer, CRDAMC. Walker was WTU's deputy commander before assuming her duties from Col. Douglas Woodall, who left in December for a change in duty station.

In his remarks, the two-time DOD Warrior Game athlete who represented Team Army in 2011 and 2012, thanked Army leadership for allowing him to continue on active duty and paid special tribute to Army Medicine for keeping him alive when he was wounded in action.

"Thanks to the Army medical team for saving my life that one evening in South Baghdad and bringing me home safely to my family and for patching me up more than once," he told the 100 plus audience members who attended the early morning ceremony at Abrams Gym.

Following his injury, which occurred while serving in Iraq as a company commander in the 3rd Infantry Division, Gannaway spent months of extensive rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After returning to duty, he deployed with the 75th Ranger Regiment to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Georgia native, who previously served as 3rd Army's chief of financial operations at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, said he has been impressed with the unit's "dedication and perseverance" in tackling complex and sensitive issues in their support of transitioning Soldiers.

"The Fort Hood Warrior Transition Battalion provides leadership to treat our wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and their Families with dignity, respect and self-determination while ensuring they successfully heal and transition back into the force or into the community," he said, adding that the unit will further their success by "promoting Soldier welfare, committing to the best patient-care available and offering opportunities for education and training for their future careers."

Citing the famous phrase, "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul" from William Ernest Henley's 1875 poem "Invictus," Gannaway reminded the Soldiers that a large part of healing and transitioning rests on their shoulders.

"Life is unfair, but we cannot give up," he told them. "This community here will work to get you the care you need to heal and continue upon your path, however, you must meet us half-way. You have to decide that you want to get better."

Gannaway was commissioned in 1998 after graduating from North Georgia College, Dahlonega, Georgia.

Besides the Purple Heart, Lieutenant Colonel Gannaway is the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. He also has earned multiple badges, including the Ranger's Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman's Badge.

He is a graduate the Infantry Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, and the Command and General Staff College. Additionally he was selected for the Defense Comptrollership Program where he earned master degrees in business administration and public administration from Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

Other assignments include tours with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea and Department of the Army Headquarters (G-2).

About the WTU:

Fort Hood's WTU was activated in 2007 and stood up as a brigade August 2008. By the time it was downsized to battalion level December 2015, it had served more than 4,000 Soldiers in Transition.

The WTU mission is to provide command and control for wounded, injured or ill Soldiers to ensure he or she receives the appropriate medical care and administrative support so they can fully return to duty at their unit, re-class into another military occupation, or return to the community as an honored veteran. A WTU closely resembles an Army "line" unit and builds on the Army's strength of unit cohesion and teamwork. Within a WTU, wounded, ill and injured Soldiers work with their Triad of Care -- primary care manager (normally a physician), nurse case manager, and squad leader -- who coordinate their care with other clinical and non-clinical professionals.

While assigned to the WTU, the Soldier's mission is to heal. A typical day in the life of a Soldier in Transition would be: attending his or her medical appointments; attending school or working in an unpaid federal internship such as the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs or Homeland Security; preparing for transitioning to the civilian world by going to job fairs and career workshops; and maintaining physical and mental conditioning by participating in activities unique to the WTU to include, cycling, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, archery and air rifle.

Related Links:

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