LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany -- The first thing people notice about Staff Sgt. Joshua Forbess are the scars that cover his head and face, a visible reminder of a horrific helicopter crash in Iraq in 2003 that killed 17 Soldiers and left him fighting for his life.
For the people he's worked with, though, the most memorable thing about Forbess is the inspiration he's brought to hundreds of Wounded Warriors and those who care for them at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. That, and his readiness to crack a joke to lighten the mood and bring a smile to those around him, especially those who sometimes need a little levity during what is usually a dark period in their lives.
Forbess will leave Landstuhl for the last time Oct. 15 as he heads to Tennessee to retire after 20 years in the Army. For the last four years he's worked in "Wounded Warrior resiliency," listening to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines medically evacuated from combat in Afghanistan as they express their feelings and frustrations, and sharing his own experiences as a Wounded Warrior with them and their families.
Nov. 15, 2003
Forbess, an artilleryman, was part of a quick-reaction force on board a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter responding to a shooting incident in Mosul, Iraq. Another helicopter in the area was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and collided with his aircraft, causing both to go down.
Of the 22 people on board the two helicopters, 17 were killed and Forbess was left severely burned. His hands were broken and he'd lost an ear and most of his nose. Medically evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he was kept in a medically induced coma for two months and spent several more recuperating from his injuries.
Despite qualifying for a medical retirement, Forbess requested, and was eventually granted, a waiver that allowed him to continue on active duty. He maintained his artilleryman military occupational specialty and rejoined his unit at Fort Campbell, Ky., but his injuries meant he had to remain behind while his unit deployed.
It was during this time that he started talking with other Wounded Warriors, listening as they vented their frustrations with the system, in particular the medical evacuation system.
"I could see the frustration on their faces," Forbess said. "They'd get bumped off flights. They were supposed to leave on Tuesday, then it would be Thursday, then Friday. Because they were frustrated they didn't want to concentrate on their healing."
Listening for a living
After working with wounded Soldiers for a few years at Campbell while also volunteering to help with the local Fisher House, Forbess decided he might be of even more use at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, usually the first stop for wounded/injured military members evacuated from Afghanistan.
"I thought if I could get here where the rubber meets the road, I could get the bug planted early and help them start their healing," Forbess explained. Eventually he was recruited by Command Sgt. Maj. William O'Neal, then the LRMC CSM and now the Regional Health Command Europe CSM.
Technically assigned to the Medical Transient Detachment at Landstuhl, Forbess spends most of his time in hospital rooms with Wounded Warriors, often hours at a time.
"I try to be there and help them get focused, whether that starts that day or three months down the road," he said, with his visible injuries sometimes acting as an icebreaker. "They're struggling and then they see me. First they'll look and see the combat patch and then they see the [U.S. Army Medical Command] patch. I'll tell them some jokes. It's all about gaining their trust."
Sharing his experiences has helped family members as well. Vivian Wilson, who manages the Landstuhl Fisher House where families of ill or injured service members can stay while their loved one is undergoing treatment at the hospital, has worked closely with Forbess and his wife both here and at Fort Campbell and has seen many of those interactions firsthand.
"He jokes around with them, and they see somebody like him who was survived a heinous and critical injury and came back," Wilson said. "It gives them a sense of comfort, a sense of hope. He's leaving a legacy behind him. The Soldiers who make it will pay it forward. They say if Staff Sgt. Forbess can do this, I can too."
Navy Chief Petty Officer Victor Flores has worked closely with Forbess over the last few years in his duties as a Navy patient liaison officer at the medical center and agreed that the Soldier's experiences bring a lot to the table.
"The patient has been medevaced and needs somebody to talk to," Flores said. "Forbess knows where they are and what they're going through. He can provide that moral support for a patient who is at their lowest point. He can relate to them from the perspective of 'been there, done that.'"
Forbess will be missed when he leaves this month for retirement, Flores said.
"We all talk about caring for our own, but he lives it day in and day out," Flores said. "I think he thrives on it. He enjoys being able to give that back."
The soon-to-be retired Soldier loves cooking -- he frequently cooks for the residents at the Fisher House -- and said he hopes to eventually open a small diner in Tennessee similar to one he used to frequent before coming to Germany. The thing he loved most about that diner was the camaraderie among the 'regulars' -- they became like family to him. It's an atmosphere he hopes to create in his own eatery someday and also the biggest thing he will miss about his days in the Army.
Always ready with a joke, Forbess summed up his decision to return to Tennessee, succinctly.
"I miss my sweet tea."
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