TAMPA, Fla. - More than 200 Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Advocates and staff have traveled from installations around the country to participate in the 2017 AW2 Annual Advocate Training in Tampa, Florida from June 5-9th. Over the next week, subject matter experts will present on topics such as suicide awareness and prevention, TRICARE and social security disability benefits, employment outreach, career planning and working with the Department of Veterans Affairs, among many others, in order to provide Advocates with the resources and tools needed to care for and support wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and veterans.

As the backbone of the Army Warrior Care and Transition Program, each wounded, ill or injured Soldier assigned to a Warrior Transition Battalion is paired with a dedicated Advocate who guides them through their recovery and transition process. The AW2 Advocate educates the Soldier on their benefits and available resources and works with them closely to develop goals aligned to their needs and the needs of their family.

"The AW2 Advocate was the one thing that ensured that my family and I were taken care of," says Col. David S. Oeschger, Director of the Army Wounded Warrior Program. After being severely wounded in Afghanistan, Oeschger was assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion -- Europe where he spent seven months recovering. "[Army Warrior Care and Transition] cared for us beautifully; it put us back together. [The Advocates] ensured that recovered mentally and spiritually, as well as physically," he added.

To learn about the Army Warrior Care and Transition Program and Army Wounded Warrior (AW2), as well as to read stories from Soldiers recovering at WTBs, visit, wct.army.mil or follow on social media at www.facebook.com/armywct and www.twitter.com/armywct.