From Brigade Sergeant Major to Army Wounded Warrior Advocate

By MaryTherese Griffin, Warrior Care and TransitionAugust 23, 2018

From Brigade Sergeant Major to Army Wounded Warrior Advocate
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Wounded Warrior Program Advocate James Anderson with retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Benjamin Adams, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, August 7, 2018 in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfurt Kentucky. (Photo Courtesy, James An... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Brigade Sergeant Major to Army Wounded Warrior Advocate
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

From Brigade Sergeant Major to Army Wounded Warrior Advocate

By MaryTherese Griffin, Warrior Care and Transition

ARLINGTON, Va. - When retired U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. John Anderson attended the 2009 Retiree Appreciation Day at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he walked out a changed man. The South Carolina native who started his Army career as a Cavalry Scout working his way to Brigade Sergeant Major already had a job with Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and a table to share his organizations support for veterans. When he looked at the booth across from him about Army Advocacy, he was perplexed.

"I went over to ask Advocate Joyce Hamilton what 'AW2' stood for. The words were on the big banner but she told me as she pointed at the words Army Wounded Warrior Program," said Anderson.

Hamilton told him that she advocates for the most severely wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and their families in AW2. "We provide guidance and counseling to severely wounded Soldiers and their families to ensure they get all the benefits they're eligible to receive," Hamilton explained. "We also provide a system of advocacy and follow on support designed to assist the Soldier as he or she transitions back into military service or into the civilian community."

The flood of information about the program from Hamilton was a lot for Anderson to take in. "Advocate Hamilton was very passionate about the AW2 program then and she is still passionate about it now. I didn't want to know that much, but since she told me it was all good," Anderson laughed. The information sounded so good to Anderson that he wanted to know more and that led him to leave his job and join the AW2 Advocate team.

Joyce Hamilton was, and still is thrilled that Anderson is an AW2 Advocate. "AW2 needs advocates who really care and don't just see clients as a number. We want to personalize each experience with our clients and treat them based on their needs," Hamilton said. "We want to sacrifice for them and give them the absolute best service each and every time they step into our offices. This is the least we can do, we truly believe they deserve more," she added.

As a decorated Soldier with 30 years of service, Hamilton knew Anderson was the real deal after seeing his accolades to which he will add a pretty big one next month. "Advocate Anderson will be inducted into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame on September 8, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. He will be the youngest inductee of his group; most are 80, 90 and two are more than 100 years old," she said.

While awards and recognition are nice, Anderson says helping Soldiers as an Advocate is an award in itself.

"I praise God every day for this great job and the opportunity to give back to our severely wounded, ill and injured Soldiers, veterans and their families. I know with all my military experience that if you take care of Soldiers, Soldiers will take care of you and everything else will take care of itself. I love what I am doing and I always put the Soldier or veteran and their family first," said Anderson."