Service Beyond the Uniform

WEST FALLS, N.Y. — For U.S. Army veteran Nathan Kalwicki, the journey to finding a place to call home began more than a decade ago, thousands of miles away in Afghanistan.

On Christmas Eve 2011, Kalwicki was wounded when a member of the Afghan forces his unit was training opened fire on American soldiers. The attack left him with a life-changing injury and led to more than a year of recovery and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Years later, Kalwicki and his wife, Veronica, received an opportunity that would change their lives once again: a new, accessible home built by a community of volunteers.

The opportunity came through A Soldier's Journey Home, a nonprofit organization that builds mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans.

The organization selected Kalwicki and his wife as recipients of a new home in West Falls, New York, bringing together more than 100 volunteers to complete the construction in just two weeks.

Among those volunteers was Eric Monkelbaan, a U.S. Air Force veteran and logistics manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District.

Monkelbaan learned about the project through a local news report and immediately knew he wanted to get involved.

"Veterans giving back to veterans hits home for me," Monkelbaan said. "I've done some things with some other veteran organizations. So when I saw this organization locally on the news, it just hit home. And it was something I needed to be a part of."

With a background in carpentry and a passion for helping fellow veterans, Monkelbaan volunteered for the entire two-week construction period. From framing walls to installing exterior light fixtures and door handles, he worked alongside volunteers from across the community to bring the project to completion.

For Monkelbaan, the experience reflected many of the same principles he sees in his work at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District.

"Teamwork is a must, especially in a project like this," he said. "Similarly to the Army Corps projects. It doesn't take just one person, it takes a team. And without a full team effort, nothing like this could be accomplished."

The project also demonstrated how military service can continue to shape a person's life long after taking off the uniform. Although Monkelbaan volunteered in a personal capacity, his involvement reflected a commitment to service that extends beyond his military career and his work as an Army civilian.

After two weeks of construction, volunteers gathered to welcome Kalwicki and his wife to their completed home. American flags lined the driveway as the couple arrived, surrounded by the people who had helped make the project possible.

"Reveal day was very emotional," Monkelbaan recalled. "Not only for Nathan, as I can assume, but for the volunteers as well."

For Kalwicki, the experience was about more than receiving a house. It was seeing the generosity and dedication of people who came together to support a veteran and his family.

Now settled into their new home, Nathan and Veronica are looking toward the future with gratitude for the volunteers who helped make it possible.

"Since that time, we've sort of been making it our home. And it does feel like home now," Kalwicki said.

As the nation observes Veterans Day, their story serves as a reminder that the bonds formed through military service endure long after the uniform comes off. Whether through military service, civilian careers or community volunteerism, veterans like Kalwicki and Monkelbaan demonstrate the lasting impact of answering the call to serve.

The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war. Learn more at www.lrd.usace.army.mil/buffalo.