KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- American Wounded Warriors who can be rehabilitated in Afghanistan may receive care at the Warrior Recovery Center. At the facility, medical professionals provide short-term, comprehensive care, including Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussive Care, Combat Stress Management, Musculoskeletal Care and Behavioral Healthcare.
Although a modern, well-appointed facility, it was in need of some construction upgrades. Like the ground at most camps throughout Afghanistan, the ground between the center's residential and treatment buildings is covered with pebbles over mud and dirt. This surface is unsteady and difficult for soldiers with lower body injuries to navigate. Enter the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a solution.
USACE volunteers quickly built a safe and sturdy wooden walkway Feb. 9, so patients can travel more easily to and from the various buildings at the center.
"No more soldiers on crutches hobbling over rocks," said Sgt. Christopher Giddinge, a health care specialist assigned to the Warrior Recovery Center.
Giddinge, who previously served as a trauma medic in Iraq and possesses specialized training in MTBI/Concussive care, strives to provide Wounded Warriors with the highest-quality care, support and facilities as possible, he said. He is coordinating more upgrades to the center for the benefit of Wounded Warriors including a putt putt area and small gym.
During their non-duty hours, USACE personnel including Tony Carter, Nandy Perillo, Mike Rooney, John Caudill, Steve Reed, Bee Xiong, Jim Armstrong, Mark Alton, Al Lorenzo, Bob McEchnie, Julio Arocho, Lt. Col. Stephen Bales, Perry Hubert and Doug Jamieson built the wooden walkway.
Although not all the USACE volunteers are engineers or construction representatives, each had the desire to make getting around the Warrior Recovery Center easier for wounded troops, explained Jamieson, a registered professional engineer from the state of Washington whose son is a U.S. Marine.
For Carter, a civil engineer and project management professional who deployed to Afghanistan from the USACE Wilmington District, constructing something for service members whose selfless service contributed to their injuries was the least he could do to show his gratitude, he said.
"The walkway needed to be built, so we just built it!" added Carter through a broad smile.
Constructing the walkway is just one in a series of actions USACE has taken to help make recovery for the injured troops a little bit easier. In June, USACE hosted a five-kilometer race with about $8,000 in proceeds used to purchase shoes, shirts, reflective belts, alarm clocks, power converters, watches, DVD players and other items for patients at the center.
Wounded Warriors are also regularly invited to participate in movie and game nights at the USACE compound and are always invited to attend USACE-sponsored holiday events at KAF too.
Related Links:
Afghanistan Engineer District - South
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