Military Officer - May 2007 - (Page 10)

fromtheeditor The Road Ahead Servicemembers injured in the war on terrorism face great difﬁculties when they return home. But there are many individuals and organizations ready and willing to help. T his month’s cover story follows up on a subject we explored in April 2006: America’s wounded warriors. Our ﬁrst story looked at the challenges severely injured servicemembers face as they return to military treatment facilities and begin the process of intensive rehabilitation. Readers’ reactions to that feature were positive and supportive of the troops and the experts who care for them. But readers also wanted to know what happens next: What happens when these heroes return home to their communities? To answer that question, this month we tell the rest of the story. Before I can talk about our ﬁndings, however, I’d better make sure I don’t ignore an elephant in the room. As you know, the treatment of recovering servicemembers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been the focus of several media articles. MOAA has spoken out about the shameful shortfalls exposed at Walter Reed (“Washington Scene,” April 2007). The association has gone on record saying that our military forces need more resources to help avoid such circumstances. At the same time, we want to make it clear that 99.9 percent of military medical providers are doing a superb job and shouldn’t be tarred by this incident. For a view of the larger picture, please read this month’s column by MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., on page 12. He discusses the Walter Reed failure and 10 MILITARY OFFICER M AY 2 0 0 7 other dangers of failing to pay for a strong military. This month’s feature “Back Home,” on page 50, is about the many ways our nation is standing by its troops. Many government and private programs are working to help the severely injured return to their communities. “The coordination and collaboration have been amazing. You see a lot of back and forth referral. No one is concerned with who gets the credit,” says Dinah Cohen, director of DoD’s Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program. One example of a military service reaching out is the Marine For Life program. Lt. Col. John Shafer, USMC, deputy director of that program, says “I like to tell [injured Marines] to think of us as their own ‘Ghostbusters.’ Whatever the need, I ask them ‘Who you gonna call?’ And I want them to remember that the Marine For Life program is here for them.” The movement to help America’s newest generation of injured veterans is in full swing. We’re pleased to share the stories of just a few of the many folks who are answering the call. — Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - May 2007

Military Officer - May 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Back Home Capt. David Porter, Pirate Hunter Where Valor Rests Emblems of Courage MOAA Member Services Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index Member Books MOAA Calendar MOAA Scholarship Donors Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - May 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.