Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2)

The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) is a program administered by the U.S Army Human Resources Command that assists severely wounded soldiers and families from injury throughout recovery for as long as they need help. The U.S. Army created the AW2 program in response to the needs of the most severely wounded, injured, or ill soldiers from the War on Terrorism. The initiative is a response to the growing number of soldiers wounded in operations in the Iraq War and Afghanistan. The program recently celebrated its fourth year of service. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2008/04/mil-080430-arnews02.htm Globalsecurity.org - Army Wounded Warrior Program Honors Four Years of Service ] ]

Program History

On April 30, 2004, the U.S. Army introduced an initiative to enhance the care and support of severely wounded warriors and their families as the "Disabled Soldier Support System" (DS3). The name was changed to the Army Wounded Warrior Program in November 2005 to more clearly identify the population served by the program. [ [http://www.army.mil/aps/08/information_papers/sustain/US_Wounded_Warrior_Program.html 2008 U.S. Army Posture Statement - Information Papers - U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program ] ] This system of support and advocacy guides severely wounded, injured and ill soldiers from evacuation through treatment, rehabilitation, return to duty or military retirement and transition into the civilian community. Additionally, AW2 supports the families and caregivers of wounded soldiers with their own unique needs. [http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/04/30/8862-army-wounded-warrior-program-honors-four-years-of-service/ Army.mil - Army Wounded Warrior Program Honors Four Years of Service ] ] AW2 is a component of the US Army’s public commitment to care for wounded warriors and their families. All wounded, injured and ill soldiers are assigned to a Warrior Transition Unit to focus on healing before returning to duty or transitioning to veteran status. [ [http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60201&archive=true General: Army still facing Warrior Transition Unit challenges | Stars and Stripes ] ] Those with extensive medical needs are simultaneously assigned to the Army Wounded Warrior Program and receive a local AW2 advocate to assist long term. [ [http://aw2portal.com/CS/blogs/directors_blog/archive/2008/05/07/AW2-Advocate-Annual-Training.aspx Wounded Warrior Blog : AW2 Advocate Annual Training ] ] As of early 2008, more than 2,700 soldiers and their families are enrolled in this official U.S. Army life-long program designed to serve as a support system that guides soldiers from battlefield evacuation through treatment, rehabilitation, return to duty or military retirement and transition into the civilian community.

Program Criteria

In the Army Wounded Warrior Program, service members eligible for assistance through AW2 are a unique group of soldiers who have, or are expected to receive, an Army Physical Disability Evaluation System (APDES) rating of 30% or more in one of several specific categories. [ [http://aw2portal.com/Mission.aspx AW2 - Our Mission ] ] Additionally, the soldier must have received this rating due to their service during the time of the Global War on Terrorism beginning September 10, 2001. Conditions are based on the Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) as used by the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency (USPDA). Some of these categories include but are not limited to:
*Loss of vision/blindness
*Loss of limb
*Spinal cord injury/paralysis
*Permanent disfigurement
*Severe burns
*Traumatic brain injury
*Post traumatic stress disorder
*Fatal/incurable disease
*Any other condition requiring extensive hospitalization or multiple surgeries. [ [http://aw2portal.com/Conditions.aspx Possible Conditions Qualifying for AW2 Program ] ]

The program provides personalized, local support to AW2 soldiers for as long as they have a need, regardless of their military status. According to the AW2 website, more than 75% of soldiers in the program are medically retired. AW2 is one component of the Army’s focus on caring for wounded soldiers with others initiatives provided by other federal entities, but primarily through the U.S. Army and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that serve other types of lesser wounded service members.

Program Administration

All wounded, injured and ill soldiers are assigned to Warrior Transition Units (WTU) for healing before returning to duty or transitioning to veteran status. [ [http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,152058,00.html Army to Establish 'Warrior Transition Units' ] ] These soldiers receive care from a team of professionals consisting of a physician, nurse care manager, and military squad leader, who are assigned to each and dedicated to helping soldiers heal – and known as the Triad of Care. [ [http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/amap/20080104commentary.html Commentary: Warrior Transition Brigade Worth Emulating ] ] Those with extensive medical needs are simultaneously assigned to the Army Wounded Warrior Program and receive a local AW2 representative to assist long term.

Each AW2 soldier/family is assigned a specialist while they are in a Warrior Transition Unit to assist help daily issues, the transition to life post injury and any long term concerns. The AW2 advocate also works with the soldier regarding returning to active duty, staying a reservist or medically retiring. Soldiers in the program have access to several specialists located throughout the country at major military treatment facilities and VA Medical Centers. These specialists include but are not limited to:
* Career and education guides
* Benefit advisors
* Military transition specialists
* Local resource experts
* Family assistants
* Life coaches.

Many of these specialists are located in the Soldier Family Assistance Centers (SFAC), a facility housing many service providers dedicated to wounded soldiers. The SFACs provide wounded veterans services, substance abuse information and referral for family members, financial counseling, transition and employment assistance, education counseling, public-use computers, and child care. They are designed to be a safe haven that promotes healing. [ [http://sfac.wramc.amedd.army.mil/default.aspx Home - Soldier Family Assistance Center ] ]

A core tenant of the Army Wounded Warrior Program is the Army Family Covenant — a recent initiative to recognize growing demands from soldiers’ families strained by the War on Terrorism. [ [http://www.armymwr.com/portal/family/ ArmyMWR Family Page ] ] [ [http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2007/07/13/4045-army-leadership-to-families-we-hear-you-loud-and-clear/ Army Leadership to Families: "We Hear You Loud and Clear" ] ] On Oct. 8, 2007, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Gen.George W. Casey, Jr. announced the policy at a Family Forum of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.. [ [http://www.ausa.org/webpub/DeptHome.nsf/byid/WEBP-77UHAM Association of the United States Army: Army chief of staff introduces Family Covenant Initiative ] ]

Controversy Over Care

The U.S. Army has recently undergone a great amount of scrutiny for its treatment of returning veterans wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan in particular at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A class action lawsuit has been brought against the U.S. Government for perceived mistreatment of veterans by the government. The Army Times reported in 2007 that critics of the Army maintained that veterans were being shortchanged regarding their disabilities incurred while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. [ [http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnsmedboards070217/ Wounded and waiting - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times ] ]

ervices provided by other Military Branches

Wounded or disabled veterans from other branches of the service are served through other programs. The U.S. Marine Corps has two significant programs - Marine For Life and the Wounded Warrior Regiment which has battalion headquarters on the east and west coasts. [ [http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,131303,00.html New Wounded Warrior Regiment ] ] The U.S. Air Force created Helping Airmen Recover, or Palace HART for airmen with certain combat-related injuries. [ [http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123067733 Palace HART making a difference in the lives of Airmen ] ] Safe Harbor was created by the U.S. Navy to provide personalized support and assistance to severely injured sailors and their families. [ [http://www.npc.navy.mil/CommandSupport/SafeHarbor/ Safe Harbor - Severely Injured Support ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.aw2portal.com Official AW2 web site]
* [https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/index-flash.aspx U.S Army Human Resources Command web site]
* [http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/APDES/purpose.aspx Army Physical Disability Evaluation System website]
* [http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html Veterans Administration schedule for rating disabilities]