Photo By Raymond Hoy | Regional Command Southwest Commanding General, Maj. Gen. W. Lee Miller Jr., RC (SW)...... read more read more
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UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - Usually when a wounded soldier, sailor, Marine or airman leaves the combat theater, they leave on a stretcher, surrounded by the beeps and hum of machines reading and reporting vital signs. Sometimes they are conscious, but all too often they are not, suddenly waking in a hospital thousands of miles away from the last step they remember taking.
For some of these wounded warriors, the path to recovery is long and twisting, requiring them to confront physical and mental challenges far beyond those they faced in war. One of the most debilitating of these can be the guilt of having left their fellow heroes behind to continue the mission without them.
The airmen of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Combined Air and Space Operations Center Air Mobility Division recently had an opportunity to help alleviate some of those feelings by arranging intra-theater travel for some of these wounded warriors as they returned to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
The goal; to see their fellow servicemen and women, and leave again, walking to the aircraft and climbing the ramp under their own volition and on their own terms as part of Operation Proper Exit.
The AMD makes sure that once the OPE participants arrive at an AFCENT travel hub, they are able to move on to the next stop on their tour without delay.
"Once the wounded warriors arrive in theater, AMD will look for opportune airlift to transport them on," said Lt. Col. Michael Morman, the AMD deputy chief.
As with any military airlift, things don't always work out and when that happens, the AMD section works hard to find solutions.
"If opportune is not available we will dedicate a mission to support them," Morman added. "We keep a close watch to make sure they are getting the best care and try to limit the amount of loading and unloading from aircraft they need to do."
This is the second trip for OPE in recent months.
The group, all injured in Afghanistan, traveled to several places that played key roles in their deployed lives such as Kandahar Airfield, Forward Operating Base Shank, Camp Leatherneck and New Kabul Compound. While the soldiers and Marines on this trip see how operations in theater have moved forward and see how their contributions played a role in that, they aren't aware that their presence may also help those serving in that area today.
According to the Operation Proper Exit section of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation website, the founding organization of OPE, the trips can have a positive impact on not just the returning warriors, but also on those currently deployed.
"Soldiers who have witnessed the injuring of a battle buddy are often times left wondering how the situation turned out both short and long term," reads the website. "Upon the return of fully recovered soldiers, the minds of deployed troops are put to ease when they witness the results firsthand and hear about the journey and outstanding care being afforded to our Wounded Warriors."
The Airmen of the AMD recognize the impact their small part plays in the rehabilitation of wounded warriors and the reassurances of the military men and women who face the risks every day.
"It's been a humbling experience to know our mobility efforts have such an impact on the men and women there; and to know that we are helping these warriors, their families and fellow service members cope with the emotional effects of their injuries," Morman said.
When the soldiers and Marines on this trip board the aircraft to leave again, it will be by their choice. Instead of beeps and hums, they will hear the steady rumble of aircraft engines taking them home. And most of all, they will know for sure that this time, they've left Afghanistan a better place.
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2013 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 103329 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 132 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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