Photo By Staff Sgt. Francis Horton | The wounded warriors participating in Operation Proper Exit, a part of the Troops...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Francis Horton
367th MPAD, USD-S PAO
BASRA, Iraq – A tall figure comes down the ramp of an Air Force C-130 at the Basra International Airport. He hesitates, shuffles and then a helping hand reaches out to steady him. A quick hop and the first of the wounded warriors had touched down in Basra.
The Soldier is a participant in Operation Proper Exit, a program created by the Troops First Foundation, an organization founded in 2008 by Rick Kell and CBS Golf analyst David Faraday.
"We started the foundation to focus on wellness and quality of life issues for wounded warriors and their families," Kell said.
Operation Proper Exit is an initiative that brings troops wounded in battle back to Iraq to see the country and how it has changed. In the volatile years of the Iraq war, many troops wondered if Iraq would ever improve.
"We wanted to create programs with relevance, but not duplicated by other organizations," Kell said.
When veterans were asked what kind of programs they would like, many said they wanted a chance to see Iraq again to gain a semblance of closure.
Working with the USO, Kell coordinated flights and locations for the veterans to visit. The command groups around Iraq have been very supportive of the initiative and welcoming of the wounded warriors who have been willing to return, he said.
"It's another world," said Staff Sgt. Jason Kokotkiewicz, who is now on the temporary disability retired list, affectionately known as "Koko" by the other wounded troops who have come back to Iraq on this trip. "It doesn't feel like the same country."
Kokotkiewicz from Greenfield, Ind., was wounded while serving with the 2nd Battalion, 152nd Regiment, 38th Infantry Division. During a firefight at an Iraqi police station located on Main Supply Route Mobile near Fallujah, he was hit in the head by a rocket-propelled grenade.
"I left Iraq thinking it would never change," he said.
This sentiment has been echoed by many of the troops who have returned. So far, 38 wounded service members have come back to Iraq, some of them a second or third time as sponsors, Kell said.
However, the country has experienced marked improvements since their previous tours in Iraq.
Places that once were hotbeds of violence are now peaceful, and local residents are friendlier toward U.S. forces. Much of the combat in the country has died down, and bases in Iraq have more of a formal, garrison feel rather than that of wartime outposts.
While in the Basra province, the warriors were flown to the Port of Umm Qasr to meet the U.S. forces and British Royal Commandos stationed there, as well as to see firsthand how the Iraqi Navy has developed. They were given a tour of the base and taken onboard the Iraqi Navy's ships.
All of the visiting veterans were paired with Soldiers currently deployed to Basra to help with their needs.
"I figured it would be a good learning experience," said Sgt. Louis Lamar, a telephone control specialist with Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.
The Birmingham, Ala., native said he received an e-mail from his command asking for volunteers, and saw an opportunity to help. He was paired with Staff Sgt. Brian Beem, a native of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., who lost his leg to an improvised explosive device in Baghdad while with the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.
As a soldier currently serving in Iraq, Lamar sees this as a chance for the wounded warriors to see their sacrifices were not in vain.
"They have a lot of heart," he said.
Lamar plans to keep in touch with Beem through e-mail and Facebook.
While all of these wounded veterans have found the courage to return to places that violently changed their lives, one is turning his experience into an opportunity to help others.
"It took a long time for me to realize that my life had changed," said Capt. Dennis Skelton, a member of the Office of Warrior and Family Support at the Pentagon and native of Elk Point, S.D.
Skelton was hit in the chest with an RPG, which disintegrated, injuring his arms, legs and face. It took nearly two years of surgeries to get him to where he is today, he said.
Despite the challenges, Skelton chose to remain in the Army. In Spring of 2005, he began working on reintegrating himself into the role of a Soldier.
Too many times, Skelton saw service members pushed out of the military because of their wounds, he said, and felt it was unnecessary.
"Just because they lost a limb or they may be blind, they still have heart, they still have intellect and they still have their will, and that is something we need," Skelton said.
Skelton now works under Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen in a position designed to help service members reintegrate into their lives at home.
"A lot of our returning service members are having difficulty finding jobs or acquiring the best healthcare out there, especially our wounded warriors," Skelton said.
While this initiative has helped some of the wounded troops, many military personnel still need help.
As of May 13, 2010, some 37,641 service members have been wounded in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, according to a casualty list published by the Web site defense.gov. Most of these wounded have returned to duty within 72 hours.
However, the physical wounds are not the only issues deployed troops face. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been a major problem for veterans. According to a survey done by the Rand Group, one-in-five Soldiers comes home from Iraq or Afghanistan with PTSD or severe depression.
It is no secret that suicide rates in the military have risen sharply in the last few years. The Defense Department has offered classes and initiatives on how to recognize and help service members who may be in need.
In 2006, Skelton traveled to the Pentagon to assist in the creation of warrior transition units and other initiatives to take care of wounded warriors and their families, he said.
"Right now we're really concentrated on the transition period. When the warriors come back home and take off the uniform, there's a gap in this country and it's growing," Skelton said.
As things move forward in Afghanistan and wind-down in Iraq, the military has learned to change, but there is plenty more learning that needs to be done.
"I wanted to help the Army evolve to the point where it's no longer a weapon system that's the most important feature, but it's us, as human beings, as warriors," Skelton said.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2010 08:43 |
| Story ID: | 50051 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 392 |
| Downloads: | 305 |
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