New Regiment Focuses on Wounded Marines, Sailors

American Forces Press Service ^ | Carmen L. Gleason

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 – The U.S. Marine Corps has created a new regiment focused on tracking and assisting wounded Marines and sailors across the nation, the regiment’s first commander announced at a Pentagon news conference today.

“The mission of the Wounded Warrior Regiment is to provide and facilitate assistance to wounded, ill and injured Marines, sailors and their families throughout the phases of their recovery,” said Marine Col. Gregory Boyle.

The Marine Corps has taken care of its own since 1775, Boyle said, and the way the Corps does it is through “caring and concerned leadership – from the commandant down to the individual Marine.”

Although taking care of their fellow Marines isn’t a new concept, Boyle said, the establishment of the regiment marks the first time the Marine Corps has given oversight in tracking wounded troops to one command.

He said a single data base and tracking system will help streamline the transition process and help Marines cut through red tape.

The Wounded Warrior Regiment plans to support troops as they navigate through medical evaluation boards and assist in the processing of traumatic life insurance claims, Boyle said. Regiment leaders will provide information on charitable organizations to family members and will ensure accountability in the management of non-medical phases of transition.

Boyle also said the regiment will ensure the continuation of care without discrimination to the type of illness, whether it is physical or behavioral.

Leaders within the command will strive to make the transition seamless for wounded sailors and Marines as they go from Defense Department care to that of the Veterans Affairs Department.

Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee established similar assistance under the “Marine for Life” program in 2005. Injured Marines and sailors used the nationwide network as a means to transition back to civilian life in their hometowns.

More emphasis was put on the existing program when current Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway made it one of his top priorities March 23 to establish a regiment with battalion headquarters on both the East and West coasts.

The regiment, with headquarters in Quantico, Va., is spending $53 million in new construction for its two battalions -- one on Camp Lejeune, N.C., and one on Camp Pendleton, Calif. Each battalion will have a barracks facility to house outpatient Marines who are recovering before returning to their units or who are transitioning out of the military to civilian life.

The two locations will help eliminate possible seams and cracks for Marines to fall through, Boyle said. Marines will receive the same level of support regardless of their location.

Efforts will first focus on the 370 Marines who are currently on inpatient and outpatient status at military medical centers across the country. After addressing these cases, Boyle said, he plans to widen his efforts.

“My vision is to get in touch with Marines from (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) efforts as far back as 2001 on a monthly basis,” the colonel said. “The new organization will allow us to give a personal touch to former Marines.”

Related Sites:
Marine for Life

[SandRat]

Brothers All!!!!

[Sam Ketcham]

God Bless them and the US Marine Corps.(the devil doesn’t want them.)

[jazusamo]

Great program!!!

[DragonMarine]

Devil’s afraid we’ll take over...

[fatrat]

The article hints at but does not make it clear that the sailors being followed by this regiment would be those that were injured while serving with the Corps such as Navy Medical personnel and Chaplains, etc. Does anybody know if this is the case?

My reason for asking is that my son, who is a Naval Aviator recently placed on the temporary disability retired list, could use some help. He has been thru an absolute fiasco over the past 2.5 years and is still having pay and other problems. I ,being a retired Navy Medical Service Corps Officer, have tried my best to help him and may have helped some but don’t know where to go from here. I retired in 1982 and it seems that everything has changed for the worse since then and all my “friends in the castle” have also retired.

[SandRat]

Don’t know,... you may try going to the USMC home page and searching on this subject or using the contact link a the bottom and sending an email asking to get in contact with the Regimental commander.

[freema]

PING : )

[freema]

PING : )

[dcwusmc]

In any case, I’m sure the Regimental CO can put you in contact with the Navy equivalent, if any, or suggest other resources. So it would be a good thing to get hold of the Regiment. My best to your son and to you!

Semper fi

[concretebob]

Hey, Bro...My sister is recently retired Navy, and still works for them.
Her husband is a helo flight instructor down at Oceanna.
I just emailed them this info and I'll let you know as soon as I hear something.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Contact your two senators and your congressman. Contact his senators and congressman. Congress may be dysfunctional but they are usually effective on constituent problems. He has been jerked around long enough.

[fatrat]

thanks for the replies, much of what y’all suggested has been tried. the major battles, getting him properly diagnosed, declared 50% disabled, and access to continueing medical care and some pay have been won. guess we will eventually get the remaining problems resolved.

[Brad from Tennessee]

God Bless You And Your Courageous Son.

I was in C-1-5, 1st Marine Division, RVN 67-68. I know dealing with VA and other agencies can be frustrating. You have my prayers.

[Marine_Uncle]

Great article. Let us hope it can over a period of time truly meet it’s goals.

[SandRat]

Prayers for all of your family.

[fatrat]

Semper Fi Brad, i did an extended 19 month tour with 3rd Amtracs, 1st MARDIV, arrived in the NAM early 1966 and left late 1967. I was a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class at the time.

My son’s problems are not with the VA or the Navy Medical Department, they are with the line leadership in the Navy Reserve Command and apparent DOD policy for securing medical treatment for reserves released from active duty with service-connected medical problems. Fighting to retain eligibility for needed care and then completing paperwork to get paid for time that he had to miss work to obtain the care, etc. consumed most of his time for the past 2.5 years. It was a vicious cycle. he would fight for 2-3 months to get a 6 month certificate to obtain free care and that certificate would be backdated to the date that he first applied for it so it was only good for 3 months when he finally got it and then he would have to start all over again within 3 months.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Doc:

We used Amtracs when we were based around Hoi An for a few months in the fall of 1967. To counter the Amtracs the local VC would build these huge wooden-shelled “box mines” which were anti-vehicle mines with no metal parts so you couldn’t detect them.

Anyway, if you can contact anyone in news media, all they have to do is make an inquiry about your son’s problem and things might straighten out. Also, Disabled American Veterans, who will help any veteran, have lawyers they can provide for these type of problems.

Semper Fi

[XtreMarine]

As an I/I SgtMaj there are some quirks that must be worked out. Overall it is a great idea!