It’s hard to describe how depressing and humiliating it is to wake up in a hospital when the last thing you remember is being on a patrol with your buddies.  The constant feelings of guilt for being back in the States while your brothers-in-arms are still over there toughing it out can be overwhelming.  And trying to keep a positive attitude and outlook when you don’t even really understand what happened to you can be downright exhausting.  Recovering after a catastrophic injury is an uphill battle under the best of conditions.

 

During my stay in a military hospital, I grew to hate the beeping noise from the machine that sat in the corner of my room, and still feel a cold chill snake down my back when I go back for follow-on surgery and hear the same noise.  And of course having our vitals checked every four hours was rough on everybody.  I still remember walking my wife out to the car in the parking lot, and after saying good-bye turning around for the walk back to my room – there are few places as lonely as a hospital room late at night.

 

There is, however, a one-of-a-kind recovery facility where the local community has made an amazing commitment to our Wounded Warriors and their family members to ensure that their recovery time is as comfortable as possible.  A place where the warriors are surrounded by those who want to demonstrate their appreciation, and a place where the spouses and other family members can turn to others who are going through the same trauma but don’t even need to say a word to explain what they are going through.  Where families can be reunited, can reintegrate together, and can heal in an incredibly caring environment.  An environment where families and volunteers support each other and provide an unbelievable camaraderie as they all adapt to their “new normal.”


          

 

Many of those reading this blog post have already contributed to our T-Shirts For Troops Campaign.  However, the primary purpose of this post is not to solicit more funds for this initiative (although donations are always welcome!), but to provide an update about the Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC) located next to the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas.  M y wife and I recently drove cross-country, and had the opportunity to stop by and visit the WFSC.  We talked with some of the Wounded Warriors and their families, a few of the volunteers working there, and were lucky enough to get a tour of the facility.  If any of you are ever near Fort Sam Houston, you would be well-advised to do the same! 

 

Here are a couple of quick video interviews I was able to film while we were there.  The first is with a Wounded Warrior from the Army, and the second is with the wife of a wounded warrior.  The testimony of the spouse is just as important as the Wounded Warrior, because the WFSC is a haven for the families as well as their Wounded Warriors.  As my wife and I heard firsthand, it takes away that deep sense of isolation that can overcome you when you are young, far away from home and trying to take care of your Wounded Warrior.

     

We are proud to report that the T-Shirts many of you have donated have proven to be very popular down at the WFSC.  Staff and warriors alike reported to us that they are grabbed up very quickly, and as evidenced by the two videos posted here, the recipients like knowing that the rest of America is rooting for them.  That is how I know how good the Wounded Warriors and their families feel when they receive the T-Shirts you help provide.

 

It’s hard to decide on the most amazing aspect of the WFSC.  Perhaps it is that the $5.6 million facility was built solely by donations, many of which came from the local community in increments of $100 or less.  Or maybe that in 2009 the center had more than 81,000 visitors.  Or that every Thursday night local and national businesses sponsor dinners at the WFSC, and they have already have sponsors lined up for the next 18 months!  I personally like the fact that the gentleman who runs the computer lab and teaches classes is a Wounded Warrior himself, and the story he told us about the Wounded Warriors who met at the WFSC and later married! 

 

The building itself is gorgeous, inside and out.  Huffman Developments, a Texas-based building company, has provided an outstanding, eco-friendly building where the Wounded Warriors and their family members can relax, rejuvenate, recover and reintegrate.  After my injury, I didn’t really start recovering until I was able to leave the hospital itself, so I am sure that all those who get a chance to leave the hospital and spend time at the WFSC get better that much quicker.  Features of the WFSC include a spectacular kitchen, a therapeutic garden, a PGA-installed putting green, a massive two-sided fireplace, a large video gaming room, a classroom with computers and the opportunity to take GED or college classes, a covered patio, large BBQ complete with several grills, and a huge Purple Heart mosaic in the patio area complete with 24-karat gold designed by an artist from Italy.


      

But believe me, my description does not do justice to the WFSC and all those involved in its success.  This is especially true of Judith Markelz, whose tireless efforts have made this tribute to Wounded Warriors a reality.  Although Judith originally took the job as part of a temporary, six-month deal, she now keeps the center open and running 15 hours per day, 365 days per week.  Judith is a former teacher, and we can all learn something from her in her new position.

 

I hope that you now have a better understanding of why I felt that Iraq and Back needed to contribute to the WFSC after I first visited it last year.  I remember receiving a shirt when I was recovering in the hospital, and feeling that even though I didn’t know who sent that shirt, it meant that someone out there in America cared about my recovery.  I recently had the unique chance to meet and thank the gentleman who left that T-Shirt for me while I was recovering, and it really meant a lot to me.

    

        

Looking for a way to get motivated?  I highly recommend that you head down to one of the universities that are participating in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Disabled Veterans (EBV) and meet some of these hard-charging future entrepreneurs!

 

I went to Syracuse’s program last year as a student, and can’t say enough good things about it.  It was rewarding, very educational, lots of hard work, and an amazing way to meet a great group of people intent on fulfilling their dream.  And this year (just last week in fact), my wife and I had the pleasure of travelling down to Florida State University and talking to the class there about the challenges and rewards of starting/running a small business with your spouse.
  
                                             


We were at FSU on Flag Day, and participated in a touching ceremony where several of the students replaced the US, Florida, and MIA/POW flags at the hotel where the students stay.  That was a great event in and of itself, and the hotel manager was clearly proud to be part of the program.

 
                                             

 

In just the short time that we were there, I was completely re-energized about my own business, just from seeing and hearing how excited these entrepreneurs-to-be were about their ideas.  Whether it was a shirt company with an eye towards helping cancer victims to a website developer to a restaurant owner, all these former service members shared at least one thing in common – they were highly motivated and intent on helping each other as much as they could to ensure that would all succeed.


                                     

 

With a staff comprised almost completely of volunteers and undergraduate students, it was obvious that the entrepreneurship professors I spoke with love the experience they get from this course.  They put in tireless hours to take care of every aspect of the program, and bring years of great experience and knowledge to the classroom.  For more about FSU’s program, please follow this link: http://www.cob.fsu.edu/ebv/.

 

        

How is possible to not admire an organization whose mission statement is to provide educational scholarships to sons and daughters of Marines and Navy Corpsmen with particular attention given to children whose parents have been killed or wounded in action?  And to top it off, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) has awarded 24,000 scholarships valued at $50 million to lucky recipients since its inception in 1962.

In 1962, Brigadier General Marine F. Rockmore USMC (Ret) read a New York Times article about a Medal of Honor recipient who could not afford to send his son to college.  Inspired to honor this Marine, he and a few determined volunteers established the New York Leatherneck Ball which raised the funds for the Foundation’s very first scholarship.

My wife and I had the honor of attending the MCSF’s annual black-tie gala on Saturday night, and we had a really good time.  The cocktail hour was a lot of fun, where we had the opportunity to talk with the Marine Corps Commandant and his wife, as well as plenty of other great people.  For dinner, we sat at a wonderful table and really enjoyed our company there.   Afterwards, we enjoyed the Commandant’s Own Drum and Bugle Corps, and a delicious dessert buffet!

The speakers were definitely all good, but Dahlia and I were especially impressed with scholarship recipient Ms. Katherine DeYott.  She gave a great speech, and it was very refreshing to hear how well-travelled she was (her father is a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant and has served all over the world) and how much she appreciated foreign cultures.  I am sure she will be a success wherever she goes.

Thank you MCSF for inviting us to your first-class event, and thank you for raising so much money for a great cause.  Keep up the good work!

        

 

 

You can tell when someone says to you “Thanks for your service,” if they really mean it or not.  And when someone doesn’t mean it, you wish he hadn’t said it at all.

 

But when a complete stranger, or in this case about 50 of them, say it to you, and how great it is to meet you, it sure makes your day.

 

I recently had the opportunity to talk with a few classes of school kids from St. John’s in Houston, Texas.  They were up here in DC for their annual visit to see as many monuments and other national treasures as they could, and because one of the teachers is a friend of a friend from the Marine Corps, they asked to swing by and talk with me for a little bit.

 

     

We probably talked for about 20 minutes, where I gave them a brief description of some of the challenges the Marines faced in Iraq when I was there in 2006, what it was like recovering from being shot, and a little bit about some of the Wounded Warrior outreach that I do.   I also told them that if they saw someone they knew was in or had previously served in the military, and they wanted to say Thank You, to just go up tell them.

 

Sometimes we need that positive reinforcement.

 

They asked a bunch of questions – some funny, some surprisingly insightful, and some that were challenging to answer.  And afterwards we took a picture together, and even though their bus drivers had started their engines and wanted to get out of there, I must have shaken 50 little hands of patriotic Texans telling me Thank You, Good to Meet You and Welcome Back.  And you know what, they all completely meant it.

 

I had a great time talking with those kids from St. Johns, and I had forgotten how absolutely earnest little kids can be when they really believe in something.  Thanks for the reminder guys – you really made my day.

 

 

 

        

Periodically we are going to feature on our Blog profiles of Hometown Heroes, people who we think have been exemplary Warriors and then have gone on to do great things back at home.  This week’s Hometown Hero is Lieutenant Colonel Tim Maxwell, USMCR, whom I have had the privilege of getting to know pretty well over the last couple of years.  I met LtCol Maxwell at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, and we have continued to support each other as we have continued on with our respective recoveries.  Here is a very brief insight to one of America’s great heroes, and we should all aim to be like LtCol Maxwell in the face of adversity.
                                                               

                                                                        

LtCol Tim Maxwell deployed six times throughout his career, with three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.  During his final deployment to Iraq, LtCol Maxwell suffered a severe traumatic brain injury on October 7, 2004 when his forward operating base in Kalsu was mortared and shrapnel tore through the left side of his brain.  He served as an infantry officer and advisor to the Wounded Warrior Regiment until June 29, 2009, when he retired due to combat injuries after twenty-one years of honorable and dedicated service.

LtCol Tim Maxwell is founder and President of SemperMax, a company dedicated to working with and aiding wounded warriors and consulting those in a position to make a difference.  Due to his extraordinary leadership and vision, Marines at the Wounded Warrior Barracks (Maxwell Hall, named in his honor) located on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune find improved recovery through team healing.  His push to ensure that the needs of Wounded Warriors are met and the success of Maxwell Hall became a catalyst of reform and wounded warrior programs throughout the DoD.   His insight is attributed to the development and establishment of the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment.

LtCol Maxwell has now undertaken a personal mission to drive to different parts of the country visiting our wounded warriors who are in need of help.  But he doesn’t do it alone – he has assembled a Tiger Team of two other wounded warriors and Mr. Jones, a former Marine Corps Master Sergeant (who was the SNCOIC of the Marine Corps Liaison Team at Bethesda when I got there and who really took care of Dahlia and me).

Whether it is just to be there so that Marine has someone to talk with, to help someone while in the hospital, or to be part of a retreat, LtCol Maxwell and the rest of his Tiger Team are there for those who need it.  And this is all while he is still recovering from his own very significant mental injuries.  LtCol Maxwell and his undying spirit are truly models for the rest of us.  Please take a couple of minutes and go to his website to learn more about a great Marine with the heart of a lion:  http://sempermax.com/index.html.  He is an inspiration for me, and always makes me realize how much more I should be doing.  When you read more about him, I guarantee he will have the same effect on you!

        

Sometimes you hear about a non-profit organization and you just know it's going to be great.  I am lucky enough to be participating in one of those right now - the Salute to Military Golf Assocation (SMGA) .  Jim Estes, a former PGA player and local golf pro in Olney, Maryland, founded this program just a few years ago.  The mission of SMGA is to provide rehabilitative golf experiences for combat-wounded veterans in an effort to improve the quality of life for these American heroes.  Many of the wounded warriors who benefit from this program are missing arms or legs, hearing or vision loss, suffer from a traumatic brain injury or PTSD, or face many other injuries they have incurred while in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Not only does Jim line up a wide range of local PGA progessionals every week to help the 40+ wounded warriors who come out from Walter Reed and the surrounding area for some great golf lessons, but he also brings in professionals in fields such as chiropractics, nutrition and physical wellness.  And last week we were privileged to meet Don Vickery, a  very humble yet amazing man who happens to be the only double amputee member of the PGA of America.  For a more detailed New York Times article about Don, click here.
              
 
Don's low round is 71.  He hits his driver 240 yards and his seven iron 158 yards.  And Don has all of the same issues with the golf swing that most of us have.  He can relate to all of the wounded warriors in this class, and has literally "walked in their shoes."  Don understands the therapeutic aspects of getting out there and playing a round of golf, and has made a couple of trips to Walter Reed to talk to the wounded warriors there about just that.  Don told us that golf gave him his life back, and now he is making sure to help others who are now facing the tough road that he has walked down.

And that's what the SMGA is all about - teaching wounded warriors that golf is a game for everyone, no matter what your background, and that your injury will only hold you back as much as you let it.  Yes, some of the combat damage is irreperable, but every weekend a great group of professionals gather together to help us overcome our obstacles.  If fact, Don showed me something I was doing wrong with my basic alignment just after working me with me for a couple of minutes.  Thank you Jim, Don and the rest of the crew showing their appreciation for America's wounded warriors!!

         
   

        

                                                                                                                     



Welcome to Iraq and Back/Afghanistan and Back!  This is my first blog on our redesigned and upgraded website, so I am posting some basic information about us.  For more information about us and how we got started on our business, please go to our About Us  page.

A main feature of this site is our online store  with the newest wave of cool, patriotic gear focusing on service and family members, contractors and the American public who support the the efforts and sacrifices of those who have deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  $1 from each shirt sale in our store will go to four nonprofit organizations that we feel really help reintegrate veterans back into society.  You can learn more about each of them here .  Our store has something for everyone, whether you are looking for a golf shirt, something for your children, or a T-shirt indicating that you have been to Iraq and/or Afghanistan!

We also design unit shirts for military and law enforcement units, nonprofit foundations and private industry.  We offer great service, competitive pricing and excellent customer service.  Please click here to find out more.

One thing I have realized over the last three years is that there are a ton of nonprofit organizations out here providing incredible services for our service members, veterans and military families.  I have personallly benefitted from several of them, and periodically am invited to different events which always turn out to be a lot of fun.  And believe me, participating in these activities makes a difference in my mmentla health - whether it is VA counseling, the Inaugural Ball with a room full of other Wounded Warriors, or volunteering at a military fundraiser - staying involved one way or the other keeps me motivated and optimistic about what else is out there.

We hope that with this site we can effectively bring under one roof the many, many different resources that are out there for today's Warriors.  In our Information Warehouse  we have categorized for you the foundations and organizations that we are aware of, and provide you a description of them and a link to their websites.  Of course, any feedback from you in identifying organizations that we may have missed is always appreciated.

Our blog will highlight different aspects of a deployment and life afterwards - basically, the good, the bad and the ugly.  We will write some of the blogs ourselves, but will also feature guest bloggers who are doing amazing things out there, either individually or as part of a bigger organization.

So, check out our store , our Information Warehouse , and everything else on this site - I hope you find just what you were looking for.

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