USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment GySgt Heydo Zando District Injured Support Coordinator (DISC) Warrior Summit

Wounded Warrior Regiment Mission Provides and enables assistance to wounded, ill, and injured (WII) Marines, sailors attached to or in support of Marine units, and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life. Serves the total force – active duty, reserve, retired, and veteran Marines. The only official Marine Corps unit charged with providing non-medical care to WII Marines. Wound IED Blast Gunshot Traumatic Brain Injury Training Accident Vehicle Accident Post Traumatic Stress Cancer Chronic Illness Mental Health Illness Injury

Wounded Warrior Regiment support is not a factor of luck and location Global Reach Wounded Warrior Regiment support is not a factor of luck and location

The Recovery Mission It’s a relationship, not a process Providing individualized support through the phases of recovery. Photo by Dan Gross, The Gazette The WWR is strategically positioned in order to establish a personal relationship with each Marine. The needs of our WII Marines and their families can be extensive and vary in type and intensity throughout the phases of recovery. There is no “one size fits all” approach to care and the Regiment surrounds Marines with a specialized care team as the first line of offense, helping the Marine and their family navigate their recovery mission. Stabilization The stabilization phase begins at the point of injury or diagnosis and ends with release from acute inpatient care (when the Marine is discharged from the hospital). Medical treatment is the top priority. Rehabilitation The rehabilitation phase generally begins when the Marine moves to out-patient status and continues through the tapering off of treatments such as physical therapy. Medical treatments are still a priority, but the line of operation goals and preferred end-state become increasingly more important. Reintegration The reintegration phase is when the Marine prepares to either return to full duty or separate from the military and return to civilian life. There are many stories of recovery success – Marines are resilient. I would like to take a moment to share a few with you. Sgt. Adam Jacks: Sgt Adam M. Jacks went to boot camp on June 19 2005 Parris Island SC and graduated in September of 05. First duty station was at Marine Barracks in Washington D.C from 2005- Dec. 2006 attached to Bravo Company 3rd Plt. Performed duties as a ceremonial marcher and then was selected for Dover Delaware funeral detail to carry off transfer cases that brought our KIA back from theater. Also was on company's firing party that did the 21 gun salute at funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Deployed three times with 3/8 where completed three combat tours: one to Iraq and two to Afghanistan. During his second tour in Afghanistan on April 3 2011 he was struck by a IED while conducting dismounted patrol through the green zone in Heydirabad In the Upper Gerisk Valley Helmad Province Afghanistan. Injuries sustained from that blast resulted in the amputation of the right leg below the knee, scaring and shrapnel wounds on his left leg. He was accepted for EPLD, has reenlisted and hopes to become a Marine Corps Drill Instructor down at Parris Island SC. Marines Stay in the FIGHT! 4

WWR Population and Demographics As of August 2014 (Active Duty / Reserve) Complex Care Incident Type: Joined and External Population Marines Joined to the WWR East: 315 West: 177 External Marines Supported by an RCC TOTAL + = PTSD, Training Accident 492 453 945 Auto Accident, Cancer Ill/Injured In Combat Zone Ill/Injured Outside Combat Zone Joined Marines : Transferred by Service Record (TR/SR) or Temporary Assigned Duty (TAD) Assigned an RCC External Marines : Not joined to the WWR (Marines who have stayed with their parent unit) Assigned an RCC Receive support from the WWR (example) Patients supported by the WWR at a MTF (not part of total number) 50 Combat Wounded TBI, Gun Shot, Burns N=945 Source: (MCTFS) Source: Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS) 22% Marines joined to WWR or supported by an RCC in various IDES phases Marines joined to the WWR or supported by an RCC in the IDES Process 589 Total Marines in the IDES Process 2,730 MEB Phase 154 210 169 44 PEB Phase Transition VA Benefits Source: Veterans Tracking Application (VTA) (12 Cases Between Phases) Veteran 3,598 Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center 764 Disability retired and Veteran Marines receiving, as needed, short or long-term recovery support District Injured Support Coordinator Support Source: DISC Program Manager Marines who remain with parent unit WWR Staffing Marine: 320 Civilians: 120 Contractors: 104 Total: 544 (Active Duty and Reserve) (GS and NAF) 29,096 Veteran Active Duty / Reserve Source: MCWIITS

Marines Recovering at their Parent Units CMC expressed intent that WII Marines should remain assigned to their parent units, so long as their medical conditions allow and their units can support them. WWR provides services to help Commander’s ensure WII Marines’ productive recoveries via: Wounded Warrior Battalions East and West Contact Center: Outreach to Marines (Active Duty and Reserve) who remain with their parent commands Recovery Care Coordinators: RCCs support qualified external cases with Comprehensive Recovery Plans WWR Medical Cell: Medical Advocacy (TBI and PTS) and liaison to the medical community District Injured Support Coordinators: Support transitioning Marines in their communities Administrative Support (WWR has sole responsibility for Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, Special Compensation for Assistance With Activities of Daily Living, Pay and Allowance Continuation) Integrated Disability Evaluation System Advocacy WWR provides Commanders tools and guidance to help them support their WII Marines: “Does my Marine require an RCC?” “Does my Marine qualify for special compensation?” 6

Communication / Outreach Communication is Key to Support WWR Call Center / Contact Centers Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center Monthly call volume: 9,500 outreach / 1,200 incoming Target population: Veteran Marines (TDRL, Purple Heart, PCR) Population total: Nearly 30,000 Wounded Warrior Battalion Contact Centers Monthly call volume (combined): 3,500 outreach / 400 incoming Target population: Recovering Marines with their parent commands Population total: Nearly 4,000 Social Media Facebook Includes a Support Form Over 100,000 Followers! Twitter YouTube Flickr WWR Mobile Application Recent launch of version 2.0 Provides prompt and easy access to WWR resources Over 6,000 downloads! WWR Quarterly Report One-page report suitable for internal and external audiences Downloadable from the WWR website Sergeant Merlin German

The Future of the WWR Whether at war or in times of peace the WWR will continue to care for our WII Marines. Never before has recovery care been so comprehensive. Care assets are aligned under a single command – the WWR. Support must be enduring in view of issues resulting from the current decade of war: Catastrophic injuries and illnesses requiring acute care Traumatic brain injuries Psychological health problems including PTS Conditions such as TBI and PTS are not solved by short-term care, and will require continuing services. “I think it’s probably one of the greatest success stories coming out of this war.” “The wounds of this war will be with us for a long time.” “We also have typical things that happen to our young men and women – cancer, accidents, tragedies that happen.” “My sense is that it will be around for a long time.” Gen Amos: Speaking about the WWR

CONCLUSION Our Marines and their Families are Still in the Fight! Thank you for your continued support. The WWR strives to provide up-to-date information on the USMC Recovery Care Program. You can keep up with and contact the WWR by: Visiting our website Contacting the Sgt Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center for assistance Linking to us on Facebook Following us on Twitter Viewing our photos on Flickr Watching videos on YouTube, and Downloading our mobile app for the iPhone, iPad and Android!