CARE event helps smooth Wounded Warriors’ road to recovery

After participating in an Air Force Wounded Warrior event two months ago at Joint Base Andrews, Md., medically retired Master Sgt. Amy Dotson felt more at ease last week at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s Rambler Fitness Center as she enjoyed a session of wheelchair basketball.

“It was hard for me emotionally,” she said, describing her first attempt at playing wheelchair basketball at JB Andrews. “I didn’t feel like I had control, but I learned to trust the equipment.”

Dotson, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, was one of more than 100 wounded, ill or injured service members and veterans who attended the South Central Regional Warrior CARE Event Jan. 19-22 at JBSA-Randolph.

CARE stands for Caregiver, Adaptive and Rehabilitative Sports, Recovering Airmen Mentorship Program, and Employment and Career Services, and that perfectly describes the scope of the regional CARE events, which began in August at JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Warriors engage in adaptive and rehabilitative sports, discover ways to achieve employment and career readiness goals, and receive training on how to become mentors. The events also provide their caregivers with the training and support they need.

For Dotson, the events have social and emotional advantages as well.

“The two main benefits for me are keeping connected to my Air Force family and opening my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of things I can do,” she said. “I can still enjoy life.”

 Marsha Gonzales, Air Force Personnel Center AFW2 Warrior and Survivor Care Division deputy chief, said CARE events “offer programs that will help wounded warriors in their recovery.”

Adaptive and rehabilitative sports play an important role in the recovery process, Gonzales said.

“We adapt the sports to meet their needs,” she said, referring to adaptive sports such as wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

Warriors at last week’s event also participated in swimming, track and field, archery, shooting, rowing, cycling and yoga. Some of them will move on to compete in the 2016 Air Force Trials Feb. 26-March 3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., a qualifying event for the 2016 Warrior Games in June.

Senior Master Sgt. Bob Lumby, an Air Force reservist at JBSA-Lackland’s 433rd Civil Engineer Squadron, said the CARE events have shown him that he is capable of competing in sports.

“There are different things I can do now,” he said. “I didn’t think I could bike, but I was able to get on a recumbent bike and exercise aggressively enough to get winded.”

“For me, ‘adaptive sports’ is not just a catch-phrase,” Lumby said. “It’s an actual thing.”

Employment transition workshops provide warriors with the tools they need to find jobs, Gonzales said.

“Employment workshops are personalized to meet their needs,” she said. “We help them with interviews, tweak their resumes and help them figure out what jobs they can transition to since most of them do not meet duty requirements.”

Also during the CARE event, caregivers such as parents, spouses and siblings receive training on subjects ranging from self-care and resiliency to post-traumatic stress disorder, Gonzales said.

In addition, the event provides caregivers with a break from their duties, she said.

“We provide care during the week so they have time for themselves,” Gonzales said.

Mentorship training is yet another aspect of the CARE event, said Shawn Sprayberry, AFW2 senior communications and outreach coordinator.

“Mentorship training is provided by program staff,” he said. “They’re teaching wounded warriors how to be mentors for other warriors. We try to connect them with warriors with similar disabilities so they can talk about the issues they may run into.

“We also have sports mentors to help wounded warriors through the sports process,” Sprayberry said. “We’re creating group leaders.”

Evenings are devoted to art therapy and music therapy.

“Painting with a Purpose’ is done by Greg Miller, a wounded warrior,” Sprayberry said. “He used art in his therapy and found out it was the one thing that helped him. It was also a way for him to give back to the Wounded Warrior community.”

Dotson discovered that she enjoyed painting.

“It’s another way of relieving stress and expressing yourself,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

“Rock to Recovery” is a music activity and the name of a nonprofit organization started by Wes Geer, former guitarist of the band Korn.

“He comes to events and gets wounded warriors to play instruments,” Sprayberry said. “They work together to write a song and perform it at the end of the week. Geer uses it for recovery of all types.”

Gonzales said AFW2 program members, subject-matter experts, coaches and dozens of volunteers provided their expertise and support throughout last week’s event.

“We have a robust staff here,” she said. “Seventy volunteers from AFPC and JBSA prepared lunches, provided water, set up equipment and performed other duties. They get as much out of this as the Airmen in recovery.”

Sprayberry said CARE events help wounded warriors feel connected – to the Air Force and to each other.

“Here they get a sense of teamwork and find camaraderie,” he said. “They have something to pursue and they create close friendships.

“When they arrive on the first day, they’re nervous, but by the end of the first day, they’re high-fiving one another,” Sprayberry said. “At the end of the week, they don’t want to go home.”