Program takes care of wounded

  • Published
  • By Daniel Ransom
  • 81st Medical Group
KEESLKER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  During November, the Air Force takes time to honor the courage of our wounded, injured or ill service members during Warrior Care Month. We also highlight the programs available to allow them to learn new life skills enabling them to return to duty or transition into the next chapter of their lives outside the military.

Numerous programs have been established or enhanced to ensure the care given to service members is top-notch and no one is left behind or falls through the cracks.

One program, the Air Force Warrior and Survivor Care Directorate monitors some 4,000 active duty, retired, reserve and National Guard wounded, injured or ill service members. It includes 38 non-medical case managers who  ensure these service members take advantage of programs for which they are eligible. Forty-four Air Force recovery care coordinators are also part of the Air Force Warrior and Survivor Care Directorate. 

Recovery care coordinators are stationed geographically at Air Force installations. They are responsible for assisting service members with programs locally. They can advocate for the service member in a multitude of issues to include financial issues, personnel issues, legal issues, etc. Recovery care coordinators meet face to face with service members to establish a comprehensive recovery plan.  This plan is a blueprint of the member's needs, goals and subsequent actions taken to address or accomplish the objectives.

An additional enhancement to the care of our service members at Keesler is the development of the Base Operational Medicine Cell. The BOMC makes great efforts to ensure our wounded, injured or ill service members are taken care of completely, from initial medical treatment to either returning to duty or transitioning out of the military. The BOMC includes medical professionals in charge of their care, the nurse case manager who coordinates their treatment, the physical evaluation board liaison officer who assists them through the medical evaluation board process, the recovery care coordinator and the Veterans' Affairs military service coordinator.

The BOMC's goal is to ensure that a service member's care, both medical and non-medical is conducted seamlessly. Ensuring a service member is cared for from beginning to the end of the medical evaluation board process is paramount in ensuring our warriors are taken care of completely.    

For more information on non-medical programs available to our service members, contact Daniel Ransom, the Air Force recovery care coordinator for wounded, injured or ill service members, at Keesler Air Force Base at 228-376-3076, 228-224-2061 or daniel.ransom.1.ctr@us.af.mil. 

For medical-related issues, contact Donna Anderson, the active-duty wounded warrior nurse case manager, at 228-376-3068 or donna.anderson.1@us.af.mil. 
Additional information is available on the Air Force Wounded Warrior website at www.AFW2.com or the Veteran's Administration website at www.va.gov.