Call Center Provides Assistance to Wounded Marines

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 11, 2008 - The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment's Call Center is dedicated to helping wounded Marines and their families with various issues and referral assistance. Navy Cmdr. William Tanner, the Wounded Warrior Regiment's regimental surgeon, said the call center is operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Any Marines [or] sailors that have served with Marines, and their families, [and] have questions and need help can call into the center," Tanner said Nov. 6 on the "DotMilDocs" radio program on BlogTalkRadio.com.

The call center's mission is to provide support through distribution of information, resources, advocacy and all aspects of caring for wounded warriors and their family members.

An estimated 9,000 Marines have been wounded in combat since 2001, and the call center is attempting to touch base with all of them.

"One of the first projects [of the center], was to go back and call every Marine who was injured since 2001. We are trying to reach out to all of those Marines to make sure they are getting the care that they need," Tanner said.

The Wounded Warrior Regiment stood up in April of 2007 and is headquarted in Quantico, Va., and has battalions on the both coasts – one in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and the other in Camp Pendleton, Calif. In addition to these locations, the Regiment has Patient Affairs Teams at the Medical Treatment Facilities and District Injured Support Cell who work on behalf of the regiment to assist Marines and families.

"We also have Wounded Warrior Regiment representatives that are spread out across the globe, from Landstuhl to Hawaii, and they are ready to assist in all phases of the recovery process from acute injury all the way to reintegration and back into civilian life," Tanner said.

"We also have across the country, reservists whose drill time is ready to be spent on behalf of the regiment, who may have separated, and maybe located out in hometown USA," he added.

In addition, the regiment has a job transition cell that assists Marines who are transitioning into the civilian life, and it has also set up a charitable organizations cell that is connecting donations from the American public to Marines who have served their country.

"Since this conflict has begun there has been an outpouring of charity from the American people, and we have a cell that is organizing these donations and connecting Marines who need help with charitable organizations that have help to give," said Tanner.

Wounded Marines, their families and eligible sailors can access the call center by calling (877) 487-6299.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg is assigned to the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity)