Pearl Harbor Diver to Compete in Warrior Games

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Mark Logico, Commander Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

April 28, 2010 - PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- A Pearl Harbor-based Navy Diver was selected to compete in the first joint-service paralympics-style "Warrior Games" at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10 to 14.

Navy Diver 2nd Class Jordan Green, who is assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDVT) 1, recently recovered from a leg injury. Green is scheduled to compete in the Warrior Games' swimming events

Green is one of 25 athletes representing the Navy/Coast Guard team. More than 200 athletes were drawn proportionally from each military service.

"It's been kind of surreal, getting all the attention," said Green. "At the same time, it's been cool, because it's been a tough year, a really interesting year. This is like the cap for the whole recovery process."

According to the U.S. Paralympics website, Warrior Games will help elevate abilities through athletic competition for wounded, ill and injured service members, by incorporating athletics into military wounded warrior programs. The events include swimming, cycling, track & field, shooting, archery, wheelchair basketball and seated volleyball.

Green had only been with his command for 17 days, March 20, 2009, when he volunteered to be part of a boat crew, functioning as a search and rescue/safety swimmer, during a parachuting exercise off the coast of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

During the exercise, a parachutist was forced to deploy his reserve parachute and land in the water. Green immediately responded, dove-in and swam toward the parachutist.

"I radioed in that we saw the guy," said Green. "We didn't know if he was injured or what had happened, so I jumped in and went to check on him to make sure he was okay."

The two made their way back to land and Green was able to make an assessment of the parachutist.

"I did a quick once over and found he was good, no injuries," said Green. "We were going to send the van around to pick him up. So I swam back up to the boat. I was going to radio in about the situation."

Tired from the previous swim, Green timed his strokes as he made his way to his crew on the small boat. When Green grabbed the bar on the boat and pulled himself in, the boat's coxswain started yelling to watch out.

"A huge wave broke over the bow of the boat, and all that water came right down on top of my head," said Green. "Just like a waterfall, a wave of that size, just ripped me off the side of the boat. I kind of got tossed along the side of the boat. I was going down feet first in a half fetal position, and then I hit the propeller. It went through the right leg on the knee down."

The propeller severed the tendon that connects the foot and lifts the ankle. Green lost most of the fine motor control to lift his foot and toes.

"There wasn't a lot of pain right at first," said Green. "But mostly it was nerves and adrenaline. It didn't look all that bad considering. It really just looked like a big cut. So I thought, okay it wasn't bad at all. I just thought that they would just stitch it up and that would be it.

"Once we got to land, that's when the pain started coming in," said Green. "Once I realized how severe the injury was then it started to really hurt. I started getting morphine and attention as the ambulance moved up."

Green was immediately taken to The Queen's Medical Center where he received his first treatment and surgery. Green was later transferred to Tripler Army Medical Center where he stayed for 37 days and received 13 more surgeries.

SDVT-1 stood by Green's side for support throughout his stay in the hospital. On Green's first night in Queen's Medical Center, SDVT-1 coordinated and paid for Green's father to fly to Hawaii. Later when Green was discharged from the hospital, SDVT-1 did the same for Green's mother.

"The command had people coming by to see me in the hospital all the time, bringing me little things like movies, magazines, lunch, coffee," said Green. "They offered me so much just support and patience and understanding."

Green spent nearly nine months recovering after being discharged from the hospital. SDVT-1, which has two gyms, a pool and a dedicated medical staff, helped Green throughout the hours of scheduled rehabilitation.

"I lost probably almost 50 percent of the use of my ankle," said Green. "I can completely push my foot out, the entire back of my leg is fine, but lifting my toes up, I can't do that so much."

During his recovery, Green has been working out his legs on a stationary bike and making full use of the gyms. By January, Green had no trouble running or swimming with a fin.

Almost a year since being discharged from the hospital, Green successfully made a full recovery, pass the physical screening test which involves a 1.5 mile run, 500 meter swim, push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups. He can easily swim laps in a swimming pool and play ultimate football with his shipmates at SDVT-1.

February 2010, Green received word of his selection into the Warrior Games.

"I'm honored to be selected and being able to go to the swimming events," said Green. "I can't wait to go and compete. I'm from Colorado, and so it will be a really cool opportunity."