Fisher House receives additional rooms

by Airman Christopher R. Morales
JBER Public Affairs

8/6/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- A dedication for the Fisher House Annex was hosted at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Warrior Transition Unit July 28 in honor of the 22 new rooms providing shelter for service members and family in need of medical attention.

The WTU provided a wing of its building due to the high demand for shelter for families with a member hospitalized on base.

"The people occupying these new rooms are active duty and their adult family members; parents, spouses, and high-risk pregnancies," said Jenny Hall, Alaska Fisher House manager.

"The original Fisher House is used for our families with children and the veteran population."

The Alaska Fisher House serves all branches of the military; Reservists, Guardsmen, retirees, veterans, and their family members, as it has for the past three years.

Coast Guard Commander David Landro, from U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak, and his wife were given a room during the last two months of her pregnancy.

He was not able to be with her in the beginning, so she lived at the Fisher House without any family for a time - but she was not alone.

"It was nice to know the staff was there, like a home, and not only that, but the other people staying as well," Cmdr. Landro said. "There was a bond; they were all friends with each other.

"When the time came, finding a hotel, particularly for a family, was very expensive and difficult," he said. "We were able to go to the Fisher House as a family and take care of ourselves in a comfortable situation."

Spc. Cory Kaldwell, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, a food service specialist at Fort Wainwright, came to the JBER hospital for surgery.

"We came here July 1, and my surgery was planned for July 7, but was pushed back until July 21," Kaldwell said.

"We thought we were going to lose the room and everything, but were reassured the Fisher House would hold the room for us."

"So far everything has been better than great, actually better than being at home," Kaldwell said. "Having the house here is completely convenient."

Kaldwell is staying in the new Fisher House rooms recovering from surgery and has a couple more surgeries to go.

In the meantime, he is taken care of not by only the staff, but also his husband.

"This helps him and it makes it easier for me to take care of him because we have everything here, even food," said Alex Ivanov, Kaldwell's husband.

The Fisher House is a non-profit organization, which functions on donations, contributions and volunteers.

"Volunteer support from our community is very important; whether it be from people hosting meals, donating things like bottled water and toothpaste, or simply time to help out," Hall said.

"We need all those things, and because we are a separate location we're going to need double the help."

Family Matters Blog: Heroes Program Helps Families Travel

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2012 – Families of wounded warriors already are benefitting from a program that started last month to make it easier for them to travel with their loved ones for medical treatment.

The Defense Department and Fisher House Foundation have teamed up to oversee the Hotels for Heroes program, which allows the American public to donate their unused hotel reward points to families of wounded warriors so that they might stay for free in hotels around the country while their family member receives medical treatment.

“The family members of our wounded heroes should never have to stress about the financial burden of travel,” David Coker, president of the Fisher House Foundation, said at a July 16 ceremony. “We are honored to help facilitate the process and are confident that the American public will help make this new program a success.”

Cindy Campbell, the foundation’s vice president for community relations and media affairs, said Aug. 7 that the program already has provided 60 nights of lodging for military families.

“We’re very fortunate in that many of the hotel chains banked a lot of points for us,” she said. “That has allowed us to go ahead and get started. And a lot of people already have donated points, but we are going to go through these quickly.”

Sadly, Campbell said, “there is a huge demand” from families who must travel to locations without one of the 57 Fisher Houses, or where they are full. The houses near large military medical centers fill up quickly.

The program’s sponsors are optimistic, given the success of its sister program, Hero Miles, that has allowed them to give away more than 30,000 plane tickets since it was created in 2003, Campbell said.

The annual need for hotel rooms “is a very substantial six-figure number,” she said, “so this is really going to help us out.”

Jessica Allen, whose husband, Army Staff Sgt. Charles Allen, is recovering from a roadside bomb, used Hero Miles to fly herself and her two daughters back and forth to her husband’s hospital bed during his recovery and rehabilitation.

“Hero Miles saved our family from a crushing expense – and gave our daughters the chance to be with their dad when he was in the hospital and learning to walk again,” Allen said at the program’s launch ceremony. “Hotels for Heroes will do something similar, and I am thankful to all the people who have and will donate their unused hotel points to benefit our military families.”

Six major hotel companies – Marriott, Wyndham, Best Western, Starwood, AmericInn and Choice Privileges Hotels – are participating in the program.

The program fills a void, Campbell said, in allowing the American public to give back. “It’s a very simple way for business travelers while they are racking up so many hotel points, to give back,” she said.

People can donate points by going to their hotel rewards club website, which has a tab for Fisher House donations.

Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. The Fisher Houses are donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs, and families can stay in the houses while a loved one is receiving treatment. Additionally, the foundation ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis.

Montel Williams Provides Lunch for Wounded Warriors

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Monique K. Hilley

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Montel Williams provided lunch for nearly 100 wounded warriors and their families at the Fisher House in Bethesda, Md., Feb. 13.

Service members and their families were treated to a feast of donated baby back ribs, pulled pork and coleslaw, fried fish cooked by Montel's sister, Marjorie, crab cakes made by his father, Herman, a salad and turkey chili prepared by one of Montel's favorite chefs, Claire Winslow, and green fruit smoothies which Montel prepared himself. Two large patriotic cakes were also donated for dessert.

"This started six trips ago, and now this is trip number seven, and by the time we get done, we'll be at trip number 70 or 80 because I'm going to continue to do this; I think it's just a way for us to give back," said Williams. "Why am I doing this? Because I want to stop people from just paying lip service to 'I support the troops' and understand there is something you can do personally to put a smile on a soldier's face."

The luncheon marked the Williams family's seventh trip to provide lunch at Fisher House for wounded warriors, their family members and the guards on the base.

"These family members come down here and they do what we don't do for those who allow us to live with the dignity we do and the freedom we do," said Williams. "These family members don't ask for anything, they barely even ask for help, they don't even know about Fisher House. Most of the time, Fisher House has to reach out to them and say, look, I have a place for you to stay."

Fisher House has provided help, on average, for 17,000 families a year across the nation at 56 Fisher Houses located nationwide. The houses are located near Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and at all major military medical facilities. The Fisher House in Bethesda has five houses with 72 rooms total.

"We are opening number 57 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska on Friday [Feb. 17], one at the end of the month in Salt Lake City at the VA, and one at Ft. Belvoir on the 22nd of May," said Cindy Campbell, Fisher House Foundation, Inc., vice president for Community Relations and Media Affairs.

"So, we're expanding a great deal. We're also building a Fisher House in Birmingham, England to support British wounded warriors at their hospital. It's our chance to reach out to our allies and thank them for their service, as Americans, and to give back to the British soldiers who have served us so well."

Fisher Houses are free of charge for all family members and caregivers to the wounded warriors, not just spouses, parents or siblings. Family members can stay for any length of time needed, whether that is for a week, six months, or a year. Cindy and all members of the Fisher House Foundation, of which Montel Williams is a trustee, are grateful to have him talking about Fisher House and providing lunches for the families.

"This is a chance for us at Fisher House to thank the families for what they're doing because we all forget that when the military member is wounded, we only tend to think about the price of that injury that has to do with the recovery of the wounded, said Campbell. "The other price is the family because you have the entire family that has now taken on this injury. They're the ones who have to get him through this."

One of the families Fisher House is helping is Deborah Elliott and her husband, Marine Capt. Tommy Elliott, an aviation supply officer assigned to Cherry Point, N.C., who was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. The Elliotts, who are expecting their son, Oliver, to be delivered at Bethesda within the next 10 days, have been at Fisher House since Dec. 31, 2011, when Capt. Elliott was admitted to the hospital.

"He was in the hospital for two weeks inpatient care, and he's getting outpatient care, so we've been here for six weeks, said Debbie Elliott. "For the treatment they have my husband on, they're still trying to work everything out because it's such a severe disease. He has to be near the hospital because he's on complete digestive rest, so he can't eat at all and is on a feeding tube and nutrition bag. They said no food for another two to three weeks, but the doctors suggest we are in this area for another six months."

For the Elliotts, charities such as Fisher House can become a long-term solution to what may have quickly become a financial crisis brought on by severe health issues and the expenses that can rack up during those times.

"It has been wonderful that we are here and we've been provided with a place to stay," said Debbie Elliott. "It's really nice to have this facility on base, close to the hospital, where we can come and go as we need to his appointments. It's nice knowing that he's getting treatment, and I'll be getting treatment here shortly for the birth of our son."

Montel Williams providing lunch at Fisher House took some guests by surprise. Montel arrived at nine a.m. to begin preparing and cooking the food, with lunch beginning at noon.

"I didn't expect to wake up and go down to get some breakfast and Montel Williams is in there getting ready for lunch," said Debbie Elliott. "It's just wonderful that he is here and that he supports Fisher House. He's got his own history with the military, so he's very connected to this place."

During the lunch, he chatted with many of the families and let them know how much he appreciated them. As a former enlisted Marine and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with 22 years of service, Montel has a connection to those who are currently serving in the military.

"I spent every single day I could trying my best at the time I was on active duty thinking that I was in every hot spot we had," said Williams. "I have a very strong bond with the guys who still are willing to not have to do so because they were forced by draft, they step up to the plate and volunteer to continue to support and defend my democracy? I mean, come on, what else am I supposed to be doing then what I'm doing here?"

Over the course of the last three years, Williams has been visiting the wounded warriors in Bethesda, Md. almost every month.

"I go and I see them and after about a year, I didn't even know Fisher House existed," said Williams. "I was introduced to one of the board members of Fisher House and was shocked that this is an organization that, number one doesn't have as much media attention as it should because these guys are, in my opinion, the No. 1 wounded warrior charity in the country. They are providing free living space for family members while their loved ones recover in the hospital here and in the course of about nine years now, they've given over 180 million dollars in services just to our fallen Soldiers."

Montel Williams, a former talk show host who has prided himself in leading his life in a way that may serve as an example to others, continues to do that through his work with the Fisher House Foundation.

"I think it's just as important to give lip service to it as it is to give heart to it, to give your personal time to it," said Williams. "I can sit on television and say you need to do this, but unless I bring myself down here and try to show by example and do it again and again and again and again, I don't think it makes sense to people. Then, once they start to see stuff like this, maybe they'll start to realize that 'what did I do last week to say thank you for being free?'"

Fisher House Helps Service Members’ Children

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2011 – Military children of service members who died or who were seriously disabled in the line of duty might be eligible for a college education through the Fisher House Foundation.

Foundation chairman Kenneth Fisher says the Heroes’ Legacy scholarships can be used by students to attend school in the fall. The application process is under way and open to the children of all branches of the military.

“We want to help these very special children go to school,” Fisher said. “It’s just one small way that we say thank you.”

The program is for children whose parent died while on active duty, following Sept. 11, 2001.

And, children whose parent became disabled while serving might be eligible, depending on qualifications for the Heroes’ Legacy scholarship, at http://militaryscholar.org/index.html.

In general, the scholarships will cover tuition, books, lab fees, and room and board to accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions of higher learning, according to the website.

The Heroes’ Legacy scholarship grants are principally underwritten by the author's after-tax proceeds from the book, "Of Thee I Sing. A Letter to My Daughters," written by President Barack Obama. The amount awarded each year will depend on the amount of royalties and other donations.

Fisher Foundation offers two additional scholarships: Scholarships for Military Children and Scholarships for Military Spouses.

The nonprofit Fisher House Foundation has helped military families since 1990. As the foundation grew, so did its programs, with the scholarship its latest effort.

It was Fisher’s uncle, Zachary Fisher, who has since passed on, who founded Fisher House.

Zachary Fisher wasn’t able to serve in the military because of an injury, but began the Fisher House project when he saw how expensive transportation and housing costs prevented military families from joining their ill or injured service members where they were hospitalized.

Zachary and his wife, Elizabeth, built the “homes away from home” at military medical centers where families stay free of charge during the service member’s hospital treatment, Kenneth Fisher said.

”This was Zach’s way of serving,” Fisher said. “Zach believed the military was our greatest national treasure.”

The first Fisher House opened June 24, 1991, at the National Naval Medical center in Bethesda, Md. The second opened at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a month later, here, and the Air Force got its first Fisher House afterward at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio.

Fisher said he will continue to build Fisher Houses as the need exists. One such need had existed at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. There was no place for families to stay to witness the final coming home of their deceased service members.

“In six months we mobilized and built a house for families of the fallen,” Fisher said, “which in many ways is probably our most-important house. Right next door we built a little family spiritual center so families can worship and pray in their own way.”

The Fisher House for Families of the Fallen at Dover Air Force Base was officially dedicated Nov. 10 2010, the day before Veterans Day.

‘Hero Miles’ Program Supports Families of Fallen, Wounded

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 5, 2011 – A popular program that turns donated frequent-flyer miles into free airline tickets for wounded warriors receiving medical care as well as their families will expand this year so families of the fallen and combat wounded can participate in two upcoming events.

The Fisher House Foundation, which administers the “Hero Miles” program, plans to offer airline tickets so grieving families needing assistance can fly to Washington, D.C., this Memorial Day weekend to participate in the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors seminar, foundation President Dave Coker told American Forces Press Service.

The annual conference, to run May 27 to 30, offers a camp for children, a workshop for adults and comfort for families whose military member died in service to the nation, regardless of the cause.

“We will use Hero Miles to bring in any families that need assistance, and eliminate the cost of getting to [Washington,] D.C. as a barrier,” Coker said.

In addition, the Hero Miles program will help families to attend the second annual Warrior Games held in the spring in Colorado Springs, Colo., Coker said.

Some 200 disabled active-duty servicemembers and military veterans will compete in the second annual Warrior Games, scheduled for May 16 to 21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Participants will put their long recuperations and months of training to the test as they go for the gold in events to include shooting, swimming, archery, track and field, cycling, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, officials said.

Coker called it fitting that the Hero Miles program helps families who might otherwise not get the opportunity to participate in these events.

“Our goal is to eliminate the barriers to participation, and make sure that families who wish to attend these events can do so,” he said.

The Fisher House Foundation has been underwriting all administrative costs and ticketing charges for the Hero Miles program since 2005. The Hero Miles program provides a way for passengers of participating airlines to donate their unused frequent-flier miles to reunite military men and women undergoing treatment at a military or Veterans Affairs medical center with their families.

The program provides free round-trip airline tickets to two categories of passengers. Servicemembers on at least five days of approved leave from their medical center who don’t qualify for government-funded airfare can receive tickets home and back. In addition, qualified servicemembers may receive tickets to enable their family or close friends to visit them while they’re treated at the medical center.

To date, the program has provided more than 21,000 airline tickets -– valued at more than $27 million -- to combat veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families, Coker said.

Coker marveled at the generosity of people who donate their frequent-flyer miles to support the program.

“The miles have no intrinsic value, and [donors] aren’t getting a tax deduction for donating the miles,” he said. “They are doing it because they want to support the military.”

For as little as $5, or more typically, $10, the program can provide free airline tickets to servicemembers or families that otherwise might cost them about $1,400, Coker said.

“So this is a tremendous way that we can have a huge impact,” he added.

Fisher House Program Still Growing After 20 Years

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 4, 2011 – The Fisher House Foundation isn’t basking in past achievements as it prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening of its first home on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center here.

As the first military families move this week into one of three new Fisher Houses just across the street from the original, the foundation is moving full steam ahead on nine more being built nationwide, many to be completed by the year’s end.

The Fisher House program started as a relatively modest endeavor, with Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher donating a home to provide free temporary lodging for military families while their loved ones received care at the Navy’s flagship medical center, foundation president Dave Coker told American Forces Press Service. That original Fisher House, perched on a hillside overlooking the towering hospital, opened its doors June 24, 1991.

Soon the Fishers presented the second Fisher House, which opened a month later on the grounds of the Army’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Within a few short months, the third opened at the Air Force’s Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio.

The project snowballed, Coker said. Three Fisher Houses led to five, then 10. By the time of Zachary Fisher’s death in 1999, he and his wife had personally financed more than 20 Fisher Houses.

The Fisher House Foundation, led by the Fishers’ grandnephew, Ken Fisher, is keeping their vision alive.

Today, 53 Fisher Houses grace the grounds of dozens of major military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities in the United States and in Landstuhl, Germany. Collectively, they have served more than 142,000 families since the program’s inception. During 2010, their 651 guest suites accommodated 12,000 families.

With the last of 10 Fisher Houses donated in late 2010 about to begin receiving families, and more houses under construction, Coker said, he hopes to see capacity increase to 16,000 families this year.

Among the newest Fisher Houses is one at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Coker called it “one of our greatest achievements,” because of its impact on families of the fallen. Unlike other Fisher Houses that accommodate families of hospitalized service members and veterans, the Dover house serves grieving families as they prepare to witness the dignified transfer of their loved ones.

“Having the house there lets us how these families how much we appreciate their loved one’s sacrifice. That’s No. 1,” Coker said. “Hopefully, it provides an environment where they can receive a little bit of comfort.”

Loving comfort always has been at the heart of the Fisher House mission.

“When you have a loved one who is catastrophically injured or has died, your world turns upside down,” Coker said. “So if we can help provide a little stability during that time, something to make these families’ loads a little lighter, that’s our priority.

“This isn’t charity,” Coker said, borrowing Ken Fisher’s mantra. “It’s our duty, our way of giving back for all that the military has enabled us to do, and for protecting our freedoms.”

For the Fisher House Foundation, that mission requires always looking ahead so it’s ready to respond to military families’ needs. For example, three new Fisher Houses were built here to accommodate an expected surge in demand as the hospital merges with Walter Reed Army Medical Center later this year.

“It was very important for us to have these open before Walter Reed closed,” Coker said. “[Washington] D.C. has always been underserved, and we wanted to get ahead of the game.”

One of the new Bethesda houses already is accommodating families, and another is expected to accept its first families this week. The third, to be dedicated to families whose loved ones are being treated at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injuries and Psychological Health Problems, will house its first families soon.

Meanwhile, a new Fisher House is being built at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The foundation will be laid as soon as the weather allows so the project can be completed by year’s end, Coker said.

Another new Fisher House, under construction at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will replace the Nightingale House, which is scheduled to be torn down along with the aging family housing that surrounds it. Coker said he hopes to see the new house finished by late March and dedicated in April.

In addition, several Fisher House projects are under way at VA medical facilities. While they weren’t part of the Fisher House Foundation’s original vision, Coker said, he called the VA houses a natural extension of the support provided at military hospitals.

“What we didn’t foresee in the beginning was the continuity that exists between DOD and the VA,” he said. “DOD focuses on saving the lives, and VA is rehabbing, giving these veterans back their life and regaining and optimizing their potential for recovery.

“These young people getting hurt are going to need care throughout their lives,” he continued. “And so we have a chance to support them through the VA health care system.”

The Minneapolis VA Medical Center in Minnesota will receive its second Fisher House in the spring to accommodate families whose loved ones are receiving Level 1 polytrauma care.

The initial Fisher House there has eight suites. “But we understand that on any given night, there are 30 families making do in hotels,” Coker said. “So getting a house like this one will better allow them to meet the needs of the community. We’re going to open it as soon as we get it furnished.”

Also in the April-May time frame, other Fisher Houses are expected to open at VA medical centers in Washington, D.C., and Augusta, Ga.

As these houses take shape, construction is expected to begin on new Fisher Houses at VA medical centers in Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, and Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Fisher House Foundation also is looking into building a replacement house in the fall at Fort Bragg, N.C.

While numbers tell the story of the Fisher House Foundation’s growth, one has to step inside a Fisher House to appreciate fully just how well it delivers on its pledge to support military families in their time of need.

Fisher Houses aren’t simply cozy. They’re upscale. When you open the door, your eyes go in every direction trying to take it all in: the magazine-quality décor, the gleaming stainless-steel-and-granite kitchens, the attention to detail in every nook and cranny.

“When somebody walks through the door, we want them to know there are others who care about them in their time of need, and we think we achieve that,” Coker said as walked through one of the new Bethesda houses. “If they walk in and they can inhale twice, it is going to hopefully make it a little more manageable when life starts beating them down. And if there is one thing we have learned, it’s that life happens.”

Each new Fisher House incorporates lessons learned from other houses. Coker remembers visiting one facility and overhearing several wives discussing using a sheet to carry a husband who had been released from the hospital to his wife’s upstairs room just long enough to see where she had been staying.

“You hear that once and you recognize that we can do better,” Coker said, “and that the right thing is to put in an elevator and make all the rooms handicapped-accessible.”

Today, all new Fisher Houses now have elevators as well as wheelchair-accessible rooms and kitchen facilities. The military services and VA, who manage the facilities after the Fisher House Foundation turns them over, have renovated many of the original Fisher Houses to accommodate wheelchairs.

Coker called their dedicated staffs, along with armies of volunteers, the unsung heroes who maintain what the Fisher House Foundation set out to accomplish. They ensure the pantries and refrigerators are stocked, the rooms are clean and the washing machines are in working order, complete with complimentary laundry soap.

And as families gather to share morning coffee or a quick dinner between hospital visits, they’re close at hand, ready to provide an understanding ear or, when needed, a shoulder to cry on.

Even after passing control of the Fisher Houses at the dedication ceremonies, the Fisher House Foundation quietly maintains contact with its houses by picking up the $10 per night fee the services must charge by regulation for families to stay in a Fisher House. This year alone, the foundation will pay more than $1 million to cover that cost.

The idea, Coker said, is to enable families to forget everything else and focus on what’s most important: their loved one’s recovery.

“I believe Fisher House is something that improved the quality of health care,” he said. “And the reason it improves it is you [as a patient] are not concerned about your family. [Patients] are getting the same world-class health care, but because they know their families are being taken care of, the quality of care, in the eye of the patient and the family, has just increased.”

As the Fisher House Foundation looks ahead to future projects, Coker said it’s working closely with the military surgeons general and VA to ensure it builds where the long-term need is greatest.

And as many charities have struggled since the economic downturn, Coker reports that the Fisher House Foundation has weathered the storm intact. The foundation doesn’t do direct-mail marketing, yet receives more than $40 million a year in donations. Last month, its online donations averaged $400 to $500.

“The American public has been phenomenal,” Coker said. “Part of it is the model. We are always going to new communities and bringing something exciting to town. That inspires giving.

“But the other thing is the tremendous respect that the American people have for those who serve,” he continued. “We have a program that focuses on helping people when they need to most, when their world is turned upside down. And people appreciate the opportunity to be able to support people at that point.”

Becky Wood, manager of the five Bethesda Fisher Houses, sees the families’ appreciation firsthand every day.

“Over and over, I have heard families say, ‘I can’t believe somebody who doesn’t know us has done this for us’ – from the Fisher House itself, to the bakery items and home-cooked meals volunteers bring to the families,” Wood said.

“They just can’t believe that they are staying here, at no cost to themselves,” she said. “They’re overwhelmed by the beauty of the home and the spirit of generosity that’s here.”

Wood said she gets tremendous gratification knowing that Fisher House Foundation and the Fisher House staff and volunteers are helping fulfill Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher’s dream.

“There’s great satisfaction in knowing that we have provided these families comfort at what might for many of them be the hardest time they will every have in their life, and hearing them say thank you over and over again, and know that in some way, we’ve made a difference,” she said.

Defense Secretary Visits 'Amazing' Army Rehabilitation Center

By Elaine Wilson and Norma Guerra
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited here today to meet wounded warriors and take a firsthand look at the Center for the Intrepid, the Army's state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation center. "Amazing," Gates said, summing up his opinion of the center with one word.

The $50 million facility, built thanks to the generosity of 600,000 Americans, is dedicated to the nation's military heroes wounded in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The facility, designed with the latest generation's interests in mind, includes an indoor running track, firing range, wave pool, climbing wall, prosthetic center, gait lab and a computer assisted rehabilitation environment known as CAREN.

As Gates toured the 60,000-square-foot center, he stopped to thank each wounded warrior he met along the way for their service and sacrifice, and he presented each with a secretary of defense coin.

During a tour of the therapy gym, amputee Army Spc. Robert Stevenson demonstrated the two-story rock wall, then had a challenge for Gates.

"Sir, it's your turn next," Stevenson said.

Gates laughed as he declined the offer, but did present Stevenson with a coin.

At the wave pool, called The Flowrider, Army Spc. Patrick Moore and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek McGinnis rode "boogie boards" to demonstrate how the pool strengthens core muscles and improves balance.

Gates followed up his visit to the center with a tour of one of two new Fisher Houses adjacent to the rehab facility. Fisher Houses serve as a home away from home for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and Veterans Affairs medical centers. The additional houses, which opened Jan. 29 in conjunction with the center, bring the on-post total to four.

The 21-room homes are built in the newer Fisher House style with a sprawling 16,800 square feet. Each home is equipped with a full-service kitchen, formal dining room, several sitting rooms and bedrooms equipped with DVD/VCR systems and flat-screen TVs.

Gates said he was impressed by the size and the capacity of the homes and called the Fisher Houses "a great service for the families."

He met with residents, including two Army wives, who asked for coins on behalf of their husbands recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center.

At the tour's conclusion, Gates thanked the Fisher House staff for all that they do for the service members and their families.

Shortly after visiting the Fisher House, Gates met with the Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.

The president established the commission March 6 to conduct a comprehensive review of military medical care at both Department of Defense and Department of VA hospitals and outpatient facilities. Bush asked its members to recommend ways to improve the transition to other military service or civilian life, ensure high-quality services for wounded troops and increase their access to benefits and services.

To that end, the nine-member committee, co-chaired by former Kansas Sen. Robert Dole and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, had earlier in the day privately met with service members, family members, health care providers and other interested parties at BAMC. The commission's fact-finding mission will continue tomorrow when members will host an all-day public meeting at the San Antonio Airport Hilton.

Gates will conclude his trip to Texas tomorrow after a visit with wounded warriors, their families and hospital staff at BAMC. This morning, Gates was in Dallas, where he spoke to the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

(Elaine Wilson and Norma Guerra work for the Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs Office.)

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.

Golfers Tee Off for Fisher House

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 1, 2007 – More than 240 golfers, including 10 injured servicemembers, hit the links at Lansdowne Golf Club in Lansdowne, Va., yesterday for the 4th Annual Fisher House Golf Classic fundraiser. The Fisher House Foundation supports America's servicemembers and their families by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, according to the organization's Web site.

The foundation also is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.

"The first year we had a goal of raising $100,000," Jim Weiskopf, the vice president for communications of the Fisher House Foundation, said. "Yesterday it was announced before the event concluded that we had raised $583,000."

The net proceeds of this year's event are designated for the construction of a 16,800-square-foot, 21-suite Fisher House at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The facility will be one of four Level 1 polytrauma centers operated by the VA. Each is staffed to provide long-term rehabilitation to servicemembers with traumatic brain injuries.

The annual event began four years ago and has raised more than $1 million in support of the Fisher House Foundation.

For the servicemembers, the highlight of the day was a golf clinic that Ken Peck, a double amputee and former professional golfer, held for them. Peck, a golf instructor with the National Amputee Golf Association, said he was pleased to participate in the event to benefit the Fisher House Foundation and the veterans.

"I'm out here to kind of help some of the vets learn how to swing a little bit more ... and just show them that golf is a great game that you can play despite (having an amputation)," he said. "Golf is the most accessible sport. We don't have the running; we don't have the jumping; but we can still play the game when we stabilize ourselves and swing and hit."

Army Staff Sgt. John Shannon, a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Here, was just as excited to get back to the sport he loved as Peck was to be mentoring him. The former sniper suffered a traumatic brain injury and the loss of his left eye while serving in Iraq.

"(This is) giving me an opportunity to do something I used to be pretty good at and see if I can get it back a little bit," Shannon said. "It's just a tremendous amount of fun. I don't know how to say thank you to the people that have us out here, but it's a wonderful opportunity to come out here."

Though he hasn't played golf in four years, he said it's just a matter of rediscovering his swing. Focusing on that keeps him from focusing on other -- not so pleasant -- things, he said.

"It certainly makes you forget everything else you're dealing with, which is what it's about," Shannon said.

(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly Burgess of American Forces Press Service contributed to this report.)

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.

National Leaders Thank Wounded Warriors

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 30, 2007 – How does a nation thank someone whose legs were destroyed by an insurgent's homemade bomb? How do Americans pay tribute to someone whose face melted in the fires of war? In marking the opening of a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and two new Fisher Houses here yesterday, Cabinet secretaries, military leaders, senators, business leaders, and celebrities did their best to express their gratitude to some of the nation's sons and daughters who bear the scars of combat. The VIPs acknowledged both the servicemembers' and their family members' sacrifice.

"All those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and all those recovering from their wounds remind us of the price of freedom," Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said. "It is a price that is periodically required to be paid in blood, and suffering and courage."

England was one of about 3,000 people gathered here to mark the opening of the Center for the Intrepid, the Army's national rehabilitation center, and two Fisher Houses, where families of the severely wounded stay to be near their loved ones. The $50 million center was built from private funds donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

"What you see before you is a monument built by contributions by 600,000 Americans," said Arnold Fisher, chairman of the fund. "This is a monument to not only the men and women and their families who will come here, but a monument to the generosity of our citizens and their love for those who serve."

Both the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation are members of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program works to highlight ways in which Americans support U.S. troops

The guests, including actress Michelle Pfeiffer, talk show celebrity Rosie O'Donnell, singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and producer David E. Kelley, paid tribute to more than 300 severely wounded men and women. While some troops sat in a row of wheelchairs in front of the stage, others slowly walked beneath crossed swords to silently parade before the applauding audience.

Mellencamp performed two of his hit songs, "Pink Houses" and "Our Country" during the event. The entertainer said he came here because the rehabilitation center is a worthwhile project. "It shows the spirit of what people can do on their own when they want to and when they need to," he told American Forces Press Service.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the military's highest-ranking officer, said he objects to the idea that these members of the all-volunteer force "lost" their limbs. "You gave an arm; you gave a leg; you gave your sight as gifts to your nation that we might live in freedom," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphatically told the wounded warriors.

Pace said families members have sacrificed in ways that most people can only imagine. They, too, often need rehabilitation, and that's why the Center for the Intrepid and the Fisher Houses are so important.

"Those of you who are family members of the fallen and of the wounded have served this country as well as anyone who has ever worn the uniform, and we thank you for that," the chairman said. "You pray for us when we're gone, and ... when we're wounded, you're there to put us back together again."

Pace's senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, later echoed his boss's sentiments. "Families are the most important thing to us soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and 'Coasties,'" Gainey said in an interview. "If we have a system that will take care of our families, then we can deal with it, and that's a fact. If we take care of the families, we take care of the troops."

Pace also paid tribute to the military's caregivers. "From the instant any of us is wounded on the battlefield until the time we arrive here," he said, the medical professionals provide "the loving care and compassion that these wounded warriors so deserve."

One of those caregivers, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Kathy Rasmussen, assistant administrator for the Center for the Intrepid, led the chairman on a brief tour of the $50 million facility. The 24-year veteran from Charles City, Iowa, recently retired from active duty but stayed on as a civilian employee here. "What better way to continue to serve my country," she told American Forces Press Service. "I absolutely love working with the patients."

Army Master Sgt. Daniel Robles, 17-year-Army veteran from Tucson, Ariz., who's now a patient at the Center for the Intrepid, was severely injured about four months after deploying to Iraq. He said hopes to find work at Fort Sam Houston.

"There's a lot of good people here who want to support me in that," he said in an interview. "I think it's going to work out."

During the ceremony, Arizona Sen. John McCain acknowledged the debt the nation owes its combat veterans and their families. "We have incurred a debt to you, and no matter how sincerely and generously we honor our obligations to you, we can never repay in full," McCain said. "What you have done for us we can never do for you. But we're mindful of that distinction and humbled by it.

"Our appreciation for your service demands that we all do what we can ... to help keep this nation a place, an idea worthy of the hardships, dangers and sacrifices you have borne so valiantly for us."

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said the country has been well served by those who fight for our freedoms.

"We are blessed to have so many who have given so much," she said. "But in return, we are obligated to ensure in every way we can that they and their families are given the support that they have so richly earned and deserved."

The rehab center will be a place of healing and support, for the wounded warriors who face a challenging road ahead, Clinton said.

"May this center and the staff that serve so nobly here help all who pass through its doors to heal in body and soul, to look forward to a future that is still filled with potential, to live long and productive lives at home and to continue in whatever way you choose to serve this nation that admires, respects and loves you," she said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.

Fisher House Foundation to Build Many More Homes

By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 14, 2007 – The Fisher House Foundation will expand its efforts to help injured U.S. troops and their families by building five new comfort homes per year until 2010, the foundation's chairman said last night on CNN's "Larry King Live." These are families that make sacrifices. This program is designed to help them," Ken Fisher said.

The foundation builds homes on and near active military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities. The houses provide free lodging for servicemembers who must stay near a hospital for continuing treatment, as well as families visiting wounded loved ones.

The work done by the Fisher House Foundation was featured for the entire hour on last night's "Larry King Live." Clips of King and his crew visiting patients at the Fisher House in San Diego last week were shown throughout the program. King also interviewed servicemembers and their families who are currently at other Fisher House locations or have stayed at one previously.

Army Staff Sgt. Harold Ord, whose right ankle and lower leg were shattered by a mortar round last year in Iraq, talked about his appreciation for the Fisher House at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he is receiving treatment. "It's a great organization and it's great thing to have," Ord said. "We probably would have had a rough time without it. It's helped out a lot of people."

The foundation was started in 1990 by Ken's late uncle, Zack Fisher. When it was brought to Zack's attention that there was a shortage of affordable housing for injured servicemembers and their families, he decided to put the program together, Ken Fisher said.

Zack Fisher built the first comfort homes with his own money. "Zack always believed that it was our obligation to give back to a nation that had been so great to us," Ken Fisher said. "Zack always considered them (servicemembers) to be the greatest national treasure."

Today, there are 36 Fisher House facilities in 16 states and one in Germany. After the houses are built, they are gifted to U.S. government, which then maintains them. Fisher said the foundation works closely with the military to determine where a new house should be built.

"The beauty part of the house is that the families will sit together, they'll eat together, it has become a support network in the house," Fisher said. "It's not just families having a place to sleep, it's getting together and supporting each other on a bad day and sharing the joy on a good day."

Actor Gary Sinise, star of the hit CBS program "CSI: New York," joined King via satellite feed. Sinise said he has been involved with the Fisher House Foundation since 2003. "Fisher Houses are doing amazing, amazing work," he said. "I can't say enough about these folks and their dedication to helping our wounded and supporting our families."

Sinise and his music group, the Lt. Dan Band, named after the character he played in the movie "Forrest Gump," have played more than 40 shows for troops stationed in the United States, Iraq and Afghanistan. They will next perform at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show at the Washington Convention Center Jan. 27.

"It's rewarding to know that I can give back to these people who are volunteers, and who go out and defend our country," Sinise told King. "They're making a lot of sacrifices for us. And their families do as well."

Sinise, like the Fisher House Foundation, is an active member of the "America Supports You" program, a Defense Department program showcasing the ways Americans are supporting the nation's troops. In addition, Sinise co-founded "Operation Iraqi Children," an organization that collects and ships school supplies and toys to Iraq.

Country music singer Wynonna Judd also appeared on last night's program. "I think there's nothing more important than support in a time of illness," she said.

Judd has performed at many military bases and medical facilities. "My job is to enlighten and lift up the spirits of these people who put their butts on the line every day so my family is free," she said.

Denise Mettie, who is staying at the Fisher House near Palo Alto, Calif., praised the foundation for giving her a place to stay while her son Evan gets treatment for severe injuries he received in Iraq. "Fisher House is a godsend," she said.

Army Staff Sgt. Ross Graydon, his wife Jamie and daughter Brittney, 10, appeared on the show from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Graydon lost his left arm while serving in Iraq.

Jamie said Fisher House has been like a home away from home while her husband gets treatment. "It's nice and very comfortable," she said. "Everybody is friendly, so you have a nice internal support system working for you."

Ken Fisher said seeing the Graydon family reinforced the reason the foundation does what it does. "This is exactly why we do what we do. To see the three of them together and wonder what it would have been like had they not been able to there," he said. "It's a wonderful feeling to see them together."

CNN will auction off a Humvee nicknamed "Warrior One" to benefit the Fisher House Foundation Jan. 20. The vehicle was used by some of the network's correspondents during the Iraq war, but was completely refurbished during a recent episode of TLC's "Overhaulin.'" Barrett-Jackson Auction Co., a classic car auction house, will auction the vehicle at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have published books, articles and blogs; and criminal justice leadership online.