Throughout the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), support for wounded warriors has grown exponentially in response to an urgent need for more adaptive facilities, equipment and programming. The challenges in treating, re-habbing and in many cases, getting these wounded warriors back up to full strength, is bringing out the best in professionals from the many departments – including medical, therapeutic and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) – that work synergistically to meet these increased demands.

When it comes to finding new ways to provide increased support for wounded warriors, these champions of quality of life are proving that necessity is the mother of invention. The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) Warf ghter Performance Lab at NB Point Loma, Calif., for example, is in the process of standing up its new-est technological advancement: a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) or Virtual Environment (VE) system. Although the system is already being used in clinical settings at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Military Amputee Training Center in Washington, D.C., and Brooke Army Medical Center’s Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, the new CAREN at the NHRC lab will also be used to advance research in the areas of: diagnosing traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – one of the most prevalent yet most diff cult-to-diagnose injuries from OEF/OIF; improving performance in operational settings; and strengthening overall resilience.

One NHRC research study involves looking at the brain and the behavior of those who do really well under extreme stress and under difficult operational circumstances, such as special operations personnel. “If we can find out how individuals are wired, how they think, how they behave, how they regulate emotions, we can teach it to other people, and we can train it in other people,” says Douglas Christian Johnson, Ph.D., science officer, NHRC Warfighter Performance.

Similar to the advancements taking place on the medical fitness side, improved support for injured servicemembers in the area of fitness and recreation therapy is making a difference in the lives of both active duty and veterans. The Charlie Norwood VAMC in Augusta, Ga., for example, which is the only VAMC in the nation to have an active-duty rehab unit, offers a fully accessible fitness center and adaptive recreation programs that are inclusive to all. From active-duty members to those from the spinal cord and blind rehab units, popular activities such as golf – using adaptive carts at Augusta (home to the Masters) – kayak football, hand cycling and a new adaptive climbing wall, provide a needed outlet while introducing them to activities they can continue to enjoy for a lifetime.

Another important support area that has gained some needed attention is sports. Prior to the inaugural Warrior Games, held May 10-14, at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., there was no “military-only” Paralympics for athletes to call their own. For the Warrior Games, nearly 200 wounded warriors and disabled veterans represented their services in this first-of-its-kind event, which not only recognized the talent and efforts of our nation’s best military athletes, but also established a national annual event that can be built on and expanded to include more athletes in future years.

In a video message aired during the closing ceremony at the Air Force Academy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Warrior Games athletes: “You’ve just completed a rigorous test of your physical and mental skills, your strength and endurance. But now is no time to rest. I’d like you to take what you’ve done here, what you’ve learned here and continue to serve as role models for others striving to find the independence they need.

”The NHRC lab, the adaptive programs and facilities at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center and the Warrior Games – all of this innovation and adaptation to provide a more comprehensive support network and more inclusive community throughout DoD and the VA is starting to make a difference in not only the lives of wounded warriors but their families as well. But, as Mullen said, “now is no time to rest.”