[caption id="attachment_3237" align="alignright" width="233" caption="Mr. John Campbell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, was moved to be one of the first to place his coin in a hand-carved case, made and donated by the father of a wounded warrior, in honor of those recovering."]
Mr. John Campbell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, made his monthly visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Md., last week, where he met with wounded warriors and their families. Mr. Campbell was accompanied by Dr. Jim Wright, a fellow Marine and former president of Dartmouth College, who has been one of the leading advocates in securing education opportunities for recovering Service members.
Mr. Campbell and Dr. Wright met with Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wall, the Commander of the Wounded Warrior Battalion at WRNMMC and some of the Marines under his care. They spoke of the challenges and successes of their care, and Dr. Wright encouraged each of them to consider high-ranking schools like Dartmouth as places to finish their education. Some of the Marines at the table had already started taking classes at local universities.
Mr. Campbell also encouraged them to set their sights high when it comes to education.
“Coming home from Vietnam as a young wounded warrior made going back to school pretty difficult,” Mr Campbell told them. “However, it was very important to my long-term success to finish the education I needed for my career, and you can do the same thing. Start thinking about school now.”
The party then went to meet with Ms. Elizabeth Baker, director of the Navy College office at WRNNMC, to learn about the educational opportunities for Marines and sailors there, and to discuss the potential of enhancing on-base course offerings for wounded warriors.
Following this meeting, Mr. Campbell and Dr. Wright met with Dr. Charles Scoville, chief of amputee services at the Military Amputee Training Center. There they learned about the cutting-edge services and
prosthetics being provided and the MATC, as well as about the extensive collaboration now underway with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Mr. Campbell and Dr. Wright also enjoyed interacting with numerous warriors and the family members supporting them as they exercised, received physical therapy and tried on their new prosthetics.
The visit ended with a walk through the in-patient ward, where Mr. Campbell and Dr. Wright met recently wounded Service members and their families. Mr. Campbell thanked each of them for their service and sacrifice, and assured their families that they are in excellent hands. He also took a moment to admire a new addition to the ward: a hand-carved challenge coin case made and donated by the father of a wounded warrior. Mr. Campbell was moved to be one of the first to place his coin in honor of those recovering there every day.