By Capt. Jill Wolf, Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR) Public Affairs Officer
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The Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment has created an app for Service members, families and caregivers that is now available on the iPhone and Android markets.
The United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR) launched an app for the Android, iPhone and iPad in February, creating a new method for the regiment to communicate with warrior care audiences.
The primary function of the app is to deliver news, information and resources to wounded, ill and injured Marines, Marine veterans and their families. The app also serves staff members, Marine Corps leaders and anyone who wants to keep up to date with what the WWR has to offer. The app provides easy access to reliable, up-to-date information, including a library of fact sheets on the WWR’s various programs and services.
Many caregivers are bedside with their wounded or ill Marine. Not all of these caregivers have consistent access to a computer, but many have smartphones. With this app, users are able to have information such as news, photos and fact sheets at their fingertips. The app main menu has six areas, Resources, News, Pictures, Videos, Contact and My Profile.
Families can become quickly overwhelmed with large volumes of information and finding what they need when they need it can be arduous and daunting. The Resource section provides users with a search feature, which eliminates the need for navigation through various sites and sources to find needed information. For example, Marines or caregivers who want information about invitational travel orders or post-traumatic stress disorder, can enter those topics into a search and a listing of applicable fact sheets appear and can be accessed immediately.
Users can view the latest news, photos and videos that pertain to the WWR and warrior care. This could include coverage of WWR events, inspirational stories, announcements to changes in benefits and entitlements and more.
The benefits of the app don’t stop there. The app also has a Contact section where users can call or email the Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center for assistance or go to the WWR’s Facebook and Twitter sites.
Users can download the app in the Apple Store or the Android Marketplace.
The launch of the app marks one year since the WWR kicked off communication efforts via social media sites. Since then, their Facebook fan page has connected with over 8,000 fans and the regiment has official profiles on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
The Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center (WWCC) was established by the WWR in 2007 to render assistance to WII Marines and Marine veterans with obtaining benefits and referrals and providing information on community reintegration services and a multitude of other resources.
The WWCC provides assistance on a variety of issues including:
• Benefits and Entitlements
• Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance
• Pay and Entitlements
• Social Security Disability Insurance
• Awards (Purple Hearts)
• Veterans Administration
• GI Bill
• Employment/Education
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Counseling on a variety of topics
The trained call center staff includes retired Marines and Marine veterans or family members of Marines augmented by a small staff of psychological health professionals. These dedicated individuals are skilled at providing help and share a common bond with those they serve.
The United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment provides and facilitates non-medical care to combat and non-combat wounded, ill, and injured Marines, and Sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life. The Regimental Headquarters element, located in Quantico, Va., commands the operations of two Wounded Warrior Battalions located at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., and multiple detachments in locations around the globe.
For more information about the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment go to www.woundedwarrior.marines.mil/ or call the Sgt. Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center at (877) 487-6299. You can also keep up with the Regiment on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and through our newsletter.