JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- The Recovery Coordination Program is executed out of the Air Force’s Personnel Center here, and provides specialized services to Airmen who suffer a serious combat or non-combat related injury or illness requiring long-term care which could entail an Initial Review In-Lieu-Of, Medical or Physical Evaluation Board to determine overall fitness for duty.
This program could not be accomplished without substantial assistance from strategically placed Recovery Care Coordinators who ensure wounded warriors receive the non-medical support needed throughout recovery.
“We facilitate, monitor, and ensure access of care and resources for seriously or very seriously wounded, ill and injured (WII) Airmen, families and caregivers, and help ensure a smooth transition from in-patient recovery (potentially) to long-term adaptability and care,” said Rob Snyder, Air Force Wounded Warrior Program RCC. “We are considered the AFW2 program's "boots on the ground" and advocates for our recovering Airmen.”
Snyder served more than 25 years on active duty in the Air Force as a services troop, retiring in 2010 as a senior noncommissioned officer and joining the AFW2 family in 2012. Today, he is one of the seven RCCs serving in the northwest region, which also includes Airmen serving in the Pacific Air Forces. Combined with the five other regions, there are 45 RCCs in place to help navigate recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration processes.
“Every installation has an assigned RCC, we just might not be physically located at a particular one,” Snyder said. “For instance, my area of responsibility is the northwest, but my focus is Washington and Oregon; I have active troops at McChord Field and Fairchild Air Force Base, reserve units at McChord, and Air National Guard members in Portland.”
Coincidentally, Snyder’s region will host an upcoming Warrior CARE Event Aug. 27-31 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where more than 120 wounded, ill or injured service members from across the nation are projected to participate.
“This will be the fourth CARE event AFW2 has held at JBLM,” Snyder said. “This is an introductory restorative care event that provides caregiver support, familiarization with adaptive sports and ambassador workshops, exposure to mentorship and resiliency programming, and targeted transition assistance.”
RCCs also provide face-to-face care and assistance for wounded warriors by serving as the focal point for coordinating medical and non-medical care and services, developing comprehensive recovery plans and possessing extensive working knowledge of support programs and processes.
“That is definitely one of the more challenging aspects of our mission,” Snyder said. “Many of us work in military treatment facilities and collaborate with medical teams for in-patient cases, as well as brief warriors on benefits and compensation, research answers pertaining to medical evaluation board status, guide members through the Air Force’s Integrated Disability Evaluation System, on top of a number of other critical tasks.
“Our current goal is to educate and inform as many audiences as we can on the benefit our program brings to so many Airmen; we need commanders, chiefs, first sergeants and leaders at every level to become familiarized with who we are and what we have available that can impact the lives of our wounded warriors – just help us get our mission out there.”
Additional information about AFW2 can be found on their official website. Also, be sure to like their Facebook page for program updates, upcoming events and the latest news.