JBSA takes part in Wounded Warrior CARE

  • Published
  • By 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
  • 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs


The U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior Program’s weeklong Warrior CARE event concludes Jan. 13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

During the Jan. 9-13 event, the keynote speaker, Master Sgt. Michael Moroney, a former pararescueman, touched on one of the reoccurring themes of the week: hugs.

“AFW2 is big on hugging, so hug people,” said Moroney. “Just give me a hug, and we are going to be all right!”

Moroney also shared a story from earlier in his career while he was performing rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina.

While he was conducting a search-and-rescue, one little girl stood out to him and gave him the strength to keep going - just by smiling - when the demands of his job were weighing on him.

“If she can smile, I can smile; it’s not that bad,” said Moroney. “This little girl was exactly what I needed; she wrapped me up in this hug and all of it went away. I didn’t feel any pain; I didn’t hurt. I felt good.”

AFW2’s Warrior CARE event’s provide wellness activities for seriously wounded, ill and injured military members, veterans and their caregivers. The events focus on four aspects of CARE: caregiver support training, recovering airman mentorship training and employment and career readiness guidance. Wounded warriors also have the opportunity to participate in adaptive and rehabilitative sports, music and art therapy.

The most physical components of the event are adaptive and rehabilitative sports, which are designed to introduce wounded warriors to adaptive sports that aid in their recovery and promote mental and physical wellness and teamwork.

“We have events going on at the fitness center, and we also have closed-door sessions with military family-life counselors,” said Marsha Gonzales, Warrior CARE support branch chief. “For our caregivers we have an employment readiness boot camp and we are training warriors that are in our ambassador program to tell their story and share their experience across the Air Force.”

For the sports portion of this event, more than 100 wounded, ill or injured service men and women from around the country compete in wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, swimming, air pistol and rifle shooting, archery, and cycling as well as track-and-field competitions including shot-put, discus and running events.

Warrior CARE is set to close with a sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball competition between JBSA leadership and Air Force wounded warriors, as well as members of the Airman Medical Transition Unit from JBSA-Lackland.

This is the last event before the 2017 Air Force Trials, which selects the Air Force team for the 2017 Department of Defense Warrior Games.

“These Airmen are here for you,” said Moroney. “When wounded warriors find AFW2, they find out they are not alone and not the only ones hurting.

“This week will be a good week but a hard week,” he continued. “What you are going to get out of this week is what you put into it. Open your mind; this is a very safe place.”

For more information about the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, go to the AFW2 website.