JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TX -- The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2) will host their Warrior CARE Event in January at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. This is one of six events they hold each year, not including Air Force Trials and their competitive events like Warrior Games and Invictus Games. While these events are open to all members enrolled in AFW2 there are some limitations.
“We’d love to have every Wounded Warrior come out to each one of our events but we have to be realistic in our goals,” said Marsha Gonzales, branch chief for Warrior Care Support. “Since we have to keep our numbers manageable we have criteria that will allow us to pick those who need access to these events most.”
Wounded Warriors who have not had a chance to attend one of the CARE events are selected first, with second time attendees chosen depending on availability. A wait list is kept of those who have attended more events, with staff going to those names to help fill out the goal numbers for each event. On average AFW2 tries to get upwards of 120 Wounded Warriors and their caregivers to attend, with the goal for each event modified depending on the balance between each program offered at the CARE events.
“Each program we offer at our CARE events has a limited number of spaces available, depending on the location of the event and the specific program offered,” said Ms. Gonzales. “Once we determine how many spaces we need in each program we can then adjust our goals, picking from the applications to help balance out the needs of all the Warriors attending.”
The CARE Events are a fully holistic opportunity offering Caregiver Support Program training, Adaptive Sports & Resiliency Programs, Recovering Airman Mentor Program education, and Employment and Career Readiness classes. Wounded Warriors also have access to workshops that round out the holistic aspect including, but not limited to, music and art, and yoga. The goal of the selection process is to reach as many Wounded Warriors as possible, offering them the services that may help advance their recovery and rehabilitation process.
The AFW2 Program is currently working on the application notification for the 2018 Air Force Trials held on Nellis AFB, NV, February 20 through March 1st. Stay up-to-date here or at www.facebook.com/airforcewoundedwarrior and www.twitter.com/afw2.