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by Staff Sgt. Kirby Turbak
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The Air Force Wounded Warrior program provides personalized care, services, and advocacy to ill or injured service members, their caregivers, and families.
Some beneficiaries of AFW2 have gone above and beyond to become ambassadors, a title that comes with even more responsibility.
Ambassadors for AFW2 take on the challenge of telling others their story of resiliency, stories that aren’t always easy to share.
These stories of resiliency aren’t strictly about physical scars, but mental ones as well.
According to Brad Britt, AFW2 outreach program manager, ambassadors address everything from cancer to combat wounds. Many of the warriors have no visible wounds, but have been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or other internal wounds.
By sharing with fellow Airmen, ambassadors encourage others to stay resilient or seek the help they need.
“These people are heroes,” said Britt. “They might be saving a life; they might be saving a family. That’s the impact that these ambassadors have when they sit down and they talk to these groups. They’re letting them know that they’re not alone, that there’s people in blue who are here to help them.”
The program brings together active-duty and veteran Airmen to compete in a variety of Paralympic-like sports, including archery, powerlifting, swimming, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and rugby.
“The Air Force Wounded Warrior Ambassador program has lined up a series of powerful outreach events highlighting the stories of our most resilient Airmen,” said Britt. “These events are crucial in bringing a reality to resiliency and educating leaders, families, and community partners of the ongoing efforts of our program.”
For more information check out the Air Force Wounded Warrior program website at https://www.woundedwarrior.af.mil/.
