DOD officials establish wounded warrior task force Published Nov. 19, 2010 WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Officials from the office of the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness have announced the names of 14 members who will serve on the Department of Defense Task Force for Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured servicemembers. The four-year mission of the congressionally directed task force is to provide independent advice and recommendations to the department, ensuring comprehensive services are provided to wounded servicemembers and their families. The task force will look at areas including medical and non-medical case management, staffing of wounded-warrior units, performance and accountability systems, services for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as the effectiveness of the Centers of Excellence. Individual servicemembers, their families and the public will have the opportunity to provide input to the task force as it develops its recommendations on DOD's wounded-warrior programs. "Caring for our wounded, ill and injured is job one," said Clifford L. Stanley, the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness. "Our goal is to lead the way in integrated service, including case management, information resources, family member support, and transitioning our wounded warriors to civilian life. The collective expertise and knowledge of the task force members will play a critical role in guiding our efforts to provide the best possible quality of life for servicemembers and families." Membership consists of seven DOD members and seven non-DOD members with expertise in areas such as medical care and coordination, medical and non-medical case management, vocational training, the disability-evaluation process, veterans' benefits, experience in wounded warrior care, and treatment of TBI and PTSD. The 14 appointees are as follows: Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Charles B. Green, M.D., DOD co-chair Navy Cmdr. Timothy Coakley, M.D. Justin Constantine Ronald Drach Marine Corps Col. Timothy E. Frank Dr. Karen S. Guice, Ph.D. Army Master Sgt. Brett Hightower Army Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst Suzanne Crockett-Jones Master Sgt. Christian S. MacKenzie Dr. Steven J. Phillips Army Maj. Gen. Richard A. Stone, M.D. David Rehbein Dr. Russell A. Turner The non-DOD co-chair will be named at the group's first official meeting. The task force will operate within the Federal Advisory Committee Act guidelines and will be responsible to the secretary of Defense, through the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness. The task force will present their independent findings and recommendations to the secretary of Defense within twelve months. Following review by the secretary, the task force's report and recommendations will be sent to Congress. For additional task force information, call 703-325-6640 or send a fax to 703-325-6710.