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  • AFW2 roadshow visits Minot AFB

    The AFW2 team, including program managers and ambassadors, visited Airmen from the 5th SFS and the 91st SFG. They shared stories from their careers and how they came to be a part of the AFW2 Roadshow team.

  • All trauma can cause PTSD

    PTSD is a physical and mental reaction to a situation or event that was perceived as dangerous, according to behavioral health experts.

  • AFW2 provides care, advocacy for AFGSC Airmen

    Among those who deployed, more than 52,000 U.S. service members were physically injured in recent military conflicts, and another 500,000 are living with invisible wounds ranging from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder including 320,000 with brain trauma, according to the Wounded Warrior

  • The Initial Perception

    There are many common sayings that go along with how important the first impression you leave on someone is. No matter the circumstances for someone’s behavior, on any particular day, there is no way to reverse that initial interaction, conversation, attitude, etc. For this reason, and many more,

  • Wounded warriors share message of resilience in Florida

    On the day a bullet tore through his legs inside an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. August O’Niell, 414th Combat Training Squadron Detachment 1 flight chief in charge of ground operations at Davis-Monthan, Air Force Base, Arizona, said his world changed.

  • Air Force Trials 2021: A Virtual Experience

    The anticipation for how Air Force Trials 2021 will be conducted can now cease. After much consideration, deliberation, and cross talk between multiple organizations, the decision has been made to have the 7th Annual Air Force Trials go fully virtual. Although this is not what many of our athletes

  • AFW2 Fit Games: Taking virtual fitness by storm

    The Fit Games are a fitness challenge that will consist of predesignated bodyweight exercises, fulfilled by an established number of reps per exercise and round. Open for all AFW2 warriors and Invictus Games U.S. Team athletes to participate, this fitness event will be the first of its kind geared

  • Intrepid Spirit Center opens at Eglin AFB

    Eglin Air Force Base’s Intrepid Spirit Center, the first on an Air Force base, is a treatment center dedicated to post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, associated pain conditions and psychological injuries in active-duty service members.

  • Warriors unite through community networks

    AFW2 community programs connect warriors to local events, activities and resources within the 46,000 veteran service organizations located nationwide. The team utilizes social media platforms to connect with veteran service organizations and obtain vital information, which they streamline and share

  • Survivor harnesses resilience to overcome invisible wounds

    Reality hit when then Airman First Class Brittany Johnson of the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron left the hospital in September 2010 after a week-long stay for sexual and physical assault. “I didn’t feel like myself,” recalls Johnson, now a technical sergeant with the 36th Civil Engineering

  • Wounded warrior recalls dark days, bright recovery

    Bernard Lawson, a former platoon sergeant who was wounded while serving as an Army chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear technical escort Soldier at Johnston Atoll, overcame severe nerve damage injuries with the help from other wounded warriors and is now the emergency manager for the Air

  • Military Caregiver Month: Hidden heroes

    The Caregiver Support and Family Program was founded in 2014 to improve caregiver resiliency by connecting them with other caregivers who can share experiences, provide guidance and ultimately build trust and long-lasting relationships.

  • Rescue dogs help heal wounded warriors

    The Office of the Warrior Advocate is a first-of-its-kind organization that was founded by two wounded warriors that saw a need. It is in that same spirit of seeing needs and answering the call that service dogs are becoming part of Offutt’s landscape and cultural norms.

  • No effort spared to bring wounded Soldier home

    In mid-August, Air Mobility Command’s 618th Air Operations Center was notified of an injured Soldier in need of urgent aeromedical evacuation out of Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Immediately, AOC Airmen started to build a mission – REACH 797 – to help save one Soldier whose survival was in question

  • Executive order offers better access to mental health resources

    Executive Order 13822, "Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition From Uniformed Service to Civilian Life," directs the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security "to come together and ensure we have seamless access to mental health care and suicide prevention resources for

  • Wounded warrior talks resiliency during tactical pause

    In the wake of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein’s Resiliency Tactical Pause directive, Master Sgt. Jose E. Rijos, Air Force Wounded Warrior ambassador, recounted the traumas of his career with his service dog, Cairo, at his side.

  • 2019 Warrior Games begin

    Jon Stewart, a comedian, was once again the master of ceremonies to officially open the games. He mixed humor with a compassion and seriousness about wounded warriors that seems to resonate with service members and families.

  • Seeking mental health treatment: Chief shares his experience with PTSD

    Many service members struggle with the thought of seeking mental health treatment, thinking of it as a career ender, or possibly that others may think they are weak for seeking help. Corvin said he wrestled with the thought of whether or not to get help, and eventually decided he needed to make a

  • Intrepid Spirit Center moves forward

    The 96th Medical Group held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of the Intrepid Spirit Center at Eglin Air Force Base, May 2.

  • 8th MDOS polishes readiness with 3D tech

    The 8th Medical Operations Squadron Dental Flight ensures all Kunsan service members have the brightest smile and best teeth with efficiency, comfort, and new technology to facilitate a quick return to duty after procedures.

  • Phase 1 of DHA transition set to begin

    The Defense Health Agency will assume responsibility for the administration and management of healthcare at all military medical treatment facilities through a phased approached starting Oct. 1, 2018.

  • A Day That Resonates

    JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- By looking at him you wouldn’t know it, but Tech Sgt. Trevor Brewer, 72nd Security Forces Squadron flight chief at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, has deep scars from a day that took the lives of two fellow Airmen and severely wounded two others. His wounds

  • Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; a veteran's story (Part 1)

    Post-traumatic stress disorder carries him into the depths of fear and pain; reliving images of death and destruction. Closing his eyes to night terrors at sundown and fighting through daily anxiety attacks eventually pushed him to the brink of suicide so he could put an end to the never-ending

  • Warrior Profile: Lt. Col. Audra Lyons

    Lt. Col. Audra Lyons, Headquarters Air Force branch chief of policy integration, joined the Air Force June 26, 1997. She attended the Air Force Academy, graduated in 2001, and got married the next day.

  • Ensuring the fallen are sent home with honor

    Upon returning from the theater of operations to the U. S., a solemn dignified transfer is conducted upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, when a Air Force carry team transfers the remains from the aircraft to a transfer vehicle to honor those who have given their lives in service to

  • Leaving the AOR on their own terms

    Eight wounded warriors, who have visible and invisible injuries from combat, were on a mission to find closure by returning to the place of their traumatic incident through Operation Proper Exit, April 4-8, 2018.

  • 2018 Air Force Wounded Warrior Trials begin

    More than 150 wounded warriors from the Air Force, Army, Great Britain and Australia gathered today to officially open the fifth annual Air Force Trials at Nellis Air Force Base.

  • Warrior Games make triumphant return to Colorado Springs

    Community and business leaders joined representatives of the military at the Air Force Academy last night to mark the 100-day countdown until athletes arrive in Colorado for the 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games. Now in their ninth year, the Warrior Games are returning to Colorado Springs,

  • Burn Center offers new pain management approach for patients

    Doctors at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston are utilizing a novel method of administering pain medication to burn patients in the burn intensive care unit in hopes to mitigate opioid addiction and other complications associated with

  • Competition fuels hearts, ignites relationship

    In 2015, when a Naperville, Illinois girl met a small-town boy from Eagle River, Alaska, neither knew immediately how their relationship would evolve beyond teammates; however, the now engaged pair of retired Air Force athletes would still say “teammates” will always be a word that first comes to

  • Suicide prevention month: stopping suicide is everyone’s battle

    September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time for Americans to build awareness and help understand suicide in our culture. More than 40,000 Americans lose their life due to suicide each year and research shows that rates in the military and the general population are very close. The loss of anyone

  • New equipment gives Airmen time to breathe

    After a pilot completes their Initial Aerospace Physiology Training they occasionally go through a refresher course to maintain their flying status. In order to complete the course aircrew work with the 9th Physiological Support Squadron for a variety of reasons, including a hypoxia demonstration.

  • Wounded warriors given avenues during CARE event

    Nearly 130 Air Force wounded warriors and caregivers attending the latest Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) Program’s CARE event at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, from Nov. 14-18 received tools and resources to help them deal with their individual challenges.

  • Unique rehab center gets injured Airmen back on duty

    Not long after receiving innovative care for serious combat-related injuries, 2nd Lt. Marc Esposito gave his future wife a tour of the unique rehabilitation center that helped the Air Force special operator get back to jumping out of planes. The state-of-the-art setting cast with advanced technology

  • DOD Warrior Games begin June 15

    The 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games, an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, will take place June 15-21 in West Point, New York.

  • AF Wounded Warrior Program helps ease the troubles

    Two wounded warriors and their caregivers talked about how they’ve benefited from the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program and some areas of improvement during the Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 16.

  • Take me out to the ballgame, warrior style

    Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team members and athletes from the NFL joined forces to compete in the 3rd annual Amputee Warrior Softball Classic June 6 at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, Maryland.

  • Don’t get hooked by phishers

    Fast cash promises on popular social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are causing major problems for service members.

  • Eglin Airman participates in adaptive camp

    Two years after complications from a massive stroke that forced Senior Airman Chris Fugitt to retire from the Air Force, his warrior spirit enabled him to power past a number of debilitating setbacks, to the point where he attended his first adaptive sports and rehabilitation camp here this week.

  • AFW2 helps Airmen take steps toward recovery

    One would never know the twelve current and retired Airmen walking into the Joint Base Andrews West Fitness Center, Nov. 18, were wounded, ill or seriously injured. Minutes later, it is evident as the bleachers and floor fill with gym bags, volleyballs and prosthetic limbs, while two dogs sit

  • Losing the 16 pound burden, Airman makes difficult decision for his family

    At age 28, Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell was an athlete who was well on his way to becoming an Air Force rugby player. While stationed in England, whenever Caswell wasn’t on the flightline working, he was out on the field playing his sport. From there, his dream was to take the next step of joining the

  • TRICARE shines a light on suicide prevention awareness

    Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for Americans, and military veterans make up 20 percent of suicide deaths each year. TRICARE works with the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, the Department of Defense’s oversight authority to reduce the impact of suicide on Service members and their

  • Medical experts train counterparts in Mongolia

    The sounds of agony filled the air near the wooded back lot of the Central Armed Forces Hospital, or CAFH, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as an interpreter encouraged accident victims to ‘ham up’ their performances during mass casualty response training, as part of Operation Pacific Angel 14-4 Mongolia.

  • Defense Health Agency makes progress

    As the Defense Health Agency approaches its one-year anniversary Oct. 1, it has already saved money and standardized health care in the Defense Department, said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

  • Tobacco use harms military readiness, official says

    Because tobacco use is harmful to military readiness, the Defense Department has an added responsibility to curb its use, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said today, noting that service members are more likely to use tobacco products than civilians.

  • SAPR orientation provides cohesion across Air Force

    The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinators from each Air Force major command attended the first-ever three-day orientation and training here, July 29 -31, to discuss issues and innovations with Air Force SAPR top leaders and subject matter experts.

  • Culture change: Aviation safety in healthcare

    The Air Combat Command Surgeon General's office pioneered a program bringing operational risk management and flightline safety procedures into hospitals and dental squadrons across the Air Force.

  • Medical training in hyperreality

    The Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training, or AFMMAST, is improving medical training is by adding hyperreality and high fidelity through the use of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Cut Suit.

  • Air Force mental health programs encourage seeking help

    The number of Airmen seeking mental health care has increased over the last five years-- and this is a trend Air Force leaders encourage, according to a lead psychiatrist with the office of the Air Force Surgeon General.

  • Mental health: Essential to comprehensive fitness

    As Airmen begin to return from more than a decade of combat in the Middle East, and cope with the perils of war, distinguishing mental health clinics as valuable resources rather than detrimental career-enders is paramount.

  • AF medic earns Heroes of Military Medicine award

    A medic from McConnell Air Force Base received the 2014 Heroes of Military Medicine award, May 1, in Washington, D.C., for his work advancing and impacting military medicine. Senior Master Sgt. David Smith, now a career advisor with the 22nd Force Support Squadron, provided medical care for more

  • Warrior athletes gear up during cycling competition

    Athletes with bikes of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the standard upright bike to the handcycle, took their turn at the starting line April 9, 2014, during the Air Force Trials at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

  • President Obama visits wounded warriors at Ramstein

    Air Force One touched down at Ramstein Air Base bringing President Barack Obama, to meet with some of America's heroes March 29.After a week of traveling through Europe and stopping in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the president made a short trip to Germany to meet with wounded warriors from the Landstuhl

  • Disability claims backlog reduced by 44 percent

    One year after the backlog of pending disability compensation claims peaked at over 611,000 in March 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reduced that number by approximately 44 percent to 344,000 claims -- a reduction of more than 267,000. At the same time officials have improved the

  • DOD's top doc outlines medical advances

    The Defense Department's top doctor says the innovations and technology in military medicine derived from more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to advances in caring for the sick and injured.

  • Air Force medical educational websites win bronze

    The Air Force Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia, or CEMM, recieved a Bronze Telly award for their Pregnancy A to Z and Wingman Online websites during the 35th Annual Telly Awards recently.

  • ANG immunization expert says flu shot still vital

    It's deep into flu season, and public health officials continue to work to spread the word about the importance of getting the flu shot, especially in light of a recent increase in a particularly severe flu strain affecting young adults.

  • Pearl Harbor-Hickam set to host first Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational

    Thirty Air Force wounded warriors will face off against 90 other athletes during the first Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational hosted by Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Jan. 8-10.The week-long event will be the largest joint-service competition to take place outside of the annual Warrior Games.

  • Military blood program director urges generosity

    The director of the Armed Services Blood Program wants all service members to be part of a new arms race. Col. Richard H. McBride wants service members to roll up their sleeves and donate blood to help fellow service members and their families.

  • Cadet-designed system aids stroke victim recovery

    An entrepreneurial collaboration between the Air Force Academy and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is creating a device to help patients recover their full range of motion after suffering a stroke or injury. The project - called Neumimic - is the result of a partnership between mechanical and

  • Injured Airman returns to duty, celebrates promotion

    Staff Sgt. Brian Williams of the 87th Security Forces Squadron is just like any other Airman. He has been in the Air Force for 13 years, has deployed six times and served as a military working dog handler at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., since 2011.

  • Wounded warriors gain confidence during Pentagon volleyball contest

    Gung-ho spirits were the norm as wounded-warrior athletes from the four services, U.S. Special Operations Command and the Department of Veterans Affairs clashed at the 3rd Annual Joint Services Sitting Volleyball Tournament, in recognition of Warrior Care Month.

  • Trauma surgeon urges continued investment in combat care

    As combat operations wind down in Afghanistan and the Defense Department struggles with ever-tighter budgetary constraints, a seasoned military trauma surgeon warned against arbitrary cuts that could unravel successes made in preventing combat injuries and, when they occur, providing the best

  • 3 AF medical facilities named among nation's best

    Three Air Force Medical Service military treatment facilities (MTFs) earned top accreditation honors recently by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, for exemplary performance and were named among the nation's Top Performers on Key Quality Measures.

  • Football legend Herschel Walker visits Airmen, wounded warriors

    Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back Herschel Walker visited Airmen from the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Oct. 23, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Walker spoke to more than 200 Airmen about his life as a boy, leading up to his college and NFL days. He also discussed the

  • Wounded warrior makes final jump

    One by one, Airmen from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron lined up at the back of a C-130, paused, then stepped off the aircraft Oct. 16, completing their free fall training jump into the picturesque water of Florida's Emerald Coast.