Down, But Not Out
The ongoing war on terrorism is being fought at a high toll on U.S. servicemembers and their families. MOAA salutes America’s wounded warriors and those who care for them.
By Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret.

This month’s lead story is a portrait of heroes. It’s about courageous men and women serving on the front lines in the war on terrorism. The scene we paint, however, is not that of combat action. Rather, we’d like to sketch another group of heroes: the wounded warriors who fell in service to their country. We also feature military health care professionals who fight to save lives and return the injured to living as normally as possible.

The war on terrorism is focused in two arenas: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in and around Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in and around Afghanistan. According to DoD, as of Feb. 17, 2006, a total of 19,964 servicemembers were casualties of OIF and OEF. Of those, 2,534 died (1,913 of them killed in action); 8,144 were wounded in action and could not immediately return to duty; and 9,286 were less severely wounded and returned to duty within 72 hours. This is the largest number of casualties the military has seen since the Vietnam War.
 
On the positive side, today’s military medical care is light-years ahead of that of past conflicts. In World War II, 30 percent of the Americans injured in combat died. In Vietnam, the percentage dropped to 24. In the current war, about 10 percent of those injured have died. This is in large part a testament to the excellent people in the health care system.

Advances in body armor also are saving lives. But while U.S. servicemembers may be better protected from fatal injuries, the enemy’s weapons of choice are particularly devastating to exposed body parts. Servicemembers today are surviving horrendous injuries. Following survival, though, many must rebuild their lives.

One example is Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, USMC. Maxwell has seen six combat deployments. “I always planned on getting killed,” he says, “but I never thought I’d be injured in a way that would leave me with diminished capacity.” Maxwell exceeded all expectations for recovery from his injuries. Today he remains on active duty to support other injured servicemembers at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Our story “Wounded Warriors,” on page 66, introduces you to Maxwell and other survivors and the military health care professionals dedicated to their recovery. The story unfolds at hospitals around the world, with Walter Reed and Brooke Army medical centers playing leading roles. Many private groups and nonprofit organizations also are answering the call. We think you’ll find these stories inspiring.