USSOCOM Care Coalition
From Home to the Front and Back - The Care Never Stops.
by Jim Lorraine, USSOCOM Care Coalition
Scott, a civil affairs sergeant, was severely wounded in action. His wounds likely would have been fatal had they occurred in a past conflict, but today’s battlefield medical breakthroughs saved his life and brought him quickly out of theater to the military’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, for specialty care.
Almost instantaneously, Scott’s wife, Lisa learned details of her husband’s injury. Lisa wanted to get to her husband’s bedside immediately, not in a week—now. Scott and Lisa’s experience and expectations are the norm.
The rapidity of care, access to global communications and the nation’s continued high expectations of casualty support overlaid on an overburdened bureaucracy created seams in casualty and family support. In response, the Department of Defense and each branch of the armed forces established casualty programs to smooth the process for casualties.
Each government program had different criteria for admission, duration of support and scope of influence. Additionally, existing benevolent organizations with historic connections to the Department of Defense and Veteran’s Affairs ramped-up their programs and over a thousand new benevolent organizations were formed, each looking for the seams and vying to help the casualties and their families. For many casualties and families, the amount of information and advice they receive is overwhelming.
The United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition was established to fill the seams by bringing focus and action to support special operations forces and their families. Established in August 2005, the Care Coalition is an advocacy program that initially focused on global war on terrorism casualties. The Care Coalition’s growing success has since expanded to include advocacy for all SOF, regardless of cause of injury or illness, their families, and surviving families. Eighty percent of the staff’s time is spent advocating for the more than 1,700 SOF casualties who are recovering from their wounds, those who have returned to duty, and the few who have left the service but remain SOF for life. The Care Coalition advocates in any area—pay, health benefits, VA issues, etc.—for any SOF, for life. The Care Coalition leverages the capabilities of other government and benevolent organizations to focus them toward quickly resolving issues faced by SOF and their families. In essence they are a broker between the needs of the SOF casualty and the resources of government and non-government organizations. As the only joint casualty support organization, the Care Coalition is a sentry for systemic issues or service inconsistencies.
Lisa didn’t know that before her husband was evacuated to Landstuhl, the USSOCOM Care Coalition was already supporting them. With USSOCOM Care Coalition hospital liaisons, called LNOs, in Landstuhl, Scott was accompanied and supported by an LNO from the moment he landed in Germany. If Scott’s condition permitted, the first action would be for him to speak directly to Lisa. If not, the LNO would provide an update on her husband’s condition and remain her point of contact until Scott left Landstuhl. As part of Scott’s support network at Landstuhl, the LNO ensures Scott has everything he needs and that there aren’t any obstacles to his recovery and return home. In Landstuhl, SOF casualties who are medically cleared outpatients awaiting return to duty or home are provided a group living apartment at a local military base where they can recover together and use internet, television and communications to remain in touch with their units and loved ones.
After Lisa hears from her husband, there is less urgency for her to travel to Germany and, instead, plans are made through her husband’s unit for her to meet him at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Since Scott will be admitted to Walter Reed, with his or Lisa’s permission the USSOCOM Care Coalition alerts a special operations charitable organization of Lisa’s travel. The organization mails her a $2,000 check overnight so that incidental expenses associated with supporting her husband are covered. Since the services generally provide travel orders for family to travel to severely injured family member’s bedside, most families use the immediate cash to pay for other family to travel to care for children at home while the spouse travels to the bedside.
One of the lessons learned is that major hospitals aren’t the best place for young children during the early recovery phase.
Prior to Scott’s evacuation to Walter Reed, the Landstuhl LNO updated the USSOCOM Care Coalition LNO at Walter Reed about his status, needs and Lisa’s plans. Like Landstuhl, there are LNOs who cover the National Capital Region hospitals of Bethesda, Andrews, and Walter Reed. The LNOs continue the support and advocacy Scott received at Landstuhl and integrate Lisa’s plans. After Scott’s arrival, Lisa will be picked up at the airport, updated on Scott’s condition, told what she can expect and brought to the hospital. Her lodging has been arranged and any other needs will be covered by the LNO. If Lisa had to bring her children, USSOCOM has three two bedroom apartments close to Bethesda and Walter Reed. The apartments help keep the family living as a family and, as Scott’s recovery progresses, give a place for him and Lisa to rebuild their lives. The Walter Reed LNOs arrange rental vehicles, advocate for prompt care, set up day care for children, and just make the casualties and families recovery as smooth as possible.
If Scott had been evacuated to a hospital outside the National Capital Region, a USSOCOM Care Coalition LNO from San Antonio or Tampa who covers eastern and western halves of the country would be at the bedside providing support. When the casualty is hospitalized near his, unit the LNOs work with the unit to ensure any issues are resolved. Every time Scott is transferred, the USSOCOM Care Coalition is involved to ensure the details are covered.
The hub of USSOCOM Care Coalition is a small office inside of the United States Special Operation Command headquarters on MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. While the LNOs support all SOF who are inpatients or outpatients, the Wounded Warrior Advocacy staff in the Tampa office are focused on all SOF and their families who have either returned to duty or become veterans (retired or separated). This is where issues that can’t be resolved by the LNOs are solved with the focus on the immediate issue, but the goal of smoothing the recovery “bump in the road” through policy or legislative awareness. The staff, composed of health care administrators, social workers and a counselor, has the skills to listen, determine the problem and take action to ensure government or non-government organizations are resolving issues.
Working with the services, TRICARE, Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the VA (to name a few) issues are resolved quickly. The Care Coalition reviews Traumatic Serviceman Group Life Insurance applications to ensure package completeness and clarity to increase the probability of first-time success in filling for a claim. Because the Care Coalition reviews 20-30 applications per month, as compared to a regular SOF unit that files as many in a year, the staff has had significant success in getting this benefit to SOF casualties.
The Care Coalition works to ensure casualties receive the best practices—often seeking rehabilitation centers to augment recovery beyond the government standard. Referred to as “finishing schools,” the rehabilitation programs take brain injury, amputee, burn or blind casualties to the next level of wellness, awareness or fitness. Through close work with benevolent organizations, the Care Coalition staff focuses on those with a track record of successful and honest support that fit the needs of SOF casualties and families. For Scott and Lisa, the Wounded Warrior advocates will provide advice and advocacy throughout their lives. If Scott chooses to leave the service, the Care Coalition would advise and advocate for him on medical and physical evaluation boards, then assist him with Veteran’s Affairs issues using the VA liaison to the USSOCOM Care Coalition.
The Care Coalition is focused on removing the confusion of dealing with tragedy by establishing itself as the single point of contact for assistance. Their mantra for all SOF and their families is: “If you need help there’s only one phone number you need to remember—the USSOCOM Care Coalition (877-672-3039). ♦
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Jim Lorraine is with USSOCOM Care Coalition.