Hello all Veterans and Active Duty servicemembers.

My name is Mark, I work for Military Severely Injured Center based out of Arlington VA.  We have been tasked by the Sec Def to make sure "no severely injured service member" falls through the cracks.  Many of you may be aware of the service specific programs to assist service members in a time of need.  These might be known as "Army Wounded Warriors (AW2)", the Navy's "Safe Harbor", the Marines "DS3", Air Force "Palace Hart".......

Anyway, I'm here to tell you the Military Severely Injured Center works with these programs to ensure "no-one is left behind or falls through the cracks" when these programs assist the Severely Injured.  These programs have very specific guidelines to who & what they are allowed to do, what amount of assistance they are allowed to provide and who is allowed to request assistance.  Now don't get me wrong, these programs are very well run & do an awful lot of good things for our injured servicemembers.  We are here to assist them.

Our number one thing we get requests for is financial assistance, such as completing the TSGLI forms, finding help for a service members family with travel arrangements to doctor appointments, finding assistance with help catching up their car payments, mortgages & such.  Now we have no money ourselves, nor do we handle any money for the service member.  We do have approximately 40 Non-Governmental Organizations that are in business to assist the Severely Injured service member/family.

We also have many other things we do, including assisting in obtaining employment following their service, assisting their significant other (can be a girlfriend, wife, sister, brother etc...) with finding employment or helping with travel through the airports using the TSA's available to us to ease the airport screening process.

I don't have room here to provide a complete breifing, however, at every major Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) and large VA facilities there are people in position to assist the severely injured service member.  These people are called Counselor Advocates (which I am one) & will be able to answer your questions for you.  

We are available 24/7 via phone (888) 774-1361, however that phone number rolls over into Military OneSource after 5 pm in the evenings & on weekends.  If you have any questions please call us, we are here to help.  If no one answers, call Military OneSource at (800) 342-9647.  The call center will be able to take your call & put you in touch with someone that will help.

Thank you for your service, no matter what or where you served.

Mark

Just a bump to ensure it doesn't fall off the front page.  Mods, would you consider a "sticky" for our Severely Injured Warriors?

By far the most requests we receive is for Financial Assistance.  This ranges from simple "I need some help to pay my gas bill for the house" ($50.00) to "I need help to pay off outstanding medical bills for my family" ($10,000).  As I said in my previous post, our Center has over 40 Non-Governmental Orgainizations that are in the business to assist our service members.  They really want to know who you are, especially if you are a Wounded Warrior.

Specifically my Center is focused on the OEF/OIF Severely Injured Servicemembers.  We work with all branches of the military.  Sometimes we work mainly with the servicemember, sometimes we work with the immediate family members, sometimes we work with extended family members.  It just depends upon the servicemember/family needs at the time.

One thing you need to know, we don't forget you after you've been discharged either.  Our Care Managers, based in Arlington VA, are able to assist once you have been seperated from the military.  Once we have helped solve your immediate problems, are discharged & return to your "home", if you need help again - say, years down the road - we are as far away as a phone call.

The Bottom Line,

The Military Severely Injured Center’s role is to expedite processes, help families, and alleviate complicated road blocks for severely injured.  The MISC cannot fix all processes and problems but can be advocates for the severely injured.

TSGLI Providing Support for Wounded Soldiers
AW2

The new Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) program created by the Wounded Warrior Bill is now active. As of December 1, 2005, individuals severely injured in the line of duty will receive a payment of $25,000 to $100,000 within days of their injury to help their families manage the financial strain associated with long-term recuperation.

If you were severely injured in the line of duty after the start of Operation Enduring Freedom (October 7, 2001), you may qualify to receive compensation under this program depending upon where you were when your injury took place. After December 1, 2005, there are no geographic limitations associated with this program. The VA has started processing applications for compensation from individuals with existing injuries and initial payments have been distributed. To download the form to apply for compensation, visit our web site at www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Once you've filled out your form, the doctor overseeing your treatment (military or civilian) needs to fill out the section of the application describing your injuries. Finally, your injury, active duty status, and eligibility need to be verified by a certifying officer. Contact the individual listed below for your branch of the service. Once they have completed the certification process, they will send your form to the VA Office of the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for processing and payment.
For more information about this program, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org. You can also contact Jeremy Chwat, WWP's national policy director at 540-537-9819 or the VA SGLI Office at 800-419-1473.
Army Ms. Jeanette Mendy Certifying Official Army Wounded Warrior Program (800) 237-1336 - mailto:[email protected]

Navy John McCausland Certifying Official PERS-6 (800) 368-3202 - mailto:[email protected]

Air Force Thomas Perry Certifying Official Casualty Branch (210)565-3310 or 2410 - [email protected]

Air Force Reserve Jim Walsh Certifying Official AF/REPX (703)588-6063 - [email protected]

Marines Lt.Col. Will Goldschmidt Certifying Official (703) 432-9277 - [email protected]

Coast Guard CDR Clifford Bayuk Certifying Official Coast Guard Personnel Command (adm-1) Phone (202) 267-1648 - [email protected]

To Download the Application Form (with instructions) Click here.

Veteran's Administration Link

Traumatic Injury Protection Under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (TSGLI)

TSGLI is a program that provides automatic traumatic injury coverage to all servicemembers covered under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program
Every member who has SGLI also has TSGLI effective December 1, 2005. This coverage applies to active duty members, reservists, funeral honors duty and one-day muster duty.
This benefit is also provided retroactively for members who incur severe losses as a result of traumatic a injury between October 7, 2001 and December 1, 2005 if the loss was the direct result of injuries incurred in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom.

Use one of the following links for additional information about TSGLI

These things are but one aspect of what the Military Severely Injured Center does for our wounded warriors.  All that information is valid and able for download/apply by yourself.  It also helps to have someone in your corner helping that application process along.

An example would be, if your applying for a mortgage on your house, it helps to have someone that is knowlegeable about the process to help you with closing the loan.  Makes perfect sense to me, maybe not to others.  This is where MSIC comes in.  We can assist with the application process, give little tidbits of info regarding the process, what the processing people are looking for, how one qualifies, what doesn't qualify, etc..., etc....

We are here to help, any way we can.  Thank you Pathfinder74 for posting this info.  

FWIW there are several organizations out there that act as advocates for veterans in various capacities.

DAV (Disabled American Veterans)
AMVETS
VFW
American Legion
Military Order of the Purple Heart

I've not dealt with the Military Severely Injured Center personally but it's my belief that if you are entitled to the benefits any of these organizations are willing to provide take them all up on it. They are all in the business of helping soldiers get their lives back on track and there's no shame in accepting that help.

Agreed.

The DAV is the only organization (officially approved by DOD) that can act in the service members behalf in case of a MedBoard.  They can act as stand in's for the service member or help guide the service member into a decision that is "best for the service member".

The other organizations listed are a part of the "NGO's (non-governmental organizations) that are in the business of assisting the warriors.

There are over 40 NGO's that have Memo's of Understanding with the Dept of Defense.  These are the ones that have been screened by JAG & have been officially approved to assist the soldiers.  They are a part of the process we use for assisting the injured service member.

Check out the Military Severely Injured Center if you are interested.  This is a DOD program specifically created to cut through the BS & expidite assistance.  Or give me a jingle, I'll see if I can connect you with someone local to you.

Mark