Warrior Care Month

The Department of Veterans Affairs is usually the first agency one thinks about when the topic of wounded warrior care is discussed. Yet, the Defense Department also plays an important role in the funding, awareness, and treatment provided for wounded warriors whether currently serving or those who have retired/separated from military service.

A Brief History of Warrior Care Month

A 2008 press release by Army News Service pointed out that prior to the establishment of Warrior Care month, controversy was generated over news reports that wounded troops were being treated in a “substandard facility.”

“Since reports nearly two years ago that Soldiers recovering from war wounds were living in a substandard facility at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the Army has transformed the way it structures and provides military health care” to sick and injured troops. The Army press release did not go so far as to state that Warrior Care Month is a direct result of that controversy, but the issue certainly seems like it was a catalyst for change.

In 2008, the Defense Department created Warrior Care Programs (WCP) to help those injured or sick in the line of duty. WCP established accountability and uniform standards of care across all branches of military service from the recovery process, going back to duty, or transitioning into civilian life.

Warrior Care Month was created in 2008 as an outgrowth of these efforts. This was an attempt to raise awareness of the needs and lives of wounded warriors. It is observed every November DoD-wide with a variety of activities and programs. There are even social media town hall meetings to raise awareness and support for wounded veterans.