Seven-Years and a Wake Up:
A Warrior’s Journey to Hope and Recovery
The lives of veterans are filled with certain moments that can only be truly understood and respected among other service members – and their families. These are stories that veterans are comfortable sharing with each other, but are not often shared with the outside world. It can be difficult for American citizens to admit that many military families endure a variety of hardships intertwined with the sacrifices of service. Today’s armed forces are in a constant state of flux due to the mandated military budget cuts and the subsequent downsizing of the Department of Defense. The truth is, our warriors are expected to do more with less: more deployments and additional duties with less job security, contributing to significantly increased pressure, decreased family time, and uncertainty of their families’ futures.
A 2014 National Foundation for Credit Counselling study of service members’ financial challenges revealed that 77 percent of service members are burdened with financial concerns. Additionally, more than half of the veterans surveyed feared the possible negative effects from federal budget restraints. When it comes to veterans transitioning into a civilian lifestyle, the level of success can depend on the caliber of programs and services readily available to them. This transition, from military to civilian life, is monumental and poses an even a greater challenge for injured service members.
Charles “Chuck” Clark is a disabled veteran of the United States Armed Forces, who served in three different military branches—U.S Marines, Air Force Reserves, and Texas Army National Guard—during his 15-year military career from 1995 to 2010. Originally from College Station, Texas, Chuck’s service includes four deployment tours to various countries, including: Iraq, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates.
This is his story.
“My family struggled throughout my enlistment,” said Chuck, who explained that for every successful stride forward, his family seemed to always endure several disheartening steps back. “Mere days into my first deployment, my wife was notified that our loan fell through for a home we planned to purchase. We had already terminated our previous lease, which left my pregnant wife and son on the verge of homelessness with only days to find a new rental – I felt so helpless.”
Not long after settling his family’s housing setback, Chuck received a serious injury to his right hand.
“My hand was crushed in an armored truck door,” said Chuck who explained he was cleared for duty after the injury was assessed. “Shortly after returning to duty, the tendon in my right hand popped off and actually sprang upward into my arm like a rubber band.”
Chuck was immediately medically evacuated to Germany and later returned stateside to endure two surgeries to repair the damaged tendon. His hand was permanently damaged and although a civilian doctor warned Chuck against performing his regular duties, Chuck deployed three times within 11 years of military service. Consequently, his family continued to move from home to home due to the unsteady income variations between his deployments and his time stateside.
Like civilian parents, military parents are often forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet for their families, but unlike their civilian counterparts, military parents face additional challenges when living paycheck to paycheck, such as: multiple deployments that leave one parent maintaining the household, and military orders that force relocations every two to three years, limiting job and education opportunities.
Another bad break occurred for the young military family during Chuck’s fourth deployment.
“Eight months into my deployment, the Red Cross notified me that my wife had broken both of her arms while home with our two children,” said Chuck. “At this time, we lived in the country with poor cell phone reception, which forced her to drive five miles to her family’s home so that they could take her to the emergency room. Our vehicle had a standard transmission,” explained Chuck. “My 6-year-old son had to help her shift gears for five miles.”
This would not be their last hardship.
Chuck was later diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. “I was hoping for an opportunity to change my job in the military and possibly find a desk position, but before I knew it, I was called into my commander’s office and told I was being medically separated.”
No warning. No option. On July 31, 2010, Chuck was separated with no opportunity to appeal the decision before a medical review board.
Years after his medical separation, Chuck and his family continued to struggle financially, and many of his service-connected health issues were still unresolved. “I worked so many hours that I no longer had time to focus on my medical problems. I lost time off work every time I went to the VA for an appointment – and those seemed to be scheduled weekly,” said Chuck. “I could never seem to make enough to cover everything for the month. We struggled with groceries every week, but I was told I made too much money to get help with food stamps or medical insurance. It was never ending.”
Chuck is not alone in this financial struggle. In its 2015 fiscal year report, the Defense Commissary Agency revealed more than $79 million in food stamp benefits was spent at military commissaries.
Chuck became bitter, resentful, and hopeless and began to feel like a failure, constantly disrespected and unappreciated. Everyone in his home seemed to be unhappy and miserable, and his marriage was in trouble. Chuck knew he was running out of time to establish the financial stability that would pull his family back together.
“God introduced me to Wounded Warrior Project when I was most desperate,” said Chuck, who was scheduled for back surgery and still fighting for his VA health benefits. “I was going to be out of work and had nowhere to turn until Wounded Warrior Project stepped in to help.”
With long-term financial and medical support playing a critical empowerment role in the recovery process, WWP created the Benefits Service program, helping injured veterans navigate the complexities of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to obtain the care they need and benefits they earned. With a success rate above 85 percent, WWP reaches into local communities through a variety of events, filing thousands of claims each year, and immediately changing the lives of injured veterans, their families, and caregivers.
“On November 24, 2015, we filed for a back claim with the VA and for increases to other claims,” said Chuck. “We had a decision by March 1, 2016.”
Now, Chuck’s VA benefits rating is 90 percent, but he has several other open claims awaiting a VA decision.
“We were very lucky to have been in contact with Wounded Warrior Project at this time,” said Chuck. “They have taken years of frustration with the VA system and turned it around for us.”
To ensure Chuck was able to focus on his post-surgery recovery, WWP provided almost $4,000 in monetary support for rent, utilities, phone bills, groceries, and more. Since the inception of the Benefits Service program in 2007, WWP has secured more than $200 million in monetary ¬¬benefits for wounded servicemen and women.
“My body has been broken down over the four deployments I served, and I’m ready to settle down and enjoy life for once,” said Chuck. “I want to spend time with my family and make it my mission to help other injured veterans who share the same experiences and journey as me. I’ve referred other veterans to WWP – some longtime friends and some new,” he said. “I will continue to do so.”
The Clark family is among more than 100,000 injured service members, caregivers, and families served by Wounded Warrior Project. More than 2,400 registered Alumni received assistance through the Benefits Service program in March 2016.
By Vesta M. Anderson
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The WWP purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more about WWP and the Benefits Service program, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org (Photos courtesy WWP)
