Fort Campbell, KY – On August 28th, 2019, the Deputy Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard Maj. Gen. Tommy H. Baker visited wounded, ill and injured Tennessee National Guard Soldiers at the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion.
The Army established WTB’s at major military treatment facilities, like Fort Campbell’s Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, to provide personalized support to wounded, ill and injured Soldiers who require six months or more of rehabilitative care and complex medical management.
“I just want to say thanks to the Warrior Transition Battalion here. It’s a great mission taking care of our service members who have served us, who have some needs. I’ve seen nothing but dignity and respect in my visit here,” said Baker, who toured the battalion and its facilities and spoke with Tennessee National Guard Soldiers about their care and support.
“Your staff seems very integrated and concerned about what’s going on with these troops. It’s a great opportunity to come up and visit and be part of that,” Baker stated.
The WTB serves a vital role in ensuring active-duty, Reserve and Guard Soldiers receive the care they require after a deployment to remain mission ready. It provides mission command, medical management assistance and transition assistance to Soldiers navigating the medical treatment system as they work to restore their health.
Each Soldier assigned to the unit for care benefits from a squad leader, nurse case manager and primary care manager to coordinate and oversee their medical care.
Soldiers at the battalion attend regular formations and their days are filled with medical appointments, therapies, and individualized adaptive reconditioning to promote healing and physical well-being. WTB officials help Soldiers navigate the Army’s Integrated Disability Evaluation System, which determines if their wounds may prevent them from continuing to serve.
Some Soldiers are able to participate in vocational rehabilitation with units on the installation, allowing them to maintain proficiency in their career field or learn another. An occupational therapist and their squad leader monitors their progress and the work is part of the recovery plan for Soldiers returning to duty.
Throughout the battalion there is an emphasis on working together and supporting one another. Families are included as much as possible.
“We have several Soldiers who come through this program every year. It’s vital for us to be able to reach out to the WTB, find out what’s going on, what kinds of concerns they have, what kind of things they are seeing with our Soldiers who are coming back through here and make sure that we as a state, do our part to make sure we help them get the kind of care that they need,” said Baker.
“It takes coordination throughout the year and we’ve got good points of contact. We’re up here a lot, so it’s a great relationship,” Baker stated.
