thedrifter
04-09-07, 09:24 AM
New unit to serve as clearinghouse for wounded
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : April 16, 2007
Injured Marines have a new chain of command in place to help streamline medical care bureaucracy with the launch of the Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment, the commander of the fledgling regiment said April 4.
The regiment is the brainchild of Commandant Gen. James Conway, who since becoming commandant in November has repeatedly called for tracking wounded troops through the labyrinth of follow-up medical care.
“We have lost track of the wounded,” he said earlier this year. “We have had people overdose because they were improperly administering themselves with regard to their medicine.”
Col. Gregory Boyle, commander of 3rd Marines at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, was tapped by Conway to lead the new regiment and assumed command April 1. It will be headquartered at Quantico, Va., with two battalions — one each at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Wounded Warrior Regiment will begin initial operating capability in May and will be operational by the end of summer, Boyle told reporters April 4.
“It brings oversight to the whole process, to eliminate possible seams or cracks where Marines may fall through the system,” Boyle said.
While two wounded warrior barracks already exist at Pendleton and Lejeune, the creation of the regimental headquarters element is expected to unify the efforts. Previously, “all of us have been working toward the same goal” but not using the same procedures or working under the same commander, he said.
Specifically, the regiment will help wounded Marines through medical and physical evaluation boards, assist them in making insurance claims, act as a clearinghouse for charitable donations and work to ensure accountability and nonmedical case management during their recovery. The regiment will focus on ensuring the injured receive the same level of medical care, no matter where they live in the country, Boyle said.
The unit will provide “one process, one set of standard operating procedures, that supports active-duty, reserve and separated personnel. [It’s] one-stop shopping for resources, referral and education,” he said.
The regiment will also oversee transition from Defense Department care to Veterans Affairs Department care, he said.
“We will aggressively follow up with periodic contact to ensure the needs of those Marines and sailors are being met.”
The regiment launches with about 370 injured Marines considered in- and out-patients, but Boyle sees potential for more.
“Marines take care of their Marines from the point of injury throughout their recovery and as they transition back into duty or out of the Marine Corps,” Boyle said.
Ellie
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : April 16, 2007
Injured Marines have a new chain of command in place to help streamline medical care bureaucracy with the launch of the Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment, the commander of the fledgling regiment said April 4.
The regiment is the brainchild of Commandant Gen. James Conway, who since becoming commandant in November has repeatedly called for tracking wounded troops through the labyrinth of follow-up medical care.
“We have lost track of the wounded,” he said earlier this year. “We have had people overdose because they were improperly administering themselves with regard to their medicine.”
Col. Gregory Boyle, commander of 3rd Marines at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, was tapped by Conway to lead the new regiment and assumed command April 1. It will be headquartered at Quantico, Va., with two battalions — one each at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Wounded Warrior Regiment will begin initial operating capability in May and will be operational by the end of summer, Boyle told reporters April 4.
“It brings oversight to the whole process, to eliminate possible seams or cracks where Marines may fall through the system,” Boyle said.
While two wounded warrior barracks already exist at Pendleton and Lejeune, the creation of the regimental headquarters element is expected to unify the efforts. Previously, “all of us have been working toward the same goal” but not using the same procedures or working under the same commander, he said.
Specifically, the regiment will help wounded Marines through medical and physical evaluation boards, assist them in making insurance claims, act as a clearinghouse for charitable donations and work to ensure accountability and nonmedical case management during their recovery. The regiment will focus on ensuring the injured receive the same level of medical care, no matter where they live in the country, Boyle said.
The unit will provide “one process, one set of standard operating procedures, that supports active-duty, reserve and separated personnel. [It’s] one-stop shopping for resources, referral and education,” he said.
The regiment will also oversee transition from Defense Department care to Veterans Affairs Department care, he said.
“We will aggressively follow up with periodic contact to ensure the needs of those Marines and sailors are being met.”
The regiment launches with about 370 injured Marines considered in- and out-patients, but Boyle sees potential for more.
“Marines take care of their Marines from the point of injury throughout their recovery and as they transition back into duty or out of the Marine Corps,” Boyle said.
Ellie