The Wounded Warrior Mentor Program

The Wounded Warrior Mentor Program was organized initially to match volunteer mentors with Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed and, in some cases, with follow-on mentors after the soldiers or Marines leave Walter Reed.  The program was founded by several members of the West Point Class of 1958 when it became apparent that Wounded Warriors needed more individual attention than the Army could provide.  The program has since been expanded to include Bethesda Naval Hospital, Ft. Meade, Ft. Belvoir, Ft. Gordon and other areas. 

Wounded Warriors of all Services needed to be oriented on a new profession and a new life, as well as being counseled on benefits, jobs, educational opportunities, and handling of finances.  After being released from military hospitals, when the Wounded Warriors leave the familiar environment of the hospital support system and their buddies, many need mentors to continue supporting them.  This program enjoys the full support of the hospital commanders and staff and the Wounded Warrior Transition brigade commander and his entire chain of command.  We also have available an entire support team to help us in almost every phase of our support to our Wounded Warriors.

Somewhere between 70 and 80% of the Wounded Warriors will leave the service.  Many of those who do stay must be reclassified into a new military career specialty.  The founders of the program identified a need for mentors to help the soldiers with backward planning to answer the question: “What will my future life be in three to five years?”  Mentors are asked to bond one-on-one with their Wounded Warriors in a surrogate parent relationship – one that is based on trust so that the Wounded Warrior have someone to turn to for help and guidance.

Mentors are all volunteers and most mentors are combat veterans.  We come from West Point classes, as well as classes from the Naval and Air Force Academies and several other organizations whose members have volunteered to help. There is a program organization led by Lee Miller ’58 and mentors are organized by class, each with a class leader to provide support and guidance and to monitor mentor effectiveness.