Army restructuring Wounded Warrior Program

Warrior transition unit leaves Sacramento for Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord

By Melissa Renahan on January 15, 2014

In response to the decreased deployments and impending downsizing, the Army will begin restructuring its warrior transition units. Warrior transition units are located at major military treatment facilities and provide support to wounded, ill and injured soldiers who require at least six months of rehabilitative care and complex medical management. There are 29 warrior transition units at Army installations, as well as nine community-based warrior transition units.

About 7,000 soldiers are currently enrolled in warrior transition units across the Army, including the 475 soldiers who are part of the Warrior Transition Battalion, also known as Task Force Phoenix, on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. That number includes those being overseen by the community-based warrior transition unit in California.

The Army's plan for restructuring will include inactivating the existing community-based warrior transition units, including the one in Sacramento. The community-based warrior transition units were created to provide outpatient care and services for Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers who do not require day-to-day care, allowing soldiers to continue their recovery closer to home.

"With this restructuring, we are simply moving the mission of taking care of our remote ill, injured and wounded soldiers from our split-based operating site in Sacramento to JBLM," said Lt. Col. Jeffery Mosso, Warrior Transition Battalion commander.

While the National Guard and Reservists who are currently managed by the Sacramento facility will continue to receive care remotely and reside in the their homes, the staff and positions at the community-based warrior transition unit will be moved north to JBLM. The changes are expected to occur by Sept. 30, at the latest. Army officials expect there to be no disruption in care plans or case management for the WTB soldiers.

However, according to a spokesperson with JBLM's Task Force Phoenix, the new plan should allow for better coordination and increased support.

"These changes reflect our commitment to keep the faith with our soldiers and their families. Adapting our mission to serve a declining population of wounded, ill and injured soldiers enhances," stated Brig. Gen. John Cho, commander, Western Regional Medical Command.

Currently the JBLM WTB oversees Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada but, in light of these changes, the region will no longer include Nevada or southern California and will expand to include Alaska.

The Army also plans to close the five smallest warrior transition units located at Fort Irwin, Calif.; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; Fort Jackson, S.C.; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; and the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.

"Our community based soldiers will continue to receive the same world-class level of leadership, case management, healthcare services and advocacy from the Army," Mosso added.