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Martha is joined by retired Army Sergeant Dan Rose, as he discusses his upbringing in Wisconsin, what drew him to military service, and talks about his time in Afghanistan where he was paralyzed by a roadside improvised explosive device.

Dan explains the recovery process, how the injury impacted his life, and how the Soldier Strong organization helped him and other wounded veterans secure the technology to return to civilian life.

View the full write up on radio.foxnews.com.

Article by Brooke Parker | Link to full article

The Biloxi VA has partnered with SoldierStrong to create a new form of therapy.

Veterans will be able to work through trauma using virtual reality. This works as a form of exposure therapy that limits the body’s trauma response and is often used for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans will work with trained psychologists who have the ability to place them at a scene, such as driving in Iraq. They’ll be hearing, seeing, and feeling the sensations of that day.

The treatment starts small and gradually increases until a patient no longer has a trauma response. Clinical Psychologist Todd Adamson said, “To really immerse that individual so they’re much less likely to avoid, gives them an opportunity to develop a different relationship to the past, to those traumatic experiences, and one where they’re in control, and the trauma is not controlling them.”

Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams said, “You know, veterans end up sharing things with their clinicians that they might not have otherwise shared with them, all due to the fact that they’re immersed in this virtual environment that really brings back memories that might not otherwise been present in their session with their clinicians.”

Psychologists are being trained at the moment and veterans will work with them to decide if virtual reality is right for them.

A U.S. Navy SEAL who will begin his studies this fall to earn a master’s degree from Georgetown University is the latest recipient of a SoldierScholar scholarship, Chris Meek, co-founder and chairman of the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, said today.

“Brian Fischer has gone far beyond the call of duty in his service to our country. He has endured the harshest conditions and most harrowing experiences in defense of our freedom,” Meek said. “He has had several friends who were severely injured and served with those who paid the ultimate sacrifice as he put his own life on the line. I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of receiving a SoldierScholar scholarship as he prepares to take his next steps forward in life.”

Meek noted that the Post-9/11 GI Bill honors the sacrifices of today’s veterans but it has funding gaps – such as failing to cover the cost of textbooks, classroom fees, transportation, technology, tutoring and similar expenses — that create added financial burdens on veterans pursuing higher education degrees. SoldierStrong, which primarily provides revolutionary medical technologies to Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country to help injured veterans lead full lives, has also awarded more than $500,000 through SoldierScholar since 2012.

Fischer is a Special Operations Chief responsible for the selection of future SEAL officer candidates, who joined the U.S. Navy at age 19 in 2006. He served as a hospital corpsman before completing the SEAL course in 2011. He also graduated from the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, Army Special Operations Combat Medic, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sniper and NSW Master Training Specialist schools. His service includes combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and a non-combat deployment to the Indo-Pacom region.

He has earned a bachelor of science degree from Georgetown University in leadership for emergency action and disaster response. He will enter Georgetown’s master of finance degree program as he prepares for his eventual retirement from the military.

“I’m truly grateful for the bridge SoldierStrong provides to service members. For me, it will provide a great deal of financial relief as I continue to serve while my wife, Brittany, and I raise our three children,” Fischer said.

To learn more about the SoldierScholar initiative or to donate, please visit https://www.soldierstrong.org/scholarship.