Dean Kamen Announce Launch of Operation Mobility Tour

Today, SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping military veterans take their next steps forward in life after service through the donation of revolutionary medical technologies, and Dean Kamen, founder and president of DEKA Research and Development Corp., announced the launch of Operation Mobility, a 2.5-month, cross-country bus tour to donate 25 iBOT® PMDs (Personal Mobility Devices) to wounded veterans and Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

SoldierStrong first announced its commitment to fully fund and donate 10 iBOT® PMDs to wounded veterans at the VHA Innovation Experience (iEX) conference last October. Kamen also made a commitment to donate 50 units to veterans and VA medical facilities throughout the tour and after its conclusion. The donations stem from an agreement between SoldierStrong and DEKA Research and collaboration with the Manchester, N.H.-based company Mobius Mobility, which manufactures and distributes the iBOT® PMD, with the goal of creating positive and lasting impacts on the physical and mental health of those who have served our country.

“Americans are fortunate to have the world’s most efficient and effective military. In return for those expectations of excellence, it’s important that we are providing access to the most efficient and effective medical technologies for those who return home with life-changing, often debilitating, injuries,” said Chris Meek, co-founder and chairman of SoldierStrong. “At the forefront of those technologies is the powered iBOT® PMD, which many of our nation’s heroes have the potential to benefit from if they have access to the device. Through SoldierStrong’s partnership with Dean Kamen, our organization is humbled and honored to work with Mobius Mobility to deliver expanded access to this transformative technology.”

The iBOT® PMD, the brainchild of Kamen in partnership with his company, DEKA, and Johnson & Johnson’s Independent Technology division, is a one-of-a-kind powered mobility device that climbs stairs, allows users to rise from sitting level to six feet tall, maintains superior balance compared to other products on the market and can travel through sand and standing water.

Donations of the iBOT® PMDs are the latest effort by SoldierStrong to provide revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans lead full lives. SoldierStrong has donated $4.2 million in state-of-the-art medical devices to individual veterans and VA medical centers. These devices include hyper-advanced prosthetics, virtual reality hardware and software, known as BraveMind, to aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress (PTS) and the organization’s signature device, the SoldierSuit exoskeleton, used in the rehabilitation of paralyzed individuals who experience mobility setbacks from strokes, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) to help them regain the ability to stand and walk again. To date, SoldierStrong has donated 24 SoldierSuits and 14 BraveMind systems.

The Operation Mobility bus tour will start in East Orange, N.J. on May 27 at the East Orange VA Medical Center and will conclude in Syracuse, N.Y. at the Syracuse VA Medical Center on Aug. 4, 2021. Operation Mobility will consist of multi-day trips with intermittent breaks to re-stock and re-position its tour bus between longer legs of the journey.

Donations of these $30,000-a-piece, high-tech mobility devices will take place at 25 VA medical centers from coast-to-coast during the tour. Those events will consist of demonstrations and guest speakers, including Kamen, Meek, existing iBOT users, VA physicians and leaders, and elected officials.

Donations of the iBOT® PMD mobility devices are scheduled to take place at the following VA facilities: East Orange VA Medical Center in East Orange, N.J.; Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center in Boston, Mass.; James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.; Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Va.; Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Ga.; James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Fla.; V.A. Medical Center, Miami in Miami, Fla.; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas.; Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas; VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas, Texas.; Memphis VA Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn.; St. Louis VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo.; Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC in Denver, Colo.; Raymond G. Murphy VAMC in Albuquerque, N.M.; San Diego VA Medical Center in San Diego, Calif.; VA Long Beach Healthcare System in Long Beach, Calif.; VA Palo Alto Healthcare System in Palo Alto, Calif.; VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Seattle, Wash.; Minneapolis VA Healthcare System in Minneapolis, Minn.; Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee, Wis.; Edward Hines, Jr. VA Medical Center in Hines, Ill.; Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC in Cleveland, Ohio; Syracuse VA Medical Center in Syracuse, N.Y., and VA Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan, P.R.

Retired Army Major General Joins SoldierStrong Advisory Board

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin has joined the advisory board of SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the nation’s military veterans by providing them with revolutionary medical technologies to help them take their next steps forward in their lives after service.

“Gregg Martin has demonstrated exemplary leadership within the United States military and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role on the SoldierStrong advisory board,” said Chris Meek, the organization’s co-founder, and chairman. “I believe his presence on the board will play a key role in helping our organization bring much-needed, life-changing technology into the lives of veterans. His leadership skills, extensive military background and powerful personal story will undoubtedly be an asset to our mission.”

Martin is a combat veteran, bipolar survivor, Airborne-Ranger-Engineer qualified soldier and Army strategist, who served on active duty for 36 years. He holds a Ph.D. and two master’s degrees from MIT, master’s degrees in national security strategy from both the Army and Naval war colleges and a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. During the first year of the Iraq War, he commanded the 130th Engineer Brigade, which was the largest engineering force in the theater.

In addition to serving multiple overseas tours, Martin has commanded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwest Division as a general officer, served as Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School, commanded Fort Leonard Wood, served as Deputy Commanding General of Third Army/US Army Central, Commandant of the Army War College, President of National Defense University and Special Assistant to the Chief of Engineers. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal twice, as well as the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge.

Married with three sons, Martin’s family is committed to the tradition of service. Two of his sons, and his daughter-in-law, are Army combat veterans. Martin and his wife, Maggie, live in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he writes, speaks and continually shares his story of battling bipolar disorder in an effort to help save lives and stop the stigma. He praises his wife as “a heroine for persevering through our Army career, and surviving and overcoming our bipolar ordeal, which was the toughest fight of our lives.”

“As a veteran who has experienced mental health challenges and who has received support from the Veterans Administration, I feel that I am in an advantageous position to offer my experiences and expertise as a board member in a way that will help positively shape SoldierStrong’s efforts to provide innovative medical technology – including virtual reality systems to aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress – to VA hospitals and other medical facilities,” Martin said. “I am proud to be part of an organization of SoldierStrong’s caliber. The organization is truly changing the lives of veterans each and every day and I look forward to contributing in a meaningful way that will have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of our nation’s heroes for years to come.”

Women’s History Month: Encouraging More Women to Answer the Call of Service

Jessica Evans

Women’s History Month: Encouraging More Women to Answer the Call of Service

By Chris Meek

Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the vast and varied achievements and contributions of American women throughout history, particularly military history where women warriors have played crucial roles in carrying out military operations dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Lifting up the stories and experiences of the fearless women who have and continue to serve our country throughout the month provides a platform to encourage more women to ultimately serve.

Discussion and education surrounding women’s history, and in particular women’s military history and issues, should not remain in a vacuum amongst women. In order for there to be broader understanding and continued progress in maximizing the efforts and experiences of women warriors by military institutions and the general public, all Americans must actively seek out, listen to others and participate in those discussions.

Today the United States military counts the highest number of women among its ranks in its history. Though this is a testament to the progress that military institutions have made in previous decades, and in particular the last few years, when put into perspective women make up only 16-percent of the total force.

So how can we encourage more women to answer the call of service? And what role can both women and men alike play in fostering an environment in which females feel empowered to serve?

1. We must better identify barriers that have the potential to prevent women from joining the military and subsequently develop and implement effective measures to reduce the impact of such barriers. For example, many women have signaled that the difficulty of having a family while in service has discouraged them from enlisting. In response, offering and highlighting more resources that are family-centric may deter women from walking away from service.

For instance, this month a group of bipartisan congressional lawmakers called for changes and an expansion to a law that allows for female veterans with service-connected injuries that have left them infertile greater access to life-changing fertility options and the removal of barriers to obtaining these benefits. Though this piece of legislation is geared towards female veterans and not active duty servicewomen, positive military-related, family-oriented legislation such as this may remain encouraging to females considering service and also has the ability to better highlight family-friendly elements of military service and services carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

2. Beginning at a young age, women should be encouraged to serve. According to a 2017 military study, only 11-percent of young individuals indicate a strong interest in joining the military. We must foster an environment where more young girls and boys alike see military service as a viable option for their future and have greater access to educational resources and materials that could ultimately help them someday make the decision to serve. Parents, teachers, policy makers, the media and other key players should actively and ardently support and encourage young girls who express interest in service.

Another important piece of encouraging service for those who express interest at a young age is preparing children, particularly teenagers, for service expectations and requirements. This includes placing a value on health and fitness from a young age so that children are prepared to someday meet military fitness standards, as well as placing an emphasis on completing high school or receiving a GED in order to meet military education standards.

3. There are far too few portrayals of women warriors and their specific experiences in Hollywood media. In a society where citizens often use movies and television shows as a way to connect with and find inspiration in the different lived experiences of others, it’s damaging that the media rarely offers opportunities for individuals, especially young girls, to connect with and learn more about women who serve. If the industry continually creates products that largely pretend that women warriors don’t exist, it will not only miss out on the opportunity to promote positive aspects of female service and highlight the tremendous military contributions of women but cheat young girls out of opportunities to feel inspired and empowered to serve.

As a society we must collectively amplify the voices and experiences of female service members by ensuring that there are platforms for women to share their stories and encouraging others to seek them out. Along with ensuring space for this dialogue, it’s important that we are actively listening to the voices of women warriors and using what they share to maximize their service experience and ultimately continue to benefit all Americans for decades to come.

This Women’s History Month, I implore all Americans to contribute to a society where women feel inspired to serve more than ever before. Thank you to all women warriors for your service, your tenacity and valor is an example for all.

Re-evaluating the Role of Mental Health in the Military Discharge Process

Re-evaluating the Role of Mental Health in the Military Discharge Process

By Chris Meek

In recent years the topic of military discharge has entered the public spotlight with the role of post-traumatic stress at the core of the discussion.

Though mental health is required for consideration during the discharge process, recent media accounts criticize the extent to which mental health considerations are actually weighed. Research indicating that post-combat mental health issues can be a significant factor in bad conduct that leads to discharge has underscored the importance of mental health within the discharge process.

Mental health issues that develop as a result of war, such as post-traumatic stress (PTS), depression, anxiety or a combination of these issues, culminate in a number of behaviors that can lead to destructive conduct if gone unchecked. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, symptoms of PTS that are often precursors to or agents of reckless actions can include irritability, aggression and impaired rationality. As many are aware, mental health struggles may also lead individuals to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol which present their own additional set of behaviors and challenges.

Marine Chief Warrant Officer Cooper Williams has made headlines lately for his fight to stay in the Corps following a potential discharge related to several DUIs. Williams, who struggles with PTS and a traumatic brain injury after surviving an explosion, used alcohol as a means to cope with war-related PTS that emerged on top of his parents’ murder-suicide.

BMC Psychiatry conducted a five-year study of Marines that found those with PTS or other psychiatric conditions were more likely to have a drug-related discharge compared to service members who did not experience similar mental health setbacks.

Alcoholism and drug addiction obviously play a significant role in determining the quality of an individual’s overall mental health and as such, should be taken into consideration as valid setbacks when members are evaluated for discharge. These types of diseases should not simply be considered untoward or irresponsible behaviors, but instead should be seen in the bigger picture of other mental health struggles, like PTS, and subsequently be met with treatment instead of discharge.

Though the addition of a mental health evaluation in the discharge process in 2014 is certainly a necessary and positive step toward reaching an accurate and appropriate conclusion concerning an individual’s discharge classification, it currently benefits veterans in their attempts to change their discharge status after they have left the service. Unfortunately, it does little for active duty members, like Williams, as they wade through the process of attempting to remain on active duty.

In light of this, mental health conditions, including alcohol and drug addiction, that emerge and sometimes go undiagnosed during an individual’s military service should be considered before they are discharged and not after. It’s not only physical wounds of war that must be taken into account during the discharge classification process, but invisible wounds too, which can be long lasting and debilitating in their own right.

When we don’t acknowledge the invisible wounds of our nation’s heroes in the way we conduct our discharge system, we not only cheat them out of benefits, including healthcare, pensions and higher education, but also cheat them out of respect, validation and for many, seeking out the help they may need to lead them on a path of recovery. We may also cheat our nation out of quality active duty personnel who simply need and deserve more comprehensive mental health treatment.

Continuing Education After Service in the Military

Military Teachers

Continuing Education After Service in the Military

By Chris Meek

In 2020 most Americans understand the potential benefits of pursuing a higher education – everything from earning a larger salary, to higher potential for employment, a tendency for deeper involvement in civic activities and better overall health in part due to financial security. The list goes on and on and has continually been imprinted in our minds by politicians, primary education instructors, media outlets and the like. With it, higher education brings some appealing opportunities for young adults. Though higher education may not be for everyone, it certainly provides its own set of additional opportunities for veterans as they return home from service and begin to transition – and ultimately adjust – to civilian life.

It’s not just veterans that benefit from the institutions in which they enroll. Veterans serve as assets to the schools they attend, bringing with them myriad unparalleled experiences and unique leadership characteristics from their time in service. Though negative myths have continually been perpetuated casting veterans as underwhelming academic performers in comparison to their civilian peers, it is no surprise that an abundance of research indicates what many members of the military community have figured all along – veterans excel in higher education classrooms and thrive in making the transition from the role of active duty service member to student. In fact, I would argue that pursuing an education can play a large role in a comfortable transition back into the civilian world.

The success and track record of student veterans underlines the need and importance of the $5 billion dollars in education benefits attributed to student veterans annually through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ G.I. Bill. Particularly in 2020, a year made tumultuous by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic which has affected our country’s higher education students in general, let alone the additional effects it has had on our student veterans.

In response to the extra difficulties placed on student veterans at this time, Congress extended a number of financial protections earlier this month that ensures the extension of work-study programs and leaves housing stipends unchanged. These are important steps in helping student veterans navigate these trying times. But even with these extensions, the G.I. Bill, which has benefitted nearly one million veterans in the past year, has historically not always relieved all of the costs associated with obtaining a degree. Textbooks, classroom fees, transportation, technology, tutoring and a number of other additional expenses come with higher education and are often not considered upfront when developing a general financial plan. This reality is only made more difficult for the many veterans who also work full or part-time to support their families and other financial obligations that are not typical of the average college student.

In response to these often difficult realities, a plethora of scholarship programs on both the local and national levels have formed to reduce the financial burdens that come with obtaining an education and make the transition into higher education easier for veterans. SoldierStrong, the nonprofit that I co-founded and serve as executive director for, is one such organization that provides scholarships through our SoldierScholar initiative. We assist veterans in taking an academic step into their future by filling in gaps left by the G.I. Bill. so that veterans can finish their college education in order to continue public service careers upon the conclusion of their military service. We are proud of the over $500,000 in scholarships we have been able to provide student veterans at Georgetown University, Old Dominion University and Syracuse University. We look forward to awarding more SoldierScholar scholarships this year to benefit veterans as they complete their academic journey.

U.S. Army veteran Edrena Roberts, a 2019 SoldierScholar recipient at Georgetown University, told me that receiving a SoldierScholar scholarship has given her “incredible peace of mind” and that it has helped make her “success a reality.” Roberts is currently receiving her Master of Professional Studies in Applied Intelligence and hopes to use her degree to someday work for the FBI as an analyst. It’s veterans like Roberts that prove why it is so important that organizations continue to provide access to higher education so that veterans can apply the leadership and problem-solving skills they developed in the military to their future careers, thus finding new ways to serve their communities and country.

To learn more about SoldierScholar, please visit us on the web: https://www.soldierstrong.org/scholarship/