The Fisher House™ program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. There is at least one Fisher House™ at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House™ program serves more than 8,500 families, and have made available more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. Based on a comparison of fees at a Fisher House™ (the average charge is less than $10 per family per day, with many locations offering rooms at no cost) with commercial lodging facilities in the same area, it is estimated that families have saved more than $60 million by staying at a Fisher House™ since the program began.

The Center for the Intrepid was donated by over 600,000 Americans. Their generosity expresses the profound appreciation America has for its gallant servicemen and women who defend freedom. This Center is dedicated to our severely wounded military heroes whose selfless sacrifices for our nation entitle them to the best rehabilitative care. This four-story 65,000-square-foot facility includes clinical, research, and administrative space; a gait lab; a computer assisted rehabilitation environment; a pool; an indoor running track; a twostory climbing wall; and a prosthetic fabrication lab. The CFI will provide service members with severe extremity injuries and amputations the opportunity to maximize their ability to live and work productively.

MEDICAL DIRECTION

The medical care carried out in the Center for the Intrepid is under the direction of the chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center. Physiatrists work closely with the orthopaedic surgeons and other physicians to coordinate all care.

MILITARY PERFORMANCE LAB

The Military Performance Lab (MPL) seeks to analyze human motion, with particular emphasis on amputee gait (walking). The information collected in the military performance lab is ultimately used to help physicians, physical therapists, and prosthetists adjust their treatment plans and improve patient function.

Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN)

The CAREN is a 21-foot dome with a 300-degree screen upon which a variety of “virtual realities” may be displayed. This simulator is the first of its kind and holds much promise for the rehabilitation of the patients. The CAREN is central to the research mission of the center.

Gait Lab

• Up to 24 cameras use infrared light to track the position of reflective markers placed on a patient’s body. Joint angles are calculated and analyzed.

Facts and Statistics

To date, more than 27,000 men and women have been wounded in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq As of March '07, 562 troops have lost limbs, over 100 of those have lost more than one limb. Unfortunately, these numbers will continue to rise. Roughly 90 percent of troops wounded in Iraq survive. In Vietnam, only 76 percent of the wounded survived. According to U.S Senate research, the amputation rate has doubled: 6% of those injured in Iraq have amputations compared with 3% in previous wars. Hundreds of soldiers have been severely burned, and some initial reports indicate that soldiers have suffered eye injuries at a rate far higher than any previous conflict.

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) honors our fallen warriors by ensuring those they loved will have a safe place to turn for comfort and care. TAPS offers loving support, compassionate care and critical resources for all those whose lives have been forever changed by the death of a loved one serving in the Armed Forces. The heart of TAPS is our national military survivor peer support network. We also offer grief counseling referral, case worker assistance and crisis information, all available to help families cope and recover. We provide these services 24 hours a day free of charge! Please call us at 800-959-TAPS (8277) or e-mail us at info@taps.org if we can help you.

Possibly the most tragic aftermath of an active duty military death is the impact it has on the children of the families involved. The range of emotion (even guilt) and effect on these children is enormous. In addition, the bereaved partner is suddenly and traumatically a single parent, dealing with those immense challenges on top of his or her own grief, financial upheaval, and lost hopes. To find out more about the TAPS Youth Camp or about our Survivor Seminar, click here or call us at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).

“The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is a wonderful story of courage and commitment. When an untimely and tragic event occurs and a service member is lost, the work of TAPS bears quiet testimony that even deep in the pain and tragedy of the loss, members of the military family are ready to step forward, to help shoulder a burden and to help the grieving cope and heal. In its countless contributions, TAPS helps to deliver the triumph of tenderness and kindness over pain, suffering and loss.”

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress — and enduring style of USO delivery — is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Korea, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 5.3 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops.