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Warrior Care
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — With hands over hearts, and looking upon the stars and stripes of the American flag while singing of the national anthem, participants kicked off the yearly “A Day of Healing Arts: From Clinic to Community” event, hosted by the United States Air Force Wounded Warrior Program or AFW2 and supported by the Defense Health Agency’s Recovery Coordination Program.
Every November, known as Warrior Care Month, several activities and events take place in the National Capital Region in recognition of personal triumphs as service members recover, rehabilitate, and reintegrate beyond the military. The event allows service members, as well as caregivers of the wounded, ill, and injured community, to showcase how healing comes through various forms, specifically through art.
Heading into year five, the Sunset Room at the National Harbor is once again filled with “blue” thanks to the coordination and efforts of the AFW2 program. Service members, caregivers, and family members come together to share stories of resilience and recovery.
“Being able to participate every year and witness the strength of our service members at the event with the AWF2 program is always a very humbling experience,” said Sandra Mason, Defense Health Agency Recovery Coordination Program Director.
See what a little love can do
Medically retired from a traumatic physical and sexual assault in 2012, Air Force Senior Airman Hannah Stolberg struggled for years to get back to a place of love. She describes her journey as feeling “isolated” and like she was “drowning.” After four surgeries and several spinal injections, she found her life-changing moment when she participated in an April 2016 C.A.R.E event with the AFW2 in Eglin, Florida.
“After being told that I can’t do this anymore or can’t do that anymore, AFW2 is where I was told I can,” said Stolberg. She began by taking resiliency classes and finding acrylic paint-pouring as an outlet to express her emotions, struggles, pain, and abuse of alcohol. “I suffered from insomnia and nightmares, so when I couldn’t sleep, I would just paint away.” She describes it as her way of journaling.