Fighting to Stay Active

Marines' Hearts, Warrior Spirits Help Overcome Loss of Limbs

Sometimes the hardest battles of the Global War on Terrorism aren't fought on the front lines of the battlefields. Marines at hospitals at home and abroad face the struggles to surmount life-altering injuries and fight to stay in the Corps they love.

During past wars, Marine Corps amputees were discharged, but modern technology and the Naval Service's Disability Evaluation System offer some of them the chance to continue their active duty service.

Lt. Cmdr. Candace Cornett conducts a brief check-up on Cpl. Mathew O. Behm's recovery from knee surgery prior to physical therapy at the Physical Therapy Department at Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital Aug. 4, 2005. "About 30 percent of our patients are war injuries," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary D. Boles, one of five hospital physical therapy technicians. "Most of the guys who come in for physical therapy have either received a gun shot wound or were struck by an (improvised explosive device)." Behm is a tank mechanic with Maintenance Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Tank Battalion.

Photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen

Nearly 4,620 Marines have been wounded in action as of September 8 since the war on terrorism began. About 420 of those Marines have gone through the DES, which includes a review by the physical evaluation board in Washington, to determine if they are fit to continue on active service.

"The system is designed to protect members so they can't be just kicked out of the military," said Col. Marsha Lee Culver, the director of the Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards. "We've had some really inspirational cases of Marines who have fought very hard to stay on active duty."

However, if a Marine does get medically discharged, the Marine for Life Program and the Veteran's Administration offer considerable resources to support them and help them adjust back into the civilian community, said Culver.

The DES process begins with the Marine's treating physician. The doctor determines if the injury is going to be short term or resolved within about a year. If so, the Marine can be placed in a light-duty or limited-duty status. When the physician deems a patient's recuperation as a long-term ordeal that may affect his future service, a medical evaluation board is convened at the medical treatment facility treating the Marine's injuries.

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