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51–877 2010

MEETING THE NEEDS OF INJURED VETERANS IN 

THE MILITARY PARALYMPIC PROGRAM 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

JULY 29, 2009 

Serial No. 111–38 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

( 

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COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

BOB FILNER, California, Chairman 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

VIC SNYDER, Arkansas 

MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine 

STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN, South 

Dakota 

HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona 

JOHN J. HALL, New York 

DEBORAH L. HALVORSON, Illinois 

THOMAS S.P. PERRIELLO, Virginia 

HARRY TEAGUE, New Mexico 

CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, Texas 

JOE DONNELLY, Indiana 

JERRY MCNERNEY, California 

ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio 

TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota 

JOHN H. ADLER, New Jersey 

ANN KIRKPATRICK, Arizona 

GLENN C. NYE, Virginia 

STEVE BUYER, Indiana, Ranking 

CLIFF STEARNS, Florida 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina 

JEFF MILLER, Florida 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California 

DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado 

GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida 

VERN BUCHANAN, Florida 

DAVID P. ROE, Tennessee 

Malcom A. Shorter, Staff Director 

Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public hearing records 

of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs are also published in electronic form. The printed 

hearing record remains the official version. Because electronic submissions are used to 

prepare both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process of converting 

between various electronic formats may introduce unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the current publication process and should diminish as the process 

is further refined. 

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C O N T E N T S 

July 29, 2009 

Page 

Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program ... 1 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Chairman Bob Filner ............................................................................................... 1 

Prepared statement of Chairman Filner ........................................................ 44 

Hon. Steve Buyer, Ranking Republican Member .................................................. 2 

Prepared statement of Congressman Buyer ................................................... 45 

Hon. John J. Hall, prepared statement of ............................................................. 46 

WITNESSES 

U.S. Department of Defense, Dinah F.B. Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs ....................................................................................... 34 

Prepared statement of Ms. Cohen ................................................................... 61 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Diane Hartmann, Director, Office of 

National Programs and Special Events .............................................................. 40 

Prepared statement of Ms. Hartmann ............................................................ 64 

Clemons, Sergeant Kortney, USA (Ret.), Chula Vista, CA .................................. 4 

Prepared statement of Clemons, Sergeant Kortney ...................................... 46 

Disabled American Veterans, Adrian M. Atizado, Assistant National Legislative Director .......................................................................................................... 17 

Prepared statement of Mr. Atizado ................................................................. 49 

Disabled Sports USA, Inc., Julia Ray, Manager, Wounded Warrior Disabled 

Sports Project ....................................................................................................... 20 

Prepared statement of Ms. Ray ....................................................................... 54 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Carlos Leon, Member and 

Paralympian ......................................................................................................... 24 

Prepared statement of Mr. Leon ..................................................................... 59 

Little, Captain Mark D., USA, Fairfax, VA ........................................................... 8 

Prepared statement of Captain Little ............................................................. 49 

National Recreation and Park Association, David Stringer, Richland County, 

South Carolina, Parks and Recreation Department ......................................... 22 

Prepared statement of Mr. Stringer ............................................................... 58 

Paralyzed Veterans of America, Carl Blake, National Legislative Director ....... 18 

Prepared statement of Mr. Blake .................................................................... 51 

United States Olympic Committee, Charlie Huebner, Chief of Paralympics ..... 37 

Prepared statement of Mr. Huebner ............................................................... 63 

Waldon, Captain Nathan, USA, Washington, DC ................................................ 6 

Prepared statement of Captain Waldon ......................................................... 47 

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

Post-Hearing Questions and Responses for the Record: 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Adrian 

M. Atizado, Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled American 

Veterans, letter dated July 30, 2009, and DAV responses ........................ 67 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Carl 

Blake, National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America, 

letter dated July 30, 2009, and response letter dated September 1, 

2009 ................................................................................................................ 68 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Julia 

Ray, Manager, Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, Disabled 

Sports USA, letter dated July 30, 2009, and DSUSA response ................ 70 

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Post-Hearing Questions and Responses for the Record—Continued 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Barbara 

Tulipane, Chief Executive Officer, National Recreation and Park Association, letter dated July 30, 2009, response letter dated September 

10, 2009 .......................................................................................................... 72 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Paul 

Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, letter dated July 30, 2009, and IAVA responses ......... 74 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Hon. 

Robert M. Gates, Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense, letter dated 

July 30, 2009, and DoD responses ............................................................... 75 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Charlie 

Huebner, U.S. Olympic Committee Chief, U.S. Paralympics Division, 

letter dated July 30, 2009, and USOC responses ....................................... 78 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to Hon. 

Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, letter 

dated July 30, 2009, and VA responses ...................................................... 91 

Hon. Steve Buyer, Ranking Republic Member, Committee on Veterans’ 

Affairs, to Hon. Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, letter dated July 30, 2009, and VA responses .................... 93 

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MEETING THE NEEDS OF INJURED 

VETERANS IN THE 

MILITARY PARALYMPIC PROGRAM 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2009 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m., in Room 

334, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Bob Filner [Chairman of 

the Committee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Filner, Snyder, Hall, Halvorson, 

Perriello, Teague, Rodriguez, McNerney, Walz, Adler, Kirkpatrick, 

Buyer, Stearns, Boozman, Bilirakis, and Roe. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN 

The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will come to order. I ask unanimous consent that all Members 

may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. Hearing no objection, so ordered. 

We have a very interesting and important hearing this morning. 

Since the early years of our country, Congress has had to reassess 

programs created to care for our men and women in uniform, our 

veterans who have courageously answered our call to duty, and 

their families who have joined in the military experience. For many 

servicemembers and veterans who have been severely injured from 

service to our country the rehabilitation can sometimes be quite 

disheartening. Many become concerned about having the same 

quality of life that they had prior to their injuries. This was known 

to be true in World War II and has held true today in the midst 

of our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fortunately, this 

Congress stands united in support of our Members of the armed 

forces and veterans who deserve the best resources to succeed in 

life after their military service. 

Some of my colleagues are aware of the history of how 

Paralympic sports have been used in the physical therapy of injured servicemembers and veterans and how it has evolved since 

World War II. As we will hear from some of our panelists today, 

the issue of Paralympic sports being used as a method of physical 

therapy is not new to them with many sharing strong partnerships 

with the VA that span more than two decades to provide rehabilitation services to our injured men and women who have worn the 

uniform. 

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Last Congress, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, 

under the leadership of Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking 

Member Boozman, held a series of hearings on the future role of 

the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Paralympic sports. 

In those hearings, we received testimony highlighting the need to 

conduct program outreach to veterans, conduct followups with veterans after a flagship event such as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, and the need to implement programs to appeal to veterans seeking to participate in non-traditional activities such as 

scuba diving. 

Today will provide the needed oversight on the VA’s Office of the 

National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events that we 

first authorized in Public Law 110–389. The law authorizes the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to the U.S. Olympic 

Committee (USOC) to provide Paralympic instruction, competition 

activities, and the training program development activities for 

servicemembers and veterans with physical disabilities. Many of 

you know that earlier this month we passed an amendment to the 

VA appropriations bill with the support of both sides of the aisle 

which ensures that this valuable program is fully funded and capable of providing the support and programs that our veteran athletes require. As some of my colleagues have highlighted in the 

past, it is important to understand the history of this new program 

so that we may avoid any pitfalls that have been encountered by 

similar programs. 

I look forward to working with all the Members of the Committee 

to make sure this program succeeds in its mission to provide rehabilitative sports therapy to our injured servicemembers and our 

veterans. Of course, they deserve it. But the inspiration that you 

provide to all Americans is an incredible by-product of this program 

and keeps our faith in all of you that you are going to succeed. 

I yield to Mr. Buyer for his opening comments. 

[The prepared statement of Chairman Filner appears on p. 44.] 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE BUYER 

Mr. BUYER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. General Douglas MacArthur while Superintendent at West Point had stated that, ‘‘upon 

the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other 

fields on other days will bear the fruits of victory.’’ General MacArthur eloquently conveyed that the value of participation in sports 

activities can carryover into other areas of life. Sports strengthen 

individuals physically, mentally, and emotionally. Athletes develop 

so many great qualities of the heart and the mind that when these 

attributes are translated into other areas of life’s activities it often 

leads to great success and accomplishments. I believe that sports 

therapy is among the most valuable rehabilitative tools that we can 

provide our wounded warriors. 

I saw this firsthand when I had the pleasure of visiting the 

United States Olympic Committee Training Center in the Chairman’s district years ago. The training site, located a few miles 

southeast of downtown San Diego, is a place, I believe, of joy, determination, dedication, sweat, and camaraderie. It is a very scenic 

place with a beautiful lake and landscape. Another notable feature 

is that the landscape is dotted with signs reminding visitors of ratanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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tlesnakes that are lurking in the shrubbery as part of the natural 

ecosystem. I found it a convincing reason to stay out of the landscape. 

But the real beauty of the site was the athletes. Walking around 

you see the positive energy with which they approach their life. 

You see how they encourage each other even when they are competitors in the same sport on the same team. In some, I suspect 

that you will see the very same vitality that I saw there at other 

training centers. 

At the same time I was there, the Olympic Committee was embroiled in a controversy over allegations of corruption and less flattering charges. I felt it was a duty to help the U.S. Olympic Committee refocus itself upon the athletes, and to reorganize the Committee and reduce its size to a more manageable board. 

That happened. A leaner, more efficient number of staff now exists and includes representatives of the athletes themselves on the 

Board. The upbeat, positive attitudes I saw during my visit made 

it clear to me that our disabled veterans would benefit greatly from 

their activities and increasing their participation in sports at all 

levels, from the beginner to the expert, would help them in their 

rehabilitation. 

With a bit of encouragement, the VA and USOC signed an agreement, a memorandum between them in 2005, to begin a program 

to bring more veterans into sports. I truly wanted to create an avenue for our military athletes who now find themselves disabled, if 

in fact they can aspire to go and find access to the Paralympic 

Games. As a result, the USOC began a series of training events at 

Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Chula Vista, California, for our 

wounded warriors. Many of these servicemembers were literally 

just a few weeks from being wounded in action and the great thing 

was that every one of them, they were smiling despite their injures 

and the exertions they were making to start life all over. 

I also introduced a bill that authorized the VA to provide grants 

via the USOC to other local disabled sports programs, and to offer 

a small per diem to disabled veteran athletes training at the USOC 

families. Chairman Filner also introduced legislation and we 

merged our ideas into one bill that was signed into law last year 

as part of title 38. I am proud that through our combined efforts, 

Mr. Chairman, we have also helped formalize the VA Sports and 

Special Events Programs and expanded sports therapy for disabled 

veterans. VA, and its cosponsors from the veterans service organizations, have put adaptive sports on the map with events such as 

the National Wheelchair Games, the Winter Sports Clinic, the 

Golden Age Games, and this year the VA will add a new disabled 

golf event to their calendar and I salute the VA and their partners 

for being pioneers in the adaptive sports arena. 

This year the Chairman and I amended the VA appropriations 

bill to increase funding for the program to the full amount of $10 

million. And that was the number that the Chairman wanted. And 

I applaud and thank him for his work. I want to make it very clear 

that this legislation was not about producing athletes for the U.S. 

Paralympic Team itself. It is about increasing the number of disabled veterans who participate in all types of sports at all levels 

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of cooperation with the U.S. Paralympics and their partners, such 

as those of whom are witnesses here today. 

I am sure Mr. Huebner would agree that you build a national 

team from the ground up beginning with local sports programs. 

One does not wave a magic wand and poof, you have an elite athlete. And as much as I am a frustrated athlete, I would have loved 

to have competed in the Olympics, I do not have that ability. So 

everybody will rise to a particular level. And what is wonderful 

about the design of these sports programs, is that we are trying to 

use sports as a platform of healing and for individuals to rise to 

their particular level. And that is why I want to applaud the Chairman for his work. And there is a real journey here in front of us. 

And the oversight over all of these programs is extremely important and I know it is personal to the Chairman. With that I yield 

back. 

[The prepared statement of Congressman Buyer appears on p. 45.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Buyer. And thank you for the 

nice words about the training center in southern California, in my 

district. It is a great place year-round and I think one of our panelists trained there. 

Let me introduce the first panel. All of these witnesses participate in the Paralympic program and are here to tell us about their 

experiences. Kortney Clemons is a retired Sergeant with the U.S. 

Army who resides in Chula Vista, California. There is an election 

coming up in 2010, I hope you will know who to vote for. He was 

the first Iraq veteran to qualify for the U.S. Paralympic Games and 

has earned numerous medals in track and field through the 

Paralympic program. Nathan Waldon is a Captain with the United 

States Army who lives here in Washington. Captain Waldon serves 

as the Assistant to the Adaptive Sports Coordinator at Walter Reed 

Army Medical Center and Captain Mark Little is in the United 

States Army and currently lives in Fairfax, Virginia. He is a police 

officer in Virginia and trains law enforcement and the military as 

he continues to serve the Department of Defense while completing 

his recovery from his own war injuries. We thank all of you for 

being here. We will insert your written statement in the record and 

you will be recognized for any oral remarks you would like to 

make. Sergeant Clemons, we will start with you. We greatly appreciate not only your own athletic talents but your ambassadorship 

to others to try to bring them into the program. Thank you for 

being here. 

STATEMENTS OF SERGEANT KORTNEY CLEMONS, USA (RET.), 

CHULA VISTA, CA; CAPTAIN NATHAN WALDON, USA, WASHINGTON, DC; AND CAPTAIN MARK D. LITTLE, USA, FAIRFAX, 

VA 

STATEMENT OF SERGEANT KORTNEY CLEMONS, USA (RET.) 

Sergeant CLEMONS. Thank you. Good morning Chairman Filner 

and Ranking Member Buyer. My name is Kortney Clemons. I was 

honored to serve in the Army from 2001 to 2006, and I am proud 

to stand before you today as an Army veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and a Paralympic athlete. 

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I lost my right leg above the knee to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 

2005. I never imagined when I was lying in the hospital bed in 

Landstuhl, Germany, that 4 years later I would be living and training full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista 

as a part of the Paralympic track and field resident program. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done to support the VA 

Paralympic program. Your support has changed, and will continue 

to change, the lives of thousands of injured soldiers. Some like me 

may pursue representing their country again at the Paralympic 

Games. But all will benefit from the impact of sports in many areas 

of their lives. 

Paralympic sport has given me an opportunity that I never 

thought would even be possible. Prior to my injury, I was an athlete who absolutely loved sports. I played football and basketball in 

my little small town of Little Rock, Mississippi. And I played football at East Mississippi Community College. I served as an Army 

medic in Europe and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad in March 2004. Eleven and a half 

months after arriving in Iraq I lost my right leg to a roadside 

bomb. I was helping a soldier who had been wounded in an earlier 

incident. The bomb took the lives of three of my comrades. I was 

grateful to have survived, but following my injury, I struggled with 

thinking about my life as an amputee. 

When I lost my leg, I felt I had lost my identity. I thought I 

would be in a wheelchair forever. I had never been exposed to other 

amputees, prosthetics, and certainly not Paralympic sports. I wondered about where I would live, how I would get around, how 

would I even work? I was dealing with post-traumatic stress, coming to terms with the loss of my leg, and learning how to walk 

again. Sports was the last thing on my mind. But it was through 

sports that I found hope and found my future. 

I will never forget the day U.S. Paralympic Committee employee 

John Register came to BAMC, Brooke Army Medical Center. An 

amputee himself, he was meeting with injured soldiers like myself 

to tell them about the USOC’s Paralympic Military Program. I was 

still learning how to walk. But seeing him demonstrate how to run 

that day changed me forever. I knew I could get back to playing 

sports and his inspirational message made me realize that sports 

could give me strength, courage, and confidence to live a great life. 

It is an important outlet for anyone with a physical disability. I 

believe it should be a part of rehabilitation of any injured servicemember. Everyone knows it is a benefit from a physical and health 

standpoint, but no one really realizes the psychological and emotional benefit that it serves. 

As an athlete, I have had an opportunity to meet many wounded 

soldiers during visits to military hospitals. It is wonderful to tell 

them about the Paralympic Military Program and how powerful 

sports can be in their lives. I know what it is like to lie in bed and 

believe that life no longer would be normal. So it gives me great 

pride to share my story with the patients and help them see that 

returning to sports is not only a possibility, it will also help them 

achieve many other things in life. 

To me, sports equals quality of life. It represents health and freedom. One of the past participants at the USOC military camp 

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summed it up best. He said, ‘‘Rehab helps you exist. Sports helps 

you really live.’’ I understand that completely and what he meant 

by sharing those feelings. I remember the first time I walked after 

my injury and how awesome it felt. I want other servicemen and 

women to have the same experience. I want them to learn the same 

things that I did, that Paralympic sports can help them, lead them 

to a productive life, and achieve their dreams, and inspire others 

to do it along the way. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Sergeant Clemons appears on p. 46.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you so much, Kortney. Captain Waldon, 

you are recognized. 

STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN NATHAN WALDON, USA 

Captain WALDON. Good morning. Good morning, Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, as well as all the other ladies and 

gentlemen on the panel today. My name is Nathan Wayne Waldon 

and I am a Captain in the United States Army. I appreciate the 

opportunity to testify. 

My affinity for physical activity has not been recently acquired. 

Growing up in the Southeast and thus afforded great year round 

weather, I have been an active participant in various sports from 

early on. This, of course, was strongly encouraged, or mandated, by 

my parents to make sure that I was not sitting around the house, 

playing video games, and watching television all day. Looking back 

now upon those years from a very different perspective, I have 

come to understand that there were a multitude of reasons they 

wanted me to participate. Physical activity is something that every 

child needs. An active lifestyle, which started at an early age, is 

something that has always been a part of my identity as a person. 

Sports is where I learned so many important life lessons: how to 

be a team player; putting the good of the team ahead of one’s personal ambition; how to communicate or interact with other people 

from all walks of life; the importance of hard work, nothing is going 

to come easy; to be better you must put in the practice to improve; 

mental toughness, pushing yourself beyond what you think you are 

capable of; never quitting; confidence in oneself, that you can 

achieve what you put your mind to; humility in both victory and 

defeat. I could continue to list all the values that physical activity 

has taught me. But it is simpler to say it is both the reason I am 

alive today and has given me hope for my future. 

Before I ever applied to college, I knew I wanted to serve in the 

Army. I made sure I found a school that was both academically 

strong as well as having a good Reserve Officers’ Training Corps 

(ROTC) program. I decided upon Furman University and began in 

the Fall of 2000. During this time, physical activity both in the 

military as well as intramural sports were a wonderful balance to 

all the academic studies. One of the first things I learned from my 

1st Sergeant was the most important: an officer leads from the 

front in everything that he does. You should always set the proper 

example. 

I graduated in 2004 and proceeded to Fort Benning. Throughout 

all the Army schools I participated in, physical activity played a 

crucial role. The intensity with which I approached training was so 

that I could serve my men better. Physical fatigue can obviously 

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lead to poor decision making. My sweat now would hopefully prevent their blood being spilled later. 

I was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade, 2/69 

Armor, Bayonet Company, 1st Platoon, as an infantry platoon leader. Once again, the lessons I learned living an active lifestyle continued to pay dividends. I had the top PT score in the company, 

earning a bit of credibility with my new men. I also won the Brigade fitness competition, a new tradition started by Colonel 

Brigsby, the Brigade Commander, who wanted to stress the importance of physical fitness to the entire Brigade. I received an Army 

Commendation Medal (ARCOM) as well as a 4-day pass for this accomplishment. But it also gained notoriety for my platoon and gave 

them something to be proud of as well. 

On 11 July, 2007, we were conducting combat operations in 

Baghdad. My platoon was mounted in gun trucks on the way to 

conduct dismounted patrolling operations. My vehicle was hit with 

an explosively formed penetrator (EFP), the signal to launch an 

ambush. The slug from the EFP went through my door and in my 

leg, and fortunately bit my rifle up pretty good perhaps saving my 

left leg. I was able to get the door open, climb or fall out, and my 

gunner assisted me from the top dragging me back to the third 

truck. 

It was so surreal, the magnitude of what had happened to me 

just now was taking a moment to set in. I did not have much time 

to contemplate my situation. My platoon sergeant was giving me 

the situation report (SITREP) and we were still in the fight. Luckily, everyone in the truck was fine. Everyone was going about their 

business or reacting to contact just as we had always trained. I was 

conscious and able to make rational decisions. Without my training, none of this would have been possible. Being in excellent shape 

kept the injury I had sustained from being far worse. The emergency room docs said it should have taken my leg off to the hip just 

from the force of the projectile. He cited my physical conditioning 

as a large part of the reason I did not go into shock or lost consciousness. 

I was transported back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 

where my surgeries and rehabilitation began. It was not a happy 

time. I was in pain. I had recently had a life altering experience, 

etcetera. I had always been very independent and self-sufficient 

but now I cannot walk. What made this even worse was that sports 

was such a large part of my identity. I was only focusing on the 

negative, but without that outlet who was I? I truly felt lost. My 

prior conditioning allowed me to achieve the goals of the therapist 

but I wanted more. 

Because of my physical progression, they recommended I try to 

participate in one of the adaptive sports programs. It was December at this point and DSUSA was hosting the Hartford Ski Spectacular along with the Wounded Warrior Project. I decided to go on 

this trip and it was one of the best decisions I made. It was like 

learning sports as a child all over again. I felt like such a fool falling all over the place. You want to quit. You want to get up. Your 

strength is not there. Your leg is not doing what it wants to. But 

the lessons instilled as a child were still there. Humility, just swallow your pride, get out there, battle it, do not give up. The instrucanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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tors and the event were exceptional. By the end of the week, I had 

made great progress. But I did not want to be adequate; I wanted 

to excel. 

Since this initial event I have had the opportunity to attend others building upon what I learned at the last event and always 

pushing forward. As I have improved, it is always inspirational for 

other wounded who attend these events to see what they can accomplish if they commit themselves. 

Words cannot express how grateful I am to those who gave me 

the opportunity to participate in their events. Thank you so much 

for giving me my life back. 

Sorry about that. 

[The prepared statement of Captain Waldon appears on p. 47.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you for your very eloquent and moving 

testimony. Captain Little, you are recognized. 

STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN MARK D. LITTLE, USA 

Captain LITTLE. Good morning, Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much for entertaining our testimony today. I personally feel that this is a very, 

very important project for all returning veterans, and disabled veterans in particular. My name is Captain Mark Little, United States 

Army, and luckily Captain Waldon’s story is almost a mirror image 

of mine so we can save a lot of time here. 

I served 4 years almost in the National Guard enlisted, getting 

ready to be a Lieutenant Active Duty through George Mason 

ROTC. I was assigned also to 3rd Infantry Division, however the 

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1/30 Infantry. And deployed in 2007 

with them to Iraq. Similarly, while conducting combat operations 

there I received an (EFP, which was my third improvised explosive 

device strike in the last month of the 3-month tour I had, which 

came in through my door, took both of my legs off below the knee, 

and similarly, luckily, exited without injury to any other personnel. 

I was evacuated through Germany to Walter Reed and on September 11, 2007, began my road to recovery there. 

Very similarly, also, sports was huge in my identity, being an almost pro roller hockey player, ice hockey player, rugby, tennis, golf, 

soccer, football, etcetera. I had similar concerns. Now I am missing 

both of my legs, how am I going to be an excellent sports star like 

I always knew I would be? And it was as I was expressing those 

concerns my first day of physical therapy a couple weeks after returning home that a Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps who 

is a double below the knee amputee walked in with his set of prosthetic roller blade inline skates, telling me that they had just custom made those for him. He was the second person to ever receive 

that style and was already skating outside. 

Right then and there competitive spirit took over and I knew exactly what I knew before in the military and even prior in sports: 

I have to be better than this man. I have to do one more. So I 

asked my physical therapist, who ironically was also his physical 

therapist, what records had he set? And she said pretty much everything for a double amputee. So after getting a laundry list of 

those I set out to beat every single one. Day 5, walking up the helicopter pad hill on prosthetics 5 days in beat his 6-day record. And 

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then snow boarding 4 months after injury, after 21⁄2 months after 

receiving legs without any real adaptive equipment beat his record 

of about 31⁄2. And continuing on from there, not to be an immodest 

person. 

But that is the point I am trying to convey. Is what we get 

through this adaptive sports type program is our competitive nature back, which is inherent to pretty much everybody in the military as an alpha type personality. We want to be better, and the 

best that we can personally. And seeing others that have come before us gives us that bar that we have to set new one higher and 

better. 

In addition to that, we learn lessons from each other that we 

would have never know. I would have never know half of what I 

do about being an amputee, being a returning disabled veteran, 

and just getting around in life, had it not been for people like my 

first snowboard trip, Captain Waldon, who you may have met earlier, teaching me how to properly fit my prosthetic in a snowboard 

boot to get down the hill, which I did successfully my first time. 

And then going on to be that person. There is somebody else out 

there now that is telling a story about how Captain Little showed 

him how to do that the first time he was out there. And he had 

questions about how to do X, how to do Y, and now he is a more 

striving and better functioning returning disabled amputee in the 

military. And that is what these programs are, brass tacks. It is 

how we get back up literally and figuratively, and move out with 

our life, and become better and more prosperous personnel both 

within the military as we still serve and within our communities, 

as I have gone on to be a reserve and volunteer police officer and 

train fully capable and able-bodied personnel with no injuries. And 

it is not until day 5, the last day of training when we go out for 

a brewski in the pub, when I wear shorts, that these guys who I 

have been running around with guns and on stairs realize, ‘‘Holy, 

that guy has no legs.’’ You know? That is what we strive to do. We 

do not want to be the target of pity. We want to get out there and 

show you that we can be better and we can do more than you will 

ever expect. 

DSUSA, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), all these organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), they give us 

those opportunities. And without that I do not think I would be 

where I am right now, literally and figuratively strutting my stuff 

down the hallways and just being a happy camper as I am. If you 

see me with a frown, that is probably the second time since injury 

because there has only been one, and that was when I fell the first 

time snowboarding. 

Otherwise, I really appreciate what you are doing for us and allowing us to help each other. And at the community level, that is 

what we are looking to do. Is keep together and keep pushing forward, and again, I thank you for your time. 

[The prepared statement of Captain Little appears on p. 49.] 

The CHAIRMAN. I do not think we have had a more moving panel. 

Thank you so much for your testimony. It is not often that we debate issues and authorize millions of dollars for a program. To see 

the actual results of this program recommits us to doing the right 

thing. You continue to inspire us as you do others that you will 

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meet along the way. Thank you so much for recommitting us to 

this struggle that you have gone through, have conquered, and are 

going to help others through as well. Mr. Rodriguez, do you have 

a statement or questions? 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Yes, thank you very much. Let me say it is extremely inspirational just to hear you guys talk about your experiences. I have a daughter who is 27, and to see you young kids, in 

all honesty, where you are at, and the growth that you already display, I want to just congratulate each and every one of you. I sometimes talk to young people and people that have had difficulties in 

their lives. You have certainly had your share of difficulties. I usually tell them that there are two roads. One is where you ‘‘feel pity, 

the poor old me’’ syndrome, and it will get you nowhere. But you 

guys do not even have to talk about that. You are living it. And 

you are experiencing that. By you going out there it can make all 

the difference in the world to a lot of these individuals. And I know 

life has a lot of ups and downs. And whatever else you face in life 

is going to be nothing compared to what you have already experienced. So it is a piece of cake, the rest of it, in terms of going 

through in the future. And so I just want to congratulate each and 

every one of you for what you are doing, and what you continue 

to do. And that is inspire others to do and go beyond. Because we 

have a large number of young soldiers coming back with a lot of 

difficulties. And even outside the military, there are a lot of young 

people out there that feel sorry for themselves for one reason or another. And you guys are just a great inspiration and great role 

models. So I want to just thank you for who you are and what you 

have been able to accomplish at such a young age. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez. Mr. Walz? 

Mr. WALZ. Well, thank you, Chairman. And I see the Ranking 

Member slipped out but I would like to thank both of you. You 

have been absolutely stalwartly committed to this program and it 

really sets the tone for the rest of us. And I will echo to all of you, 

thanks for being here today. Your stories are absolutely uplifting. 

It is a great example, and not just for other wounded veterans but 

for this entire country. 

And Captain Waldon I thank you for reminding me of that day 

almost 30 years ago when I got to do a little bit of physical activity 

at Fort Benning, in that beautiful resort. And they helped me so 

much, doing so many of those things. But my job before I got here, 

and what if I am on a leave of absence, and what I will do after 

I leave here, is that I am a high school teacher and a football 

coach. And actively engaged and understand what competitive 

sports do. And I have been on and coached the teams that failed 

to win a game, and then 3 years later coached the same team to 

win a State championship. And that striving for goals. And what 

I can say is, it is a lot more fun to win the State championship but 

there is also a lot of lessons in that journey in trying to get there. 

And so, your story of how you have taken that journey and seen 

these things as opportunities to overcome instead of obstacles, I 

would echo what the Chairman said. Is I do not think of the money 

we spend up here we could find a better place to put, a more rewarding place, and one that sets such an inspirational tone. 

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And Captain Little, I would just say, is there anything more we 

can be doing on this outreach? I think you had a real moving statement there, about talking about how you were touched. And now 

I think it is just a great story for you to know, somebody saying, 

‘‘Captain Little, this guy showed me what to do.’’ And that is being 

passed down. How do we increase that? Are we doing enough to get 

to these folks that, as we said, may not participate in the 

Paralympics but may go snowboarding on the weekends with their 

families? So if you could let me know, we would be glad to make 

sure we are pushing it. 

Captain LITTLE. I can tell you personally, moving down to smaller, I guess, smaller scale, I use the term operations because that 

is what I am used to, is going to be great idea and a great benefit, 

whereas a national level program taking guys out to Vail or 

Breckenridge for a ski and snowboard event, or up to Northern 

New York, upstate for, you know, a summer camp, that is wonderful, uplifting, and inspiring. However, you know, the first time I 

ran ever missing both legs was not at physical therapy, and it was 

not at a national level event. It was a DSUSA intern invited me 

out to kickball out on the National Mall. And in order to get to first 

base I had to move expeditiously. And so I quickly taught myself 

how to run after thumping a ball with a titanium foot. And it is 

things like that that we need right here in our communities because not everyone stays in DC. A Fairfax native I am. However, 

if you are out in the middle of, you know, Green Springs, Idaho, 

no offense to Idaho, but there is not going to be that program there 

yet, and there needs to be. Little things, like the kickball, or like 

the softball league, is what is going to get guys back up and moving. 

Mr. WALZ. Captain Waldon or Sergeant Clemons, anything on 

that, too, of how we do that? How we get this outreach more? What 

are, I think it is a great point of at the local levels, how do we 

make sure we are letting those folks know where they have the resources to do this? If you have any insights, we would appreciate 

it. 

Captain WALDON. No, just stressing the same thing. You know, 

reiterating what Mark said. Pretty much the daily community programs, just moving it down to more, just like classroom size. The 

smaller the classroom the more personal the instruction can be for 

the students. It is the same thing with this. The more one on one, 

one on three, one on four time you can really get with an instructor 

or someone to help you out, you know, the better it will be. And, 

you know, just pretty much being everywhere. I mean, it is a far 

reaching goal but, you know, you at least have, you know, something in mind. Like, something to push forward. So no reason to 

settle if we can achieve something else. 

Mr. WALZ. Well again, thank you all. Go ahead, Sergeant 

Clemons? All right. 

Sergeant CLEMONS. Well I think, just to bounce off some of the 

same things they said, I think one of the most important things is 

the programs working together. The main thing, just spreading the 

knowledge, so to speak, to let them know that, okay, these programs are going on. And just letting them know that, okay, once 

you leave this camp, or once you leave this, maybe some type of 

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camp or whatnot, whenever you get back home there are things 

that you can do to continue to move forward. And I think that 

would be the main thing. Make sure that these guys know, at all 

levels, that they can get back in, get up and going again. 

Mr. WALZ. Well again, I thank all three of you. It is incredibly 

inspirational. And as I said, the attitude you have taken on this 

is really great to see. And we will make sure we do our part to enable you to do that. So I yield back, and thank you Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Roe. 

Mr. ROE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to start by saying, and Captain Waldon, where you said words cannot express 

how grateful I am, I cannot express how grateful I am to the three 

of you for service to your country, to our Nation. And thank you 

for that. 

I totally understand. I am an old second ID guy. We had a war 

in the 1960s in Vietnam, we sort of forgot about our troops for 

awhile. I promise you that will not happen here. I am going to, and 

I know everyone, I have heard everyone speak on this panel. And 

we are committed to be sure that you get the care you need from 

now on. I know you, you guys are very young, and you do not think 

you are ever going to be 40-, or 50-, or 60-years old. Guess what? 

You wait around a few years, you will be. And those needs will 

change. And competitors like you are going to be able to teach us 

a lot about how, because I, being an old athlete as I am, I have 

done this DC Marathon four times, and for my 60th birthday I 

summited Mt. Rainier for the fourth time. I understand competition. And I think one of the best things, the best treatments for depression is sweat. And you guys have shown that. I mean, it is 

amazing what you have done. And we have a VA in my district 

back in Tennessee. And I certainly would like to keep in contact 

with you all to be able to get ideas that we can take back to our 

VA. So when soldiers come there we can take what you have 

learned and pass that along to them. And these devices that you 

have are going to improve with time. They are going to get better. 

And you are going to help us make them better. You can actually 

do that because of what you are doing, excelling in the field of athletics. 

Captain Waldon, I look forward to seeing you. I am sure we have 

friends because there are a lot of people from Johnson City, Tennessee, where I live, go to Furman University. And, but once again, 

I will yield back my time. But I just want to tell you, everyone on 

this panel I have heard speak now for months are committed to 

being sure that you get the things you need. And we can learn from 

you all. So thank you, do not thank us, we want to thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. McNerney. 

Mr. MCNERNEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for pulling together 

this hearing. And I want to say when I first came in here I was 

sleepy from jet lag. And hearing your testimony, it inspired me and 

it was truly, it was worthwhile. 

Now, one thing I noticed in all three of you that was a moment 

of inspiration, that was you came out of the injury, you were in the 

hospital, you were depressed, and then something sparked you. 

Sergeant Clemons, in your case it was an individual that you saw 

that had a similar injury. And Captain Little, same thing, an indianorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

13 

vidual came in and you said, ‘‘Hey, I can do that. I can beat this 

guy.’’ And so, it seems to me that that is the key here. It is reaching people with an inspiring story that can get them going, can lift 

them up out of that depression or that slump they are in after getting injured and seeing their life potentially change. And so what 

I want to do is encourage you to tell your story and to go out there 

and inspire those guys that need that inspiration. 

But there are only three of you here. And you are young. And 

when you saw this inspiration you were young. But we have a lot 

of veterans that are not young that have lifelong injuries. And 

what I would like to know is if you have any idea on how to reach 

them with an inspiration? How to get them reengaged and engaged 

in sports, or something that will get them back into the community. If anyone wants to take a shot at that I would appreciate it. 

Captain WALDON. The only thing I have not even really looked 

at it from that perspective before. I totally agree with you. I mean, 

things have advanced so much with technology as well as, I mean, 

even how they conduct the ways to treat your amputation, how 

they are doing just the surgeries, totally different kind of theory 

than they used to do, where they tried to keep the most length. 

And now they are actually padding it a certain way. Things that 

I am definitely not an expert in. But what they gave me works out 

great. 

The only time I really see the people is when they are coming 

through, like, you know, the amputee clinic, the Military Advanced 

Training Center that they opened recently, and they come down 

there on a Wednesday. I mean, Kirk Bauer from DSUSA being, you 

know, a Vietnam veteran who is, you know, an above knee amputee. And you see a lot of those guys from the VA get siphoned 

through it that way. And then they kind of see what is out there 

at that point, and they can get interested. But as far as, you know, 

specific targeting for those people is really going to have to be done 

at more the VA level, and their local communities. Because, I 

mean, we are very fortunate here at Reed, you know, BAMC. What 

is it down in Texas? Balboa, yeah, Balboa is the other center. Any 

of the, like, the main treatment centers that we will go through, 

very fortunate to have the prosthetic care. And the programs are 

there almost force fed to you, which is wonderful. It really, I mean, 

they get you up, they get you going. And maybe something like 

that, you know, maybe a sports coordinator or something at the 

local VAs. Some sort of just point of contact, POC, when they get 

to these places, you know, if they are coming through there, going 

back to their hometown community. Okay, I am going to be going 

to this VA. You know, put them in touch with that person, or have 

it be almost like their in-processing thing. Just to know they are 

there. 

Mr. MCNERNEY. I mean, it is important for them to see someone 

that has sort of been through the same thing. Someone that is, 

‘‘Hey, I have been there. I have lost my leg. I have spent, I have 

been through rehab,’’ all that sort of thing, you know. And yet, ‘‘I 

got inspired.’’ You know? And then, ‘‘Hopefully, you can too.’’ Is 

that, it just seems that that is a critical element. Is for them to see 

someone that gets to them, that says, ‘‘Hey, we can do this.’’ Or, 

‘‘I can do this.’’ 

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I was pretty touched by your story, Sergeant Clemons. How you 

saw an individual and you said, ‘‘Hey, this guy is doing it.’’ You 

know, ‘‘I can do the same thing.’’ 

Sergeant CLEMONS. To bounce off what you were saying, I feel 

that that is the best way. A therapist can tell me with both limbs 

how to run and I could, you know, follow that. But I did not, to 

see someone do it was just, you know, was, like, so enlightening for 

me. It gave me hope. It gave me, you know, a sense that, ‘‘Okay, 

I can get this done.’’ And for those guys that are older, they may 

not, we may be younger for those guys but it is a way. And so, it 

is a way for us to give back and, you know, and help those guys. 

Because those guys invested in our future. Because of the Vietnam 

guys we are better taken care of. 

So I do not really think, I really feel that it gives us the opportunity, I know I would love the opportunity to go back and help 

those guys. So I think the main thing is just getting us together. 

I think we will all be able to learn from one another. 

Mr. MCNERNEY. So giving you the opportunity to go out there is 

also important? And not just giving them, but it gives you an opportunity as well. So with that I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Boozman. 

Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really do not have 

any questions. I just appreciate you guys being here and telling us 

your accounts. And I appreciate your courage. I had the opportunity to play football at the University of Arkansas as just kind 

of a journeyman guy. But I understand how important athletics 

are. And not just, you know, athletics at the level that you guys 

are at. But just competition. Getting your mind on something else 

as you are rehabilitating and things. And I appreciate your courage, the fact that you are here. Your achievements really are making a difference. It is helping us to push these programs forward. 

You are tremendous examples of what they can do for individuals. 

And so, again, I just appreciate you and thank you for your testimony. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Teague. 

Mr. TEAGUE. Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you. And I also agree 

with the Chairman earlier when he said that this was the most 

moving panel that we had had. And I do not want to take a long 

time either, but I do want all of you to know that, you know, we 

are grateful not only for what you have done for your country in 

the past but for what you are doing for veterans that are coming 

back now that see you as an example. And I want to thank you for 

the inspiration that you have given to all of us here so that we 

know that we are doing the right things in working on these programs. And once again, just to tell you that we thank you and I 

appreciate your inspiration. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Stearns. 

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I had the opportunity 

to participate in the winter sports clinic that was in Aspen, and I 

think Diane Hartmann is in the back there, and I see she is testifying, and she has been one of the organizers. And I would encourage members—if you get a chance—to go out there and ski with 

the disabled. You know, when you are skiing on the slope and you 

see someone with has no legs and he is skiing very well, perhaps 

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better than I was, or a person skiing without arms, it is an inspiration to see these people. And then at the end of the ceremony they 

have awards and things like that. So it is quite emotional. And I 

think those are the kind of activities that promote the wherewithal, 

both spiritually, mentally, and physically for the veterans. So I 

think things like that program are something to be emulated for 

all the veterans who are disabled. 

And the question I have for all of you, what are the barriers to 

your continued participation in a disabled sports program? Just a 

short sentence or two of what you think the barriers are. And Captain Little, let’s start off with you. 

Captain LITTLE. Well, I can tell you a lot of the programs right 

now that are very beneficial are kind of what I mentioned earlier. 

Longer programs, as in 5, 6, 7 days, things like that, trips out to 

Colorado. And as veterans go back into the workforce you cannot 

just nudge your boss three grades over you on the GS scale and 

say, ‘‘I am going to cut out for 7 days, hit the slopes in Vail so I 

can inspire some new guys on how to ski.’’ Unfortunately, that does 

not cut it. However, things like, ‘‘I am going to cut out early this 

afternoon to go to a softball game and a picnic with a bunch of returning vets,’’ would be more apt to be smiled upon, especially 

within the government and private employers I am sure as well. 

So I would have to say distance and length of time that you would 

have to take to put an impact out there would be one barrier that 

I could foresee. 

Mr. STEARNS. So that the employee who wants to participate still 

does not feel that he is disadvantaging his corporation or his productivity? 

Captain LITTLE. I would say so. It is not a problem for the vets 

who are just returning, you know, while in therapy because your 

therapy is your job. But veteran veterans after they are out of the 

service and back in the workforce who still want to participate, 

that may be the potential barrier I see foremost. 

Mr. STEARNS. Captain Waldon. 

Captain WALDON. We could keep going around and around the 

same thing, he and I. It is, you really have to inundate yourself for 

any of these programs. I mean, I was flopping all over the place 

my first couple days. But then the 3rd day, the 4th day, that is 

when you really start picking it up. And a good thing when we are 

initially there is that you do have that extended trip. So it has the 

benefit of inspiring you or giving you that competitive edge instead 

of discouraging you, which could also have, you know, consequences 

that are not intended. That is the thing, they have a lot of alumni 

programs with these groups, but—— 

Mr. STEARNS. But if you have other disabled people that are with 

you—your peers—and you do not do well, they can help. When I 

was in Aspen, these other disabled veterans came up to the person 

who had a tough time getting down the slope and said, ‘‘Let us try, 

try again like the little choo-choo train, you will get up the hill.’’ 

Captain WALDON. Oh, yeah. 

Mr. STEARNS. And by the end of the afternoon they were doing 

things that probably they could not have done on their own, all 

through the inspiration of other disabled veterans. 

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Captain WALDON. Yes, sir, without a doubt. That is why we need 

to get back to those programs. But like he was saying, once you go 

back to having a real job somewhat again, it makes it a little more 

difficult. But being there for whatever amount of time you can is 

obviously optimal. 

Sergeant CLEMONS. I would say the same thing as Captain Little 

and Captain Waldon. It is just a time barrier. Once you get back 

and get your quality of life back, and you have a job, and being 

able to take off work for those 3 or 4 days to do those camps, or 

whatnot, would be the problem. Would be a barrier, rather. 

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Chairman, they have all sort of echoed the 

same problem, this taking off from work. And there might be some 

way to give incentives for employers through tax credits, or some 

kind of incentive that we have for hiring of veterans in the marketplace so that these people can get the opportunity to do this. Because in the end, we owe these veterans this kind of incentive. And 

in a larger sense by them being healthy, it is saving the Veterans 

Administration from caring—psychological caring, physical caring—because they are taking it upon themselves to do rehabilitation on their own. And so, it is to the government’s benefit to have 

some kind of incentives for employers to allow these disabled veterans to have this extra time off, I suspect. And that might be an 

idea we will kick around here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Stearns. Again, thank you all. 

You have helped us all understand your situation and the situation 

of thousands of others. You have made sure that we will recommit 

ourselves to making certain that these programs continue. We 

thank you all so much and we will look to the next panel also to 

help us. Thank you again. 

Welcome to the second panel. We thank all of you for being here. 

We have Adrian Atizado, who is the Assistant National Legislative 

Director for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV); Carl Blake, 

the National Legislative Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of 

America; Julia Ray, the Manager of the Wounded Warrior Disabled 

Sports Project of Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA); David Stringer, 

who is representing the National Recreation and Park Association 

(NRPA) on behalf of Richland County, South Carolina, Parks and 

Recreation; and Carlos Leon is a Member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and also a Paralympian. Any 

written statement will be made a part of the record and we look 

forward to your oral statement. Mr. Atizado, we will begin with 

you. 

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STATEMENTS OF ADRIAN M. ATIZADO, ASSISTANT NATIONAL 

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS; 

CARL BLAKE, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA; JULIA RAY, MANAGER, 

WOUNDED WARRIOR DISABLED SPORTS PROJECT, DISABLED SPORTS USA, INC.; DAVID STRINGER, RICHLAND 

COUNTY, SC, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, ON 

BEHALF OF NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION; AND CARLOS LEON, MEMBER AND PARALYMPIAN, 

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA 

STATEMENT OF ADRIAN M. ATIZADO 

Mr. ATIZADO. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, I would 

like to thank you for inviting the DAV, an organization of 1.2 million service-disabled veterans, to offer our views and experience 

with disabled veterans rehabilitation through sports, and National 

Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, and any anticipated impact Public Law 110–389 may have. 

First, I would like to note that the research indicates that recreational therapy offers a diversity of rehabilitation benefits, addressing the needs of disabled veterans with a wide range of disabling conditions. For example, recreation therapy is an effective 

means for improving physical, cognitive, social and emotional functioning. It helps develop skills needed to enhance functional independence for community living, to promote a higher quality of life 

for veterans and their families. Recreational therapy prevents a decline in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning and results in reduced need for health services. It also reduces secondary 

disability and associated higher healthcare costs. 

Now, through the Winter Sports Clinic, veterans are able to reap 

the rehabilitation benefits of recreational therapy through adaptive 

sports. The DAV recognizes the benefits on the lives of disabled 

veterans that the Winter Sports Clinic has, and we have been a cosponsor of the event along with VA and a number of other generous 

corporate and individual donors. 

The Clinic has grown tremendously over the past 23 years. It is 

the largest annual disabled learn-to-ski clinic in the world and is 

a leader in promoting rehabilitation. While it is geared to first timers, of which there were 114 new participants this year, 29 

attendees were women, and over a third of the total participants 

were servicemembers and veterans from the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Now in addition to adaptive sports, educational and instructional 

activities are also available at the Clinic. The U.S. Secret Service 

teaches a self-defense course to participants who are in wheelchairs 

or are visually impaired. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) peer support group meeting was again on the agenda this year, where veterans suffering from TBI participated, as well as their families and 

their caregivers. A DAV past National Commander, Chad Colley, 

and his wife Betty Anne hosted a discussion with the participants 

entitled, ‘‘Veterans—Not Just About You!’’ And the couple spoke at 

this event about the relationship between disabled veterans and 

their spouses and offered what we believe was sage advice on 

maintaining relationships and marriages. 

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If it is not already apparent, Mr. Chairman, the Winter Sports 

Clinic is a rehabilitation program. It is open to veterans of all ages, 

all levels of ability and impairment. Some of these veterans have 

never skied before but they do learn none the less. And the thrill 

of victory at the Clinic is not over an opposing team but rather 

one’s own disability and perceived impairments. 

Last Congress, I know that DAV was invited to testify on H.R. 

4225, which is now contained in title 7 of Public Law 110–389. The 

intent of this title, we believe, is laudable and it has obviously 

shown its positive impact as indicated by the first panel. However, 

section 702 of the law may have an impact on the Winter Sports 

Clinic, which I would like to discuss right now. It requires any application for VA grants by the U.S. Paralympics to include partnerships for adaptive sports at the national and local levels, and to do 

so with other organizations, such as the DAV. Currently, our organization does not have a relationship with the U.S. Paralympics 

but we are going to be meeting with them here shortly. 

This Section also allows for individuals with disabilities who are 

not veterans or members of the armed forces to participate in 

sports programs that receive funds that were originally from VA 

grants. As an organization devoted to improving the lives of our 

Nation’s wartime disabled veterans, we are concerned about any 

shift in VA’s mission, personnel, or resources away from the intended community. Moreover, section 703 requires the Director of 

the VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special 

Events to seek sponsors and donations from the private sector to 

defray costs for the programs it oversees. This provision may, and 

I say may, have an adverse impact on our organization’s ability to 

discharge our responsibilities contained in the memorandum of understanding with VA at the Winter Sports Clinic. 

DAV is deeply committed to achieving each year a successful 

Winter Sports Clinic and we value our responsibility to administer 

the corporate sponsorship program as well as other mutually 

agreed upon activities. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement 

and I would be glad to answer any questions you or other Members 

of the Committee may have. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Atizado appears on p. 49.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Again, thank you so much. Mr. Blake. 

STATEMENT OF CARL BLAKE 

Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, on behalf 

of Paralyzed Veterans of America I would like to thank you for the 

opportunity to testify today. Before I begin my formal remarks I 

would just like to say that I do not think that anything we could 

say on this panel would better reflect the importance of these programs than the stories that the gentlemen on the first panel told. 

If that does not make the case for why these programs are important, then nothing could. 

Since its inception in 1946, PVA has recognized the important 

role that sports and recreation play in the spinal cord injury rehabilitation process. In fact, it was paralyzed veterans who returned 

injured from World War II who started playing pickup games of 

wheelchair basketball in VA hospitals. This really marked the birth 

of wheelchair sports. PVA sponsors a wide array of sports and outanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

19 

door activities to improve the quality of life and health of veterans 

with severe disabilities. Most notable of these is the National Veterans Wheelchair Games which recently concluded, and marked 

the 25th year of the partnership between PVA and the Department 

of Veterans Affairs. As you know, we also run a number of other 

sports and outdoor recreation programs meant to get severely disabled veterans involved. Those include a shooting sports program, 

and boating and fishing program, a program in association with the 

National Wheelchair Pool Players Association, as well as a program 

run in conjunction with the American Wheelchair Bowling Association. 

PVA was pleased to support the provisions of Public Law 110– 

389, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. Section 7 of 

the law authorized the VA to provide assistance to the Paralympic 

Military Program and expand sports and recreation opportunities 

available to severely disabled veterans. The intent of the law is 

consistent with the mission of PVA’s Sports and Recreation Program, which is to expand the quantity and quality of sports and 

recreation opportunities, especially those that promote a lifetime of 

fitness and a healthy lifestyle for PVA Members and other people 

with disabilities. PVA was also pleased to see that the law creates 

an office of National Disabled Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events, and a Director position to oversee this office. However, 

we remain concerned that the office is required to report to the 

Veterans Benefits Administration. We believe that this office would 

be more appropriately placed under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) given that rehabilitation is a part of the mission of 

VHA and what we also believe is a fundamental mission of this 

new office. 

We believe that much progress and enhanced cooperation has resulted from the Paralympic Military Program. Under this program, 

PVA has witnessed improved coordination between our organization, USOC Paralympics, and other veterans and community-based 

sports organizations that has enhanced existing programs and advanced development of new programs in communities that previously had not been served. 

PVA and its chapters have recently expanded specific opportunities with the Paralympic Military Program. These opportunities include partnering with PVA to implement a new handcycling program in four strategic locations throughout the United States. 

These are in Chicago, Illinois; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; and the Washington, DC/Richmond, Virginia area. We have 

also partnered with the USOC Paralympics to introduce USOC 

shooting sponsored airgun and air pistol clinics and competitions at 

the PVA National Trap Shoot Circuit events. We have also 

partnered with the Paralympics to introduce Paralympic-style 

events at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games for the purpose 

of identifying future potential Paralympic level athletes. Also, 

PVA’s Mid-America chapter has partnered with the USOC 

Paralympics to coordinate a multi-event sports camp hosted by the 

University of Central Oklahoma which will be held in August of 

this year at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma. 

As part of our testimony on sports and recreation opportunities 

offered last year, we made several recommendations that we beanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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lieved would expand veteran participation in those programs administered by the VA. One of our principal concerns was to remove 

barriers to participation. Our concern then was that newly injured 

veterans should be provided timely access to education and training regarding sports and recreation opportunities. Furthermore, we 

believed then that the VA and the U.S. Department of Defense 

(DoD) should facilitate outreach efforts of legitimate organizations 

promoting sports and recreation opportunities by improving their 

access to newly injured veterans. We believe that the Paralympic 

Military Program has helped alleviate some of these concerns and 

we look forward to continued progress as a result of this program. 

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to testify and I would be happy to answer any questions that 

you might have. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Blake appears on p. 51.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Ray, you are recognized. 

STATEMENT OF JULIA RAY 

Ms. RAY. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Disabled 

Sports USA, or DSUSA as it has been referred to today, was established in 1967 by disabled veterans to serve the war injured from 

Vietnam. Since that time it has grown to serve both military and 

civilian adults, as well as youth, with disabilities. Its chapter and 

national leadership still includes disabled veterans, including its 

National Executive Director Kirk Bauer, who is a decorated disabled Vietnam Veteran. DSUSA has 100 community-based sports 

chapters operating in 38 States offering over 30 different year 

round sports. Sports offered include alpine and nordic snow skiing, 

rock climbing, kayaking, sailing, and many others, which I will not 

run all of them today. DSUSA’s emphasis is on sports rehabilitation and recreational activities that lead to an active and healthy 

lifestyle. We also offer sports competitions and training camps that 

provide a pipeline for emerging athletes who want to train for the 

summer and winter Paralympic Games. 

Since 2003, Disabled Sports USA in partnership with its local 

community-based chapters and the Wounded Warrior Project has 

conducted the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project (WWDSP). 

Under the program, severely wounded servicemembers are provided the opportunity to learn over 25 different sports as part of 

their rehabilitation. All of their expenses are paid for by DSUSA, 

including airfare, lodging, and training by experienced adaptive 

sports instructors. Family members are also paid for to participate 

in order to keep the family unit intact by sharing positive, healthy 

experiences with their wounded warrior. Programs are offered at 

the major military medical centers where the severely wounded are 

treated, including those mentioned today, Walter Reed, National 

Naval Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and San 

Diego. DSUSA also serves patients from many veterans hospitals, 

including polytrauma centers at Palo Alto and Tampa for injured 

servicemembers with traumatic brain injury, paralysis, and multiple other injuries. Since its inception, over 2,500 severely wounded servicemembers, family members, and hospital staff have been 

served through more than 350 events in 25 different sports. 

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The WWDSP model is based on offering immediate participation 

opportunities as part of ongoing therapy while the wounded warrior is in hospital, and then as a continued part of their recovery. 

Sports are particularly effective during rehabilitation because the 

basics of almost any sport can be taught in as little as one day. A 

quick, successful experience helps provide a positive outlook and is 

reflected in our motto, ‘‘If I can do this, I can do anything.’’ 

DSUSA endorses the USOC Paralympic Military Program as a 

model that will support the work of the Wounded Warrior Disabled 

Sport Project, as well as responding to a critical need to continue 

to provide sports and recreation opportunities when the wounded 

warrior transitions to civilian life and returns to his or her local 

community. 

Currently, DSUSA, U.S. Paralympics, and other disabled commu- nity-based organizations are contributing more than $40 million in 

private resources to help rehabilitate the severely wounded 

through sports. However, the current economic climate and an ever 

increasing demand to serve servicemembers returning with conditions such as traumatic brain injury and combat stress will require 

ongoing assistance provided by Public Law 110–389, which is critical to the continuation and expansion of these important programs 

at the community level. 

Recent studies have demonstrated that disabled veterans have 

increased societal risk factors in areas such as suicide, homelessness, divorce, and lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, obesity, 

and so on. The introduction of sports in the rehabilitation process 

and continued participation in sports after discharge from the hospital will have a direct and positive influence on prevention of 

these conditions. In 2008, DSUSA commissioned a survey conducted by Harris Interactive entitled, ‘‘Sports and Employment 

Among Americans with Disabilities.’’ Two hundred servicemembers 

who had received permanent disabled injuries while recently serving overseas, and who had also participated in the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, took the survey. And they found that 

they were more than twice as likely than the general disabled population to be regularly involved in physical activity, and that 52 

percent compared with 33 percent of the general population were 

employed. In addition, over half of those not working were enrolled 

in college or other certification courses. Given today’s higher unemployment rate, the survey confirmed how important it is for wounded warriors to stay active in sports, utilizing all the tools possible 

to gain employment and advancement in their careers. 

Participation in community recreation programs provided under 

the proposed legislation will enable the disabled veteran to participate in sports alongside his or her family and friends, which will 

help to maintain family cohesion and support for the veteran. This 

will be critically important to those disabled veterans who transition from the hospital to remote communities which may not have 

the resources currently to adequately serve them. This network 

will encourage regular exercise, a health lifestyle, making activities 

available on a daily, weekly basis close to home. The long-term legacy of this will be healthier, happier, more active disabled veterans 

who due to these preventative measures will have less healthcare 

social support needs. The new generation of disabled veterans will 

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be the most equipped, informed, and empowered group of disabled 

veterans this country has ever had, ready to teach and serve others 

in their footsteps. 

I also just want to mention in conclusion the younger generation 

has new individualized interest. We all have the expertise as community programs to provide extreme sports endurance events along 

with the high-level coaching that they are demanding. There are 

those that wish to compete and train as integrated, nondisabled 

members of society in golf tournaments, triathlons, adventure 

races, conquer Kilimanjaro, compete in the Paralympics, or complete the Hawaii Ironman. This is an ongoing basis that is going 

to require support at an unprecedented level. 

Therefore, this legislation comes at a more important time than 

ever before as thousands of severely injured veterans return home 

and work alongside their loved ones to rebuild their lives. We know 

that adaptive sports are critical to this process, allowing disabled 

veterans to choose to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, which in 

turn leads to employment, good mental/physical health where it is 

most needed, at home. I encourage you to look at some of the 

quotes that we have included with our testimony from wounded 

warriors that will tell the story a lot better than I have today. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Ray appears on p. 54.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. Mr. Stringer, you must be 

from Columbia, South Carolina. I noticed your Congressman came 

in to say hello. 

Mr. STRINGER. Correct. We flew in with him yesterday. 

The CHAIRMAN. Welcome. 

STATEMENT OF DAVID STRINGER 

Mr. STRINGER. Good morning, Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and Members of the Committee. My name is David 

Stringer and I work with the Richland County Recreation Commission in Columbia, South Carolina. On behalf of the National Recreation and Park Association I want to thank you for allowing us the 

opportunity to provide testimony at this important hearing addressing the needs of injured servicemembers and the Paralympic 

Military and Veterans Program. 

As you may know, the NRPA is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing parks, recreation, and conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life of all people. More than 

31,000 military personnel have been severely injured while serving 

our country during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there 

are now more than 1.3 million disabled veterans in the United 

States. These individuals want to be physically active but to do 

that they must have access to close to home places and spaces and 

opportunities for physical activity that are able to meet the needs 

and aid in their rehabilitation. 

The Paralympic Program for Injured Servicemembers that was 

authorized in 2008 is beginning to do just that in communities 

around our country. And I have seen firsthand the different 

Paralympic sports programs are making. I applaud this Committee 

for recognizing the importance and the role of therapeutic sports 

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ing our country, and for your leadership in passing legislation that 

will ensure their improved quality of life despite their physical limitations. Unfortunately, those returning from duty with debilitating 

injuries face a host of challenges as they try to integrate back into 

their community and family life. I faced similar adjustments as a 

teenager trying to cope with a disability. At the age of fifteen the 

world as I had known it completely changed in an instant as a result of a traumatic diving accident. I went from being your typical 

teenager without a care in the world to a paraplegic who uses a 

wheelchair. So I can relate to the challenges that our newly injured 

servicemembers and disabled veterans face. Imagine being a 

strong, healthy, competent person to one lying in a hospital bed, 

unable to move, uncertain about the future, and thinking about all 

the things you will never be able to do again. And then add to that 

the emotions and adjustments that your family is experiencing. 

Fortunately for me, there was a wheelchair athlete, Paralympic 

gold medalist, his name was Rick Siccatto. He came to my hospital 

room with a videotape on wheelchair Paralympic sports. And after 

watching that I could not believe all the possibilities that were out 

there: basketball, tennis, track and field, even swimming. Soon 

after getting out of the hospital I helped start the first ever wheelchair basketball team at a local park and recreation facility in 

Charleston, South Carolina. And 32 years later that team is still 

going. 

Participation in adaptive sports changes the focus from the 

things that cannot be done to the things that can be done. And it 

helps those who once felt helpless due to their disability realize the 

possibilities of what they can do, and those possibilities are endless. As a public servant I have seen many disabled servicemembers and their families from the nearby Fort Jackson Army installation directly benefit from the programs provided by the Richland County Recreation Commission. Wounded servicemembers 

who were once sedentary at home are now out of the house leading 

physically active lives again, participating in community sports 

service programs. And those also support family members, and 

they are once again able to reconnect with their friends. 

An illustration of this is the wonderful work that is being done 

in Washington State. Here Metro Tacoma Park’s NRPA and the 

U.S. Paralympics have organized a task force on the Utilization of 

Sports and Recreation in the Rehabilitation of Servicemembers. As 

a result of the task force, Fort Lewis began a recreation and sports 

program for 450 injured servicemembers stationed there, a sports 

camp on post, and therapeutic recreation programming, as well as 

family integration opportunities. Another example comes from the 

Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation who is working 

locally there in California to introduce Paralympic sports. 

The impact of this work can be summed up by the comments 

made by a soldier who attended the event. ‘‘I wanted to let both 

of you know the experience I had at the camp was one of the most 

memorable I have ever had in my life. I have learned a lot about 

myself and about life. I think the most important thing I learned, 

however, is that no matter what stumbles life may throw at you, 

if you have the determination they will not stop you. I would say 

that as a soldier in the United States Army if all of our soldiers 

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could somehow take the determination and positive attitude of 

these individuals that I met and bottle it into a formula, we would 

have the most unstoppable force in the world.’’ 

The National Recreation and Park Association has the ability to 

reach into each local community to assist the recovery and rehabilitation of those injured servicemembers and veterans. NRPA provides a tremendous network around the country to provide opportunities for physical activity. In addition, they have the ability to efficiently train park and recreation professionals and provide technical assistance to the field. These assets, along with the U.S. 

Paralympics expertise, prominence, and distinction, creates a significant partnership that has the potential to impact lives of injured servicemembers, veterans, and their families around the 

country. 

In closing, I think we can all agree that serving our country can 

be hard at times. But coming home injured is even harder. These 

innovative partnerships help our servicemembers regain their quality of life while improving their mental and physical health as they 

face a challenging return and adjustment. Thank you for your leadership in passing legislation and vocal support of your Congressional colleagues to help our men and women of the armed services 

confront the challenges they face. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Stringer appears on p. 58.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you so much. Mr. Leon. 

STATEMENT OF CARLOS LEON 

Mr. LEON. Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, thank you 

for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan 

Veterans of America. IAVA is the Nation’s first, large, nonpartisan, 

not for profit organization representing veterans of the Wars of 

Iraq and Afghanistan. Chairman Filner and Chairwoman Herseth 

Sandlin, I am especially grateful for the both of you for the work 

you and your Committee did last year in support of the Military 

Paralympic Program. 

America’s newest generation of heroes are surviving injuries unthinkable in previous conflicts and as a result are facing serious 

challenges upon returning home. Thankfully, Members of Congress 

have been forward thinking and supporting and funding programs 

like the Military Paralympic Program that can give these heroes 

hope and health through athletic training and competition. 

I was a 19-year-old Marine when I deployed to Iraq. After returning home from a successful tour I had a chance to relax a little 

while before moving to Camp Pendleton. I was stationed in 

Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where I took advantage of the beaches and 

the weather while we stayed there. On June 18, 2005, I was at the 

beach, a day that would change my life forever. I was the first to 

go in the water. While my friends remained on shore I jogged slowly into the water and turned to them to tell them to hurry. Before 

turning back I dove forward and hit a rock head on. My neck broke 

instantly and I remained immediately motionless in the water. I received a laceration across the top of my head that needed fifteen 

staples to close. Soon thereafter in the hospital I got the news from 

the doctor and I was paralyzed from the neck down. I stayed in Hawaii until I was stable enough to fly and then chose to have my 

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therapy at the VA medical center in Miami, Florida where I was 

closest to my family. 

Early in my therapy one of my phenomenal therapists came in 

my room and started to talk to me about sports. I did not think 

that playing sports was something that I could have done again. 

I thought it was beyond my new life in a wheelchair. But learning 

that that may not be the case early on in my injury was key to my 

recovery. After learning about this opportunity I signed up for the 

military sports camps in San Diego, California. The program was 

a week long and they showed us different sports we can play from 

our chairs. It was more than a positive experience, it opened my 

eyes to a different world, one that I wanted to be a part of. 

I was told I needed to train in order to qualify for a competition 

early the next year. I could not wait to get started. When I got 

home, I was ready to get started but had absolutely no idea how 

to start. The best I could do was just to make sure I was at least 

fit, so I began working out at the local gym. And as the time went 

on I noticed that I was getting stronger and stronger. Not only did 

going to the Military Paralympic Program give me something to 

shoot for, it made my quality of life much better. Instead of being 

at home bored I was out and about living my life again. 

There are great benefits to the Military Paralympic Program. 

Health is especially important to a wheelchair user. If I gained 

weight it would be harder to move around, or push myself around 

in my wheelchair. Excuse me—or I would always be sick or in and 

out of the hospital. So training gave me something to shoot for, not 

only being a Paralympian but to improve my physical and mental 

health. 

After training for a year it was finally time to compete. And unbelievably I was named to the U.S. Track and Field team that summer. I traveled to Beijing where I was proud to represent my country on the playing fields again as one of the first military vets to 

compete in the Paralympic Games. My story is now being included 

in an upcoming documentary called, ‘‘Warrior Champions.’’ 

If it was not for the Military Paralympic Program I would not be 

here today, or have accomplished my proudest feats. The program 

saved my life. But there are still more things we can do to pave 

the way for newly injured vets. Not all injured veterans have access to the resources I did. Depending on where they live they may 

not have access or resources to go to a local gym, or who to turn 

to. After being invited to testify I learned that this Committee has 

done things to support the Military Paralympic Program and I am 

grateful that this Committee was responsible for passing the law 

to create the VA grants especially for this program. I was also encouraged to learn that the VA asked Congress to fund the grant 

program for $6.5 million starting in 2010. This money will go a 

long way toward reaching out to the disabled veterans that are involved in this great program. This money can also be used toward 

recruiting, supporting, and equipping a new generation of 

Paralympians. 

Last summer, I had a chance to be a coach at one of these military sports camps. And I remember parents of one veteran who 

was recently paralyzed came to me with many questions about 

equipment and training. Yet, I felt powerless that I did not have 

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very many answers. There is no good place for me to direct these 

parents, or where they live did not have access to these gyms let 

alone gyms that would understand the modifications needed to 

train a handicapped veteran. With this money, we can build more 

centers for veterans to train and resources for them to train with. 

I was lucky I found out about the Military Paralympic Program 

soon after my injury. I was able to start training quickly before 

physical and emotional strain set in. Not all handicapped veterans 

are that lucky. I know that the new VA grant program will make 

it easier to reach out for vets sooner in their injury, introduce them 

to veterans like me, start their training, and give them hope. 

Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do for injured 

veterans. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Leon appears on p. 59.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you all very much. Mr. Rodriguez, do you 

have any questions? 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And let 

me thank each and every one of you for your testimony. I want to 

ask you to see if you can have any recommendations as to what 

else we might be able to do to make things happen. But I also 

wanted to ask in terms of the piece of legislation that we did with 

the GI Bill in terms of how that is, you know, you are seeing it impacting anyone out there, and what changes we might need to 

make to help that also help individuals in the process? And how 

we might be able to also make some things happen in addition to 

what has already occurred in your lives. Because I am sure that 

there are some that have fallen through the cracks. And that we 

have a good number of Vietnam veterans from Vietnam that have 

definitely have been left out there hanging. And seeing what we 

might be able to do. I want to just see if you might have some suggestions, to anyone that might want to react, as to what else we 

can do as a government in helping enhance the capabilities of other 

young people that might be out there? 

Mr. BLAKE. I think that is almost an impossible question to answer, but I will take a shot at it. I think access is the key no matter how you look at it. The first panel mentioned some of the barriers. I wholeheartedly agree that employment is one of the barriers, simply because of the time involved. But we have also found 

that access is the key. And I was taken by the gentleman from 

South Carolina’s testimony. We have worked on a number of occasions to increase recreation opportunities at local facilities, State 

parks, boat ramps, fishing facilities. It is all about accessibility for, 

at least from PVA’s perspective, our Members being principally 

users of wheelchairs. Without access they cannot get to the programs that would most benefit them. So we have taken an active 

approach to educating communities on accessibility needs and then 

ensuring that they provide those accessible facilities that are necessary. 

We also leverage our chapters around the country to talk about 

our programs and encourage them to conduct their own sports programs to reach out to the Members in their communities. Because 

while we run things like the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, 

and it is a national focus, ultimately what happens at the community level will dictate whether these folks are able to come in and 

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participate, and ultimately go up to whether it be elite athletics or 

just participation for the fun of it. And I am, we are pleased that 

at the Wheelchair Games, we had over 100 new participants, many 

of whom were Vietnam era veterans. Which is amazing that they 

could go that long in their life, and not know that something like 

that happens. But it all starts, that learning about it at the community level and working its way up. 

So I would also agree with the first panel that discussed about 

the community access, and having more locations. Now granted, 

that does take money. But I think that is the key, is community 

access. 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. I do not know if anybody else wants to answer. 

Yes? 

Mr. STRINGER. I have to agree. Local community access is the 

key. Where in the past you may have had to travel hundreds of 

miles to find a program, there are now, we are beginning to see 

programs in individual communities. And that is really the key, is 

instead of having to travel miles to find one of these programs 

there are now programs in your community. 

And I think one thing everybody has pointed out is the need for 

mentors. That person that encourages you, that tells you about all 

the opportunities out there. Because when you first get hurt, everybody wants to avoid you. Your friends do not know what to say to 

you. Your family, they are upset. The nurses, they see you injured, 

they kind of avoid you, too. But the one person that, people that 

do not avoid you is the athletes. They see a teammate, a prospective teammate. So they come to the hospital to see you. So those, 

and those are the people that we really need to train. The mentors 

to come see the people when they are newly injured, to encourage 

them. I think that is a big key. 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Yes. So I guess the peer-to-peer type of programs also can be extremely helpful, I would presume. Let me ask 

you, because I really see the potential with the previous panel and 

your panel, even going across, beyond, and I know that reaching 

out to other veterans is key. But to the general population and the 

importance of creating that inspiration that is needed in others 

that might not have the disabilities, or lost limbs, or whatever. But 

find themselves in a rut in terms of inspiring. And I think, you 

know, I do not know if any of you want to comment on it, but I 

think there is a great opportunity there to help others out that 

have pity for themselves and do not want to go, and might not have 

the same problems that you have encountered, or not even close to 

what you guys have encountered. 

Ms. RAY. I would like to comment on that, if I may. I think what 

we are noticing from this most recent group of injured veterans is 

the extreme diversity in what their needs and interests are. It is 

not your classic disabled sports that we began with back in the 

Vietnam era, of skiing etc. They are wanting to do the Ironman in 

Hawaii. They are wanting to compete and train alongside the communities, people with and without disabilities. All kinds of different things. And that kind of support needs to be individualized. 

It needs to be adjusted according to the type of injury. With polytrauma we are seeing the effects of traumatic brain injury, multiple amputations, and very severe injuries that require very indianorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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vidualized attention. And all of this, of course, requires a great deal 

of investment financially. As a nonprofit organization, I can certainly speak to the fact that in these recent times are becoming 

harder and harder. We want to make sure that we can continue 

our programs at the level we have and also expand them to serve 

the veterans in their communities, and do these 5K runs, and compete in the local golf tournament, all the things that they want to 

do. So, you know, this legislation is going to be really vital to helping us continue doing that work. 

Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Rodriguez, I might add, too, the idea of mentoring is really not unlike what goes on with the VA Vet Centers. 

The reason that that program is so successful is because of the 

shared experience of the veteran as a counselor and the veteran 

who needs the counseling. And I think the very same thing holds 

true in sports and recreation opportunities. I think nothing is more 

inspiring to get up and do something than to have someone who 

has shared your experience. And when it comes to the disabled and 

the disabled veteran it is not, while it is about being a veteran, and 

veterans all can sort of relate, when the gentleman on the first 

panel mentioned about having, you know, a double amputee come 

in, and rising to the challenge. I mean, that is the type of thing 

that really makes this type of program work. That is why our programs are so successful across the board, because it is our Members out there participating and encouraging younger veterans, 

older veterans, whoever it may be, to get out there and participate 

as well. 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Thank you very much to each and every one of 

you. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Bilirakis, do you have any questions? 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it very 

much. Thank your for your testimony and your service. How can 

I discover if there are veterans in my district who are likely candidates to participate in the Paralympics? And the question is for 

Mr. Atizado, and anyone else on the panel that would like to respond. 

Mr. ATIZADO. Well sir, I could not tell you what is required for 

a veteran or a disabled veteran to be eligible for, or to be a good 

candidate for Paralympics. We do not have a relationship with 

them. We do not have a lot of interaction with them at this point. 

But as I said, we are hoping to change that here in the near future. 

But I can tell you that even in my local community, and this relates to Congressman Rodriguez’ question about being aware. You 

know, in my local community I can tell you that the way it is structurally set up is not very conducive for any disabled person to go 

out and even just walk along the paths along the community, much 

less handcycle. I think if community leadership were aware of the 

issues that a disabled veteran, whether they want to be at the elite 

level, or just as a recreational endeavor, to get into sports then I 

think if the local leadership in the communities were aware of the 

barriers, which I am sure they are not. Because who goes around 

thinking like a disabled person if one is not? I think would go a 

long way. Because not every disabled veteran wants necessarily to 

be at the elite level. I myself cannot. But I do partake in cycling. 

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In fact, Lance Armstrong a few years ago, who now is a well known 

sports athlete, was the one that inspired me, not being disabled at 

all, to get into cycling. 

But to identify them is extremely hard, I believe. Because if you 

can, to give you an example. A couple of years ago, a couple of Winter Sports Clinics ago, I was reading through a newspaper about 

this young Iraq veteran who said to the news reporter his first 

thought after waking up and seeing his legs gone was that how is 

he going to snowboard again? And I had asked the folks in our organization to track this guy down and see if we could get him to 

the Winter Sports Clinic. So it is things like that, I think, that require a certain amount of awareness from all of us, whether it is 

in the disabled veteran community or in the private sector, to not 

only be aware of what is available out there, not only with VA but 

with Paralympics and even at the local level, and to help even just 

approach them and guide them that way. Because I did not know 

any of this stuff until I got into the disabled advocacy side of the 

house. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Okay. Anyone else? 

Mr. STRINGER. You know, Mr. Bilirakis, that is a challenge, is 

finding the people. In Columbia, South Carolina, we have Fort 

Jackson and we have a huge, Dorn Veterans Hospital. But it is just 

by chance that I ran across two veterans that are now playing 

wheelchair basketball with me. So finding them is a challenge and 

maybe having some kind of system where we can have made available the names of the people in the area, if there was a system for 

doing that. And there may be that I do not know of. But getting 

the people involved is a real challenge, finding them to get them 

involved. 

Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Bilirakis, I would say that that is where the 

partnership with the Paralympics is key. Because ultimately it is 

sort of a question better answered by them. They know what it 

takes to be a Paralympian. That is why we partnered with them 

through the Wheelchair Games, and in a number of our other principal sports recreation events, where those events would coincide 

with Paralympic activities. Because they can work with us to identify these individuals. Now, that is sort of starting at the top. But, 

I mean, I think that is where you have to start, is with the partnership with the Paralympics. 

Ms. RAY. I also just want to add, of course, just like you and I, 

it is a choice to participate. So the way we have been successful is 

going to the hospitals, tracking people down one by one, explaining 

what we do, and then signing them up. We have been very successful that way. But, you know, because of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations, that is a choice. They 

have to elect into the sports programs rather than to always being 

completely mandatory. Now fortunately, the major military medical 

centers have been extremely supportive of these rehabilitative 

sports programs and have seen the benefit of encouraging people 

to speak to us and to sign up for the programs. But I think certainly this legislation and the partnership will help improve that 

communication and Nation awareness to the general public as well 

about what it is we are all doing. And hopefully that will reach out 

to all the people who count who need our services. 

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Well, very good. Ms. Ray, you mentioned that 

there is a local chapter of the Sports USA in the Tampa area? 

Ms. RAY. There is not a local chapter in the Tampa area. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. There is not? 

Ms. RAY. No, not in Tampa. But we have 100 community-based 

chapters, but just not in the Tampa area. We have national staff 

that go down to the Tampa VA and talk to the patients down there 

about opportunities available. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Okay. I would like to work with you on that. 

Maybe we can set one up. 

Ms. RAY. Mm-hmm. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I participated in a golf tournament, a charity golf 

tournament, with the VA recently. And there was a demonstration 

on a special golf cart to help out the disabled veterans, can you tell 

me about that? And then also, if you are familiar, about the availability of the cart to our veterans? How we can help with that? Because it was fascinating to see how that worked, and are you familiar with it? 

Mr. LEON. Yes, I myself have not had much experience with the 

golf cart but I have seen it and I have spoken with other veterans 

who have used it. And it is pretty amazing. You just, you sit in the 

golf cart and when you are ready to tee off it stands you up. And 

you are strapped in. And then the veteran, you know, can just have 

their golf spin, and then, you know, they move on. And I think that 

is amazing, you know? It is more, it is incredible what it does to 

you and your mindset. Because when you are out there playing golf 

you are not a disabled person, you are out there playing golf. And 

that, to give someone, it is almost like you are getting your dignity 

back. It is incredible what sports do. And, from anything, from 

shooting, to golf. And I myself do not play golf. I practice track and 

field. So when I am out there and I am competing, I am not a 

quadriplegic. I am competing, I am an athlete. So I think things 

like that are extremely important. And I, you know, back to the 

golf cart again, I do not have much experience with golf. But I have 

seen it and it is incredible what it can do. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Well, in my opinion we need to make these readily available to our veterans. 

Ms. RAY. They are actually, I can just say that I believe they are 

available at all DoD and public golf courses now. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Mrs. Kirkpatrick. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you 

panelists for being here today. What a great program. And I love 

the competitive nature of it. My first question is for Mr. Atizado. 

Why is the DAV concerned if the VA seeks corporate sponsorships 

to help reduce the need for funding through taxpayer dollars? 

Mr. ATIZADO. That is a great question, ma’am. It is not so much 

that we are concerned about seeking out corporate sponsorship. 

But the problem is, when you have an event as big as the Winter 

Sports Clinic and you have a non-coordination, or two entities trying to seek out the same source of funds, it can cause some conflicts. I will give you an example. Sprint has been a long time supanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

31 

porter, a very generous supporter. And if one were to go out and 

say, perhaps, find a corporate sponsorship or donor that is in competition, you know, these things are much like politics. You have 

to treat it with the same kid glove to sustain that relationship and 

ensure the viability of the program. So I think that is kind of a concern that we have, that we do not lose well-meaning and well-fostered relationships. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. You know, I represent a huge rural district 

in Arizona. There is not really one big town. It is 84 small towns. 

And our baseball teams, our sports teams, often get business sponsors in the community so they can maintain the fields, so they can 

purchase equipment. Now would that be objectionable to you? I 

think, you know, at the local level? Or are you really just talking 

about national, big corporations? 

Mr. ATIZADO. Oh, I am just talking in general. And I guess in 

more specific with the Winter Sports Clinic. I mean these, you 

know, there is no, I do not think there is a handbook out there on 

how to actually be competitive with other organizations, or other 

entities, that seek out corporate donors. It is very much an art. 

And, like I said, if you have two competing entities in the same 

arena it can be, you know, it can hamstring the entire event. 

But yeah, at the local level I think it is a much different ball 

game there, no pun intended. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you for that clarification. My next 

question is for Ms. Ray. What percentage of veterans leave sports 

therapy because they live in rural areas, and how can we address 

that? 

Ms. RAY. I am afraid I cannot give you an exact statistic on those 

that leave, unfortunately. We are just doing everything that we can 

to ensure that they leave the hospital well educated about the opportunities that are available to them. They have tried a great variety of activities, because the sports that they may have been interested in as a non-disabled person often can change and they 

might try some Paralympic sports, or they might try some other individual sport they have never even done before. And we find that 

fairly commonly. So I think really it is access, as Mr. Blake was 

talking about earlier. We need to be able to respond to what the 

veterans want to do once they return home, stay in touch with 

them, provide regular communication, especially for those in very 

remote rural communities. Because you are not going to have a full 

wheelchair basketball team in every community. It is just not realistic. And so we need to empower those individuals, educate them 

from the moment they leave the hospital so they feel that they can 

go home, go out cycling independently, or be inspired to start a 

team themselves, or do whatever is necessary. So it is going to be 

a lot of work, and a lot of coordination between all the entities involved here today but I think we are up to it. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you. And Mr. Blake, you talked about 

access being really one of the biggest barriers to the program. And 

again, you know, I am really concerned about the rural communities because that is what I represent. And, you know, and I am 

thinking back about, you know, where would you go to the gym to 

work out? I mean, usually it is the school, you know, the football 

gym, or something like that. But again, it sounds like a big probanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

32 

lem is identifying people who could be a participant in the program. And do you have any thoughts on what the VA could do to 

work with you to partner with you to somehow inform not only the 

wounded warrior, but also you, about possibility for an outreach? 

Mr. BLAKE. I had a good answer until you asked me what could 

the VA do, and then I think I kind of lost it. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. You can take it wherever you want to go with 

that. 

Mr. BLAKE. As it relates to the rural issue I would say this is, 

I would sort of liken this to the idea about if you build it they will 

come. A lot of our chapters have taken to getting involved more in 

the small communities and even in the rural setting. Something as 

simple as, say, an accessible trail in a park somewhere makes a big 

difference. And it might be out in the middle of nowhere, particularly if you go in places like the desert Southwest, or if you go up 

into the Upper Midwest, and the Dakotas and places like that. It 

is mostly just country. But there are plenty of parks and things 

like that. And if the access is there, people will go there. Once the 

access is developed, you know, we leverage our own chapters and 

our local folks to put the word out through magazines, through the 

media. I mean, nothing gets people more interested than seeing 

something on the TV, or hearing about it on the radio, or whatever. 

With regards to the VA involvement, I think, you know, we 

talked about VA and its outreach to veterans in general and obviously I think the outreach to the rural veteran is a difficulty. I 

mentioned the Vet Centers earlier, and we have sort of taken to 

the idea that the Vet Centers, and particularly as it has expanded, 

this mobile Vet Centers has become the outreach tool of choice for 

the rural setting. And maybe this is just another component that 

has to be added to that, as if they do not have a pretty hefty load 

already. But I think it is probably something else that could be 

shared information as they go out into these small communities 

and into the rural areas to share that information. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. That is a great idea. We have one of those 

mobile Vet units in my district. And I will be out hopefully next 

week. That is a good idea. I will bring it up with them. Anyone else 

want to comment on that? 

Ms. RAY. Yes, I would like to. I think in our working with the 

VA hospitals, what we have experienced is the major polytrauma 

centers have very experienced, very active, proactive recreational 

therapists who really believe in and support sports rehabilitation. 

I think the VA needs to extend that to more of the rural hospitals 

and more VA hospitals, and have somebody in a position that really drives the sports programs and helps veterans who come to their 

facility to be educated on what is available. Because that can be 

patchy, in our experience. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Anyone else? 

Mr. STRINGER. Yes, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, that is what I think. 

Partnering with the community parks and recreation agencies is so 

important. There is probably more than 20,000 of these individual 

agencies throughout the country in local areas. So partnering with 

them, they already have, you know, gyms, ball fields, tracks, tennis 

courts, available. So partnering, making adaptions for the disabled, 

I think that is a key. 

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Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. All right. Thank you so much, and thank you, 

Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mr. Boozman. 

Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I appreciate 

your testimony. And just quickly, Ms. Ray, I guess I am curious 

like a lot of the rest of the Committee, kind of your activity in Arkansas? Do you have any chapters, or——

Ms. RAY. I am sorry, would you repeat the last—— 

Mr. BOOZMAN [continuing]. Your activity in Arkansas, if you 

have any chapters? 

Ms. RAY. We do not, unfortunately. Arkansas is not a State that 

we are in right now. We are very heavy through the Rocky Mountains, the East, and West Coast. But certainly—— 

Mr. BOOZMAN. We need to get you heavy in the Ozark Mountains. 

Ms. RAY. We do. We do. 

Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you very much. 

Ms. RAY. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. We thank you all for your contributions. There 

is a common theme here. The first and second panels talked about 

how the community resources have to be there. I am sure Mr. 

Stringer that when you started the wheelchair basketball games 

that the gyms were not adapted to that? 

Mr. STRINGER. No. You know, there was no handicapped parking 

spaces at that point. 

The CHAIRMAN. Right. 

Mr. STRINGER. There was no curb cuts. 

The CHAIRMAN. But has that—— 

Mr. STRINGER. The bathroom doors were small. But, you know, 

as we got there then they started making the—— 

The CHAIRMAN [continuing]. Has the Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA) made any requirements? 

Mr. STRINGER. Definitely that has helped. 

The CHAIRMAN. Do they apply to the gyms and the recreation 

centers? 

Mr. STRINGER. Yes, it does. 

The CHAIRMAN. In terms of the adaptions that are necessary? 

Mr. STRINGER. But if nobody goes there and tries it out, and they 

do not know that an adaption is needed, so—— 

The CHAIRMAN. It seems to me that with the 20,000 different 

agencies that there ought to be some place where they could go for 

these, to make their facilities adaptive. 

Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Chairman, might I address that just briefly also? 

PVA has been one of the leading advocates as it relates to the 

ADA. We were involved from its passage in the very beginning. 

And I would suggest that one of the issues remains enforcement of 

what is in the ADA. I think it is telling that nearly 20 years after 

the passage of the ADA just last year the Congress had to pass the 

ADA Amendments Act to clarify a number of things that are in the 

ADA. So there is still a lot of work that remains to be done in enforcing the provisions of the ADA to ensure that access is there and 

that the barriers are broken down. 

The CHAIRMAN. We have a program in housing that gives a veteran a grant to be able to adapt his or her living space. If he or 

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she also lives in a community that needs adaptations. I am wondering if we can require that those changes are made to accommodate those with disabilities. Does that have any legitimacy anywhere? 

Mr. BLAKE. I think what we found is what often occurs, particularly in small towns and local communities, is the veteran goes to 

access something, particularly if it is a severely disabled veteran, 

most notably in the wheelchair. And they discover, ‘‘I cannot get to 

this, I cannot get to that.’’ And they affect the change from their 

end, whether it be through legal means or otherwise. In some cases 

legal is the only way to get it done. But in many cases it is just 

a matter of opening the eyes of the community. There are many, 

there are plenty of people out there that never think about what, 

you know, people with disabilities see as everyday necessities. And 

until they become educated these changes do not occur. 

The CHAIRMAN. Again, we thank you all for your contributions, 

both in your local communities and nationally, and we look forward 

to working with you in the future. Thank you so much. 

I know you all have jobs to get back to, so we will try to get you 

out of here as quickly as possible. Ms. Cohen, thank you for being 

here. You are the Director of the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of 

Defense for Health Affairs, Mr. Huebner is Chief of Paralympics 

with the U.S. Olympic Committee and Ms. Hartmann is the Director of the Office of National Programs and Special Events with the 

Department of Veterans Affairs. Ms. Cohen, I think you have an 

engagement and need to leave soon. Please proceed. 

STATEMENTS OF DINAH F.B. COHEN, DIRECTOR, COMPUTER/ 

ELECTRONIC ACCOMMODATIONS PROGRAM, OFFICE OF 

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; CHARLIE HUEBNER, 

CHIEF OF PARALYMPICS, UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE; AND DIANE HARTMANN, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF NATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

STATEMENT OF DINAH F.B. COHEN 

Ms. COHEN. Chairman and distinguished Members of the panel 

and Committee, I am so pleased and honored to be with all of you 

today to talk to you about the program known as CAP and how we 

provide assistive technology to our wounded servicemembers. 

The CAP, better known as Computer/Electronic Accommodations 

Program, is under the direction of the TRICARE management activity under the direction of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs. We were established in 1990 as a centrally funded 

program in DoD to buy and pay for assistive technology for our 

Federal employees with disabilities so they can access the electronic and information environment. Following the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2000, Congress granted us 

the authority to expand our program and serve other Federal agencies. We now provide assistive technology to DoD employees with 

disabilities and 65 other Federal agencies. Our mission is to ensure 

that people with disabilities have equal access to the information 

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environment and opportunities in Department of Defense and 

throughout the Federal Government. Our mission was expanded 

now also to provide the same level of accommodations to our returning wounded servicemembers. By fulfilling our mission, we are 

able to help Federal employees have that access to employment 

throughout the Federal Governmant for people with disabilities. 

In fiscal year 2000, we hit another milestone. In one year alone, 

we filled over 10,000 requests for accommodations. In fiscal year 

2008, CAP filled 2,782 requests for accommodations for DoD employees with disabilities; 2,985 requests for accommodations from 

our non-DoD Federal employees in our other Federal agencies; and 

4,589 accommodations in support of our wounded servicemembers. 

It was very easy to see post-9/11. Many of our soldiers, sailors, 

airmen, and Marines were returning every day from deployment 

with significant injuries and disabilities. It was easy for me to see 

that CAP could play a part in their recovery. CAP works closely 

with the medical providers, therapists, case managers, and wounded servicemembers across the Nation to ensure they receive the appropriate assistive technology for their needs. Accommodations are 

available for servicemembers with vision, hearing loss, dexterity 

impairments, which includes upper extremity amputees, communication, and cognitive disabilities. 

Once the appropriate assistive technology has been identified, 

CAP provides a solution free of charge to that servicemember during their medical recovery and rehabilitation. CAP’s services for 

our servicemembers are pretty easy and clear. First and foremost, 

we provide that individual needs assessment. Second, we start to 

provide training to the medical professionals on site so they would 

be able to identify the requirements. Third, we provide that assistive technology directly to that servicemember so they can go 

through their recovery and rehabilitation better. And fourth, we 

provide that accommodation. When they are ready to come back to 

work in DoD or any of our Federal agencies, during their internships so they can become engaged sooner, quicker, and better. 

The ability to use assistive technology during the early phases of 

recovery greatly helps in their rehabilitation outcomes and future 

employment opportunities. It is just part of the picture. For future 

wounded servicemembers, they now can also retain the assistive 

technology they get from CAP during their time they are on my 

DoD dime. 

We are very pleased in what we have been able to accomplish. 

In fiscal year 2008, CAP provided over 780 needs assessments and 

as I said over 4,500 requests for accommodations in the military 

treatment facilities throughout our Nation. We have a wonderful 

technology center at the Pentagon, but we have also set up miniature technology centers at Walter Reed, at Brooke Army Medical 

Center, and at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. CAP also 

partners with several other organizations to support disabled veterans as they go through rehabilitation and reemployment efforts, 

such as Hiring Heroes Career Fairs. In order to integrate us all 

into their recovery, we work closely with all of them. DoD greatly 

appreciates your support, sir, and ladies, in helping support our 

wounded warriors, our disabled veterans. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today to all of you, talking about CAP, and what 

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we do in support of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Cohen appears on p. 61.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Ms. Cohen. I know you have to leave. 

If you could just give us one or two specific examples of the accommodations you are talking about? Just for the layman? 

Ms. COHEN. Of course, sir. Many of you may have seen or have 

heard of Captain Smiley, who is currently teaching up at West 

Point. Captain Smiley is still active duty. Captain Smiley is blind. 

Captain Smiley uses technology so he can hear everything on his 

computer screen. So he has a speech output program that allows 

him to hear what is on his computer screen, and then he can take 

notes using some of the technology he got from CAP. He was introduced to that early in his rehab time at Walter Reed. 

Or for the person down who was a national Guardsman, who had 

a traumatic brain injury, lost his sight and his hands were badly 

burned. He is able now to talk to his computer using assistive technology. He is able to hear back what is happening on his computer 

using JAWS voice output. When I first met him he was very detached. He was not talking. He was very depressed because he 

said, ‘‘What can I do now?’’ as he held his twins that were born 

during deployment. About a month later, thanks to the tremendous 

talent of people down at Brooke Army Medical Center, I found out, 

I went back and I said, ‘‘How are you doing?’’ And he said, ‘‘Ma’am, 

I think I am going to become a lawyer.’’ Now, no offense to anyone 

here—— 

The CHAIRMAN. So you have not done good for this world? 

Ms. COHEN. I know. I said, ‘‘I do not know if I need another lawyer.’’ But he said that thanks to the technology he was able to get 

on all those Web sites they need and should be accessible. He read 

about the places where he can go to law school. He now is teaching 

other young disabled veterans who are blind in Arkansas at one of 

the VA centers how to use assistive technology. So he can talk to 

his computer and he can listen to what is coming back out. That 

is just a sample. So I encourage you to come over and visit our tech 

center and see the technology that is really available. 

The CHAIRMAN. At the Pentagon? Okay. Mrs. Kirkpatrick has a 

question for you, and then you can feel free to leave if you need 

to. 

Mrs. Kirkpatrick. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you. I have one quick question. 

Ms. COHEN. Yes. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. But I, I am a lawyer and I thank you for encouraging that young man. 

We always need, we need good lawyers, so thank you. You know, 

we have been hearing a lot about disconnects when people leave 

the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense and go under Veterans Affairs. And so my question is, do you have an active partnership with the VA to help in that transition? And how does that 

work? 

Ms. COHEN. I am very proud to say that we have a truly seamless transitional program. We work closely with the VA and all of 

their rehab facilities to make sure that the equipment that I provide during the time they are at DoD is the same equipment they 

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would get at the VA. So they get to hold on to technology I provided to them even upon separation. So they do not have to wait 

until the VA can chime in. But when they need upgrades, when 

they need new technology, when they need a new version, the VA 

can provide it. And they do the same types of assistive technology. 

So it makes it very easy. 

When we were discovering what would be the best technology for 

our men and women with traumatic brain injury, we spoke once a 

week on a conference call to make sure that we were putting a policy that included both what DoD was doing to match up with what 

VA was doing so they would have that ability to take that piece 

of equipment we gave them, move on to the VA, and continue to 

use it. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you. Thank you, very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Ms. Cohen. Again, feel free to leave 

if you need. 

Mr. Huebner, we thank you. I just want to personally thank you 

and Mr. Crane. You took it upon yourselves in the last few years 

to educate us about Paralympics. You did an incredible job. I know 

you are not through yet and we have tried to respond with the 

knowledge that you have given us so I appreciate your very incredible activity on behalf of Paralympics. 

STATEMENT OF CHARLIE HUEBNER 

Mr. HUEBNER. Thank you, sir. Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and Members of the Committee. I would like to thank 

you for the opportunity to testify this morning. Congresswoman 

Kirkpatrick, I would like to make a special message to you. I spent 

4 years cooking steaks at Black Barts Steakhouse in Flagstaff, Arizona, while attending Northern Arizona University (NAU). So your 

small rural area in northern Arizona is very close to my heart. So 

thank you for your service. 

First of all, I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking 

Member Buyer for your leadership in making the VA Paralympic 

Program a reality, and for the amendment ensuring that your legislation is fully funded. I would also like to recognize Congressman 

Boozman, Congressman Kennedy, Congressman Langevin, Congressman Murtha, and Congressman Salazar for their continued 

leadership. 

Because of this leadership, the Paralympic Military Program has 

accomplished the following in 2009. We have provided free training 

to more than 1,200 community, military, and veteran leaders on 

how to implement a local community-based program. We have provided services to more than 6,000 injured military personnel and 

veterans; distributed grant funding to more than 45 organizations; 

created Paralympic Programs in 99 communities to support injured 

servicemembers and veterans. This includes providing technical assistance and training, with mentors, to 4 military medical centers, 

11 warrior transition units, and 14 VA facilities. And that is something I want to emphasize that was part of the question earlier, 

and hopefully at the end of my testimony, I can address some earlier questions in some of the earlier panels. But these programs are 

all led by Paralympic mentors, a very critical part of what we are 

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collectively doing with all the other organizations that are here 

today. Your amendment requesting the full funding of $10 million 

through the VA and the Paralympic Veterans Program, and your 

support of a $5 million request through the DoD, will create the 

continuum of care from active duty to veteran status and expedite 

the delivery of programs, allowing the USOC and its partner organizations in 2010 to accomplish the following: expand programming 

and services to more than 150 communities; expand community 

technical assistance and support from 14 to 30 VA facilities; expand community warrior transition unit support from 11 facilities 

to 20 facilities. Our overall goal by 2012 is to have programming 

in support of veterans and injured servicemembers in more than 

250 communities based on need. 

We can do this because of the collaboration with partner organizations like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, as well as a well-established infrastructure of 

community sport programs. More than 60 organizations are currently members of the U.S. Olympic Committee, reaching more 

than 50 million Americans in big cities and small. Our strategy is 

focused on a cost efficient model of training and collaboration, with 

key partners, such as Disabled Sports USA, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Park and Recreation Association, the 

American Legion, and other USOC member and veteran organizations. Collectively, we are investing more than $40 million in private resources to deliver programming today. This model eliminates duplication and allows for the USOC and its partner organizations to deliver technical assistance, equipment, Paralympic mentors, funding, and services to local communities. 

I would like to share with you an example. Our hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the USOC is headquartered, a community with significant military and veteran presence prior to 2008 

had no Paralympic programs. We have collaborated with Fort Carson, the Army base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Air Force 

Academy, Schriever and Peterson Air Force, and the City of Colorado Springs parks and recreation department to develop 

Paralympic Sport Colorado Springs. Today injured servicemembers 

and veterans, and this was a question that was in an earlier panel, 

access, today injured servicemembers and veterans in Colorado 

Springs do not have to commute 1 to 3 hours daily to receive daily 

physical activity or participate in local community programming. 

Very important aspect of what we are trying to do. 

The USOC’s recommended utilization of funds would be to continue supporting technical assistance at the community level. Create enhanced awareness of programs available to injured servicemembers or veterans as they leave the VA and DoD systems. And 

most importantly, and this puts us in a very good position to work 

with partner organizations, we would recommend that the majority 

of the resources available through this funding be provided via 

grants to community organizations, many of which are in this room 

today, to deliver programs at the community level. The USOC has 

already built and implemented a system to manage, monitor, and 

measure impact of grants provided to external organizations. So 

that system currently exists today. The 45 grants that we have disanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

39 

tributed this year to 45 different community organizations is an example of that system that is working currently. 

The impact of these programs on injured servicemembers is best 

demonstrated through the words of a veteran, or in this case a parent. And this was shared with a Paralympic mentor who happens 

to be a USOC employee, a veteran who was injured in Afghanistan. 

And the actual words are in my testimony, I will just share two 

points of it. ‘‘For my son, a corporal in the Marine Corps, it was 

important for me to restore dignity and respect in him after he was 

injured. One of the ways he was able to restore his soul is through 

Paralympic sports.’’ That was from the mother of a Marine corporal. 

When most people are injured, a typical support network tends 

to focus on all that was lost. In many cases, it is something as simple as skiing with your friends or running with your mom that allows both the injured servicemember and the support network to 

begin to think about the possibilities. Possibilities in sport, possibilities in education, possibilities in employment, and possibilities 

in life. This is especially critical when a servicemember returns 

home to their community. And our primary focus with the 

Paralympic Military Program and Paralympic Veteran Program is 

to work in collaboration with the organizations here today, as well 

as numerous other organizations, to ensure that programs exist at 

the community level for an injured servicemember or veteran to 

immediately return to upon their return home. 

While the primary focus of our development in this program is 

the community-based sport program, not elite sport, not going to 

the Paralympic Games, everyday physical activity, we do have the 

great honor of sending Americans to the Olympic and Paralympic 

Games, which creates an unbelievable platform for us to create 

awareness about programs but most importantly create role models. And you have seen a couple of those today. 

I would like to close my testimony with a quick video about three 

individuals that pursued representing their country for a second 

time at the Paralympic Games in 2008. 

[Text of video shown:] 

I woke up, a portion of me was missing. That is it. Shift 

that weight back. You are doing good. The RPG when I 

came just hit me out of nowhere, and I looked down and 

saw my guts sitting out. We lost two guys, and they had 

to amputate my leg. Just 3 weeks into her deployment she 

was on a routine convoy. Her Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. You know, when I was younger I dreamed of 

going to the Olympics. So now I lost my leg and I have bigger dreams than I ever would have had with two legs. I 

woke up a portion of me was missing. Like, I could see the 

sheets and I could see that my leg was missing. The fact 

that they are traumatic amputees from the War and they 

are already participating in the Olympics, that is unheard 

of. With a new American record of Melissa Stockwell. The 

whole reason I went into the Army was because I love our 

country. And, you know, I lost my leg trying to defend our 

country. And I would not have it any other way. Scott was 

an Army specialist serving in Iraq when an accident cost 

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him the use of his legs. And here is the way he put it: ‘‘I 

fought for this country and now I would love to win for 

this country in Beijing.’’ Scott, we honor your service to 

our country and we will be pulling for you. Oh, yes. Yes. 

We are going to give them a run for their money, and for 

their medals, too. I just had my 162nd surgery since my 

injury, coming back from Iraq. If they cannot get all the 

infection out I will go ahead and get the amputation. But 

that is going to be my last alternative. I still got one half 

an arm to work with. I do not want nobody feeling sorry 

for me. There you go, you got it. There you go. There you 

go. Whoop! You all right, big guy? Okay. I can tell when 

he is down. I brought it up to the doctors and they cannot 

see it but I can. It is okay to ask for help. I mean, there 

is, you are going to have ups and downs in your life. I 

mean, look, our lives have changed a lot. Before I go home, 

but a few places I want to go before I go home. China is 

one of them. And next up the first heat in the mens’ 100 

meters. In lane two, Kortney Clemons, an Iraq War veteran representing the U.S. Come on Kortney, dig. And now 

on to the 27 men who will be nominated to the 2008 

Paralympic Team. Carlos Leon. We are very proud of him. 

And I do not know what we will do if he gets some gold. 

You know, I guess just cry a lot. I had these daydreams 

about winning and hearing the national anthem. And that 

would be probably the best moment of my life. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, sir. 

Mr. HUEBNER. Sure. I would like to take credit for that video, but 

this young man over here and his brother are the producers of 

Warrior Champions. And with a lot of the footage that was shot we 

will be creating educational and awareness materials that we hope 

to distribute to community organizations, Paralympic organizations, the Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs to give to parents, family Members, and injured servicemembers. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Huebner appears on p. 63.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you so much. Ms. Hartmann, please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF DIANE HARTMANN 

Ms. HARTMANN. I would like to ask that my full statement be 

submitted for the record. 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes, that will be done. 

Ms. HARTMANN. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, 

thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department of Veterans Affairs progress in implementing Title 7 of Public Law 110– 

389, providing our Nation’s disabled veterans with the opportunity 

for self-development while at the same time providing important 

therapeutic assistance is in the highest tradition of the Department’s mission. We are very pleased to have the U.S. Olympic 

Committee join us in these efforts. Although there is much work 

left to be done, VA has already achieved a great deal, which I will 

share with you today. 

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On July 13, 2009, VA Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould and Ms. 

Stephanie Streeter, Chief Executive Officer, USOC, signed a memorandum of understanding as specified in this legislation. VA did 

not wait until July 13th to begin implementing the other provisions 

of Title 7. Funding to support Title 7 is in the President’s budget 

for 2010. VA has already begun to draft regulations for the payment of allowances and other policy guidelines necessary to achieve 

the full implementation of Title 7. VA is collaborating with the 

United States Olympic Committee to develop a certification process 

and we have identified a payment system within Veterans Benefits 

Administration that can be used to process and authorize the 

monthly assistance allowance. We are now beginning to develop a 

grant approval and review process. 

In 1999, VA established the Office of National Programs and 

Special Events to oversee highly successful and well-attended national rehabilitative programs for disabled veterans, the National 

Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, the National Veterans 

Wheelchair Games, the National Veterans Golden Age Games, and 

the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. VA currently has 

memorandums of understanding (MOU) with partner organizations 

that cosponsor these programs, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Veterans Canteen Service, Help 

Hospitalized Veterans, and the American Legion Auxiliary. Last 

year the National Programs and Special Events began the Summer 

Sports Clinic, which is specifically designed for recently injured 

veterans with amputations, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, 

or post-traumatic stress disorder. The National Veterans TEE, 

which is Training, Exposure, and Experience Tournament, will be 

elevated to a national program this year under the Office of National Programs open to veterans with a wide range of disabilities. 

These events are open to all veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare 

system. Each event, encourages first time participation. However, 

able bodied and disabled veterans who meet the eligibility criteria 

can participate. Each year, thousands of veterans who participate 

in VA’s local programs have the opportunity to further their selfdevelopment through these national rehabilitative events. 

In 2005, VA entered into a MOU with the United States Olympic 

Committee to increase interest in and access to Paralympic sports 

programs for veterans with disabilities. Prior to Public Law 110– 

389’s enactment, VA partnered with the USOC to expand the 

awareness of Paralympic sports and to provide elite level athletes 

with direct access to the United States Olympic Committee’s 

Paralympic Program. On February 23, 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs redefined the functions of the Office of National Programs and Special Events to include carrying out the new requirements of section 702 and 703 of Public l10–389. And he realigned 

the new office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special 

Events directly under the Office of the Secretary. 

VA medical staff is currently supporting veterans’ participation 

in Paralympics sanctioned events by accompanying veterans to 

such events and assisting with the procurement of specially adapted equipment for these veterans. At this time, we do not have an 

assessment on the impact on the local medical services. 

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VA has made great progress toward implementing the provisions 

of Public Law 110–389 and enhancing its partnership with the 

United States Olympic Committee. Although work remains before 

us we have developed a spirit of cooperation and teamwork with 

the USOC and I am confident that we are moving in the right direction. Thank you again for the opportunity to come before you 

and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Hartmann appears on p. 64.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Mrs. Kirkpatrick, do you have any 

further questions? 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. 

Huebner. It is so nice to see an NAU grad, and the great work that 

you are doing. Thank you very much. You know my district. You 

know the challenges of reaching those communities and including 

the Native American communities. I just want your thoughts on 

how we can expand outreach to those communities. We have so 

many veterans up there who just do not have services. 

Mr. HUEBNER. Well, it is an excellent question and it is one of 

the things that keeps me up at night. But we have implemented 

a model focused on training. And when I say ‘‘we,’’ and I just want 

to emphasize this, the U.S. Olympic Committee working in collaboration with leadership organizations, many of which are behind me 

today and have testified today. It is a collaborative partnership to 

address the need. A training component is one way of doing it. As 

the gentleman from South Carolina mentioned earlier, in a lot of 

communities we have gyms, we have coaches, we have teachers, we 

have tracks. A lot of times what we do not have is expertise. We 

have, the 1,200 community leaders, military leaders, and veteran 

leaders, that is a role we are playing via training, is providing in 

a rural area especially, if one veteran returns home to a rural area, 

Holbrook or Winslow, and you are not going to go create a whole 

program for that one individual. It is not cost efficient and it is not 

effective. Via training, we can work with one of the partner organizations we had talked about, whether it is parks and recreation, or 

PVA, or Disabled Sports USA, or Disabled American Veterans, to 

work with either a chapter or work with an existing entity, many 

of which are Member organizations of the U.S. Olympic Committee, 

to provide the training, the technical assistance, a Paralympic mentor if needed, and potentially equipment. And the plus up with the 

funding, what is so significant there is it allows us to expedite immediately the opportunity to reach more communities with that 

type of training and community service. So that is our focus with 

what we are trying to do. We do not implement programs. We work 

with organizations that I mentioned earlier to implement the programs, provide the technical assistance and training to allow them 

to do it at the local level. So if it is a rural area, the need can be 

met. And that veteran can integrate into existing programming, 

whether it is a parks and recreation organization or a Paralympic 

organization, or we can provide the training to allow them to do 

that. And it is a major emphasis. 

And the other key is flexibility. Diane talked a little bit about the 

impact on local VA facilities. And Congressman Bilirakis, and I 

wanted to answer this question, we are working with Tampa Parks 

and Recreation right now, who is providing services to the Tampa 

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VA. And our philosophy is, ‘‘Be flexible.’’ Knowing that DoD military medical centers and VA facilities have their priorities and 

their mission. And taking on additional programs might not be realistic. In Tampa, the Tamps Parks and Recreation organization in 

the community is providing the expertise as requested by the 

Tampa VA to meet the need there. So it is a real cost efficient 

model that is flexible. We can go into the VA facility and provide 

expertise. We can do it in the community. Or we can just provide 

equipment and coaching. I mean, we are flexible in terms of how 

to deliver the service based on the local community need. 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Thank you. I am out of time, so thank you 

very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Well, I want to thank you all for an incredibly 

informative and moving morning. We have the Federal agencies 

working in cooperation with the U.S. Olympic Committee and 

working with the stakeholder organizations at a local level. Of 

course, the proof is how the individuals have responded to that. We 

have to do more. One thing that I am impressed with is that what 

we are doing to at the VA to help veterans is also helping others 

who are not veterans. When you deal with local communities and 

make things adaptable you are helping all disabled people, not just 

disabled veterans. I think that is an important side benefit of what 

you all do every day. 

In war, and especially in America, people do not want to think 

about the war after it is over. Yet we have people who were injured 

while they were doing what they wanted to do, or considered their 

duty to do. We have to take care of these people after the war. We 

cannot lose track of the people who have given so much. This is one 

way that has become very effective and it is very important and inspires all of us to do better. Kortney, I see you sitting there and 

when I watch you running, it inspires us to do our jobs better. We 

know that pain of that first moment that was shown in the video 

and how hard it was how many months, and years you had to work 

to get into condition. All of that is incredible, incredible work that 

inspires us to say, ‘‘Hey, we can do better for you and we can do 

better in anything we do.’’ 

Thank you all for teaching us so much. We are looking forward 

to supporting you in the future. This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 12:23 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

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A P P E N D I X 

Prepared Statement of Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Since the early years of our country, Congress has had to reassess programs created to care for our men and women in uniform, our veterans who have courageously answered our call to duty and their families who have joined in the military 

experience. 

For many servicemembers and veterans who have been severely-injured from 

service to our country, their rehabilitation can be a disheartening experience. Many 

become concerned about having the same quality of life that they had prior to their 

injuries. 

This was known to be true in World War II, and has held true today in the midst 

of our nation’s commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fortunately, this Congress 

stands united in support of our members of the Armed Forces and veterans who deserve the best resources to succeed in life after their military service. 

Some of my colleagues may be aware of the history of how paralympic sports have 

been used in the physical therapy of injured servicemembers and veterans, and how 

it has evolved over the years since World War II. 

As some of our panelists will testify today, the issue of paralympic sports being 

used as a method of physical therapy is not new to them with many sharing strong 

partnerships with the VA that span more than 20 years to provide rehabilitation 

services to our injured men and women who have worn the uniform. 

In the last Congress, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity under the leadership of Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking Member Boozman, held a series of hearings on the future role of the VA in paralympic sports. 

In those hearings they received testimony highlighting the need to: conduct program outreach to veterans; conduct followups with veterans after a flagship event 

such as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games; and, the need to implement programs to appeal to veterans seeking to participate in non-traditional activities such 

as scuba diving. 

Today, we will provide the needed oversight on the VA’s Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events that we first authorized in Public Law 

110–389 on October 10, 2008. This law authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to make grants to the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide: paralympic instruction, 

competition activities, and, training program development activities for servicemembers and veterans with physical disabilities. 

Many of you may know that earlier this month I offered an amendment to the 

VA appropriations bill, with the support of Ranking Member Buyer, which ensures 

that this valuable program is fully funded and capable of providing the support and 

programs that our veteran athletes require. 

As some of my colleagues in the Committee have highlighted in the past, it is important to understand the history of this new program so that we may avoid the 

same pitfalls that have been encountered by similar programs. 

I look forward to working with Ranking Member Buyer, Chairwoman Herseth 

Sandlin, Ranking Member Boozman and all the Members of the Committee to ensure this new program succeeds in its mission to provide rehabilitative sports therapy to our injured servicemembers and our veterans. They definitely deserve it. 

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Prepared Statement of Hon. Steve Buyer, Ranking Republican Member, 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Thank you Mr. Chairman. General Douglas MacArthur, while he was Superintendent of West Point, stated: 

‘‘Upon the of friendly strife are sewn the seeds, that upon other fields, 

on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.’’ 

General MacArthur eloquently conveyed that the value of participation in sports 

activities can carry over into other areas of life. 

Sports strengthen individuals physically, mentally and emotionally. 

Athletes develop so many great qualities of the heart and mind that when these 

attributes are translated into other areas of life’s activities, it often leads to great 

success and accomplishments. I believe that sports therapy is among the most valuable rehabilitative tools we can provide our wounded warriors. 

I saw this firsthand when I had the pleasure of visiting the U.S Olympic Committee training site in Chula Vista, CA. The training site is located just a few miles 

southeast of downtown San Diego and is a place of joy, determination, dedication, 

sweat, and comradeship. It is a very scenic place with a beautiful lake and landscaping. Another notable feature is that the landscaping is dotted with signs reminding visitors that the rattlesnakes lurking in the shrubbery are part of the natural ecosystem. 

I found it a convincing reason to stay out of the landscaping. . . 

But the real beauty of the site was in the athletes. 

Walking around, you see the positive energy with which they approach life. You 

see how they encourage each other even if they are competitors for the same spot 

on the U.S team. In sum, I suspect you will see the same vitality at any of the 

USOC’s training sites. 

About the same time I was there, the USOC was embroiled in a controversy over 

allegations of corruption and other less than flattering charges. I felt it was our duty 

to help the USOC refocus on the athletes. We did that, reducing the U.S. Olympic 

Committee to a manageable size. 

The leaner, more efficient number of staff that exists now includes representatives 

of the athletes themselves. The upbeat, positive attitudes I saw during my visit 

made it clear to me that our disabled veterans benefited greatly from their activities 

and that increasing their participation in sports at all levels, from beginner to expert, would help them in their rehabilitation. 

With a bit of encouragement, VA and the USOC signed an agreement in 2005 to 

begin a program to bring more veterans into sports. As a result, the USOC began 

a series of training events at Colorado Springs and Chula Vista for our wounded 

warriors. Many of these servicemembers were literally just a few weeks from being 

wounded in action. And the great thing was that every one of them was smiling despite their injuries and the exertions they were making to restart a life of activity 

through sports. 

I also introduced a bill that authorized VA to provide grants via the USOC to 

other local disabled sports programs and to offer a small per diem to disabled veteran athletes training at USOC facilities. 

Chairman Filner also introduced legislation, and we merged our ideas together 

into one bill which were signed into law last year as part of title 38. 

I am proud that through our combined efforts Mr. Chairman, we also helped formalize VA’s sports and special events program and expand sports therapy for disabled veterans. VA and its cosponsors from the veterans service organizations have 

put adaptive sports on the map with events such as the National Wheelchair games, 

the Winter Sports Clinic, and the Golden Age Games. This year, VA will add a new 

disabled golf event to their calendar and I salute VA and all their partners for being 

pioneers in the adaptive sports arena. 

This year, the Chairman and I amended the VA appropriation bill to increase 

funding for the program to the full authorization of $10 million and I thank Chairman Filner for using the language in my amendment. 

I want to make it very clear that this legislation was not about producing athletes 

for the U.S. Paralympic Team. It is about increasing the number of disabled veterans who participate in all types of sports at all levels in cooperation with U.S. 

Paralympics and their partners such as our witnesses here today. I am sure Mr. 

Huebner would agree that you build a national team from the ground up beginning 

with local sports programs. One does not wave a magic wand and—POOF—you 

have an elite level athlete. 

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This has been a bit of a journey, but today, the USOC has reached agreements 

with about a hundred local disabled sports programs and is working with over a 

dozen hospitals where our wounded warriors are undergoing treatment. 

The glowing results are that thousands of disabled veterans have been touched 

at the local level and 16 disabled veterans, three from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, made the U.S. Paralympic Team and brought home several medals from the 

Beijing Paralympics. 

So Mr. Chairman, while you and I don’t always see eye-to-eye, we are in total 

agreement on the value of using sports to improve the lives of our disabled veterans. 

Increasing the availability of disabled sports programs is just one more resource 

to speed recovery and bring the positive attitudes and values I mentioned seeing 

at Chula Vista to our disabled veterans. 

I am sure we can do more and I look forward to working closely with the Chairman and any Member who shares our vision of improving the lives of disabled veterans through sports. 

I yield back. 

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Prepared Statement of Hon. John J. Hall 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all of the witnesses for testifying. 

I’m pleased that we are here today to talk about the Military Paralympic Program 

and ways to improve its effectiveness. 

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are unlike many of the wars that our service 

men and women have fought throughout our history. Many more brave men and 

women are returning home alive, but have sustained the most serious injuries. As 

I have heard from countless veterans in my district, the battle doesn’t end once the 

last bullet is fired. War leaves a scar. In some veterans, the scar of war is invisible 

to everyone else. That’s why I’ve been pushing for better treatment and compensation for servicemembers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For other veterans, 

like the men testifying in the first panel today, their wounds are physical. The men 

here today have given a part of themselves in service to our Nation. Thank you, 

gentlemen, for your service, and for your sacrifice. 

Congress must do more to help our men and women heal their wounds from war 

and lead active lives. The Military Paralympic Program can play a big role in that 

by providing support and camaraderie for our veterans, and by helping these strong 

men and women overcome their physical disabilities. 

I hope that in this hearing we will discuss ways to improve outreach to returning 

veterans, increase the program’s effectiveness, and expand funding opportunities. I 

look forward to hearing your testimony and your suggestions to reform the Military 

Paralympic program. 

Thank you. 

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Prepared Statement of Sergeant Kortney Clemons, USA (Ret.), Chula Vista, 

CA 

Good morning. My name is Kortney Clemons. I was honored to serve in the Army 

from 2001 to 2006 and I’m so proud to stand before you today as an Army Veteran, 

Purple Heart recipient and a Paralympic hopeful. I lost my right leg above the knee 

to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005. I never imagined when I was lying in the hospital bed in Landstuhl, Germany, that 4 years later, I would be a proud graduate 

of Penn State University, and living and training full-time at the U.S. Olympic 

Training Center in Chula Vista as part of the USOC Track & Field Resident Program. 

I can’t thank you enough for all you have done to support the VA Paralympic Program. Your support has changed—and will continue to change—the lives of thousands of injured soldiers. Some, like me, may pursue representing their country 

again at the Paralympic Games, but all will benefit from the impact of sports in 

many areas of their lives. 

Paralympic sport has given me opportunities that I never thought would be possible. Prior to my injury, I was an athlete who absolutely loved sports. I played football, basketball and baseball in high school in Little Rock, Mississippi and played 

football at East Mississippi Community College before joining the Army. 

I served as an Army medic in Europe and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th 

Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad in March, 2004. Eleven months after arriving in Iraq, 

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I lost my right leg to a roadside bomb. I was helping a soldier who had been wounded in an earlier incident when the IED exploded. The bomb took the lives of three 

of my comrades. I was grateful to have survived, but following my injury, I struggled when thinking about my life as an amputee. When I lost my leg, I felt like 

I had lost my identity. 

I thought I’d be in a wheelchair forever. I had never been exposed to other amputees, prosthetics and certainly not Paralympic sports. I was worried about where I 

would live, how I would get around, how I would be able to work. I was dealing 

with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, coming to terms with the loss of my leg and 

learning how to walk again. Sports were the last thing on my mind. But it was 

through sports that I found hope and healing—and my future. 

I’ll never forget the day a U.S. Olympic Committee employee and Paralympic 

mentor, John Register, came to the Amputee Care Center at Brooke Army Medical 

Center. An amputee himself, he was meeting with injured soldiers to tell us about 

the USOC’s Paralympic Military Program. I was still learning how to walk, but seeing him demonstrate how to run that day changed everything for me. I knew I could 

get back to playing sports and his inspirational message made me realize that 

sports could give me the strength, courage and confidence to live a great life. 

It’s an important outlet for anyone with a physical disability and I believe it 

should be a key part of the rehabilitation of any injured service member. Everyone 

knows it benefits you from a physical and health standpoint, but what not everyone 

realizes is how much it helps you psychologically and emotionally. 

As an athlete, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many wounded soldiers during visits to military hospitals. It’s wonderful to be able to tell them about the Paralympic 

Military Program and how powerful sports can be in their lives. I know what it’s 

like to be lying in bed believing that life will no longer be ‘‘normal’’ and you won’t 

be able to enjoy all the things you once did, especially sports. So it gives me great 

pride to share my story with patients and help them see that returning to sports 

is not only possible, it will also help them achieve many other things in life. 

To me, sport equals quality of life. It represents health and freedom. One of the 

past participants at a USOC Military Sports Camp summed it up best when he said 

‘‘Rehab helps you exist. Sports help you really live.’’ I understand completely what 

he meant when he shared those feelings. 

I remember the first time I walked after my injury and the exhilaration I felt the 

first time I ran! It was unbelievable. I want other injured servicemen and women 

to have that same experience. I want them to learn the same thing I did . . . that 

Paralympic sport can help them lead a productive life, achieve their dreams and inspire others along the way. 

Thank you. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Captain Nathan Waldon, USA, Washington, DC 

Good morning Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer. My name is Nathan 

Wayne Waldon and I am a Captain in the United States Army. I appreciate the opportunity to testify. 

My affinity for physical activity has not been recently acquired. Growing up in 

the southeast and thus afforded great year round weather I have been an active 

participant in various sports from early on. This, of course, was strongly encouraged/mandated by my parents who made sure that I was not sitting around the 

house playing video games and watching television. Looking back now upon those 

years from a very different perspective, I have come to understand that there were 

a multitude of reasons they wanted me to participate. Physical Activity is something 

that every child needs. 

An active lifestyle which started at an early age is something that has always 

been a part of my identity as a person. Physical Activity/Sports is where I learned 

so many important life lessons. For example: How to be a team player, putting the 

good of the whole ahead of one’s personal ambition. How to communicate/interact 

with other people from all walks of life. The importance of hard work, nothing comes 

easy. To be better you must put in the practice to improve. Mental toughness, pushing yourself beyond what you think you are capable of, never quitting. Confidence 

in oneself, that you can achieve what you put your mind to. Humility, in both victory and defeat. I could continue to list all of the values that physical activity/sports 

has taught me, but it is simpler to say that physical activity is both the reason I 

am alive today and is what has given me hope for my future. 

Before I ever applied to college I knew I wanted to serve in the army. I made 

sure I found a school that was both academically strong as well as having a strong 

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ROTC program. I decided upon Furman University and began in the fall of 2000. 

During this time physical activity both in the military as well as intramural sports 

were a wonderful balance to all the academic studies. One of the first things I 

learned from my First Sergeant was the most important. An officer leads from the 

front in everything that he does. You should always set the proper example. 

I graduated in 2004 and proceeded to Ft. Benning. Throughout all the army 

schools I participated in, physical activity played a crucial role. The intensity which 

I approached training was so that I could serve my men better. Physical fatigue can 

obviously lead to poor decision-making. My sweat now, would hopefully prevent 

their blood being spilled later. 

I was assigned to the 3rd ID, 3 BDE, 2/69 AR, Bayonet Company, 1st PLT, as 

an Infantry platoon leader. Once again the lessons I learned living an active lifestyle continued to pay dividends. I had the top PT score in the company earning 

a bit of credibility with my new men, many of whom had already seen multiple deployments. I also won a brigade wide fitness competition, a new tradition COL 

Grigsby the Brigade commander started wanting to stress the importance of physical fitness. I received an ARCOM as well as a 4 day pass for this accomplishment. 

It also gained more notoriety form my platoon and gave them something to be proud 

of. 

On 11 July, 2007 we were conducting combat operations Baghdad. My platoon 

was in mounted in gun trucks on the way to conduct dismounted patrolling operations. My vehicle was hit with an EFP, the signal to launch an ambush. The slug 

from the EFP went through my door, then my leg, and fortunately bent my rifle 

up pretty good perhaps saving my left leg. I was able to get the door open and climb/ 

fall out. My gunner hopped out the top and came to my assistance, helping to drag 

me back towards the third vehicle. It was so surreal; the magnitude of what had 

happened to me just now was taking a moment to set in. I did not have much time 

to contemplate my situation, my platoon sergeant was giving me the SITREP on 

what was going on and we were still in the fight. Luckily everyone else in my truck 

was fine. Everyone was going about their business reacting to contact just like we 

trained. The medic was working on me, PSG was keeping me updated and as soon 

as someone set the outer cordon we evacuated to FOB Shield. During this entire 

episode I was conscious and able to make rational decisions. Without my training 

none of this would have been possible. Being in excellent shape, kept the injury I 

sustained from being much worse. The ER docs said it should have taken my leg 

off to the hip just from the force of the projectile. He cited my physical conditioning 

as a large part of the reason I did not go into shock or lose consciousness. 

I was transported back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) where my 

surgeries and rehabilitation began. It was not a very happy time, I was in pain, I 

had recently had a life altering experience, etc. I had always been very independent 

and self sufficient. But now I can’t walk. What made this even worse was that 

sports/ physical activity was such a large part of my identity. I was only focusing 

on the negative, but without that outlet, who was I. I truly felt lost. My conditioning 

even after my inpatient time allowed me to quickly achieve the goals of the physical 

therapists, but to me they seemed somewhat mundane. I didn’t want to be able to 

do crunches and pull ups. I wanted to be active. 

Because of my physical progression and my PT and OT recommended that I try 

and participate on one of the adaptive trips. It was December at this point and an 

organization known as DSUSA was hosting the Hartford Ski Spectacular. I decided 

to go and it was one of the best decisions I have made. It was like learning sports 

as a child all over again though. I felt like such a fool falling all over the place. 

You want to quit, you want to give up. Your strength isn’t there your fake leg isn’t 

doing what you want it to, but the lessons instilled as a child were still there. Humility, just swallow your pride get out there battle it, don’t quit. The instructors 

and event were exceptional. By the end of the week I had made progress, but I did 

not want to be adequate, I wanted to excel like I always had. 

I came away from this weekend with a sense of purpose. I had a taste of what 

I could do. No it was not going to be the same, hence the phrase adaptive sports. 

The way I view that term is perhaps different than others; it should be adaptive 

just from an equipment standpoint. I require a certain device to perform, but given 

the resources and training, I should be as good as anyone on the mountain. This 

one event gave me my life back. I was able to accept who I was, and with this acceptance came a sense of grounding to my life. I was no longer fighting it by focusing on the negative aspects of what had occurred. This was just another challenge 

to undertake. 

Since this initial event I have had the opportunity to attend others. Building upon 

what I learned at the last always pushing forward. As I have improved, it is also 

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inspirational for newly wounded to see what they can accomplish if they commit 

themselves. 

Words cannot express how grateful I am to those who have given me the opportunity to participate in their events. Thank you so much for giving me my life back. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Captain Mark D. Little, USA Fairfax, VA 

Biographical Information: 

Home town: Fairfax, VA 

In the course of one month, Mark was hit by three IED’s while serving in Iraq, 

and it would be the final one that would cause him to lose both his legs below the 

knee on September 7, 2007. He received 2 Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and several 

other awards for his service. Despite his severe injuries, Captain Little was 

snowboarding under DS/USA’s Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project four 

months after injury. He also has also learned alpine and Nordic skiing, golf, and 

cycling through the program. Mark is now a police officer in his native Virginia and 

trains Law Enforcement and Military. He is continuing to serve within the Department of Defense while finishing his recovery in the Washington DC area. 

• Personal Army History • Explanation of Injuries Received in Combat (OIF V) • Inpatient time in hospital 

• Concerns about personal recovery • Visit from fellow amputee who had participated in DSUSA activities • Shift in mindset and setting goals for recovery 

• Receiving prosthetic limbs and immediate competitive spirit • Introduction into the DSUSA program 

• Attitude towards wounded Veterans • Adaptive nature and positive spirit of the program and volunteers • Ability to interact with experienced Veteran amputees and learn new things • Camaraderie of DSUSA event participants and family atmosphere • How DSUSA activities have helped me get to where I am now • How this legislation is critical to helping me and other disabled veterans stay 

active in sports and recreation in my home community. 

• Maintaining lifelong health and fitness 

• Meeting the individual needs of veterans 

• Keeping the family intact 

• Leading to success in all areas of life, including employment 

f 

Prepared Statement of Adrian M. Atizado, Assistant National Legislative 

Director, Disabled American Veterans 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: 

Thank you for inviting the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), an organization 

of 1.2 million service-disabled veterans, to testify at this important hearing to discuss disabled veterans rehabilitation thru sports. We appreciate the opportunity to 

offer our views and experience with the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports 

Clinic. 

NATIONAL DISABLED VETERANS WINTER SPORTS CLINIC 

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the world leader in promoting rehabilitation by instructing veterans with disabilities in adaptive skiing, 

and introducing them to a number of other adaptive recreational activities and 

sports. The Clinic is cosponsored by the DAV and Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA), as well as a number of generous corporate and individual donors. 

As the largest annual disabled learn-to-ski clinic in the world, the Clinic is an annual rehabilitation program open to active duty servicemembers and veterans with 

spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments, traumatic brain 

injuries, certain neurological problems and other disabilities who receive care at a 

VA or military medical facilities. It provides the extrinsic motivation of excitement 

and camaraderie, but more importantly, it fosters the intrinsic motivation in each 

participant to find their strength of purpose and achieve what can only be described 

as miracles on a mountainside. 

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1http://www1.va.gov/vetevent/wsc/2009/WSC2009lLglProgl001.asx 

This event evolved from the pioneering efforts of the VA in rehabilitation and 

adaptive sports. Mr. Sandy Trombetta, founder and director of the Clinic, began 

bringing VA patients to a nearby mountain resort to participate in disabled ski programs in the early 1980s. As a recreation therapist at the VA Medical Center in 

Grand Junction, Colorado, he recognized the physical and mental healing that skiing and other winter sports can provide to veterans with disabilities. Just a few 

years after the first Clinic was held in 1987, with 20 staff members and about 90 

veterans, it became apparent that more support was needed due to the therapeutic 

benefits and popularity of the Clinic. The DAV answered that call and has become 

a co-sponsor of the event since 1991. 

It has grown tremendously over the past 23 years. The most recent Clinic was 

held in Snowmass Village, Colorado from March 29–April 3, 2009, where more than 

370 participants attended from across the country, along with 200 certified disabled 

ski instructors. Of those veterans and servicemembers who participated, 114 were 

first-time participants, 29 were women and over a third were servicemembers and 

veterans are from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Some of these veterans have never skied before. Most have spent months in hospitals, convinced their lives are over. A great many have been told they would never 

walk again. Yet there on the majestic high Alpine terrain of the Colorado Rockies, 

they learn otherwise and are proof positive that empowerment allows them to determine their own fate. Known for inspiring ‘‘Miracles on a Mountainside,’’ the Clinic 

shows that the lives of disabled veterans can be changed forever when they discover 

the challenges they can overcome. I invite you to view the 2008 National Disabled 

Veterans Winter Sport Clinic DVD to get a sense of the profound impact this event 

has on the participants and the volunteers. The 2009 video is available for viewing 

at VA’s website.1 It is an intense week that touches everyone involved. 

Not Just Skiing 

Adaptive ski equipment is updated and modified for each Clinic, and skiing is integrated with other exploratory activities. In addition to learning Alpine and Nordic 

skiing, participants are introduced to a variety of other sports such as rock climbing, 

scuba diving, trap shooting, horseback riding, snowmobiling and sled hockey. 

Other educational and instructional activities are also available such as the U.S. 

Secret Service teaching a self-defense course to participants who are in wheelchairs 

or are visually impaired; service dog owners and trainers meeting to discuss the 

care and availability of canine companions; a traumatic brain injury (TBI) Peer Support Group Meeting was again on the agenda this year where veterans suffering 

from TBI participated, including families who attended the Clinic and the veteran’s 

caregiver. In typical peer support fashion, stories were shared of survival above and 

beyond the adversity their injuries caused. 

DAV Past National Commander Chad Colley and his wife Betty Anne hosted a 

discussion entitled ‘‘Veterans—Not Just About You!’’ The couple spoke about relationships between disabled veterans and their spouses and offered sage advice on 

maintaining marriages. Women also had a reception of their own to talk about the 

issues they face and to bond as veterans and participants. As the veterans met together and in smaller groups, they developed lifestyle solutions and gained inspiration that will reverberate beyond the event. 

Rehabilitation First 

While the Clinic holds a race training and development program to help veterans 

develop their skiing abilities to an elite level to qualify for U.S. Paralympic Team 

participation, its primary purpose is to promote rehabilitation, fitness, and an enhanced quality of life. The rehabilitation of disabled veterans through the annual 

Winter Sports Clinic drives DAV’s commitment to the event as it truly reflects our 

organization’s mission of building better lives for our Nation’s disabled veterans and 

their families. 

In 1992, we instituted the DAV Freedom Award at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. It is given each year to the veteran who makes the most 

progress during the week, showing outstanding courage and accomplishments in 

taking a giant step forward in his or her journey of rehabilitation. The award’s inscription reads: ‘‘Their accomplishments during the National Disabled Veterans 

Winter Sports Clinic have proven to the world that physical disability does not bar 

the doors to freedom. We salute your desire to excel so that others may follow.’’ 

This year’s recipient, Portray Woods, was serving as Army’s 1st Armored Division 

on a reconnaissance patrol in Baghdad. He was behind a .50 caliber machine gun 

when a roadside bomb hit this vehicle. Missing his right arm and left thumb, and 

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suffering from a traumatic brain injury, Portray was unable to walk, talk, see out 

of his left eye, and was paralyzed on his right side. With courage, humility, and 

strength of the warrior spirit, he hunkered down to do battle with the long-term 

effects suffered by the thousands of servicemembers who have been injured by explosive blasts in our current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2008, he attended 

his first National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. The event reaffirmed the 

tremendous strides he’d taken in recovery when he quickly picked up downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and other events. He joined DAV Chapter 52 in Indianapolis and continued to rapidly advance and exceed expectations throughout his recovery at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indiana. 

Portray and other recipients of the DAV Freedom Award before him serve as an 

example to all participants of what the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports 

Clinic is all about. Research shows that people who participate in daily physical activity experience enhanced self-esteem and improved peer relationships, which correlate to increased achievement, overall better health and a higher quality of life. 

Further, while it is well established that recreation therapy plays a key role in the 

rehabilitation of disabled veterans in VA medical centers throughout the country, 

the Clinic enhances the physical, social, and emotional well-being of the veterans 

and their families who participate in this life changing event. 

PUBLIC LAW 110–389, TITLE VII 

Mr. Chairman, the DAV recognizes the purpose of Title VII of Public Law 110– 

389 to expand disabled veterans access to sports and recreation opportunities, including needed education and training. The law provides assistance to the United 

States Paralympics, Inc., to plan, develop, manage, and implement an integrated 

adaptive sports program from the local to national level through direct grants from 

the VA. The law also established the VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events that is to oversee sports programs or other events for disabled veterans to participate as well as seek corporate sponsorship to defray costs. 

The DAV does not currently have a relationship with the U.S. Paralympics program; however, we do participate with the National Rehabilitation Special Events 

Management Group. While the intent of Public Law 110–389 is laudable, our concern is the impact it may have on the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports 

Clinic, which is a rehabilitation event and not a training ground for future Olympians. 

In addition, section 702 of the law allows for individuals with disabilities who are 

not veterans or members of the Armed Forces to participate in sports programs that 

receive funds originating from VA grants. As an organization devoted to improving 

the lives of our Nation’s wartime disabled veterans we are concerned for any shift 

of VA’s mission, personnel, and resources away from disabled veterans. Moreover, 

section 703 requires the Director of the VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events to seek sponsorships and donations from the private sector to defray costs. This provision may have an adverse impact on our organization’s 

ability to discharge our responsibilities contained in the Memorandum of Understanding for the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic between the DAV 

and VA. DAV is deeply committed to achieving each year a successful Winter Sports 

Clinic and we value our responsibility to administer the corporate sponsorship program, sponsor recognition, and other mutually agreed upon activities. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement, and I will be pleased to respond to 

any questions you or any Member of the Subcommittee may wish to ask. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Carl Blake, 

National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America 

Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and Members of the Committee, I am 

pleased to be here today on behalf of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) to offer 

our views on the Military Paralympic Program and rehabilitation through sports 

and recreation for severely injured servicemembers and veterans. We would like to 

thank this Committee particularly for its efforts to expand sports and recreation opportunities for disabled servicemembers and veterans. Perhaps no veterans’ service 

organization understands the importance of sports as a rehabilitation tool more 

than PVA. 

Since its inception in 1946, PVA has recognized the important role that sports and 

recreation play in the spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation process. In fact, it was 

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paralyzed veterans, injured during World War II, who first started playing pick-up 

games of wheelchair basketball in VA hospitals. This marked the birth of wheelchair sports. Doctors quickly realized the significance of these types of activities and 

the powerful therapeutic benefits on the physical, mental and social levels that 

could be derived from participating in wheelchair sports. It is for this reason that 

PVA developed, and annually administers, a comprehensive sports and recreation 

program for its members and other Americans with disabilities. 

PVA sponsors a wide array of sports and outdoor recreation events to improve the 

quality of life and health of veterans with severe disabilities. Most notable of these 

activities is the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) which PVA has cosponsored with the Department of Veterans Affairs for 25 years. In fact the most 

recent Games just wrapped up in Spokane, Washington earlier this month. This 

year, the NVWG drew 513 veterans. Of that number, 34 were veterans of Operation 

Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). More importantly, 110 

of the veterans were first-time participants. In fact, PVA has one of the highest participation rates of members in this event. Likewise, we fully support the activities 

of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, the National Veterans Golden Age Games, and the National Creative Arts Festival. 

PVA also runs a number of other sports and outdoor recreation programs meant 

to get severely disabled veterans involved. Our Shooting Sports Program consists of 

the PVA National Trapshoot Circuit, pistol and rifle competitions and various hunting opportunities. The Trapshoot Circuit includes 10 events annually that draw approximately 600 participants. Our Boating and Fishing Program consists of the PVA 

Bass Tour and a variety of other fishing opportunities. The Bass Tour is comprised 

of six events annually that draw more than 350 participants. 

PVA, in association with the National Wheelchair Poolplayers’ Association, has 

developed a unique series of billiards tournaments for people with disabilities. In 

2009, PVA will conduct eight billiards events with approximately 160 participants. 

Likewise, PVA has partnered with the American Wheelchair Bowling Association to 

create a bowling tournament series. In 2009, PVA will conduct seven events with 

approximately 280 participants. Finally, PVA also financially sponsors several National Governing Bodies of Disabled Sport, including organizations that conduct program opportunities for wheelchair basketball, quad rugby, wheelchair bowling, 

wheelchair softball and wheelchair billiards to strengthen existing infrastructure for 

wheelchair sports and recreation participation. 

In the past 5 years, PVA has conducted significant outreach at Department of Defense (DoD) and VA hospitals to make its sports and recreation programs available 

to recently injured Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom 

(OEF) veterans. In fact, PVA was recognized in 2007 by the staff at Walter Reed 

Army Medical Center for our important work with the men and women being treated at that facility. In addition, in 2008 PVA edited a chapter entitled ‘‘Sports and 

Recreation Opportunities for the Combat Amputee’’ to be included in the DoD medical handbook Care of the Combat Amputee. 

PVA was pleased to support the provisions of Public Law 110-389, the ‘‘Veterans’ 

Benefits Improvement Act of 2008.’’ Section 7 of the law authorized the VA to provide assistance to the Military Paralympic Program and expand sports and recreation opportunities available to severely disabled veterans. The intent of the law is 

consistent with the mission of PVA’s Sports and Recreation Program which is to expand the quantity and quality of sports and recreation opportunities, especially 

those that promote lifetime fitness and a healthy lifestyle, for PVA members and 

other people with disabilities. As we have testified in the past, PVA’s primary goal 

for its Sports and Recreation Program is all about healthcare and rehabilitation 

first. 

P.L. 110–389 specifically emphasizes the need to enhance the recreation activities 

provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs by promoting disabled sports from 

the local level through elite levels and by creating partnerships among organizations 

specializing in supporting, training, and promoting programs for disabled veterans. 

This will be accomplished by providing training, technical assistance, equipment 

and Paralympic mentors for injured veterans to participate in daily physical activity 

at the community level as an aspect of their rehabilitation. This relationship affords 

many of our members an opportunity that they would not otherwise have. 

PVA was also pleased to see that the law creates an Office of National Disabled 

Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events and a Director position to oversee 

this Office. PVA has a special interest in this Office as the chief presenter, along 

with the VA, of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. However, we remain concerned that the Office is required to report to the Veterans Benefits Administration. 

We believe that this Office would be more appropriately placed under the Veterans 

Health Administration (VHA). The ultimate purpose of the Wheelchair Games, Winanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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ter Sports Clinic, Golden Age Games and Creative Arts Festival is to provide the 

best rehabilitative therapy possible to maximize independence and enhance the 

quality of life for severely disabled veterans. Given that rehabilitation is part of the 

mission of VHA, we believe that it should be the controlling authority. 

We believe that much progress and enhanced cooperation has resulted from the 

Military Paralympic Program. Under this program, PVA has witnessed improved coordination between our organization, USOC-Paralympics, and other veterans’ and 

community-based sports organizations that has enhanced existing programs and advanced development of new programs in communities that previously had not been 

served. 

PVA and its chapters have already expanded specific opportunities with the Military Paralympic Progam. These opportunities include: 

• Partnered with PVA to implement a new handcycling program in four strategic 

locations throughout the United States (Chicago, Illinois; San Antonio, Texas; 

San Diego, California; and Washington, DC/Richmond, Virginia). 

• Partnered with PVA to introduce USOC Shooting sponsored air gun and air pistol clinics and competitions at PVA National Trapshoot Circuit events. 

• Partnered with PVA to introduce Paralympic-style events at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games for the purpose of identifying future potential 

Paralympic-level athletes. 

• Partnered with PVA’s Mid-America Chapter to coordinate a multi-event sports 

camp hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma from August 7–10, 2009 

at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma. 

As a part of our testimony on sports and recreation opportunities offered last 

year, we made several recommendations that we believed would expand veteran 

participation in those programs administered by the VA. One of our principle concerns was to remove barriers to participation. Our concern then was that newly injured veterans should be provided timely access to education and training regarding 

sports and recreation opportunities. Furthermore, we believed that the VA and DoD 

should facilitate outreach efforts of legitimate organizations promoting sports and 

recreation opportunities by improving their access to newly injured veterans. We believe that the Military Paralympic Program has helped alleviate some of these concerns, and we look forward to continued progress as a result of this program. 

Interestingly, PVA found in a sports and recreation survey that we conducted in 

2002 that employment, whether full-time or part-time, is a barrier to sports and 

recreation activities due to a lack of time to participate. Furthermore, inadequate 

training, lack of local programs, high equipment and licensing fees, and a shortage 

of accessible local facilities are critical barriers to participation. We remain hopeful 

that through new coordination with the Military Paralympic Program, these barriers can be overcome. 

There is no doubt that activities such as those listed above and all disabled sports 

and recreation activities have positive impact not only on the disabled service member or veteran, but on his or her family. Research shows that physical activity is 

an important aspect of the rehabilitation process for persons with disabilities. It enhances self-esteem, reduces stress and the incidence of secondary medical conditions, and obviously improves conditioning. Equally important is that sports and 

recreation rehabilitation allows a disabled service member or veteran to reengage 

with family, friends, and the community. This contributes to a greater level of success in education and employment. 

PVA appreciates the focus being placed on these important programs. With disabled servicemen and women exiting the military everyday, especially from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, these programs will provide a beacon 

of hope to those men and women who will continue to face challenges every day of 

their lives. We look forward to working with this Committee to ensure that a wide 

range of sports and recreation activities are available to the men and women who 

have served and sacrificed. 

I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I would be happy 

to answer any questions that you might have. 

f 

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Prepared Statement of Julia Ray, Manager, 

Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, Disabled Sports USA, Inc. 

Summary Page 

• A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) was 

established in 1967 to serve the war injured from the Vietnam War; and later 

civilian youth and adults with disabilities. Disabled Sports USA now has 100 

community based sports chapters operating in 38 states offering over 30 different sports year round. 

• For the past 6 years, DS/USA in partnership with its chapters and Wounded 

Warrior Project has conducted the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project. 

Under the program, over 2500 severely wounded servicemembers, family and 

hospital staff has been provided the opportunity to learn over 25 different 

sports as part of their rehabilitation. 

• The WWDSP model is based on offering immediate sport participation opportunities as part of ongoing rehabilitation therapy and as part of recovery to a full 

and active life. 

• Disabled Sports USA endorses the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympic 

Military Program. 

• Disabled Sports USA supports the full appropriation of the authorized $10 million for the United States Paralympic Integrated Adaptive Sports Program (P.L. 

110–389) to provide training, technical assistance, equipment and Paralympic 

mentors for injured Veterans to participate in regular physical activity at the 

community level. 

• PL 110–389 is critical to the health and fitness of disabled veterans and their 

families, offering adaptive sports on an ongoing basis in their home communities, leading to success in life. 

• A 2008 Disabled Sports USA survey, which Harris Interactive was commissioned to conduct, demonstrated a positive correlation between participation in 

sports during and after the rehabilitation process and higher levels of employment. Other studies have shown that regular exercise and health diet can reduce the risk of many diseases that cause millions of deaths each year, such 

as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and certain 

cancers. The Paralympic Military program will help reduce these risk factors for 

recently disabled veterans and consequently reduce healthcare costs for the Department of Veterans Affairs and higher employment rates for disabled veterans. 

Background on Disabled Sports USA, Inc. 

A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Disabled Sports USA was established 

in 1967 by Disabled Veterans to serve the war injured from Vietnam. Since that 

time it has grown to serve both military and civilian adults as well as youth with 

disabilities. Its chapter and national leadership still includes disabled veterans, including its national Executive Director, Kirk Bauer, who is a decorated disabled 

Vietnam veteran. 

Disabled Sports USA has 100 community based sports chapters operating in 38 

states offering over 30 different year round sports. Sports offered include alpine and 

Nordic snow skiing, snowboarding, golf, cycling, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, 

sailing, outrigger canoeing, horseback riding, shooting, fishing, rafting, track and 

field, and many other activities. DS/USA’s emphasis is on sports rehabilitation and 

recreational activities that lead to an active and healthy lifestyle. DS/USA also offers sports competitions and training camps that provide a ‘‘pipeline’’ for emerging 

athletes who want to train and compete for the Summer and Winter Paralympic 

Games. 

Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project (WWDSP) 

Since 2003, DS/USA in partnership with its local community based chapters and 

Wounded Warrior Project, has conducted the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports 

Project. Under the program, severely wounded servicemembers are provided the opportunity to learn over 25 different sports as part of their rehabilitation. All expenses for their participation are paid by DS/USA including airfare, lodging, meals, 

adaptive sports equipment and training by experienced adaptive sports instructors. 

Family members are encouraged to participate, in order to keep the family unit intact by sharing positive, healthy experiences with their wounded warrior. 

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Programs are offered at the major military medical centers where the severely 

wounded are treated, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center, National Naval 

Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and Naval Medical 

Center San Diego. DS/USA also serves patients from many Veterans Hospitals, including Polytrauma centers at Palo Alto and Tampa, for injured servicemembers 

with Traumatic Brain Injury, paralysis and multiple injuries. Since its inception, 

over 2500 severely wounded servicemembers, family members and hospital staff 

have been served through more than 350 events in 25 different sports. 

The WWDSP model is based on offering immediate participation opportunities as 

part of ongoing therapy while the wounded warrior is in the hospital and as part 

of recovery. 

Sports are particularly effective during rehabilitation because basics of almost any 

sport can be taught in as little as one day. A quick, successful experience helps to 

provide a positive outlook and shows the wounded warrior the way to an active and 

successful future. From this new confidence the warrior is able to progress in life 

in a positive way. This result is embodied in DS/USA’s motto: ‘‘If I can do this, I 

can do anything!’’. 

Disabled Sports USA, Inc. supports the U.S. Paralympic Military Program 

and P.L. 110–389 

Disabled Sports USA endorses the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympic 

Military Program as a model that will support the work of the Wounded Warrior 

Disabled Sports Project as well as responding to a critical need to continue to provide sports and recreation opportunities when the wounded warrior transitions to 

civilian life and returns to his or her their own local community as a disabled veteran. 

Currently Disabled Sports USA, U.S. Paralympics and other community based 

sports organizations are contributing more than 40 million in private resources to 

help rehabilitate the severely wounded through sports. However, the current economic climate and an ever increasing demand to serve servicemembers returning 

with conditions such as polytrauma,traumatic brain injury and combat stress will 

require ongoing assistance provided by P.L. 110–389, which is critical to the continuation and expansion of these important programs at the community level, enabling the disabled veteran to lead an active and healthy life. 

Importance of Adaptive Sports Rehabilitation 

Many recent studies have demonstrated that disabled veterans have increased societal risk factors in areas such as suicide, homelessness, divorce and ‘‘lifestyle diseases’’ such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. The 

introduction of sports in the rehabilitation process and continued participation in 

sports after discharge from the hospital, will have a direct and positive influence 

on the prevention of these conditions. 

In 2008, Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) commissioned a survey conducted by 

Harris Interactive entitled ‘‘Sports and Employment among Americans with Disabilities’’ to demonstrate a positive relationship between involvement in sport and 

employment levels. 

Over 200 servicemembers who had received permanent disabling injuries while 

serving overseas and who had participated in the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports 

Project, took the survey. The survey found that wounded warriors were more than 

twice as likely (64 percent vs. 30 percent) than the general disabled population to 

be regularly involved in physical activity and that 52 percent (compared with 33 

percent of the general population) were employed. In addition, over half of those 

who were not working were enrolled in college or in certification courses. 

Given today’s high unemployment rate, this survey confirmed how important it 

is for Wounded Warriors to stay active in sports, utilizing all the tools possible to 

gain employment and advance in their careers. Wounded Warriors are even finding 

gainful employment in the field of adaptive sports—WWDSP has seen several participants make meaningful contributions as program managers, mentors, coaches 

and volunteers. 

One such example is Scott Winkler, a Paralympian and WWDSP participant. 

After sustaining a spinal cord injury while serving as an Army SPC in Iraq, Scott 

has chosen to turn his injury into a positive life experience, working tirelessly for 

a non-profit ‘‘Champions Made From Adversity’’, spending his time visiting and encouraging people in similar situations to his own. In addition he continues to be an 

accomplished athlete, having competed as a member of the USA Paralympic Track 

and Field Team in Beijing. 

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Need for VA support of ongoing community programming 

Participation in community recreation programs provided under the proposed legislation, will enable the disabled veteran to participate in sports alongside his or her 

family and friends which will help to maintain family cohesion and support for the 

veteran. This will be critically important to those disabled veterans who transition 

from the hospital to remote communities which may not have the resources to adequately serve them. 

This network will encourage regular exercise and a healthier lifestyle, making activities available on a daily or weekly basis, close to home. The long term legacy 

of this will be healthier, happier, more active disabled veterans; who, due to these 

preventative measures will have less healthcare and social support needs. The new 

generation of disabled veterans will be the most equipped, informed and empowered 

group of disabled veterans this country has ever had, ready to teach and serve others in their footsteps. 

Particularly during this economic downturn, DS/USA is experiencing an ever increasing demand for services by disabled veterans, but at the same time, reduced 

corporate and foundation support. In the first half of 2009 alone the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project has served over 500 Wounded Warriors, their families 

and hospital staff through over 60 sports programs, including weekly programs in 

the hospitals in sports such as golf, kayaking, swimming and scuba. Despite this 

extensive outreach, we are consistently asked to meet individual needs by warriors 

in their home communities; however financial resources currently limit this capability. The proposed legislation is key in enabling us to meet these needs. 

The younger generation also has new individualized interests. We have the expertise to respond by providing programs in extreme sports, endurance events, along 

with the high level coaching that the Wounded Warriors are demanding. There are 

those who wish to compete and train as integrated, non-disabled members of society, 

in golf tournaments, triathlons, adventure races, and conquer goals that many of us 

would only dream of; such as climbing Kilamanjaro, competing in the Paralympics, 

or completing the Hawaii Ironman. This is an ongoing process requiring support at 

an unprecedented level. 

Increased attention is required for those with moderate to severe traumatic brain 

injuries, particularly once they have left full time rehabilitation. WWDSP has conducted camps that demonstrate the effectiveness of individualized sports programs 

built specifically to their needs. Family members learn how they can not only facilitate this, but enjoy the sports alongside their loved ones. This needs to be expanded 

at the community level, which the appropriation of P.L. 110–389 is vital to providing. 

Therefore, this legislation comes at a more important time than ever before, as thousands of severely injured veterans return home and work 

alongside loved ones to re-build their lives. We know that adaptive sports 

are critical to this process, allowing disabled veterans to choose to lead an 

active and healthy lifestyle; which in turn leads to employment, good mental and physical health where it is most needed—at home. 

Sample quotes from Wounded Warriors are included in this testimony clearly 

demonstrating this impact. Thank you Chairman Filner and Ranking Member 

Buyer—we welcome any questions. 

Appendix I—Wounded Warrior, Family and Medical Staff Quotes 

These patients change and transform in the eight days they are with Disabled 

Sports USA . . . in ways they did not change in six months of hospitalization. It’s 

reintegration of who they once were. 

Susan Feighery, Lead Therapeutic Recreation Specialist 

Palo Alto VA Traumatic Brain Injury Unit—2009 

When you’re in the hospital all day, you’re with injured people. All you talk about 

is what you did in Iraq, who you killed. Here it’s just you and the mountain. I don’t 

think about my flashbacks, I don’t think about my injury. It’s just-beautiful. 

Army Pfc. Drew Goin, Visually Impaired 

You get injured like this, you tell yourself you’ll be OK, but deep inside you know 

there are limits. But doing something like this, you realize there aren’t as many as 

you think, if you put your mind to it. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Ufrano Rios Jime ́nez, Below Knee Amputee 

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The project showed me the path where I could still feel like I’m living this active 

lifestyle where I’m not like jumping out of planes and all this other cool stuff I did 

before my injury. 

Adriel Gonzalez 

They are learning as a family . . . it’s got nothing to do with disability or ability, 

it’s about learning something you can do as a family. 

1st Lieutenant (Ret) Ed Salau, Above Knee Amputee 

When you’re in the water, you’re free. 

Dennis Cline 

If it wasn’t for [the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project], I’d be sitting at 

home depressed and just withering away. Wounded Warriors and DSUSA have totally changed my life and kept me from getting down and showed me that there’s 

things out there I can do. 

When I’m out there boarding, it takes the disability away from my mind and gives 

me more of my freedom. I’m enjoying what I went to protect. I owe a lot to this 

program. It saved my life. 

Navy PO3 Mark Mix, Spinal Cord Injury 

This is a life changing event. I really don’t think that people who are volunteering 

understand that, I know they love what they’re doing, but I don’t think they understand the impact they have, because you get out there, you get back out into the 

world, away from the pain, away from the physical therapy, and you know everything is going to be ok. 

Diane Cochran, US Army Ret., Spinal Cord Injury 

[Thank you] so much. This is an opportunity that is much needed in my life. I 

don’t leave my house and this is just what the doctor literally ordered. Thank you 

so much God bless you and yours. 

James Smiley, Visually Impaired 

It really shows me that I’m still alive. I’m still a person I can still do anything 

I set my mind to. I may not be able to see, but a loss of sight is not a loss of vision. 

National Guard Sgt Chris Paiser, Visually Impaired 

I’d like to give you a short anecdote relating to your study, as simple yes’s and 

no’s won’t provide the real world information you may be looking for. 

A few months ago when I filled out your survey I had the mentality that participating in sporting events would undoubtedly have a positive impact on my employment because I would much rather not be working and playing sports instead. I 

thought that if I could be participating in something else and not sitting at my desk 

I would be a happy man. 

I was injured stateside in 2001 while on active-duty and things haven’t gotten terribly better for me since. I still have significant issues with my BK prosthesis and 

high-impact activity remains out of the question for now. What has improved is my 

career orientation. Shortly after my injury I decided to pursue a degree in public 

relations and completed my requirements in May 2006. After graduation, I immediately began (and remain in) a 3-year career development internship that rapidly 

progresses me through the civil service pay grades. It is an exceptional management-focused program that is highly competitive in its selection and I was about to 

walk away from it because of a distraught mindset. One of your events changed 

that. 

I was invited to participate in the recent SUDS/WWDSP diving trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. When I left home for the event, I was a mess—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was in constant pain, I hated my job and I couldn’t work 

full days. I was considering leaving the employment program knowing deep down 

things probably wouldn’t get much better even if I wasn’t working, but I knew I just 

didn’t want to be at work. Looking back, I’m not sure what the problem was, but 

spending just a few days diving changed it all. 

After the trip I returned home and went to work with a new attitude. I feel better 

physically and I feel exceptional mentally. Something happened over the course of 

the event that brought me back to working full days, enjoying what I do, and looking forward to my future. I’m back into the swing of things at work and once again 

striving to be the best I can at my job. As an added bonus, I made several new 

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friends and look forward to meeting up with them again soon. Those social contacts 

will help get through personal challenges as much as the sporting events themselves. 

Beyond diving, I’ve discovered that my interest to get involved in other adaptive 

sports has returned. 

Having physical and social activities to look forward to after several days of hard 

work is a great feeling. As far as the study goes, there is no question in my mind 

that there is a direct correlation between participation in adaptive sports and maintaining gainful employment. I assume there’s a key element to the social interaction, confidence, and physical therapy that sports provide to help influence the decisions I make on my career. Your program is effective and thanks for allowing me 

to be involved. 

Marine LCPL Aaron Schoenfeld, Above Knee Amputee 

f 

Prepared Statement of David Stringer, Richland County, South Carolina, 

Parks and Recreation Department, on Behalf of National Recreation and 

Park Association 

Good morning Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer and Members of the 

Committee. 

My name is David Stringer and I work for the Richland County Parks and Recreation Department in South Carolina. On behalf of the National Recreation and Park 

Association (NRPA), I want to thank you for allowing us the opportunity to provide 

testimony at this important hearing addressing the needs of injured Service Members and the Paralympic Military and Veterans Program. As you may know, NRPA 

is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to advancing parks, recreation, and conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. 

More than 31,000 military personnel have been severely injured while serving our 

country during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and there are now more than 

1.3 million disabled veterans in the United States. These individuals want to be 

physically active but to do that, they must have access to close-to-home spaces, 

places and opportunities for physical activity that are able to meet their needs and 

aid in their rehabilitation. The Paralympic program for injured Service Members 

that was authorized in 2008 is beginning to do just that in communities throughout 

our country. These partnerships and programs, which have been in development for 

several years, utilize sports and therapeutic recreation to rehabilitate those injured 

in combat or while serving our country. I have seen firsthand the difference 

Paralympic sports programs are making. I applaud this committee for recognizing 

the important role of therapeutic sports and recreation in rehabilitating those who 

were injured while serving our country and for your leadership in passing legislation that will ensure their improved quality of life, despite their physical limitations. 

Unfortunately, those returning from duty with debilitating injuries face a host of 

challenges as they try to integrate back into their community and family life. Research shows that our returning Servicemembers with injuries face isolation, depression, anxiety, poor physical health, early mortality, and the potential to develop 

secondary conditions, such as chronic disease, as a result of physical immobility. 

I faced similar adjustments as a teenager trying to cope with a disability. At the 

age of fifteen, the world as I had known it completely changed. In an instant, as 

a result of a diving accident, I went from being a typical teenager without a care 

in the world to a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair. I can relate to the challenges 

that our newly injured Servicemembers and disabled veterans face. Imagine being 

a strong, healthy, confident person-to one lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, 

uncertain of the future and thinking about all the things that you will never be able 

to do again. Add to that the emotions and adjustments that your family is experiencing. Fortunately for me there was a wheelchair athlete, Paralympic Gold Medalist, Rick Siccatto who came to my hospital room with a video on wheelchair 

Paralympic sports. I could not believe all the possibilities that were out there: basketball, tennis, track and field, and even swimming. Soon after getting out of the 

hospital I helped to start the first ever wheelchair basketball team at a local park 

and recreation facility in Charleston, South Carolina. Participation in adaptive 

sports changes the focus from the things that cannot be done—to the things that 

can be done—and helps those who once felt hopeless due to their disability realize 

the possibilities of what they can do are endless. 

As a public servant, I have seen many disabled Servicemembers and their families 

from the nearby Fort Jackson Army installation, directly benefit from programs provided by Richland County Parks and Recreation. Servicemembers who were preanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

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viously sedentary are now out of the house, leading a physically active life again, 

participating in sports with the support of family members and able to re-connect 

with friends. I see these programs as a means to break down the barriers that 

wounded Servicemembers face and a key to reintegrating into the community. 

Through participation in community sports programs, such as those provided by 

public parks and recreation agencies they bravely adjust to their new and challenging life. 

These agencies realize the importance of helping wounded Servicemembers to become acclimated to their new lives and are seeking ways to play an active role in 

their rehabilitation. Take for example the wonderful work that is being done in 

Washington State. Here, Metro Tacoma Parks, NRPA, and U.S. Paralympics have 

organized a taskforce to focus on utilizing sports and recreation in the rehabilitation 

of injured Servicemembers. As a result of the taskforce created, Fort Lewis began 

a recreation and sports program for the 450 injured Servicemembers stationed 

there, a sports camp on post, and therapeutic recreation programming as well as 

family integration opportunities for injured Servicemembers outside the gates of the 

military installation. By creating and offering adaptive sports and recreation at the 

community level, those with limited abilities are afforded the opportunity to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle in a convenient and welcoming environment. 

This task force has regular communication on how to expand the use of local resources, events, and opportunities to benefit local wounded Servicemembers and 

their families. 

Another example comes from the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation who is working locally in California to introduce Paralympic sports to returning warriors. The impact of this work can be summed up by comments made from 

a soldier who recently attended an event: 

‘‘I wanted to let both of you know that the experience I had at the camp was one 

of the most memorable times I have ever had. I learned a lot about myself and 

about life. I think that the most important thing I learned however is that no matter what stumbles life may throw at you, if you have the determination, they will 

not stop you. I would also say that as a soldier in the United States Army if all 

of our soldiers could some how take the determination and positive attitude of the 

individuals I met—and bottle it into a formula we would have the most unstoppable 

force in the world.’’ 

The National Recreation and Park Association has the ability to reach into each 

local community and assist in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured Servicemembers and Veterans. NRPA provides a tremendous network around the country 

to provide opportunities for physical activity, in additional they have the ability to 

efficiency train park and recreation professionals and provide technical assistance 

to the field. These assets along with the U.S. Paralympics expertise prominence, and 

distinction creates a significant partnership that has the potential to impact the 

lives of injured Servicemembers, veterans and their family’s around the country. 

In closing, I think we can all agree that serving our country can be hard at times, 

but coming home injured is even harder. These innovative partnerships help our 

servicemembers regain their quality of life while improving their mental and physical health as they face a challenging return and adjustment. Thank you for your 

leadership in passing legislation and vocal support among your congressional colleagues to help our men and women of the armed services confront the challenges 

they face. 

Thank you. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Carlos Leon, Member and Paralympian, Iraq and 

Afghanistan Veterans of America 

Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, thank you for the opportunity to 

testify on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). IAVA is the 

Nation’s first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans 

of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chairman Filner and Chairwoman Herseth 

Sandlin, I am especially grateful to both of you for the work you and your committee 

did last year to support the Military Paralympic Program. 

America’s newest generation of heroes are surviving injuries unthinkable in previous conflicts and, as a result, facing serious challenges upon returning home. 

Thankfully, members of Congress have been forward thinking and supported and 

funded programs like the Military Paralympic Program that can give these heroes 

hope and health through athletic training and competition. 

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I was 19 years old when I deployed to Iraq. After returning home from a successful tour I had a chance to relax a little while before my unit moved to Camp Pendleton. I was stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii where we took advantage of the 

beaches and weather while we were still there. On June 18, 2005 I was at the 

beach, a day that would change my life forever. I was the first to go in the water, 

while my friends remained on the shore. As I jogged slowly into the water I turned 

to them and told them to hurry up. 

Before I turned back, I dove forward and hit a coral rock head-on. My neck broke 

instantly and I was immediately left motionless in the water. I received a laceration 

across the top of my head that needed 15 staples to close up. 

Soon thereafter, in the hospital, I got the news from the doctor: I was paralyzed 

from the neck down. I stayed in Hawaii until I was stable enough to fly and then 

chose to have therapy at the VA medical center in Miami, Florida, where I would 

be closest to my family. 

Early in my therapy, one of my phenomenal therapists came to my room and 

started to talk to me about sports. I did NOT think I could play sports again—I 

thought it was beyond my new life in a wheelchair. But learning that that might 

not be the case, early on in my injury, was key to my recovery. After learning about 

this opportunity, I signed up for a military sports camp in San Diego, California. 

The program was a week long and they showed us the different sports we could play 

in our chairs. 

It was more than a positive experience, it opened my eyes to a different world— 

one that I wanted to be a part of. 

I was told I needed to train in order to qualify for a competition early the next 

year. I couldn’t wait to get started. When I got home, I was ready to start but I 

had absolutely no idea how to get started. The best I could do was just to make 

sure I was at least fit. So I began working out at the local gym. As the time went 

on, I got stronger and stronger. Not only did going to the Military Paralympic Program give me something to shoot for, it made my quality of life much better. Instead 

of being at home, bored, I was out and about living my life again. 

There are great benefits to the Military Paralympic Program. Health is especially 

important to a wheelchair user. If I gained weight it would be harder to push myself 

around. If I was always sick I’d be in and out of the hospital. Training increased 

my chances of being a Paralympian and improved my physical and mental health. 

After a year of training it was finally time to compete. And, unbelievably, I was 

named to the U.S. Track and Field team that summer. I traveled to Beijing and 

was proud to represent my country as one of the first Iraq vets to compete in the 

Paralympic Games. My story is now being included in the upcoming documentary 

‘‘Warrior Champions.’’ 

If it wasn’t for the Military Paralympic Program I wouldn’t be here today or have 

accomplished any of my proudest feats. 

The program saved my life, but there are still more things we can do to pave the 

way for newly injured vets. Not all injured veterans have access to the resources 

I did. Depending on where they live, they may not have the resources to go to the 

local gym or know who to turn to. 

After being invited to testify, I learned all that this committee has done to support 

the Military Paralympic Program. I am grateful that this committee was responsible 

for passing a law last year that created a VA grant specifically for this program. 

I was also encouraged to learn that the VA asked Congress to fund that grant program for $6.5 million starting in 2010. This money will go a long way toward reaching out to disabled veterans and involving them in this great program. This money 

can also be used toward ‘‘recruiting, supporting, [and] equipping,’’ a new generation 

of paralympians. 

Last summer, I had a chance to be a coach at one of the military sports camps. 

I remember the parents of one veteran, who was recently paralyzed, came to me 

with many question about equipment and training. Yet I felt powerless that I didn’t 

have very many answers. There was no good place for me to direct these parents 

and where they lived, they did not have access to gyms, let alone gyms that would 

understand the modifications needed to train a handicapped veteran. With this 

money we can build more centers for veterans to train and more resources to train 

them with. 

I was lucky—I found out about the Military Paralympic Program soon after my 

injury. I was able to start training quickly, before the physical and emotional 

strains set-in. Not all handicapped veterans are that lucky. I know this new VA 

grant program will make it easier to reach out to vets soon after their injury, introduce them to veterans like me, start their training, and give them hope. 

Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for injured veterans. 

f 

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Prepared Statement of Dinah F.B. Cohen, 

Director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. 

Department of Defense 

Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer and distinguished Members of the 

Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department of Defense’s 

(DoD’s) program that provides assistive technology to wounded servicemembers. I 

am pleased to be here today. 

Background 

The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), a program in the 

TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), under the direction of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, was established in 1990 as the centrally funded 

DoD program that provides assistive technology to allow DoD and Federal employees with disabilities to access electronic and information environment. 

Following the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, Congress granted CAP the authority to provide assistive technology, devices, and services to Federal agencies that have a partnership agreement with CAP. CAP currently has agreements with 65 Federal agencies outside of DoD. CAP increases access to information and works to remove barriers to employment opportunities by 

eliminating the costs of assistive technology and accommodation solutions. 

Our mission is to ensure that people with disabilities and wounded servicemembers have equal access to the information environment and opportunities in the 

DoD and throughout the Federal Government. By fulfilling this mission of providing 

real solutions for real needs, CAP is helping to make the Federal Government the 

model employer for people with disabilities. 

Much of CAP’s success lies in our ability to provide reasonable accommodations 

to employees quickly and easily, increasing employment and retention of employees 

with disabilities and wounded servicemembers. In FY 2008, CAP filled 10,356 requests for accommodations for the DoD and other Federal agencies. In FY 2008, 

CAP broke another milestone and filled 2,782 accommodations for DoD employees 

and 2,985 for non-DoD employees. Additionally, CAP provided 4,589 accommodations for our wounded servicemembers. 

Wounded Servicemember Initiative 

Many of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are returning every day from 

deployments with significant injuries and disabilities. CAP works closely with medical providers, therapists, case managers and wounded servicemembers across the 

Nation to ensure they receive appropriate assistive technology for their needs. Accommodations are available for servicemembers with vision or hearing loss, dexterity impairments, including upper extremity amputees, and communication and 

cognitive difficulties. 

Once the appropriate assistive technology has been identified, CAP provides the 

solutions, free of charge, to support a servicemember’s medical recovery and rehabilitation. 

The CAP Wounded Servicemember (WSM) Initiative provides the following services: 

• Individualized needs assessments; 

• Medical and support personnel training and in-services; 

• Assistive technology and training during recovery and rehabilitation; and 

• Accommodations for internships and/or permanent employment within the Federal Government. 

The ability to use assistive technology during the early phases of recovery can 

greatly impact rehabilitation outcomes and future employment opportunities. Further, wounded servicemembers may retain these devices upon separation from active service. 

Accommodations for Wounded Servicemembers 

CAP actively supports wounded servicemembers during their recovery and rehabilitation. In FY 2008, CAP provided over 780 needs assessments and 4,589 accommodations to servicemembers and military treatment facilities throughout the Nation, including Walter Reed and Brooke Army Medical Centers. CAP also partnered 

with several organizations to support disabled veteran reemployment efforts and attended Hiring Heroes Career Fairs. In order to integrate assistive technology into 

the recovery process, CAP continues to partner with the Army Wounded Warrior 

Program and Marines for Life. 

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Department of Defense Instruction 6025.22 

The Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6025.22: Assistive Technology (AT) 

for wounded servicemembers secures CAP’s eligibility to provide AT to servicemembers. The ability to use AT during the early phases of recovery promotes positive rehabilitation outcomes and future employment opportunities. This Instruction 

also allows servicemembers to retain the equipment after separation from active 

duty, enabling them to pursue education and employment opportunities. 

Support Through Training and Needs Assessments 

CAP provides needs assessments, assistive technology, and training to our Nation’s wounded servicemembers throughout all phases of recovery and the transition 

to employment. 

CAP supports wounded servicemembers, working closely with medical providers, 

therapists, case managers, and military liaisons at military treatment facilities to 

increase awareness and availability of AT. 

Trainings can be conducted onsite, via Video Teleconference (VTC) or webcast. Inservice trainings include the following objectives: 

• Discuss how CAP provides needs assessments and AT to wounded servicemembers throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process. 

• Review and demonstrate available AT for various disabling conditions. 

• Identify methods to integrate AT into rehabilitative services and settings using 

best practice partnerships and training models as examples. 

Needs assessments are a critical step in the CAP accommodation process. Many 

servicemembers sustain multiple injuries and require an individualized needs assessment to identify the most appropriate AT solutions. 

In an effort to streamline this process and provide the most appropriate solutions, 

the needs assessment questionnaire is required as the first step of the CAP process. 

Additionally, medical documentation may be required for certain requests. It is recommended to disclose all functional limitations, disabling conditions, and the 

servicemember’s current status (i.e., Medical Evaluation Board status, Continue on 

Active Duty plans) when completing the questionnaire in order to maximize potential outcomes. 

The CAP Office requires servicemembers and their families to coordinate the submission of the needs assessment questionnaire with their medical providers and/or 

therapists. Once coordinated with appropriate providers, either the servicemembers, 

family members, medical providers, therapists, or case managers can submit the 

questionnaires via the CAP Wounded Service Member Web site: www.tricare.mil/ 

cap/wsm. 

Equip with Assistive Technology Solutions 

CAP is available to provide training and in-services to medical personnel interested in learning more about needs assessments, AT, and the CAP process. 

CAP equips servicemembers with AT devices, accommodations and training. Many 

servicemembers sustain multiple injuries and require a combination of AT devices. 

Accommodations and training are available for the conditions described below. 

Dexterity 

CAP provides devices to assist servicemembers who have sustained nerve damage, 

fractures, burns, and amputations to their upper extremities, including compact 

keyboards, alternative pointing devices, and voice recognition software with certified 

training. 

Cognitive Difficulties, Including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 

For TBI and closed-head injuries, CAP provides various cueing aids to Servicemembers who struggle with memory loss and other cognitive difficulties. Cueing 

aids can assist servicemembers in remembering appointments, medication schedules, and personal contact information. Technology options can vary in complexity, 

from simple cueing aids to powerful computer-based applications. 

Vision Loss 

For servicemembers that experience vision issues due to ocular or neurological 

trauma, screen magnification software and/or hardware may reduce eye strain, blurry vision, and eye fatigue. Software enlarges fonts and changes color contrasts, enabling users to customize the application for specific needs. Portable magnification 

devices are also available. For complete vision loss, CAP provides scanners and 

screen reader software with certified training. 

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Hearing Loss 

CAP supports servicemembers who suffer from hearing loss, including fluctuating, 

progressive, or low-frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. Assistive listening devices 

can be used at an individual’s discretion, allowing the user to adjust the level of 

amplification to their needs and reduce unwanted background noise. This technology 

can also be beneficial to individuals with TBI. 

Empower through Employment 

It is CAP’s mission to empower our Nation’s heroes by providing them with the 

AT and accommodations they need to increase access and employment opportunities 

in the Federal Government. 

By having AT, our wounded servicemembers can return to school, find employment in the private sector or return as a Federal employee in DoD or any of our 

partner agencies. 

DoD greatly appreciates the Committee’s strong support of America’s veterans 

and the concern you have shown for their health and well being. We have made 

great progress in meeting the challenges on many fronts and with the Committee’s 

continued help and support, we will do even more. 

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department’s program that provides 

assistive technology to wounded servicemembers. I look forward to your questions. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Charlie Huebner, 

Chief of Paralympics, United States Olympic Committee 

Good morning Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer. My name is Charlie 

Huebner and I am the Chief of Paralympics for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). I appreciate the opportunity to testify. 

First of all, I would like to thank the two of you for your leadership in making 

the VA Paralympic Adaptive Sports Program a reality in 2008, and for the amendment ensuring that your legislation is fully funded. I would also like to recognize 

Congressman Boozman, Congressman Kennedy, Congressman Langevin, Congressman Murtha and Congressman Salazar for their ongoing leadership and support. 

Because of your leadership, the Paralympic Military program has accomplished the 

following in 2009: 

• Provided training to more than 1,200 community, military and veteran leaders; 

• Provided ongoing programming to more than 6,000 injured military personnel 

and veterans; 

• Distributed grant funding to more than 45 organizations; 

• Created new Paralympic programs in 99 communities to support injured 

servicemembers and veterans. This included providing technical assistance and 

programs to support four military medical centers, 11 warrior transition units, 

and 14 VA facilities. 

Your amendment requesting the full funding of $10mm through the VA, in the 

Paralympic Veterans program, and your support of a $5mm request through the 

DoD, will create the continuum of care from active duty to veteran status and expedite the delivery of programs, allowing the USOC and its partner organizations in 

2010 to: 

• Expand programming and services to more than 150 communities; 

• Expand community technical assistance and support from 14 to 30 VA facilities; 

• Expand community warrior transition unit support from 11 facilities to 20, and; 

• Our goal is to establish programming that serves injured military personnel and 

veterans in 250 communities by 2012. Those communities are being identified 

by need. 

We can do this because of collaboration with partner organizations like the Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense, and a well established infrastructure of community sport programs. More than 60 organizations are members 

of the USOC with more than 50 million members in big cities and small towns 

throughout the United States. 

Our strategy is focused on a cost efficient model of training and collaboration with 

key partners such as Disabled Sports USA, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Recreation & Park Association, the American Legion and other USOC member organizations. Collectively, we are investing more than 40 million of private resources annually. 

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This model eliminates duplication and allows for the USOC and its partner organizations to deliver technical assistance, equipment funding, and services to local 

communities. 

I’d like to share with you an example: Our hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a community with significant military and veterans presence, lacked specific 

Paralympic programming prior to 2008. The USOC collaborated with Fort Carson, 

the Air Force Academy, and the City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department to develop Paralympic Sport Colorado Springs. Today, injured servicemembers and veterans no longer have to drive one-to-three hours just to participate 

in daily physical activity programs. 

The USOC’s recommended utilization of funds would be to continue supporting 

technical assistance, creating enhanced awareness of program opportunities, and 

provide the majority of the resources via grants to organizations that can deliver 

the services at the local level. The USOC has already built a system and infrastructure to manage, monitor, and measure impact of grants provided to external organizations. 

The impact of these programs on injured servicemembers is best demonstrated 

through the words of a veteran, or in this case, a parent of a veteran, as shared 

with USOC Paralympic Military employee Chris Chandler, himself a veteran who 

lost his foot during combat in Afghanistan. 

‘‘Hello Chris. I am the mother of a Corporal in the Marines. I originally met 

you at Balboa hospital when my son was about to undergo his third surgery. You were so gracious to me at a time when we were so full of despair 

and I appreciate that more than you’ll know. At the meeting, I talked to 

y’all about trying to restore dignity and respect back to those hurt/injured 

Marines. Mission accomplished for my son! 

One of the ways he has been able to restore his soul is through the 

Paralympic sports. He had always been an athlete, and realizing that he 

still could be was a truly enlightening experience for my son. First off, he 

has lost 60–70 lbs due to his injuries. He has finally gotten the pain in the 

ankles in control and has even started riding a bike. He is working up to 

riding on one of the long trips with the battalion. He is playing water basketball and sit down volleyball. He recently was able to attend a 

Paralympic sports camp. At that time he discovered wheelchair racing. He 

loved it! He said, ‘‘Mom you can run/race with me!’’ This brought tears to 

my eyes.’’ 

When most people are injured, a typical support network tends to focus on all that 

was lost. In many cases, it is something as simple as skiing with your friends or 

running with your mom, that allows both the injured servicemember and the support network to begin to think about the possibilities. Possibilities in sport. Possibilities in education. Possibilities in employment. And possibilities in life. 

This is especially critical when a servicemember or veteran leaves the military 

medical center or VA facility and returns home. Immediate connection to a local 

Paralympic program will assist with the transition for a veteran returning home 

and it will allow the veteran to return to the norm with friends and family, both 

physically and mentally. 

While a primary focus is the development of ongoing physical activity in communities, the USOC is also responsible for helping Americans fulfill their dream of representing their Country and sending them to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

This provides a great opportunity to create awareness about the outstanding work 

of the VA and DoD, the importance of physical activity for persons with physical 

disabilities as part of rehabilitation, and develops role models for all Americans. In 

2008, 16 veterans represented America at the Paralympic Games, including three 

from the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. The following video will give you a 

glimpse of the impact your leadership and legislation had on a few of these heroes. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Diane Hartmann, Director, Office of National 

Programs and Special Events, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you for providing this opportunity to discuss with you the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) progress in 

implementing Title VII of Public Law 110–389 that requires VA to establish the Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events. Providing our Naanorris on DSK5R6SHH1 with HEARING

65 

tion’s disabled Veterans with the opportunity for self-development while at the same 

time providing important therapeutic assistance is in the highest tradition of the 

Department’s mission to ‘‘care for him who shall have borne the battle.’’ We are very 

pleased to have the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) join us in these efforts. Although there is much work left to be done in order to fully implement the provisions 

of the law signed last year, VA has already achieved a great deal, which I will share 

with you today. 

Public Law 110–389, Implementation and Oversight 

Public Law 110–389 became law on October 10, 2008. Title VII of that law was 

enacted in the spirit of further enhancing the partnership between VA and the 

USOC. To that end, Title VII establishes within VA the Office of National Veterans 

Sports Programs and Special Events (ONVSPSE). One of the missions of this office 

is to facilitate VA’s cooperation with the USOC, and its partners, to promote the 

participation of disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in its 

sponsored sporting events. Furthermore, Title VII authorizes VA to award grants 

to the USOC, through fiscal year 2013. One precondition to awarding these grants 

was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between VA and the 

USOC. A MOU was signed by VA Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould and Ms. Stephanie Streeter, Chief Executive Officer, USOC, on July 13, 2009. 

However, VA did not wait until July 13 to begin implementing the other provisions of Title VII. Funding to support Title VII is in the President’s FY 2010 Budget. VA has already begun to draft regulations for the payment of allowances, and 

other policy guidelines necessary to achieve the full implementation of Title VII. 

VA is collaborating with the USOC to develop a certification process and has identified a payment system within the Veterans Benefits Administration that can be 

used to process and authorize the monthly assistance allowance paid to a Veteran 

with a disability invited by the U.S. Paralympics, a Division of the USOC, to compete for, or participate on, the U.S. Paralympic Team. We are now beginning to develop the grant approval and review process with U.S. Paralympics. 

Title VII establishes several reporting requirements for the USOC, and VA, regarding the use of funds authorized under the title. Specifically, it requires the 

USOC to report to VA how the grants provided to it are used, and permits VA to 

conduct oversight of the use of the grant funds. As no grants have as of yet been 

issued, no oversight has taken place. 

Office of National Programs and Special Events (ONPSE) 

In 1999, VA established the Office of National Programs and Special Events 

(ONPSE) to oversee highly-successful and well-attended national rehabilitative programs for disabled Veterans: National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, National Veterans Wheelchair Games, National Veterans Golden Age Games, and National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. VA currently has MOUs with partner organizations that co-sponsor these programs: Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed 

Veterans of America, Veterans Canteen Service, Help Hospitalized Veterans and 

The American Legion Auxiliary. Last year, ONPSE began the Summer Sports Clinic, which is specifically designed for recently injured Veterans with amputations, 

traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, or post-traumatic stress disorder. In September 2009, the National Veterans TEE (Training—Exposure—Experience) Tournament, which was previously a local event for visually impaired Veterans to develop new skills and strengthen their self esteem through adaptive golf, bowling, 

horseshoes and other activities, will be elevated to a national program under 

ONPSE and opened to Veterans with a wide range of disabilities. The goals of these 

events are to reach disabled Veterans during their recovery from traumatic injury 

or disease, introduce them to adaptive recreational activities, and challenge them 

with activities that give them a sense of accomplishment and enable them to redefine their capabilities. These events are open to all Veterans enrolled in the VA 

healthcare system. Each event encourages first-time participants. However, able 

bodied and disabled Veterans who meet the eligibility criteria can participate. Each 

year, thousands of Veterans who participate in VA’s local programs have the opportunity to further their self-development through participation in these national 

events. 

In 2005, VA entered into a MOU with the USOC to increase interest in and access 

to Paralympic sports programs for Veterans with disabilities. Prior to Public Law 

110–389’s enactment, VA partnered with the USOC to expand the awareness of 

Paralympic sports and provide elite-level athletes with direct access to the USOC 

Paralympics program. 

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Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events (ONVSPSE) 

On February 23, 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs redefined the functions 

of ONPSE to include carrying out the new requirements of Sections 702 and 703 

of P.L. 110–389, and he realigned the new Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events directly under the Office of the Secretary. 

Impact of Public Law 110–389 on Existing Programs 

VA has worked diligently to implement the new law. The law states that to the 

extent appropriate and without impacting the services provided by the Veterans 

Health Administration (VHA), VHA may permit recreational therapists, physical 

therapists, and other medical staff to facilitate participation of Veterans in sporting 

events conducted under the auspices of the United States Paralympics, Inc., without 

the need for such personnel to take personal leave. VA medical staff is currently 

supporting Veterans participating in Paralympic-sanctioned events by accompanying 

Veterans to such events and assisting with the procurement of specially-adapted 

equipment for these Veterans. At this time we do not have an assessment of this 

impact on local medical services. 

Conclusion 

VA has made great progress toward implementing the provisions of P.L. 110–389 

and enhancing its partnership with the USOC. Although work remains before us, 

we have developed a spirit of cooperation and teamwork with the USOC, and I am 

confident that we are moving in the right direction. Thank you again for this opportunity to come before you. I will be happy to answer any questions that you may 

have. 

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MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Adrian M. Atizado 

Assistant National Legislative Director 

Disabled American Veterans 

807 Maine Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20024 

Dear Adrian: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

POST–HEARING SUBMISSION FOR 

ADRIAN M. ATIZADO 

ASSISTANT NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR 

OF THE 

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS 

FROM THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS HEARING 

JULY 29, 2009 

Question 1: In your testimony you mentioned that approximately 370 participants from across the country participated in the most recent learn-to-ski clinic. 

How do these participants fund their way to and from these events? 

Answer: The veteran is responsible for purchasing their airfare and lodging to 

participate in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (Clinic). Financial support for these items can come from their local VA facility that has established general post funds for this purpose. On occasion, a local Disabled American 

Veterans (DAV) Chapter or Department or other veterans service organization will 

sponsor the individual veteran. In some cases veteran participants choose to pay 

their own way. 

Transportation from the airport to the Clinic and back, meals, and appropriate 

sports equipment are provided by the event. Participants need only to bring clothes 

for layering, waterproof shoes or boots, gloves, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, medication and personal identification. 

Question 2: How soon after a veteran is injured can they attend the Winter 

Sports Clinic? 

Answer: Veterans who wish to participate in the Clinic must submit an application, which requires a medical clearance that needs a physician’s concurrence. 

Question 3: What are DAV’s top concerns regarding seriously injured veterans 

and their rehabilitation? 

Answer: The DAV was founded on the principle that this Nation’s first duty to 

veterans is the rehabilitation and welfare of its wartime disabled. 

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Recreational therapy offers diverse rehabilitation benefits addressing the needs of 

disabled veterans with a range of disabling conditions. It improves physical, cognitive, social and emotional functioning. It helps develop the skills needed to enhance functional independence for community living and to promote a higher quality 

of life for the veteran and their family. Recreational therapy also prevents the decline in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning, and results in a reduced 

need for health services, to include reduction in secondary disability and associated 

higher healthcare costs. 

Through the Clinic, veterans of all ages, all levels of ability and impairment, are 

able to reap the rehabilitation benefits of recreation therapy through adaptive sports 

and recreational activities, such as Alpine and Nordic skiing, rock climbing, and 

scuba diving. Other national sports and recreation programs, such as the National 

Veterans Wheelchair Games, National Veterans Golden Age Games, and the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic, focus on the rehabilitation of many severely 

disabled veterans. 

They showcase the preventive and therapeutic values of sports, fitness, and recreation, which are key factors in VA’s extensive rehabilitation programs. They are also 

extremely beneficial to veterans, helping many to overcome or mitigate the physical 

and emotional impact of severe disabilities. 

Accordingly, we believe the responsibility for rehabilitative special event programs 

should be transferred from the Office of Public Affairs to the Veterans Health Administration. In addition, we believe the primary purpose of rehabilitation through 

sports (promoting rehabilitation, fitness, and an enhanced quality of life) should be 

protected. 

We thank the Committee for its interest and actions taken to expand the quantity 

and quality of sports and recreation opportunities available to severely disabled veterans. However, we believe more needs to be done to identify and eliminate the barriers severely disabled veterans face, and must overcome, to successfully engage and 

receive the benefits from sports and recreation. 

f 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Carl Blake 

National Legislative Director 

Paralyzed Veterans of America 

801 18th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20006 

Dear Carl: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

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Paralyzed Veterans of America 

Washington, DC. 

September 1, 2009 

Honorable Bob Filner 

Chairman 

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

335 Cannon House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Filner: 

On behalf of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), I would like to thank you for 

the opportunity to present our views on the Military Paralympic Program and how 

it is serving veterans and servicemembers with catastrophic injuries. We were also 

pleased to outline the many sports and recreation programs that PVA sponsors and 

how they meet the rehabilitation needs of our Members, veterans with spinal cord 

injury or dysfunction, and all other disabled veterans. 

We have included with our letter a response to each of the questions that you presented following the hearing on July 29, 2009. Thank you very much. 

Sincerely, 

Carl Blake 

National Legislative Director 

Question 1: What are the biggest barriers to participation in a sports therapy 

program? 

Answer: It is critically important to remove barriers to participation in sports 

therapy programs. With this in mind, we would like to make a few recommendations. These ideas are at least partially based on our observations and experiences 

with severely injured active duty servicemembers at Walter Reed Army Medical 

Center. In order to further facilitate seamless transition, newly injured veterans 

should be provided timely access to education and training regarding sports and 

recreation opportunities. Furthermore, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and 

the Department of Defense (DoD) should facilitate outreach efforts of legitimate organizations promoting sports and recreation opportunities by improving their access 

to newly injured veterans. 

Interestingly, PVA found in a sports and recreation survey that we conducted in 

2002 that employment, whether full-time or part-time, is a barrier to sports and 

recreation activities due to a lack of time to participate. Furthermore, inadequate 

training, lack of local programs, high equipment and licensing fees, and a shortage 

of accessible local facilities are critical barriers to participation. 

We also believe that the VA, in coordination with DoD, the veterans’ service organizations, and possibly the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), should develop and implement a broad-based, comprehensive program that appeals to all veterans, especially our newly injured veterans who are more inclined to participate 

in non-traditional activities. Furthermore, the VA should develop and implement a 

standardized curriculum for recreation therapy to support VA national programs 

and special events. We do not believe that VA recreation therapy programs are consistent across the board. This emphasis will provide the training and awareness on 

the local levels to support these programs and maximize their benefits. 

Question 2: What percent of injured veterans participate in adaptive sports therapy? 

Answer: The simple answer to this question is that we do not know. We are not 

aware of any particular statistical data that tracks this information, nor do we believe that it would be easily obtainable. However, we do know that in FY 2009, approximately 600 disabled and severely disabled veterans will participate in PVA 

Sports and Recreation programs. Of that number, approximately 95 percent are 

PVA Members. 

Question 3: What are PVA’s top concerns regarding seriously injured veterans 

and their rehabilitation? 

Answer: First and foremost, we remain concerned that newly injured veterans 

are not receiving comprehensive information in a timely manner regarding sports 

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and recreation opportunities during their rehabilitation. Without this assistance, 

many severely injured veterans run the risk of falling through the cracks. 

Moreover, VA should develop and implement a standardized curriculum for recreation therapy to support VA national programs and special events. Currently, we 

do not believe that VA recreation therapy programs are consistent across the board. 

By focusing on standardization, the VA will be able to better provide the training 

and awareness at the local level to support these programs and maximize their benefits. 

As we mentioned previously, the VA should also coordinate with the Department 

of Defense (DoD), veterans’ service organizations, and the USOC–Paralympics to develop and implement a broad-based, comprehensive program that appeals to all veterans, especially our newly injured veterans who are more inclined to participate 

in non-traditional activities. VA and DoD should facilitate outreach efforts of legitimate organizations promoting sports and recreation opportunities by improving 

their access to newly injured veterans. Without this coordination, grant moneys appropriated by the Military Paralympic Program may be awarded to organizations 

that are unable to provide, or are ill-equipped to administer, these important rehabilitative programs. 

f 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Julia Ray, Manager 

Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project 

Disabled Sports USA 

451 Hungerford Dr., Suite 100 

Rockville, MD 20850 

Dear Julia: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Post-Hearing Questions for Julia Ray 

Manager, Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project 

Disabled Sports USA, Inc. 

From the Honorable Bob Filner 

July 29, 2009 

Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans 

in the Military Paralympic Program 

Question 1: In your testimony, you say that Disabled Sports USA encourages 

families to participate, what is the average cost for a family Member to participate? 

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71 

Response: The cost depends on the length and type of sport program. For example, a 7 day, ski/snowboard program will cost over $1200 per person. A 2 hour, local 

golf clinic costs approximately $30 per person. 

Question 1(a): Who pays for the family member? 

Response: The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project. The wounded warrior 

and family member participate free of charge. 

Question 2: In your testimony you state that you provide for all the expenses 

of participation for a veteran. On average how much does it cost to fund all these 

expenses per veteran? 

Response: As with a family member it depends on the length and type of sport 

program as we offer a range of sports and clinics. At all programs, the Wounded 

Warrior Disabled Sports Project supplies all adaptive equipment, accessible facilities, trained instructors, lodging, travel expenses, meals and any other required expenses such as lift tickets. A 7 day ski program can cost more than $1200 per person. 

Question 3: How many employees do you have and what type of certifications 

do they need to provide this special therapy? 

Response: Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) has 11 employees at their National 

Headquarters located in Rockville, MD. DS/USA partners with its nationwide network of 100 chapters to provide year round services to the wounded warriors. Each 

chapter employs their own staff. Qualifications vary but commonly include Recreation Therapists (CTR/L); Sports Program Managers (Sports Management) and 

other Outdoor Leadership Specialists. Instructors/Coaches used must be trained and 

certified by the appropriate sports governing body and have training, certification 

and/or experience in teaching people with a disability. This ensures safe and effective instruction for the wounded warrior. 

Question 4: You state that your organization is experiencing an ever increasing 

demand for services by disabled veterans. What are the top three services being requested by veterans? 

Response: First, because of the severity of the injuries with resulting multiple 

injuries or ‘‘Poly Trauma’’, the length of rehabilitation for individual wounded warriors requires longer rehabilitation and therefore more sports activities and events. 

In addition, the wounded warriors are indicating higher interest in the following 

programs: 

• Endurance sports, i.e. marathons, triathlons, other outdoor adventure sports 

• Skiing and Snowboarding 

• Water Sports, especially SCUBA diving, water skiing and kayaking 

Question 5: What kind of partnerships does Disabled Sports USA have with 

other similar organizations? 

Response: Disabled Sports USA primarily partners with approximately 40 of its 

100 chapter members to offer programs to the wounded warriors. These chapters 

are all well established adaptive sports programs and we are confident they will 

offer a positive first time sports experience for the warriors. Others also include: 

• Wounded Warrior Project/SoldierRide 

• 100 member DS/USA Chapter organizations (i.e. Challenge Aspen, Sun Valley 

Adaptive Sports, Soldiers Undertaking Disabled SCUBA, Team River Runner) 

• PGA of America 

• Tee It Up for the Troops 

• Non-Commissioned Officers Association 

• British Limbless Ex-Servicemembers Association 

• Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Association of Snowboard Instructors 

• Diving Equipment and Marketing Association 

• Challenged Athletes Foundation 

• American Canoe Association 

• USA Water Ski 

• National Recreation and Parks Association of Maryland 

• Trijicon 

f 

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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Barbara Tulipane 

Chief Executive Officer 

National Recreation and Park Association 

22377 Belmont Ridge Rd. 

Ashburn, VA 20148 

Dear Barbara: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by faxing your responses to Debbie at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, 

please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

National Recreation and Park Association 

Washington, DC. 

September 10, 2009 

The Honorable Bob Filner 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

35 Cannon House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Representative Filner: 

First off, thank you for the opportunity for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to provide answers the hearing questions posed from the Committee hearing on ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military 

Paralympic Program’’. As you know, David Stringer, Human Resources Director for 

the Richland County, South Carolina Parks and Recreation Commission, testified on 

behalf of NRPA at the July 29, 2009 hearing regarding meeting the needs of injured 

veterans in the Military Paralympic Program. We thank you for this opportunity 

and please find below NRPA’s responses to the post-hearing questions. 

Question 1: What is the key thing that we should be doing to help veterans stay 

healthy and active in their communities? 

Response: An active lifestyle is important for the mental and physical health of 

all Americans and has become even more important to our Nation as we face an 

obesity epidemic that is claiming the lives of millions and causing healthcare costs 

to spin out of control. The veterans and servicemembers, who are now physically 

disabled, are at an increased risk for contracting various chronic diseases and becoming obese. In order for these individuals to stay active and maintain a healthy 

lifestyle, they must have convenient, close-to-home access to the places, spaces and 

programs that encourage and help them to become physically active. 

Every community in the United States has a park and recreation agency that can 

provide these very resources to veterans and active duty servicemembers and, in 

turn, help ensure they are living a healthy, physically active lifestyle. However, Federal funding for park and recreation has significantly decreased over the past 9 

years thereby limiting the ability of communities to meet the personal and therapeutic recreational needs of veterans and active duty servicemembers who have 

physical disabilities and now have different needs. 

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In order for public parks to meet the needs of our veterans and active duty 

servicemembers, especially those with physical disabilities, we must ensure communities throughout this country have the recreational infrastructure, professional 

staff, and innovative programming to support and enhance the rehabilitation of the 

many veterans and active duty servicemembers who have bravely served our country. Currently the National Recreation and Park Association is working to do just 

this in partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympics Division, but 

the need significantly outweighs the available resources (funding, staffing, etc.) necessary to accomplish this goal. NRPA strongly encourages Congress to provide $10 

million to the Paralympic Adaptive Sports Program and $5 million to the 

Paralympic Military Program (funded through the Department of Defense) which 

will ensure our veterans and servicemembers have the recreational resources they 

need to stay healthy available to them in the communities where they live and 

serve. 

Question 2: Does your organization have an active partnership with VA or DoD? 

Response: Through our partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 

Paralympics Division NRPA has had the opportunity to work with representatives 

from both the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense 

(DoD). We are actively exploring opportunities to expand our working relationship 

with both of these Departments as we believe this will greatly assist our efforts to 

ensure veterans and injured servicemembers have the resources and outlets to live 

a physically active life. 

Question 3: The NRPA and U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympics Military Program task force expanded the use of local resources and events to benefit local communities. How exactly were local resources expanded to benefit local servicemembers and their families? 

Response: The combined work of NRPA and U.S. Olympic Committee’s 

Paralympics Division on the Military Program task force has resulted in greater utilization of local resources to increase physical activity of veterans and injured 

servicemembers. 

The task force is systematically working with Warrior Transition Units around 

the country and has been working with the WTU at Fort Bragg, Ft Lewis and other 

select installations. A few examples of the work being done in local communities are 

below. 

A dynamic partnership has formed between Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and 

Recreation and Fort Bragg, MWR–Sports, Fitness and Aquatics to work with the 

wounded warriors in the Fayetteville area. Masaryk Park in Fayetteville has tennis 

courts, trails, fishing and presented a prime opportunity to engage injured servicemembers in physical activity. During the first week of a tennis program that Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation created to serve the wounded warriors, 

a game ensued between the warriors and some local senior citizens. The seniors 

were actually WWII Army Veterans and were highly encouraged to see how the 

community and the partnership with Fort Bragg is working to take care of their 

own. Additionally the park and recreation staff member who is leading this program 

is a military veteran and is honored to be a part of the partnership with Fort Bragg 

and witnessing the impact on the warriors involved in the program. 

Another example is the innovative work that is being done in Washington State. 

Here, Metro Tacoma Parks, NRPA, and U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympics Division have organized a taskforce to focus on utilizing sports and recreation in the 

rehabilitation of injured servicemembers. As a result of the taskforce created, Fort 

Lewis began a recreation and sports program for the 450 injured servicemembers 

stationed there, a sports camp on post and therapeutic recreation programming and 

family integration opportunities for injured servicemembers and families outside the 

gates of the military installation. By creating and offering adaptive sports and recreation at the community level, those with varied abilities are afforded the opportunity to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle in a convenient and welcoming 

environment in the community they call home. This taskforce has regular communication on how to expand the use of local resources, events, and opportunities to 

benefit local wounded servicemembers and their families. 

Further, NRPA has also been working with Fort Lewis on a Remote Care Program for wounded warriors. Local park and recreation agencies have been assisting 

in developing physical training plans that meet the requirements set forth by the 

medical staff at Fort Lewis. These plans connect soldiers to their hometown public 

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74 

tion and recovery. The agencies work directly with the base and the soldier to develop a plan to ensure their rehabilitation and recreational needs are met. 

A final example comes from the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation 

which is working locally in California to introduce Paralympic sports to returning 

warriors. The impact of this work can be summed up by comments made from a 

soldier who recently attended an event: 

‘‘I wanted to let both of you know that the experience I had at the camp was one 

of the most memorable time I have ever had. I learned a lot about myself and about 

life. I think that the most important thing I learned however is that no matter what 

stumbles life may throw at you, if you have the determination, they will not stop 

you. In fact, those stumbles may make some of the things you desire to a bit more 

difficult, but with the right attitude more difficult just means a challenge and most 

people love a good challenge.’’ 

In concert with public park and recreation assets and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympics Division’s expertise and prominence, and distinction creates a 

unique and particularly beneficial partnership that has the potential to impact the 

lives of injured servicemembers, veterans and their families around the country. 

NRPA thanks the Committee for the opportunity to provide testimony and information on the many ways in which public park and recreation agencies are working 

to rehabilitate wounded veterans and servicemembers. Should you require additional information, please feel free to call me or Stacey Pine in our Public Policy 

office at 202–887–0290 or spine@nrpa.org. 

Sincerely, 

Barbara Tulipane, CAE 

f 

Chief Executive Officer 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Paul Rieckhoff 

Executive Director and Founder 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America 

770 Broadway, 2nd Floor 

New York, NY 10003 

Dear Paul: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by faxing your responses to Debbie at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, 

please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

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U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 

‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military Paralympic 

Program’’ 

Followup Questions, Carlos Leon, IAVA Member & Paralympian 

Question 1: What percentage of injured veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan 

War have participated in adaptive sports therapy? 

Response: An estimated 30,000 OEF/OIF servicemembers have been injured 

since 2003. The USOC and its partner organizations are currently providing physical activity programming at the community level to more than 6,000 injured 

servicemembers and veterans. 

Question 2: Currently what outreach is being done by VA and other similar organizations to inform seriously injured veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan War 

about these adaptive sports programs? 

Response: In my experience, I was informed of these programs within days of 

starting my physical therapy at the VA. Shortly after learning about these programs 

I was signed up for my first military sport camp. Once I was brought into the USOC 

community they then informed me of more programs in my community. 

Question 3: When is the best time to inform an injured member about these 

adaptive sports therapy programs? 

Response: I believe the sooner the better. I can’t stress enough how important 

it is for the servicemembers not to go into depression. It is vital that they’re informed of these programs in the beginning of their therapy. This not only gives the 

veteran something to look forward to while in therapy, but more importantly it does 

not let emotional strain set in. That is key to a health recovery. 

Question 4: With the new appropriated funds, how do you think the Paralympics 

Military Program should use the resources to help injured veterans or servicemembers participate in sports programs? 

Response: I would recommend utilizing the existing system developed by the 

U.S. Olympic Committee to distribute funds to Paralympic, veteran and USOC 

member organizations at the community level. By providing the funds to the USOC, 

they can utilize the existing grant system that reviews applications, distributes 

funds and evaluates impact for reporting back to the DoD, VA and Congress. 

f 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Hon. Robert M. Gates, 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Defense 

The Pentagon 

Washington, DC 20301–1155 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

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Hearing Date: July 29, 2009 

Committee: HVA 

Member: Congressman Filner 

Witness: Ms. Cohen 

Question 1: Does DoD have an active partnership with VA regarding assistive 

technology? 

Question 1(a): If so, how are both agencies working together? 

Answer: The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) was established in 1990 as the centrally funded reasonable accommodations program for employees with disabilities in the Department of Defense (DoD). Following the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of FY 2000, Congress granted CAP the authority to provide assistive technology, devices, and services free of charge to Federal agencies that have a partnership agreement with CAP. The TRICARE Management Activity, a field activity in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

(Health Affairs), serves as the executive agent for CAP. 

On February 27, 2002, CAP established a partnership agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide assistive technology to VA employees with 

disabilities as outlined in the NDAA. Since the inception of this VA partnership, 

CAP has filled over 3,200 requests for assistive technology and accommodations. 

The assistive technology is provided to VA employees as a work-site accommodation. Equipment remains with the VA as government property. This supports VA’s 

compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to ‘‘recruit, place, accommodate and retain employees with disabilities.’’ 

VA employees may submit their requests for accommodations to CAP via the web 

at www.tricare.mil/cap. CAP provides the accommodation and training at no cost to 

the VA or the employee. The VA provides the accommodations outside of CAP scope 

per the NDAA. 

In the area of accommodations for wounded servicemembers, CAP provides accommodations to them during their recovery and rehabilitation in the military treatment facilities. Once a servicemember separates from active duty, he/she will receive any additional assistive technology from the VA. CAP and the VA work closely 

to ensure they are providing similar assistive technology that makes it easy for the 

servicemember to receive upgrades and continue to use the technology provided by 

CAP. 

Question 2: Has the assistive technology that DoD provides permitted any 

servicemember to return to active duty? 

Answer: Yes. Since the inception of the Computer/Electronic Accommodations 

Program (CAP) to provide assistive technology to wounded servicemembers, we have 

filled over 12,300 requests for accommodations. 

We have filled over 941 accommodations for servicemembers who have remained 

on Active Duty. Examples of the assistive technology accommodations include: 

• Alternative keyboards, input devices, and voice recognition software for servicemembers with dexterity impairments; 

• Screen readers and training, magnification software, closed-circuit televisions 

(CCTVs) for servicemembers with vision loss; 

• Assistive listening devices (ALDs) and personal amplification devices for 

servicemembers with hearing loss; and 

• Cueing and memory aids, literacy software, screen readers, ALDs, augmentative 

communication devices for servicemembers with cognitive impairments, including Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). 

We have also provided 104 accommodations to wounded servicemembers who have 

separated and returned to the Federal Governmant as civilian employees. One of 

the many servicemembers that have remained on active duty is Capt. Scott Smiley. 

While deployed in Mosul, Iraq, he was hit by shrapnel in the face from an improvised explosive device, causing brain injury and permanent blindness. He was introduced to assistive technology by CAP during his recovery at Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center. He has completed his MBA and is now an instructor at U.S. Military Academy at West Point and continues to use the assistive technology from 

CAP. His full story can be found at http://militarytimes.com/smoy/army/armywinner-2007.php. Employees with disabilities and wounded servicemembers can see 

and test the various assistive technologies at the CAP Technology Evaluation Center (CAPTEC) at the Pentagon. CAPTEC provides needs assessments and demonstrations of the latest assistive technologies. 

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Question 3: Can you give us the number of veterans who have needed assistive 

technology in the past 3 years? 

Answer: We have filled over 11,300 accommodations for wounded servicemembers 

during their recovery and rehabilitation at military treatment facilities during the 

past 3 years. 

As they separate from Active Duty, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 

tracks if any have requested additional or new assistive technology. We are aware 

of 30 disabled veterans who have returned to Federal employment and requested 

technology from the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) for their 

work location. 

CAP has also been involved in 12 VA training/conferences over the past 3 years, 

including a session at the Veterans Benefits Administration Leadership Conference. 

Over 600 VA case managers, rehabilitation specialists, and medical professionals 

have attended the trainings and received information on the CAP process and assistive technology. 

Additional information on CAP can be found at www.tricare.mil/cap. 

Question 4: How many adaptive sports therapy programs does DoD have at this 

time? 

Answer: Sports and recreation therapy programs are available throughout DoD 

within the medical treatment facilities and on DoD installations that have wounded 

warriors assigned. The ability of injured servicemembers to engage in recreational 

activities is a very important component of rehabilitation and reintegration. Our installation MWR specialists are successfully working with medical personnel, wounded warrior units, community parks and recreation, and non-profits to integrate 

sports and recreation as part of the healing process. The number and type of activities vary by location based on types of injuries, identified needs and interests, staff 

and volunteer expertise, and accessible facilities. Activities may include swimming, 

kayaking, skiing, hiking, rock climbing, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, biking, 

and team sports such as basketball and volleyball. 

The Department has contracted with Penn State University to provide 12 joint 

Inclusive Recreation Training Courses over 3 years. The 4 day course trains 30 installation recreation specialists to successfully integrate wounded warriors and family members into existing MWR programs. Feedback from the first year (four 

courses) has been very positive. 

Thanks to support from Congress, the United States Olympic Committee’s 

Paralympic Military Program has been hugely successful in enhancing the rehabilitation, readiness, and quality of life of severely injured servicemembers and veterans. The U.S. Paralympics has provided training to develop adaptive sports and 

fitness programs at many military treatment facilities, VA Polytrauma hospitals, 

warrior transition units, and wounded warrior regiments. The program engages 

Paralympic mentors in all aspects of program development and implementation. Another key component are the U.S. Paralympic staff who help connect injured military personnel to sports and fitness programming in their local communities. 

Additionally, there are many other civilian non-profit organizations providing 

recreation programs for wounded warriors and their families. 

Question 5: Does DoD participate in any of the national adaptive sports events 

sponsored by VA? 

Answer: Active-duty members have participated in two events: the winter sports 

clinic and the wheelchair games. Active Duty members can participate if they meet 

the eligibility requirements and the Secretary signs a waiver authorizing their participation in that event. Travel related expenses have been paid by donations, as 

VA is not authorized to use appropriated funds. 

f 

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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Charlie Huebner 

U.S. Olympic Committee Chief 

U.S. Paralympics Division 

1101 17th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20036 

Dear Charlie: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Post-Hearing Questions for Charlie Huebner 

Chief of Paralympics 

U.S. Olympic Committee 

From the Honorable Bob Filner 

July 29, 2009 

Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program 

Question 1: During the March 13, 2008, hearing on U.S. Paralympics Military 

Program, in your testimony you stated that the USOC goal was to establish new 

Paralympics-based programs in 75 communities by the end of 2008. Can you provide 

us an update on this goal? 

USOC Response: Please see the attached list (Attachment A) of USOC 

Paralympic and Veteran program locations in addition to a listing (Attachment B) 

of the 99 current community-based programs (Paralympic Sport Clubs). As of July 

29, 2009, the USOC has created Paralympic community-based programs in 99 U.S. 

communities. 

Question 2: In your testimony you refer to a collective $40 million in private resources invested annually. I applaud your tenacity in finding these resources. Can 

you give us a sense of how much an event like the National Veterans Wheelchair 

Games costs to plan and execute? 

USOC Response: Our primary focus with the Paralympic Military and Veterans 

Program is to provide daily physical activity programming at the community level 

for injured servicemembers or veterans that return home. The National Veterans 

Games is a week-long event that provides competition and introduction to sport at 

a national level. U.S. Paralympics is not involved in the planning of the Veterans 

Games. Diane Hartman of the VA would be able to give you an accurate figure of 

the cost to host the Games. The Veterans Games is an important aspect of the rehab 

process, but not our focus. The focus for U.S. Paralympics is to implement ongoing 

sport programs that veterans and injured servicemembers can participate on a daily 

basis in their local community. 

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Question 3: What changes has the USOC implemented since 2005, when USOC 

and VA signed a memorandum of understanding, to ensure lessons learned are implemented in future events? 

USOC Response: The memorandum of understanding signed in 2005, created 

the avenue for the USOC and VA to work together. We have signed a new in MOU 

in June 2009 that focuses on the programming relating to the 2008 legislation. Our 

primary focus is to work with DoD and VA facilities at the community level to provide physical activity training, resources, Paralympic mentors and equipment for ongoing programming. This is done in a flexible manner based on the need and wishes 

of the local facility. Included in the list of program locations as referenced in response #1 is a list of communities where we are currently working on developing 

and establishing ongoing sport programs with VA facilities. One success story of our 

VA partnerships involves our relationship with the VA Hospital in Tampa FL. We 

have worked closely with leadership at the hospital to implement a variety of ongoing sport programs that are regularly scheduled and accessible to both in and out 

patients. In fact, the Tampa VA just had one of their sport program athletes named 

to the National Adaptive Rowing Team and will compete in the 2009 World Rowing 

Championships. This athletes’ success is due in part to the ongoing sport training 

he continues to receive through the VA. The Tampa VA also has a working relationship with the local community-based sport program, Paralympic Sport Club Tampa 

Bay. The local Sport Club assists the VA programs by providing sport facilities, necessary adaptive equipment and coaching. 

Question 4: What is your vision on how to spend the appropriated 10 million? 

USOC Response: Our primary recommendation for funds would be to provide 

program grants to Veteran, Paralympic, and Community-Based programs to implement ongoing physical activity programs at the community level. The USOC already 

has an infrastructure in place to implement a grant program (see attachment C). 

A small portion of the funds, would be to expand infrastructure to support ongoing 

training and technical assistance to develop community programs in cities that have 

needs. We would also expand the education and awareness materials available to 

DoD and VA staff, injured military personnel, veterans and their family member to 

make them aware of programs in their local communities. 

Question 5: You have provided grant funding to 45 organizations. Who are these 

organizations, what do they do and what was the average dollar amount of the 

grant awarded? 

USOC Response: Please note the attached list (Attachment D) of grants distributed to date to a variety of organizations to develop ongoing sport programming and 

to enhance the rehabilitation of injured servicemembers and veterans. You’ll note 

from the list that grant recipients range from Veteran, Paralympic and/or community-based organizations that request funding to meet a specific need for injured 

military personnel and/or veterans, utilizing physical activity as part of the rehab 

process. The grants funds distributed provide a variety of functions in order to develop ongoing programming for injured servicemembers and/or veterans including, 

but not limited to equipment, coaching, training, and facilities/sport venues. Examples include a grant to a local parks and recreation department to support an archery program for veterans or a grant to a Veterans organization to implement hand 

cycling clinics in four cities. 

Grant activity is monitored through regularly scheduled progress reports. Staff 

members also complete site visits whenever possible to ensure program quality. 

Question 6: You state in your written testimony, that you have provided technical assistance. What does technical assistance encompass? 

USOC Response: The technical assistance we provide involves a number of initiatives from ‘Train the Trainer’ programs, focusing on coaching techniques for particular sports, to leadership training on how to implement military programs. In addition, we provide partnering organizations with strategic planning tools for program implementation and expansion, educational materials and opportunities to 

learn from others through forums and conferences. A majority of the technical assistance we provide is customized as the needs of organizations we work with are 

different. Technical assistance is broad and maybe different in each situation. Primarily it is leadership training for local military, veteran or community leaders to 

be trained in how to implement a local program, or coaching expertise to run a specific physical activity program at the local level. It also may include identifying and 

providing funds for renting of facilities, creating education and awareness materials, 

or providing sport equipment. 

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Question 7: Can you elaborate on what you and the: 4 medical centers, 11 warrior transition units and the 14 VA facilities are providing to veterans and servicemembers? 

USOC Response: To date more than 6,000 injured servicemembers have been introduced to physical activity through ongoing sports programs at the community 

level in collaboration with Military and Veteran Medical Treatment Facilities and/ 

or installations. As examples, at the 4 DoD Medical Treatment Facilities the 

Paralympic Military Program is offering an average of 6 sports per facility to nearly 

1,000 injured servicemembers. Of the WTU’s we’re currently working with 8 Units 

are offering an average of 7 sports while the other 3 Units are in the strategic planning and/or train the trainer phase of implementation and will be offering a variety 

of sports in the near future. Our work with each of the VA’s is different based on 

their population and program needs. Being flexible and building programs with the 

input from local leadership is a core component of success with each of the VA’s. 

Some will partner with local community-based programs others find it works best 

to offer sport programs in-house. We are there to support each VA and their sport 

offerings by helping them gain an understanding of the concept—enhancing rehabilitation through sport. 

Based on a training model we developed in collaboration with the Ft. Lewis WTU, 

we are providing train-the-trainer sessions on how to implement physical activity 

programs as part of duties at WTU’s throughout the U.S. We also create alignment 

with local Paralympic or community-based sport organizations to assist. In military 

medical centers, we have full-time Paralympic mentors providing ongoing physical 

activity to soldiers in the wards based on their sport interest. At VA facilities, we 

have aligned our local resources—a Paralympic Sport Club or community-based organization—to provide ongoing physical activity at the VA facility or in the community for injured Veterans. 

Question 8: In your testimony you state that the communities to which you are 

expanding are being selected based on need. How do you define need? 

USOC Response: Creating a stronger link to DoD and VA systems to communicate with injured servicemembers, especially as they return to local communities, 

is a primary driver for identifying communities based on need. Our focus in community growth is based on the number of injured servicemembers or veterans returning 

to a specific community and/or the infrastructure needed to implement programs. 

By collaborating with USOC Member organizations, we can cost efficiently provide 

training and programming to meet the needs of urban and rural areas. 

A majority of our programs are currently centralized in areas with a service Member population center. Our concern is reaching out to and serving those servicemembers that reside in rural communities. Edmond Oklahoma has been a good 

model for us in serving injured servicemembers in rural communities. By collaborating with the University of Central Oklahoma we’ve been able to reach a number 

of injured servicemembers in the surrounding rural areas. The University offers programs on campus and has also taken their programs on the road to reach those that 

may have difficulty getting to the University campus. 

Question 9: How exactly do you manage, monitor and measure the impact of 

grants provided to external organizations? 

USOC Response: In each grant application to the USOC, specific programs and 

measurables are outlined. We have dedicated staff that is focused on quarterly monitoring of grant applications with a focus on outcomes. We are also collaborating 

with Paralympic, Veteran and University resources to create long-term research focused on the impact of ongoing physical activity as it relates to overall health; longterm success in education and employment. 

Attachment A 

2008–2009 Paralympic Military and Veterans Programs Highlights 

During the past year the USOC Paralympic Military Program has been using several distinct components to collectively enhance the rehabilitation of injured servicemembers and veterans through ongoing activities at local, regional and national levels. 

• Training in the development and implementation of sports and physical activity 

programs for injured servicemembers has been provided to nearly 1,000 community leaders within the past year; 

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• New programs have been initiated at 15 Warrior Transition Units and 14 Veterans facilities with ongoing programming, technical assistance and provision of 

Paralympic mentors; • Through the fourth quarter, 5,700 injured servicemembers have been introduced to physical activity through ongoing sports programs at the community 

level in collaboration with Military and Veteran Medical Treatment Facilities 

and/or installations; • Grants have been provided to nineteen community/military partnerships 

throughout the country. These programs offer 3,500 injured servicemembers 

sports opportunities to enhance their rehabilitation at the community level; • More than 60 injured servicemembers have been identified as individuals who 

have demonstrated the potential to pursue higher levels of athlete training and 

performance, and; • Five Veterans, four of which have physical disabilities, have been hired to implement the program. 

The USOC and Paralympic Organizations throughout the country continue to utilize existing infrastructure and resources to meet the needs of injured servicemembers and veterans, thus making the program extremely cost effective. 

2010 Goals 

• Provide training-of-trainers for local community leaders to expand programming 

support in targeted areas of need; • Increase programming, technical assistance and Paralympic mentor support at 

Warrior Transition Units, Veterans facilities and in community programs; • Enhance communication and awareness capabilities to ensure injured servicemembers, Veterans and their families are aware of programming options in 

their local communities; • Increase grant support to enhance and develop programming in communities 

with needs, and; • Provide resources for equipment to participate in everyday physical activity. 

USOC Paralympic and Veterans Program Locations 

Veterans Administration Hospital Facilities: 

• Richmond, VA • Palo Alto, CA (2 programs) • Minneapolis, MN • Tampa, FL • Augusta, GA • Oklahoma City, OK • Cheyenne, WY (via Eldora Ski Program) • Denver/Boulder, CO • Tucson, AZ (via USABA) • Birmingham, AL (via USABA) 

• Hines, IL (Chicago—2 programs) 

• Jesse Brown, IL (Chicago) 

• La Jolla, CA 

• Washington DC, VA 

Warrior Transition Units: 

• Ft. Bragg, NC 

• Ft. Campbell, KY 

• Ft. Lewis, WA 

• Brook Army Medical Center, TX 

• Balboa, CA 

• Ft. Stewart, GA 

• Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 

• Ft. Carson, CO 

• Ft. Sill, OK 

• Ft. Gordon, GA 

• Ft. Benning, GA 

• Ft. Richardson/Wainwright, AK 

• Ft. Drum, NY 

• Ft. Hood, TX 

• Ft. Riley, KS 

Department of Defense Medical Centers: 

• Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 

• National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda MD 

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• San Diego Naval Medical Center, San Diego CA 

• Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio TX 

Wounded Warrior Battalions: 

• Camp Lejeune, 

• NC Camp Pendleton, CA 

Attachment B 

Paralympic Sport Clubs 

Paralympic Sport Alaska A program of Challenge Alaska Anchorage, AK 

Paralympic Sport Albany A program of STRIDE Adaptive Sports Rensselaer, NY 

Paralympic Sport Arlington A program of University of Texas—Arlington Arlington, TX 

Paralympic Sport Aspen A program of Challenge Aspen Snowmass Village, CO 

Paralympic Sport Atlanta A program of BlazeSports Atlanta Atlanta, GA 

Paralympic Sport Austin A program of Texas Rowing Center Austin, TX 

Paralympic Sport Birmingham A program of Lakeshore Foundation Birmingham, AL 

Paralympic Sport Boulder A program of City of Boulder Parks and 

Recreation EXPAND Program 

Boulder, CO 

Paralympic Sport 

Breckenridge 

A program of Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center Breckenridge, CO 

Paralympic Sport Central 

New Hampshire 

A program of New England Handicapped 

Sports Association 

Newport, NH 

Paralympic Sport Charlotte A program of Mecklenburg County Park and 

Recreation 

Charlotte, NC 

Paralympic Sport Chattanooga A program of City of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Parks & Recreation, Therapeutic 

Recreation Division 

Chattanooga, TN 

Paralympic Sport Chicago A program of Chicago Park District Chicago, IL 

Paralympic Sport Chicago A program of Rehabilitation Institute of 

Chicago (RIC) 

Chicago, IL 

Paralympic Sport Cincinnati A program of Cincinnati Recreation Commission Foundation Cincinnati, OH 

Paralympic Sport Colorado 

Springs 

A program of City of Colorado Springs 

Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, 

Therapeutic Recreation Program 

Colorado Springs, 

CO 

Paralympic Sport Columbus A program of Columbus Recreation and 

Parks Department 

Columbus, OH 

Paralympic Sport Columbus A program of Columbus Parks & Recreation 

Department 

Columbus, GA 

Paralympic Sport Denver A program of National Sports Center for the 

Disabled— Denver 

Denver, CO 

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Paralympic Sport Clubs—Continued 

Paralympic Sport Denver A program of Craig Hospital Englewood, CO 

Paralympic Sport Fort 

Wayne 

A program of Turnstone Center for Children 

and Adults with Disabilities 

Fort Wayne, IN 

Paralympic Sport Great 

Lakes Region 

A program of Great Lakes Adaptive Sports 

Association 

Lake Forest, IL 

Paralympic Sport Greater 

Augusta 

A program of Champions Made From Adversity (BlazeSports Augusta) Evans, GA 

Paralympic Sport Houston A program of Houston Parks and Recreation 

Department— Adaptive Recreation 

Houston, TX 

Paralympic Sport Houston A program of TIRR Memorial Hermann Houston, TX 

Paralympic Sport Indianapolis A program of Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) Indianapolis, IN 

Paralympic Sport Kansas 

City 

A program of National Sports Center for the 

Disabled— Kansas City 

Kansas City, MO 

Paralympic Sport Kennesaw State University A program of Kennesaw State University— 

College of Health and Human Services— 

Global Center for Social Change 

Kennesaw, GA 

Paralympic Sport 

Kentwood 

A program of Kentwood Parks & Recreation 

Department 

Kentwood, MI 

Paralympic Sport Lake 

Tahoe 

A program of Disabled Sports USA Far 

West 

Tahoe City, CA 

Paralympic Sport Las 

Vegas 

A program of City of Las Vegas Adaptive 

Recreation and Clark County School District 

Las Vegas, NV 

Paralympic Sport Loma 

Linda 

A program of PossAbilities Loma Linda, CA 

Paralympic Sport Louisiana A program of Louisiana GUMBO Inc. Pineville, LA 

Paralympic Sport Louisville A program of Frazier Rehab Institute Louisville, KY 

Paralympic Sport Mammoth Lakes A program of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Mammoth Lakes, 

CA 

Paralympic Sport Memphis A program of MidSouth Adaptive Sports & 

Recreation, Inc. 

Memphis, TN 

Paralympic Sport Mesa A program of City of Mesa Adaptive Sports 

and Recreation 

Mesa, AZ 

Paralympic Sport Miami A program of Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation Leisure Access Services Miami, FL 

Paralympic Sport Milwaukee A program of Milwaukee Recreation Department Milwaukee, WI 

Paralympic Sport New 

Hampshire 

A program of New England Disabled Sports Lincoln, NH 

Paralympic Sport New 

Hampshire 

A program of AbilityPLUS, Inc.— New 

Hampshire 

Waterville Valley, 

NH 

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Paralympic Sport Clubs—Continued 

Paralympic Sport New 

Hartford 

A program of Charles T. Sitrin Medical Rehabilitation Center New Hartford, 

NY 

Paralympic Sport New Jersey A program of Children’s Lightening Wheels Mountainside, NJ 

Paralympic Sport New 

York City 

A program of New York City Department of 

Parks & Recreation 

New York, NY 

Paralympic Sport Northeast DuPage A program of Northeast DuPage Special 

Recreation Association— NEDSRA 

Addison, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of South West Suburban Special 

Recreation Association (SWSRA) 

Alsip, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Fox Valley Special Recreation 

Association (FVSRA) 

Aurora, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Special Recreation Services Dolton, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Lincolnway Special Recreation 

Association 

Frankfort, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA) Franklin Park, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA) Gurnee, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Illinois Therapeutic Recreation section Adapted Sports Committee Northbrook, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Maine-Niles Association for 

Special Recration (M–NASR) 

Northbrook, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Northern Suburban Special 

Recreation (NSSRA) 

Northbrook, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Oak Lawn Park District/Special Recreation Cooperative Oak Lawn, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Heart of Illinois Special Recreation Association (HISRA) Peoria, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Northwest Special Recreation 

Association (NWSRA) 

Rolling Meadows, 

IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Tri County Special Recreation 

Association 

Romeoville, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of South Suburban Special 

Recreation Association (SSSRA) 

Tinley Park, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Special Recreation Association 

of Central Lake County (SRACLC) 

Vernon Hills, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Special Recreation Service of 

Northern Lake County (SRSNLC) 

Zion, IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Southeast Association for Special Parks and Recreation (SEASPAR) IL 

Paralympic Sport Northern Illinois A program of Northern Illinois Special 

Recreation (NISRA) 

IL 

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Paralympic Sport Clubs—Continued 

Paralympic Sport Park 

City 

A program of National Ability Center Park City, UT 

Paralympic Sport Pasadena A program of City of Pasadena Verne Cox 

Multipurpose Recreation Center 

Pasadena, TX 

Paralympic Sport Philadelphia A program of Pennsylvania Center for 

Adaptive Sports 

Philadelphia, PA 

Paralympic Sport Phoenix A program of Grand Canyon State Fencing 

Foundation 

Apache Junction, 

AZ 

Paralympic Sport Pittsburgh A program of HOPE Network Pittsburgh, PA 

Paralympic Sport Portland A program of Oregon Disability Sports Portland, OR 

Paralympic Sport Reno A program of City of Reno Parks, Recreation 

and Community Services 

Reno, NV 

Paralympic Sport Rockford A program of Rockford Park District Rockford, IL 

Paralympic Sport Sacramento A program of City of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, Access Leisure section 

Sacramento, CA 

Paralympic Sport Saginaw A program of Michigan Sports Unlimited Saginaw, MI 

Paralympic Sport Salt 

Lake County 

A program of Salt Lake County Adaptive 

Recreation 

Midvale, UT 

Paralympic Sport San Antonio A program of The San Antonio Fencing Center Kyle, TX 

Paralympic Sport San 

Diego 

A program of San Diego Adaptive Sports 

Foundation 

San Diego, CA 

Paralympic Sport San Jose A program of Far West Wheelchair Sports San Jose, CA 

Paralympic Sport Seattle A program of Seattle Adaptive Sports Seattle, WA 

Paralympic Sport Southern Cook & Will County A program of Midwest Wheelchair Sport & 

Social Club (MDWSSC) 

Dolton, IL 

Paralympic Sport Southern New Hampshire A program of Northeast Passage Durham, NH 

Paralympic Sport Spokane A program of St. Lukes Rehabilitation Institute Spokane, WA 

Paralympic Sport St. Louis A program of Disabled Athlete Sports Association St. Peters, MO 

Paralympic Sport Sun Valley-Ketchum A program of Wood River Ability Program Sun Valley, ID 

Paralympic Sport Tacoma A program of Metro Parks of Tacoma Tacoma, WA 

Paralympic Sport Tampa 

Bay 

A program of Hillsborough County Parks, 

Recreation & Conservation 

Tampa, FL 

Paralympic Sport Telluride A program of Telluride Adaptive Sports Program Telluride, CO 

Paralympic Sport Triangle A program of Bridge II Sports Durham, NC 

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Paralympic Sport Clubs—Continued 

Paralympic Sport Twin 

Cities 

A program of Courage Center Golden Valley, 

MN 

Paralympic Sport University Park A program of Ability Athletics and Disability Recreation Program of Penn State 

University 

University Park, 

PA 

Paralympic Sport University Park A program of Penn State Ability Athletes 

Program and Disability Recreation 

University Park, 

PA 

Paralympic Sport Vermont A program of Vermont Adaptive Ski and 

Sports 

Killington, VT 

Paralympic Sport Vermont A program of AbilityPLUS, Inc.— Vermont West Dover, VT 

Paralympic Sport Washington DC A program of National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington, DC 

Paralympic Sport Waterford A program of Oakland County Parks Waterford, MI 

Paralympic Sport Western 

DuPage 

A program of Western DuPage Special 

Recreation Association 

Carol Stream, IL 

Paralympic Sport Wichita A program of Wheelchair Sports Inc. Wichita, KS 

Paralympic Sport 

Windham 

A program of Adaptive Sports Foundation Windham, NY 

Paralympic Sport Winter 

Park 

A program of National Sports Center for the 

Disabled— Winter Park 

Winter Park, CO 

Paralympic Sport 

Wolfeboro 

A program of Huggins Hospital Adaptive 

Sports Program 

Wolfeboro, NH 

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Attachment C 

Attachment D 

U.S. Paralympic Grants 

Grantee Grant Total Grant commitment Type 

Achilles International, 

Inc. 

$15,000 fund injured military in 

handcycling events 

Community/ 

Military 

Adaptive Sports Foundation at Windham 

Mountain 

$10,000 military fund injured military with 

the Stratton VA 

PSC/Military 

Bay Area Outreach & 

Recreation Program 

(SF Bay Area) 

$15,000 injured military cycling, wheelchair basketball and Goalball Community/ 

Military 

Blaze Sports America 

(Atlanta GA) 

$75,000 BSA shall provide technical assistance & support to Paralympic 

Sport Clubs that provide services/ 

programming to injured servicemembers. 

BlazeSports America Inc. 

(Atlanta GA) 

$5,000 swimming program PSC Only 

Bridge II Sports (Durham NC) $5,000 Paralympic skills program PSC Only 

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U.S. Paralympic Grants—Continued 

Grantee Grant Total Grant commitment Type 

Central Cross Country 

Ski Association (Hayward WI) 

$25,000 construct and loan out sit skis to 

injured military 

Community/ 

Military 

Challenge Aspen $50,000 support military athletes who qualify for and commit to training with 

Challenge Aspen 

Challenged Athletes 

Foundation (San Diego 

CA) 

$25,000 support Operation Rebound to provide funding to injured military for 

training and competition in 

Paralympic-related Sports 

Community/ 

Military 

Champions Made from 

Adversity (Augusta 

GA) 

$60,000 develop and implement ongoing 

programs for the soldiers assigned 

to the Warrior Transition Battalion 

at Fort Gordon, the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Facility and for local veterans in the 

Central Savannah River Area of 

Georgia and South Carolina 

City of Boulder Parks 

and Recreation Exciting Programs, Adventures and New Dimensions ‘‘EXPAND’’ 

$5,000 track program PSC Only 

City of Colorado Springs 

Parks, Recreation & 

Cultural Services, 

Therapeutic Recreation 

Program 

$32,000 handcyling and shooting for injured military PSC/Military 

City of Reno Parks $1,500 Paralympic Academy PSC Only 

City of Sacramento Department of Parks and 

Recreation, Access Leisure section 

$5,200 track program PSC Only 

Eldora Special Recreation Program (Boulder CO) 

$28,000 injured military skiing program PSC/Military 

Great Lakes Adaptive 

Sports Association 

(Lake Forest ILL) 

$13,000 track and swimming for injured 

military 

PSC/Military 

Greater Metro Parks Tacoma Foundation $21,000 rowing for injured military PSC/Military 

Headquarter Air Force 

Command (Colorado 

Springs) 

$17,500 archery for injured military Community/ 

Military 

Hillsborough County 

Parks, Recreation and 

Conservation Department (Tampa FL) 

$5,000 basketball and archery programs PSC Only 

HOPE Network (Pittsburgh PA) $5,000 adaptive sport equipment for injured military Community/ 

Military 

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U.S. Paralympic Grants—Continued 

Grantee Grant Total Grant commitment Type 

Lakeshore Foundation 

(Birmingham AL) 

$25,000 hosting military camp 

Lakeshore Foundation 

(Birmingham AL) 

$5,000 track program PSC Only 

Louisiana Games Uniting 

Mind and Body 

‘‘GUMBO’’ 

$5,000 expand adaptive equipment PSC Only 

Memorial Hermann 

Foundation (Houston) 

$4,500 sled hockey PSC Only 

Miami-Dade County Park 

and Recreation Department 

$5,000 judo PSC Only 

Midsouth Adaptive 

Sports and Recreation 

Inc. (Memphis TN) 

$5,000 expand adaptive equipment PSC Only 

Milwaukee Public 

Schools— Department 

of Recreation 

$5,000 cycling equipment PSC Only 

National Recreation and 

Parks Association 

$200,000 expand community programs and 

opportunities for injured military 

personnel to pursue physically active lives through the use of grants 

for equipment, training, and program development by public park 

and recreation agencies around the 

country 

National Sports Center 

for the Disabled (Denver) 

$7,500 soccer PSC Only 

National Sports Center 

for the Disabled (Denver) 

$20,000 skiing equipment loaner program 

for injured military 

Community/ 

Military 

New England Disabled 

Sports (Lincoln NH) 

$5,000 biathlon PSC Only 

New England Disabled 

Sports (Lincoln NH) 

$15,000 hosting military camp 

Northeast Passage (Durham NH) $5,000 training camp PSC Only 

National Wheelchair 

Basketball Association 

(NWBA) 

$75,000 NWBA’s commitment to recruit injured servicemembers to wheelchair basketball teams 

Operation Comfort (San 

Antonio TX) 

$16,000 sled hockey for injured military Community/ 

Military 

Oregon Disability Sports 

(Portland OR) 

$5,000 expand adaptive equipment PSC Only 

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U.S. Paralympic Grants—Continued 

Grantee Grant Total Grant commitment Type 

Paralyzed Veterans of 

America Handcycling 

$143,000 PVA staff to plan and implement a 

Paralympic Military Handcycling 

Program in four strategic locations 

(Washington DC/Richmond, Chicago, San Antonio and San Diego). 

Rehabilitation Hospital 

of Indiana Sports Program 

$5,000 archery & track programs PSC Only 

Rehabilitation Institute 

of Chicago 

$8,000 hosting military camp 

Rockford Illinois Park 

District 

$5,000 expand adaptive equipment PSC Only 

San Diego Adaptive 

Sports Foundation 

$24,000 year round sports programs for injured military Community/ 

Military 

Tampa VA $57,500 Tampa VA staff to implement 

Paralympic Sports opportunities 

for military servicemembers and 

veterans in the Tampa Bay area as 

an extension of their rehabilitation. 

Team Semper FI $35,000 expand adaptive equipment and 

programming for wounded Marines 

at Camp Pendleton 

Team St. Luke’s (Spokane WA) $7,500 field equipment PSC Only 

Telluride Adaptive 

Sports Program 

$5,000 ski camp PSC Only 

Texas Rowing Center— 

Adaptive Rowing Program (Austin TX) 

$17,500 rowing for injured military PSC/Military 

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Sports 

and Recreation 

$14,000 purchase of trailer to transport 

equipment for injured military 

Community/ 

Military 

The University of Texas 

at Arlington 

$16,000 college sport programs for injured 

military 

Community/ 

Military 

The Washington DC VA 

Medical Center 

$22,000 rowing and judo for injured military Community/ 

Military 

Therapeutic Recreation 

and Independent Lifestyles ‘‘TRAILS’’ 

$23,600 handcycling and skiing for injured 

military at George E. Wahlen VA 

Medical Center 

Community/ 

Military 

U.S. Handcycling $15,000 competitive handcycling series for 

injured military 

Community/ 

Military 

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Sports 

and Recreation 

$75,000 to coordinate 2009 Endeavor 

Games focusing on injured servicemembers 

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U.S. Paralympic Grants—Continued 

Grantee Grant Total Grant commitment Type 

Underwater Warriors 

Foundation (Ft. Campbell KY) 

$6,000 scuba program 

U.S. Association of Blind 

Athletes (USABA) Opportunity Fund Grant 

extension 

$50,000 to develop and implement programs for injured servicemembers 

with eye injuries 

USABA position grant 

proposal 

$50,000 grant is for hiring consultant to 

implement the programs noted 

above— it is a matching grant 

where USABA will match 25% or 

$12,500 for total of $62,500 

Vail Veterans Adventure 

Team 

$6,000 Adventure Team race 

Vail Veterans Program $35,000 winter sport programming 

Vermont Adaptive Ski 

and Sports 

$5,000 purchase of van to transport equipment for injured military PSC Only 

Total $1,446,300 

f 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Hon. Eric K. Shinseki 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

810 Vermont Ave., NW 

Washington, DC 20420 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

In reference to our Full Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Meeting the Needs of Injured 

Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program’’ on July 29, 2009, I would appreciate 

it if you could answer the enclosed hearing questions by the close of business on 

September 11, 2009. 

In an effort to reduce printing costs, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in cooperation with the Joint Committee on Printing, is implementing some formatting 

changes for materials for all Full Committee and Subcommittee hearings. Therefore, 

it would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively and singlespaced. In addition, please restate the question in its entirety before the answer. 

Due to the delay in receiving mail, please provide your response to Debbie Smith 

by fax your responses to Debbie at 202–225–2034. If you have any questions, please 

call 202–225–9756. 

Sincerely, 

BOB FILNER 

Chairman 

JL:ds 

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Questions for the Record 

Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman 

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

July 29, 2009 

Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program 

Question 1: In the last Congress, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 

conducted a hearing on this same subject. They received testimony from Disabled 

Sports USA expressing concern that the VA was considering a rule change to reclassify the hand-cycle as a sports wheelchair. The concern is that this rule change 

may negatively affect one’s ability to participate in rehabilitative sports activities. 

Can you provide us an update on this matter? (The concern is that they will get 

one wheelchair as opposed to two.) 

Response: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made great progress to 

alleviate concerns regarding a Veteran’s ability to participate in rehabilitative sports 

activities. In April, 2008, the Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) issued new clinical practice recommendations (CPR) for the 

issuance of recreational and sports equipment. These guidelines are available on 

VA’s prosthetics service Web site: http://www.prosthetics.va.gov/cpr.asp. The guidelines indicate that each Veteran is entitled to an individualized evaluation and that 

VA can provide adaptive sporting equipment to a Veteran for the sport(s) in which 

the Veteran is actively engaged with options for demonstrating active participation 

outlined in the document. The guidelines do not identify a specific number of sports/ 

activities to be supported; rather, decisions are based on meeting the criteria for the 

requested equipment. Thus, if a Veteran meets the criteria for each sport for which 

equipment is requested, they can receive that piece of adaptive sporting equipment. 

Furthermore, the guidelines establish an independent review of each device requested. With the publication of this CPR, the availability of adaptive sports and 

recreation equipment has been greatly broadened. Prior to this CPR, VA provided 

handcycles and sports wheelchairs only (i.e. basketball, rugby, tennis, etc). Now, 

when an enrolled Veteran meets the identified indications, mono-skis, adaptive Nordic skis, ice sleds, and tandem bikes for those with visual impairment, and other 

pieces of adaptive equipment may be considered for issuance when prescribed by a 

VA clinician. 

Question 2: Public Law 110–389 requires the VA Secretary to draft oversight reporting requirements. Has the VA begun drafting its oversight reporting requirements? If so, when do you expect to have this finalized? 

Response: VA is drafting regulations for implementing a monthly assistance allowance as specified in section 703 of Public Law (P.L.) 110–389 that includes specific provisions for oversight, including access to Paralympics-sanctioned events and 

activities to provide such oversight. In regards to the grant program specified in section 702 of P.L. 110–389, VA is still in the process of determining the appropriate 

level of oversight. However, through collaborative efforts with U.S. Paralympics, VA 

is examining the feasibility of a quarterly reporting mechanism to include information on budget, cash transaction reports, and a summary of grant-funded activities, 

participants and outcomes. VA will follow the prescribed process for publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking and a final rule. VA officials are tracking this action 

closely as a means to expedite publication in the Federal Register. 

Question 3: What kind of outreach campaign does the VA plan to implement to 

reach Veterans, especially rural Veterans who may be interested in participating in 

a VA sponsored event? Do you plan on using mass media (TV or radio) as authorized by Public Law 110–389? 

Response: VA is currently focused on implementing the allowance and grant programs authorized under P.L. 110–389. VA is developing the outreach plan and will 

implement it as we move forward in fiscal 2010. 

Question 4: We have heard complaints that there is insufficient followup after 

a flagship event. Can you explain how VA plans to followup with veterans participating in a major event like this month’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games that 

took place in Spokane, Washington? 

Response: VA is not aware of complaints regarding insufficient followup to VA’s 

National Rehabilitation Special Events. Each participant in our National Veterans 

Wheelchair Games receives a survey upon the completion of the event. Through this 

survey, participants have an opportunity to provide direct feedback which VA uses 

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sion of the rehabilitation that occurs daily at VA medical facilities. As such, Veteran 

patients are sent from their local VA medical centers to participate in these events. 

Upon their return home, followup continues at the local level as they resume recreation therapy through their local VA medical center programs. VA welcomes the opportunity to examine specific complaints from Veterans, and requests the Committee staff provide any available details of these complaints. 

Question 5: The 2005 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the VA 

and U.S. Olympic Committee requires both parties to collectively establish a mechanism for annual evaluation of the Paralympic sports program. Can you elaborate on 

what are the key elements of the evaluation and the results of any evaluations 

done? 

Response: VA’s 2005 MOU with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) specifies 

that both parties evaluate the effectiveness of a program to build upon the National 

Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and the National Veterans Wheelchair 

Games by expanding opportunities for disabled Veterans to participate in 

Paralympic sporting activities. As such, VA has collaborated with the USOC to introduce and evaluate Paralympic sporting events for participants at the National 

Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and the National Veterans Wheelchair 

Games. This evaluation is specific to these events and is based upon Veteran interest, attendance and satisfaction in specific Paralympic introductory events. The results of the evaluation are used to further enhance these opportunities. For example, at the Winter Sports Clinic, we originally introduced an elite training component as part of our MOU with the USOC. VA was pleased to see much interest 

among Veterans in this new event. However, through an ongoing evaluation in conjunction with USOC, we determined that only a few participants had serious potential. Many of those originally interested were 55 years and older and did not have 

the skill and level of commitment required for serious Paralympic contention. 

VA and USOC did, however, notice a great deal of interest in advanced training 

and education for Veterans and adaptive ski instructors. As a result VA implemented a program whereby Veterans can test ride new, higher-end equipment and 

be fitted by a VA adaptive-equipment expert. This is a tremendous new aspect to 

the Winter Sports Clinic as it allows Veterans to identify the proper model of adaptive equipment and have direct access to the VA purchasing official on site at the 

event. Based on the program evaluation, VA is providing personalized services to 

a greater number of Veterans while still providing high performance training experiences for those looking to take their training to the Paralympic level. 

VA also added curling, biathlon and alternate wheelchair fencing to the activities 

at the Clinic to introduce Veterans to these Paralympic sports. At the 2007 Wheelchair Games, VA established a ‘‘stand-up’’ track and field clinic for Veterans with 

amputations. An evaluation of this clinic led to the introduction of new and permanent Paralympic ‘‘stand-up’’ events in table tennis and archery at subsequent 

Wheelchair Games. 

f 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

Washington, DC. 

July 30, 2009 

Hon. Eric K. Shinseki 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

810 Vermont Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20420 

Dear Secretary Shinseki, 

In reference to our Committee hearing of July 29, 2009, I would appreciate your 

response to the question below for the record by close of business Wednesday, August 26, 2009. 

Public Law 110–389 requires that the Director of the Office of National Veterans 

Sports Programs and Special Events report to one of the following: the Secretary, 

the Deputy Secretary, or a person in VBA as determined by the Secretary. To whom 

will the Director report and when will that reorganization take place? 

It would be appreciated if you could provide your answers consecutively on letter 

size paper, single spaced. Please restate the question in its entirety before providing 

the answer. 

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Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

Sincerely, 

Steve Buyer 

Ranking Republican Member 

SB:dwc 

Questions for the Record 

Hon. Steve Buyer, Ranking Republican Member 

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

July 29, 2009 

Meeting the Needs of Injured Veterans in the Military Paralympic Program 

Question 1: Public Law 110–389 requires that the Director of the Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events report to one of the following: 

the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, or a person in VBA as determined by the Secretary. To whom will the Director Report and when will that reorganization take 

place. 

Response: The new Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special 

Events will be aligned under the Office of the Secretary and the Director shall report to the Secretary through the Chief of Staff. The decision to realign that office 

was made in late February and the reorganization will take place with the new fiscal year. 

Æ 

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