CS235158

Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell’s Story 

The Importance of Team Support on the Road 

to Recovery

T

hey train together. They fight together. So if wounded, why 

shouldn’t they go through recovery together? This was the 

question that Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell asked about his fellow 

marines being discharged from the hospital and left alone to 

recover from injuries of war.

“When you’re in the hospital, you are 

with other wounded warriors. But once 

you are out of the hospital, it’s tough,” 

explains Maxwell.

He should know. While on his sixth combat deployment, Maxwell 

sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) during a mortar 

attack in Iraq. When he awoke a month later at the Bethesda 

Naval Medical Center, doctors didn’t think he would survive. The 

shrapnel that penetrated his skull inflicted severe damage to his 

brain, impairing his vision and leaving him unable to talk or walk. 

Unfortunately, Maxwell is not alone. Each year, TBIs contribute 

to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent 

disability. For individuals hospitalized after a TBI, almost half 

(43%) have a related disability one year after the injury. In fact, 

a TBI may lead to a wide range of short- or long-term issues 

affecting: attention and memory; coordination and balance; 

hearing; vision; perception and touch. A TBI may also lead to 

personality changes; aggressive behavior; poor impulse control; 

and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. 

Maxwell recalls his own feelings of isolation, depression, 

and anger, even after being back home with family. During 

his recovery, one of his doctors suggested he talk with other 

wounded service members. So while still in a wheel chair with 

a large visible scar on the left side of his shaved head, Maxwell 

set off to visit other wounded soldiers in the hospital. He later 

counseled Marines convalescing back at his old unit at Camp 

LeJeune, where he saw first-hand the difficulties young service 

members with serious injuries faced, living alone without 

any support. 

Approximately 5.3 million 

Americans are living with a 

TBI-related disability, and 

the consequences of severe 

TBI can affect all aspects of 

an individual’s life. This can 

include relationships with 

family and friends, as well 

as the ability to work or be 

employed, do household 

tasks, drive, and/or 

participate in other 

activities of daily living.
Maxwell fully understood the critical need for ongoing 

support during recovery from a life-changing injury. So 

he began a new mission: to find a place where Marines 

could stay together on their journey to recovery. He convinced 

his leadership of the need to have housing that would allow 

injured marines and sailors to recuperate in a supportive 

environment. 

Almost one year after his devastating combat injury, Maxwell’s 

vision for a special home where service members could heal 

together was realized. Maxwell Hall, the first barracks for 

wounded warriors on the East Coast, was opened in 2005. The 

following year, the Marines opened a similar unit on the West 

Coast at Camp Pendleton. Maxwell’s accomplishments became 

a catalyst for reform of other wounded-warrior programs 

throughout the U.S. Department of Defense.

Now retired from the Marines, Maxwell serves as president of 

SemperMax Support Fund, where he continues his mission to 

prevent feelings of isolation and disenfranchisement among 

wounded service members. 

“My strength and mission in life is that I give people hope,” 

Maxwell said. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), National 

Center for Injury Prevention and Control salutes Maxwell for his 

service to the nation, his drive to help other wounded warriors 

while overcoming his own challenges of living with a TBI, and his 

success in helping others realize the importance of continuous 

support during the entire recovery process.

To learn more about CDC’s efforts to meet the challenge of 

severe TBI, go to: www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury

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