It is difficult for me to put my thoughts into words (which is so unlike me) from our Airline Ambassador mission to visit the wounded soldiers at Landstuhl, Germany again - this time from 24 to 31Jan. We were unable to visit the wounded in the hospital wards, but are hoping to be able to get approval for that at some point in the future. However, just as important as any visit to a troop (which I was told can describe one person, or many) in the hospital .. is to spend quality time with those who are at the USO "Wounded Warrior" center. This is where we made dinner for anywhere from 50 to 80 troops the night we served Mexican food. It was so wonderful to have all the Valentine's messages from complete strangers to hand out and I really want to extend my gratitude to those who took the time to write and send them to me. As you can see from the photo, there were plenty of Valentine's goodies to share.
There were many stories shared, each as vitally important as the other. Please keep in mind that Landstuhl is the place the troops go from the battlefield. From there, they either go back "down range" or to the States for further treatment. Often they are only at Landstuhl for a maximum of 2 weeks. This means it is a place of transition ... Some of the guys and gals we spoke with did not feel their injuries (whether mental or physical) were that "bad". To have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of your experiences can be so hard.
The volunteers who were with me on this trip, are new to Airline Ambassadors. Amy and Debra were phenomenal in the way they interacted with the troops, and you would have thought they had been doing this for years. There really is so much more I could say about the trip .. but just know that I am thankful I was able to "show up" and make a difference for our wounded soldiers and from learning more and more what they sacrifice .. and how much they have to cope with upon their return.
Robin
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