Deer hunt helps wounded warriors heal

— Several members of the wounded warriors group were sitting around a campfire Friday just before noon warming up after an early morning deer hunt near Millwood Lake.

The warriors had been taken to the Beard’s Bluff Overlook for an outdoor lunch on the east side of the lake.

The overlook provided an uncluttered view of the serene water. But the somber mood was disrupted by laughter. It was a good day to eat chili. The weather was chilly and cloudy. One pot of chili was supposed to be mild. The other pot of homemade chili had a little extra spice. Both pots helped to clear the sinuses, causing the laughter.

The laughter continued when the warriors started arguing about predictions for the Georgia and Alabama football game. The serenity of the lake and the laughter were helping the wounded warriors emotionally heal.

That’s one of the goals of the program.

Army Corps of Engineers and Millwood Lake Focus Committee sponsored the wounded warriors as part of the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Sill, Okla.

The unit provides healing and rehabilitation for soldiers and returns them to duty whenpossible or prepares them for a successful life as a veteran in their community, according to the mission statement.

The soldiers participating in the deer hunt were Hassan Jones, Steve Webb, David Cope, Brandon Drain, Sheri Kellner, Regina Leatherman and Troy Gross.

The deer hunt was scheduled to end Sunday.

Kellner, a squad leader for the transition unit, has served in the Army for 11 1/2 years.

Since 2004, she has served three deployments in Iraq and one deployment in Kuwait. She was assigned to a forward operating base in Kirkir, Iraq.

She has post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I kept going and going, and one day I reached a breaking point. I didn’t think I could hit a breaking point,” Kellner said.

“One of the things you find out when you have post-traumatic stress, they treat you differently, like an outsider. That brings up the stress,” she said.

Her problem was self-mutilation. “I couldn’t take the stress anymore,” she said.

“I put myself in the hospital. They had taken away my weapons and knives. I found a pair of scissors and cut my left arm with the scissors. The last time I did that was July 7, 2008. I don’t intend to do it again. I tell my therapist I can’t beat it, but I can control it,” Kellner said.

Leatherman, also a transition unit soldier, has served in the Army for 22 years, including three tours in Korea and one in Australia. She has physical problems with her back and has undergone two surgeries that left her with a numb left leg and pinched nerve.

Leatherman wants to return to active duty and eventually retire from the Army.

She participates in the Warrior Transition Unit for the camaraderie.

“You learn you’re not the only person out there who has problems. You don’t have to face the problem by yourself. You have a close bonding with other soldiers,” Leatherman said.

Kellner agreed about the camaraderie. But she also likes the deer hunt for the “serenity.”

“I like the quiet and looking at birds and squirrels. I like listening to the trees when the wind blows through. To me, it reminds me there are places out there that are peaceful and calm,” Kellner said.

Drain, a member of the Oklahoma Army Reserves, was hurt in his hips and back when he fell into a creek and hit a mine roller attached to the front of his truck.

The mine roller helps to detect hidden mines in roads.

The truck was stuck in mud, and he was checking the problem when he fell into a creek.

“I hit the mine roller and it bent me backwards. I have three bulging discs and my hips are messed up because of that. My leg bones don’t fit my hip sockets anymore,” Drain said.

The military insurance won’t pay for an experimental surgery for his back and he has to undergo additional physical therapy.

In another incident, he was knocked unconscious when a 1,000-pound bomb hit a chow hall.

The wounded warrior program helps his attitude.

“You have to develop an attitude to not feel sorry for yourself and try to make your life better,” Drain said.

He is a single dad with four daughters - ages 14, 10, 8 and 6.

Drain plans to take a medical retirement from the Army. He is a mechanic and intends to attend Fort Scott Community College and the Harley-Davidson mechanic school.

Drain recalls memories of deer hunting with his late grandfather, Walker Young.

“The deer hunt is therapeutic. I used to hunt with my grandfather, and I never killed a deer while hunting with him. He passed away about 12 years ago. It’s a little weird not having my grandfather with me. He was an avid hunter. He would be kicking me in the rear to deer hunt,” Drain said.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 12 on 12/04/2012

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