Fellows in Their Own Words: Helping other Veterans to Continue to Serve
by Joe Kashnow, Mission Continues Fellow

When I was wounded in September 2003 I thought my ability to continue to serve my country and my fellow soldiers was gone. I enlisted in the army because of my desire to be part of something bigger than just myself. With my injury and subsequent therapy and surgeries I thought those days were over. The Center for Citizen Leadership has given me the opportunity to continue to serve my fellow soldiers. My fellowship allows me to recruit other soldiers for the Center for Citizen Leadership and The Mission Continues to serve the community in their own way. I have been working with homeless shelters and soup kitchens, humane societies, and military support groups to build fellowship opportunities for other wounded service members to be able to serve.

The Army core belief system is centered on the concept of never leaving a fallen soldier behind. This concept is as important in my life today as it was when I served in a unit in Iraq. The Mission Continues has also helped me to create a program with Therapeutic Adventure, an organization that works with wounded troops arranging trips to help them return to the active lifestyle that they want to lead.

The chance to serve with other soldiers at Walter Reed and to help them establish their own fellowships is an amazing opportunity. I see men and women who are wounded in horribly tragic ways and I’ve not yet found one who has let his injury defeat him. I’ve seen triple amputees sprint in front of the main hospital, I’ve seen upper arm amputees doing push ups and I’ve seen soldiers who have lost their eye sight walk again. I’ve even seen a soldier who lost both legs run for public office. It is truly an honor to be able to help these heroes find other chances to continue to serve within their community as their time in the military draws to a close. It continues to amaze me that these men and women who have sacrificed so much for their country and who could if they wanted to, simply stay home and collect a check for the rest of their lives are still willing to serve in various capacities. Whether they work as part of a full time fellowship or only give a few hours a month everyone I have a the chance to work with is an incredible inspiration.

For me, when I thought that I would no longer be able to serve I was truly worried about my future. The work I’ve been able to do for this fellowship has proven to be just as helpful for me as it has for the soldiers I’ve been working to help. I am honestly humbled to be in a position to help find these truly awesome people new ways for them to continue on with serving our country and I can’t express enough of my gratitude for the chance to continue to serve both my fellow soldiers and my country as a veterans outreach coordinator.