This is a great story about a wounded contractor giving back and helping out our wounded veterans. If you would like to contact Ron, just follow the TBI link below. On his profile page, you can also see pictures of him in the hospital and with his Mamba team in Iraq.
The other thought that came to my mind, is the treatment of wounded contractors versus wounded soldiers. The amount of resources available to the wounded soldier far surpasses the resources available to a wounded contractor. What I mean by that, is family support networks and support from a soldier’s command is a given, and with the companies, it isn’t. Some companies do a good job at supporting their guys, where others fall short. That is the down side with contracting, and just expect that if you get wounded, that you will need all the help you can get from some kind of support network you can form. That is why guys like Ron are so inspirational.
You also need someone who knows how to navigate insurance and medical claims, while you are injured. When I was injured with the smokejumpers, I was assigned a nurse/advocate who did exactly that. She knew how to navigate OWCP and was there to insure I didn’t get screwed over while I was mentally ‘out of it’. Because when you are seriously injured, and especially if you have a TBI, a nurse who can help you make sound decisions about your health will be vital. If there is nothing but pain on your mind, or you can’t concentrate, a lot of stuff can get messed up unless you have someone who can watch your back. An advocate is necessary even if you don’t have TBI, just because some of the processes for getting care can be confusing at times.
Even your family life needs a support mechanism, because when you are at that level, you are in no shape to be the guy that can watch out for your family. TAPS , Special Operations Warrior Foundation or Wounded Warrior Project are networks to get a hold of, that can help contractors. Lining up some trusted friends or family to help out is another. Planning and being prepared is key, and you cannot expect the company to do this for you.
Another idea is talk it up on your contracts about what the company did for injured contractors in the past, and formulate a plan from that information. Hell, some companies like in the case with Xe, have continued to employ their wounded contractors. That is awesome and those are the little things that make a world of difference in the life of a wounded warrior, so bravo to Xe and bravo to Ron Grigsby.-Matt
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Idaho man, wounded in Iraq, works to help others
April 26, 2010
By BILL BULEY
Ron Grigsby didn’t know the man who bought him and his wife and sister drinks the night after an awards ceremony in which he was honored.
But when he went to thank him for the Coke, the man looked Grigsby in the eye and squeezed his hand.
“Bulldog, I was there that day. I watched you die,” he said.
The ever-tough Grigsby stopped, stood and stared. Then a big smile broke out and he gave the man a hug.
“He thought he’d never see me again,” Grigsby says.
The 48-year-old Hayden man did die that day in Iraq. Four times. Each time, they brought him back.
“I went down for the count that day. They had to keep jump-starting me,” he says with a little laugh. “That’s what I call it.”
Grigsby was nearly killed March 21, 2007, while working as an independent contractor for Blackwater in the Middle East. He was part of a convoy, assigned to protect a convoy, when it was hit by enemy fire. The blast threw him more than 40 feet. His helmet was caved in an inch and a half. He suffered multiple injuries that included a broken neck and a traumatic brain injury.