Tinker’s recovery care coordinator soon to receive help Published Aug. 13, 2010 By John Stuart Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- What started as a good thing for ill, injured or wounded Airmen at Tinker just got even better. While it's impossible to put a number on what the upstart Air Force Wounded Warrior Program brings to Airmen, several new recovery care coordinators are going to try. In August, 15 new RCCs began work for the Air Force, bolstering the cadre of 17 existing ones. With RCCs now on duty in Texas and Arkansas, it will mean John Wood, the RCC working in the 72nd Air Base Wing, will have more time to focus on Airmen needing assistance in the local area. Where he previously oversaw six bases, he'll now cover four, furthering the program's goal to help medically separated Airmen who are ill, injured or wounded as the recovery from their injuries. At its core, the Recovery Care program seeks to provide non-medical assistance to Airmen as they focus on recovering from their injuries. It's a path of procedural complexities, where there are often many benefits for Airmen, but few people to explain the process. "The major difference between the assistance the RCC program provides versus the Wounded Warrior program is I can provide assistance to all Airmen as they recover from an illness or injury, whereas, the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program focuses on our Airmen who have combat injuries," Mr. Wood said. "The additional RCCs means I'll have a lot more time to focus on the Airmen in the local area," Mr. Wood explained, indicating he'll be on the road much less frequently. "The message is our Air Force is committed to ensuring that our Airmen are setup for success." Since implementing the Air Force Wounded Warrior Employment program at Tinker, a number of Airmen have taken advantage of the program, and to date, two Airmen have been placed in civil service jobs on base. Benjamin Pruitt was hired on at the 72nd Medical Group in May, after being medically discharged from the Air Force in November 2009. "I'm really happy to get back to the work place and get back on my feet," Mr. Pruitt said. "I want to be around the Air Force and help out and still contribute even if I can't be part of the uniformed service." "I want each one of them to look back at the time they served in the Air Force and say 'this was a very small time in my life yet it really set me up for success,'" Mr. Wood said. "I want them to look back and say I'm okay because there was a great team at Tinker that helped me with that transition phase of my life.'" For more information about the Wounded Warrior Program, call Mr. Wood at 736-2389.