Unbreakable Bond: How Injury Didn’t Stop a Brother’s Love

TAMPA, Fla. (April 10, 2021) — Words of encouragement come easily for Cody Truman. The 26-year-old has spent more than a decade helping coax his older brother to take one more step or try responding to one more question.

Cody’s brother, Andrew Larocca, sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2010. The injury left Andrew paralyzed on the left side of his body and unable to speak. When Andrew was first injured, Cody, then 15, had questions.

Wounded Warrior Project Supports Introduction of Toxic Exposure Legislation

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2021 -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) applauds the recent introduction of S.927 and H.R.2127 Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis and Maggie Hassan, and Representative Mike Bost.

For nearly two decades, post-9/11 veterans have been exposed to contaminants such as burn pits, toxic fragments, radiation, and other hazardous materials on deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Now, many of them are experiencing severe, rare, and early-onset health conditions.  Since these illnesses often do not manifest until years after discharge, many veterans struggle to obtain health care and benefits from the Department of Affairs (VA) in connection with these conditions.

Wounded Warrior Project Enlists Expert Partnership for Veteran Brain Research

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 24, 2021 -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is addressing potential long-term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) through a collaboration with the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF).

The collaboration will power CLF's Project Enlist, an effort to increase the number of veteran brains donated for research on TBI, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Posthumous research at the Veterans Affairs-Boston University-CLF Brain Bank and other leading brain banks, can lead to crucial discoveries about CTE and other consequences of TBI's -- leading to diagnosis during life, treatment, and better outcomes.

Wounded Warrior Project Testifies Before Congress in Support of Women Veterans

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2021 -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Chief Program Officer Jennifer Silva testified yesterday before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Health, sharing WWP's longstanding support of women warriors and its recommendations to Congress on how to better serve women veterans. Silva's testimony comes a week after the release of WWP's Women Warriors Initiative report, which represents a year of research into the experiences, challenges, and livelihoods of the women veterans WWP serves.

Wounded Warrior Project Research Uncovers Women Veterans' Needs

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2021 -- New research from Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) shows that women veterans face additional challenges to their male counterparts in transitioning to civilian life, accessing care, and receiving quality care that meets their needs. In addition, they are more likely to feel isolated in the veteran community, a factor that often exacerbates mental health challenges like anxiety. WWP shared the findings from its Women Warriors Initiative survey during a discussion with Brookings Institution Senior Fellow, Dr. Michael O'Hanlon. WWP Chief Program Officer Jennifer Silva and Vice President of Connection and Wellness Tracy Farrell explained the research and how it is guiding WWP's legislative and programmatic efforts.

Chairwoman of the Congressional Women Veteran Task Force – Representative Julia Brownley of California's 26th Congressional District – also joined O'Hanlon to share her legislative priorities as she leads advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.