Injured Veterans Tour Giant Radio Telescopes with Wounded Warrior Project

MAGDALENA, N.M., April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded warriors and their guests toured the Very Large Array, a collection of astronomical radio observatories, with Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP). Warriors and guests connected as they got a behind-the-scenes look and learned more about the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's massive radio-antenna telescope system.

"It was great to be able to take my daughter to see this impressive technology," said National Guard veteran Frank Montoya. "The scientists were very informative and open to our group's questions."

The antennas are on the Plains of San Agustin, and each dome-shaped antenna is 82 feet in diameter. The data from each antenna combines to provide scientists with incredibly clear images of space.

"We definitely got some exercise as we walked the massive site," Frank said, "and we climbed a very tall staircase into the operation center of one antenna." The observatory staff showed the tour group how the antenna moves, operates, and how the gathered data is used.

WWP program gatherings offer settings that provide opportunities for injured veterans to form bonds with one another and their communities. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.6 percent) expressed they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues, and 30.3 percent indicated physical activity helps.

"After the tour, my daughter and I enjoyed socializing during dinner with each other and the other warriors," Frank said. "She loved talking about our amazing day together."

WWP also serves warriors by focusing on mental and physical health and wellness, financial wellness, independence, government relations, and community relations and partnerships. Generous donors make it possible for wounded warriors to take part in connection activities and benefit from program resources at no cost to them.

To learn and see more about how WWP's programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit our multimedia page.