Wounded Warriors Explore the Wild, Wild, West

BENSON, Ariz., June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Outside of combat, he had never seen a cave before. "I shot into plenty and blew some up, but before this event, I had never actually gone on a cave exploration," says U.S. Army veteran Jose Holguin.

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) hosted the event for veterans, their caregivers, and family members at Kartchner Caverns, near Benson, Arizona.

The tour started with a look at some artifacts, followed by a short movie on the history of Kartchner Caverns. Then, the group took a trolley ride to the actual cave where darkness and humidity prevail. "We were disappointed we didn't get to see bats," says Jose, "but we did get to see the amazing Kubla Khan, which is the tallest and most massive column in Arizona."

Descending into the depths of the limestone cave and learning about the delicate formations was fascinating, but Jose says bonding with fellow warriors really made the whole experience. "I ran into people I had seen at other WWP events. It was really nice connecting with them."

It was an afternoon of discovery and excitement underground, unlike when Jose set off grenades in the caves of Afghanistan. While patrolling the Afghanistan and Pakistan border to prevent Taliban from crossing between the two countries, he was injured on two different occasions. He took a bullet fragment in his hip, shrapnel in his leg, and he suffers from a traumatic brain injury.

While he will never forget that time in his life, Jose welcomes the good memories he made during his time at Kartchner Caverns and hopes to attend future WWP events on his road to recovery. WWP offers all programs and activities free of charge to warriors, families, and caregivers. To learn more, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/alumni.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160607/376449

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project