Injured Service Members Count on Overseas Support from Wounded Warrior Project’s Germany Team

Marine Corps veteran Tim Horton doesn’t remember much about the stop he made at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany – the U.S. military’s largest hospital in Europe. Tim moved through the center following a medical evacuation from Iraq. Although the seriousness of his wounds made the details unclear, he does know the staff there helped stabilize him and safely transport him stateside.

“It takes a very specific person to be able to understand the needs of injured service members and understand what the families are going through,” Tim said. “Service members are in wonderful hands with the team there.”

LRMC serves active-duty U.S. troops, coalition forces, and Department of State personnel throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

For many service members, time at the hospital marks a shift from the immediate demands of deployment to recovery. In that space, questions may begin to take shape. Wounded Warrior Project® supports service members and their families by providing guidance, resources, and services that help them navigate the road ahead.

This work is grounded in a promise WWP® has upheld since its founding: to be there for service members, veterans, and their families. It is a promise that holds significance as the needs of those who serve continue to evolve.

Having a small and efficient presence at LRMC enhances WWP’s mission of meeting warriors where they’re at — whether that’s a hospital bedside or the WWP office located on-site at  LRMC, where walk-ins are welcome.

“The Wounded Warrior Project team in Germany is often the first touch point with the warrior,” said Jennifer Silva, chief program officer at WWP, and a veteran. “They work to provide a seamless transition to either providers in medical facilities across the ocean, or WWP teammates stateside who will continue to walk hand in hand with the warrior and their family members on their healing journey.”

A Small and Mighty Team

WWP’s team in Landstuhl is made up of four staff members who connect weekly with about 20 warriors on average. They provide steady, reassuring support to warriors medically evacuated from deployed locations, regardless of the cause of injury or illness. WWP serves combat-injured service members as well as those affected by other medical conditions.

“We assist warriors with all different types of wounds, illnesses, and injuries,” said Kristy Hogan, WWP international regional director in Landstuhl, Germany. “Some might come here because of training accidents, mental health issues, military sexual trauma, or medical conditions that developed while deployed.”

As service members move through care, the WWP team helps ensure they are not navigating it alone. Staff provide information about WWP programs and resources, help service members begin the registration process, and take time to listen to their needs.

 Many service members also arrive at Landstuhl with few personal belongings. Every warrior WWP meets receives a gear bag containing clothing and comfort items. Providing gear to warriors has been a distinctive gift from WWP since the organization’s founding. The WWP gear bag includes a blanket, pillow, jacket, T-shirt, and sweatpants. Hygiene items are available, along with socks and undergarments. It also supplies information on how to reach out to WWP for services once they return home.

Injured or ill warriors don’t typically spend too much time at Landstuhl. Most of them expect to either be treated and returned to duty or transferred to the U.S. In the meantime, they stay in an area designated as a medical transient detachment (MTD).

WWP staff look after warriors who stay in the “MTD barracks” and make every effort to ease them into recovery.

Family Support and Filling the Gap

When a service member must remain at Landstuhl longer than expected, it’s often because they are not yet stable enough to fly. For families traveling to LRMC on short notice, that reality can bring a cascade of challenges, including finding lodging, navigating an unfamiliar medical system, and coping with the uncertainty of when their loved one will be able to return home.  

“Our job is to fill in the gaps,” Kristy said. “We work side by side with the military, waiting in the wings. We step in so families can focus on being bedside with their service member.”

WWP assists with lodging when Fisher House accommodations are unavailable, provides groceries, clothing, transportation assistance, and emotional support.

“Sometimes it’s just showing up with a hot cup of coffee or dinner that isn’t from the cafeteria,” Kristy said. “We do daily check‑ins with the service member and their family and ask, ‘What do you need today?’”

WWP remains by warriors’ side well beyond the initial injury, offering lifelong access to recovery resources, peer support, and connections that help warriors and families thrive for a lifetime.  

'No Matter the Outcome, WWP is Here to Help'

For many warriors, Landstuhl is their first stop away from their unit and, in some cases, the only place where a trusted support connection is made early.

“We build the relationship, establish trust, and then do a warm handoff with our teammates at Walter Reed, BAMC, or wherever they’re going,” Kristy said. “That team already knows their needs before they even land.”

That early connection can play a critical role in ensuring a smooth transition to care in the United States.

“As a transitioning service member, you may be wondering what is next, and how to get back to your military career,” said Dan Schnock, WWP senior community and engagement liaison, and a veteran. “An injured service member is likely to feel bad about leaving their unit and be thinking about how to get back to it.”

WWP staff recognize this transition may be difficult and want warriors to know that no matter the outcome, WWP is here to help.

Delivering Support at Landstuhl

WWP delivers support at Landstuhl by working alongside partners, care providers, and the surrounding military community to strengthen the network of care service members rely on every day.

Through a partnership with the American Red Cross, WWP supports professional care providers at LRMC by providing staff resiliency events and collaboration on special missions.

Because of well-established relationships, WWP staff also support mental health programs, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) clinic, a PTSD clinic, and substance-use programs based in Landstuhl.

Outside of the hospital environment, a large community of service members and civil service personnel reside in the Landstuhl area. WWP hosts in-person and virtual events for these local warriors and their families. This helps establish a network of support for servicemen and women living abroad.

“We’ve been here at Landstuhl since 2009 — and we’ve never left,” Kristy said. “Whether it’s peacetime or conflict, front‑page news or not, we will continue to be here for every service member who comes through these doors.”

Learn more about how WWP supports warriors and their families for a lifetime.

About Wounded Warrior Project
 Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is the nation's leading veterans service organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.