Wounded Warrior Project Celebrates Peer Leader of the Year

Peer Leader Recognized for More Than a Decade of Volunteering

ATLANTA (May 19, 2025) -- Patrick Harmon knew he wanted to give back when he retired from the Army. He found that opportunity with Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) more than 10 years ago when he became a peer leader in the organization and began helping bring fellow veterans together.

“I wanted others to experience the same impact that Wounded Warrior Project had on me,” Patrick said. “There are veterans who have gone through much more than I have. I knew this was my opportunity to help others benefit from the programs and services provided by the organization.”

WWP™ named Patrick the organization’s 2025 Rusty Baggett Peer Leader of the Year in recognition of his commitment to serving other warriors. Patrick, who was trained to be a peer leader by the award’s namesake, brings veterans together every month to volunteer at a local food bank and also regularly hosts fishing or hunting events to help veterans connect with fellow warriors.

The annual recognition honors a volunteer peer leader who goes above and beyond what is asked of them. The award is named after Army veteran Rusty Baggett who volunteered as one of WWP’s first peer leaders and later became a WWP teammate before his passing in 2020. WWP selects four regional winners of the award, with one named as the national recipient.

This year’s winners are:

Northeast: Matthew Templeton
Southeast: Patrick Harmon*
Central: Fabian Hernandez
West: Khampheng “Pheng” Scott

WWP has more than 100 peer support groups across the nation. Peer leaders are trained to host monthly gatherings to strengthen the bonds between warriors and empower them to help others.

“It’s a lot like the Wounded Warrior Project logo, carry a soldier now so they can carry someone else later,” Patrick said.

*National winner

Contact: Rob Louis, Public Relations, rlouis@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.627.0432

About Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project is our nation’s leading veteran services organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill, or injured veterans. 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.