FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
Fourteen plus years in the Army as Special Forces in the 1st Battalion, Sgt. 1st Class Miles Kihara had a plan. Moving wasn’t a problem, and the world was his oyster. “My family is from California, but I've lived in many different places. I came into the Army to do Special Forces. I planned to do 20 years, but stuff happens.”
Like most Soldiers who have that plan, the unexpected change in health can throw a big wrench in it. “I was stationed in Okinawa for the last several years, and I had some medical issues. I returned to the States in March and came to the Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU).
Having been in the Army a while, just by chance, Kihara says he knew a little about where he came to start the recovery process. “I heard about the Warrior Transition Battalion back in the day but didn’t know much about it. I had a friend who had been in the program, so I heard some of his journey. I didn’t know a whole lot about it.”
He quickly learned that he made the right decision to come to the SRU. “You don’t have a separate job when you come here. Your job is to get better; someone is here to answer your questions all in one place instead of trying to navigate the system otherwise, which I think would be a nightmare. For me, this has been a really good process.”
Kihara embraced the opportunities at the SRU to help him heal. He says getting involved as much as possible is part of the process. “I’m doing physical therapy, some adaptive reconditioning things like yoga, and the hikes. There’s archery, swimming, and lots of activities,” said Kihara
We caught up with Kihara at a job fair at the JBLM SRU in July, where he revealed the mapping of a new plan he is putting into place at the SRU. “I am in the med board process. I just got my narrative summary, so if everything goes smoothly, I should retire in the next 4- 5 months. Now it's just a matter of figuring out what opportunities exist.”
For Kihara, visits to Career Education and Readiness (CER) events are a big win. “These job fairs and internships are always available and held at least once a month. Definitely worth your time; you will find something,” he said, revealing this was a return visit to speak with the Defense Contract Management Agency about a future career.
As a firm believer in what the Army Recovery Care Program offers soldiers, Kihara says soldiers can easily verify what he is saying. “Do a Google search and see what the organization is and how it helps. They help Soldiers return to duty; if some don’t, they can still help you. Trying to do a med-board when you have your full-time job in the Army is pretty hard. But if you are going through it in the SRU, they will help you no matter your goals.”