FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
Nobody wants to be in a Soldier Recovery Unit. If a Soldier is assigned to one, it's because a wound, illness, or injury is taking them out of the game, either temporarily or perhaps permanently.
Finding someone like Recovery Care Coordinator Kenneth Tate is about as good a medicine as you can get. If you're a Soldier in recovery trying to get back to your Army job or if you are looking ahead to getting a job after the Army, he knows firsthand what the Army Recovery Care Program has to offer.
“I did 24 years in the military and am medically retired myself. I came through back when it was the WTU here at Fort Carson. My job was to come to the WTU to help s
Soldiers. While doing that, I came down with Sarcoidosis, where I was numb from the neck down. That threw me into the med board and going through the process, so instead of being a leader there, I was now a client of the SRU,” said the retired Army Platoon Sergeant.
“In experiencing that, I saw all the issues Soldiers had. After I retired, I came back and was hired, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Tate, who’s been an RCC at Fort Carson for thirteen years now.
Finding the RCC at any Soldier Recovery Unit is one of the first things a Soldier should do if assigned to one. Like Tate, they will share the endless opportunities for Soldiers in recovery. “There is so much for them. When they come to the SRU, we help them return to duty or prepare them for getting out. There are internships offered, free schooling, and certifications for things like IT, for example. The possibilities are endless!”
Tate shares with Soldiers that taking advantage of the opportunities waiting at the SRU will make them more than fine. “The last thing I want is somebody to leave the SRU and say they live under a bridge. I want Soldiers to know there are opportunities, but you have to apply yourself.”
Having walked the same walk is part of Tate’s story, which he shares with new Soldiers at the Fort Carson SRU. “I tell them, `Back in 2012, I was sitting in the very seat you are sitting in, and I was afraid, but there are so many opportunities and great things that are out there, and you are already above your peers that are not in the military because you are in the military. People who are hiring are looking for that military service because you are disciplined and have all kinds of training that comes with it."
Getting Soldiers out of their rooms at the SRU and into activities or educational opportunities is crucial. “ As much as we offer- if you just take advantage- I want to say take this, grab it, and go with it.”
The majority take advantage, and Tate proudly beams, sharing their success. “We had a Soldier who took advantage of every free IT certification, and now he’s got a great job making a lot of money and even passed up a job at Space Force. The possibilities are endless, so go grab them!”
Soldiers should think of their RCC as their new best friend no matter their situation at the SRU, and Tate makes no bones about his commitment to every Soldier. “I’m going to help you either way if you are returning to duty or med boarding. Come see me. And I mean anything that comes across our desk. We are all in.”