Maj. ensures wounded vets always have friend - Army Spouse and Family Resources - Army Times

Maj. ensures wounded vets always have friend

Army Maj. Mike Erwin likes to see Iraq and Afghanistan veterans get treated to expensive trips and free sporting events, but he’d rather make sure they’re not forgotten when the donations and fanfare fade away.

That’s why Erwin founded Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit that helps wounded war vets form lasting friendships with specially screened volunteers from their communities.

“We know one of the biggest enemies for wounded warriors is isolation,” Erwin said. “The research clearly shows us you can do everything online now — shop, interact with people … without ever leaving your apartment.”

The group recruits people age 22 to 45 interested in forming relationships with wounded veterans to ensure they don’t end up the way many Vietnam-era veterans did — as lost souls on the fringes of society, Erwin said.

The group, with chapters in Ann Arbor, Mich., Washington, D.C., and Houston, works with Veterans Affairs Department hospitals to identify wounded veterans open to linking up with a volunteer. Team RWB then looks for a counterpart with similar interests, Erwin said. “Otherwise it goes like a contrived relationship and really doesn’t work.”

The organization also has a team of athletes, mostly runners, who wear Team RWB T-shirts at races and raise money for the cause.

“The money goes to fund any activities that go to strengthen the relationship — paying for dinner or tickets to a Detroit Pistons game,” Erwin said. “We did not want people to sit on the sidelines because they don’t have the money to do these kinds of things.”

Got to www.teamrwb.com to find out how to participate.