Americas Heroes at Work Success Story

When Thomas Green's vehicle was bombed in Iraq in April 2004, they didn't think he was going to make it. The truck rolled over 10 times and he was eventually thrown out of it. He suffered major back, pelvis and knee injuries and many times he thought he was drawing his last breath. Green was eventually stabilized, airlifted to Germany and later brought to Walter Reed Medical Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Upon his arrival, Green underwent several surgeries and other treatments and began his healing process. One day a doctor assessed him by asking him a series of questions and to perform some basic tasks. He asked if Green could put his shirt on, but he couldn't remember how. The same thing happened when he was asked to use his toothbrush. While brain injury and combat stress were not mentioned, he realized then that he would have to relearn basic life skills and that he was in for a long recovery. (This was May 2004 when the concepts of brain injuries and PTSD were not as widely diagnosed by the military medical community as they are today.)

After 13 months at Walter Reed, Green was released for outpatient treatment and physical therapy. He made great progress: he got out of his wheelchair, moved into an apartment and started to think about his future.

When his Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialist (DVOP) brought up the idea of employment, Green didn't know where to begin. He was unfamiliar with resume preparation, so he attempted to research it and ask others for help. Eventually, he assembled his experience into a resume and submitted it to his DVOP at Walter Reed. And when a position at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) became available shortly thereafter, Green expressed his interest and followed up. A representative from DOL's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) came to interview him at Walter Reed and hired him into his first civilian job.

Green was brought in as an intern - the first Veteran intern at DOL from the Iraq War - to work on VETS' REALifelines program. Green says working in this position made him feel like he "was part of society again" - and it proved to be a gateway to other career opportunities.

In June 2005, Green went to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in St. Petersburg, Florida as a readjustment counseling technician educating Veterans and reservists on programs available through the VA. He enjoyed helping Veterans each day and providing words of encouragement to people struggling with many of the same issues Green himself had.
While Thomas felt he was recovering and was proud of his progress, he still struggled with significant sleep problems, bad dreams and traumatic memories of what he had experienced in Iraq. He felt guilty enjoying simple luxuries like showering and eating good food knowing that some of his fellow Service Members could not or had not even survived. Suspecting symptoms of combat stress, he was given a PTSD screening and was found to have the condition.

Continuing to work in his VA position, Green started group therapy and other treatments for PTSD. He tried to learn as much as he could about the condition and was determined to live with it, recover and continue his progress. In addition, he decided to go back to school in 2006 to pursue an associates degree.

By 2007, Green felt burned out. He had terrible headaches all the time. His knees and other injuries bothered him tremendously. He had bouts of sensitivity to light and dizziness. He struggled with memory lapses and got into fights at work when people brought up conversations that he couldn't remember. While on a Veterans group ski trip, he passed out and was taken to the hospital. It was then that doctors suspected he might have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In addition, after returning home and back to work, Green worked a Veterans job fair and was stationed next to the exhibit booth of a medical center that performed TBI screenings. The people at the booth believed that he did, indeed, have a TBI.

Green sought treatment at the Haley Medical Center in St. Petersburg where he worked with a neurologist and underwent speech therapy and further physical rehabilitation. He also underwent knee surgery. It was also during this period that Green was awarded the Purple Heart for his combat injuries.

After earning his associates degree in 2007, Green was motivated to keep going in his career. Moved to help other Vets who were in similar circumstances, he took a VA position that allowed him to work remotely from Fayetteville, North Carolina - a job as a Veterans employment coordinator covering VA region 7, which includes several states.

Although he feels he's made tremendous progress in his recovery, Green says he still has his ups and downs. He has painful knee swelling, and the daily stresses of life can take their toll. What's more, hearing stories of other Veterans' negative experiences brings him down. But, as Thomas says, "We Veterans have a hard time backing down from a challenge." He is grateful for the career opportunities he's had. Work has played a significant role in his recovery.

Several workplace accommodations have helped Green be so successful on the job. He uses a PDA to help him remember appointments and mitigate memory lapses. He has been afforded flexibility in his schedule for medical appointments and personal time. And he uses a special chair for back pain. While in St. Petersburg, Green occasionally would close his office door to relax and maintain productivity.

Green has some words of advice for his fellow Veterans who may be struggling in their transition to civilian life: "You've just got to keep going. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You deserve success. It is not going to be easy, but if you keep going, you can get everything you want out of life. You don't have a disability, you have an ability. And your ability is to achieve greatness."

Thomas has authored a book about his injuries and recovery entitled, Sometimes We Fall as Boys and Rise as Men - The Healing of a Purple Heart Army Veteran.