Gary Boggs knew what he was signing up for when he joined the Army. What he didn't anticipate were the invisible wounds that he would suffer when his Humvee rolled over a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2003. As a result, Boggs suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), loss of his left eye, damage to nerves in both arms and his hearing, and shrapnel wounds to his left side.

It was only after a lengthy recovery, medical retirement from the Army, and a succession of jobs, that Boggs was actually diagnosed with a mild case of TBI. Prior to hearing his diagnosis, he thought he was merely having difficulty transitioning back into civilian life. His job at Home Depot didn't come close to Boggs's level of responsibility in the military. In Iraq, he had managed 20 interpreters and worked in a mission-critical combat environment.

Boggs credits the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes - an organization that helps wounded soldiers adjust to living back home - as playing a major role in his successful transition to civilian life. The Coalition's annual "Road to Recovery and Tribute" conference brings private, public and government sectors together to address the needs of wounded service members, their families and caregivers. The all-expense-paid five-day event provides conference attendees with one trusted and vital source of information regarding benefits, services, counseling, insurance, health care, financial support, career counseling and employment opportunities.

At the Coalition's 2006 conference, Boggs met Duane Hardesty, an employee at Northrop Grumman, who recruited Boggs to work for the defense company through its Operation IMPACT program, a transition program for severely injured service members.

Today, Boggs is a national spokesperson for the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. He says the program is a great support and notes that if he hadn't talked to a fellow soldier at one of the Coalition's conferences about his forgetfulness, he would still think he was dealing merely with transition adjustment.

Initially Boggs viewed his TBI as a stigma but, through his training with the Coalition, he now understands that this type of invisible injury is both common and treatable. Boggs's TBI is mild, and he takes medication to help him concentrate.

Boggs has thrown himself into his work at Northrop Grumman where he is a Quality Assurance Engineer for the Mine Countermeasures Integrated Product Team in Melbourne, Fla. He also works as an Operation IMPACT Champion, which allows him to help other wounded service members find the right resources to make a successful transition into the workplace.

Boggs speaks highly of Duane Hardesty who, as one of Operation IMPACT's Champions, lends a world of support to the veterans he meets and recruits to work at Northrop Grumman. The company takes a customized employment approach in the workplace, utilizing strategies such as job carving to help ensure the success of its employees with disabilities. "Northrop Grumman is very pro-active in terms of hiring and working with disabled veterans," Boggs says. "They hire veterans and create jobs tailored to their abilities."

Because of his field experience, Boggs was hired as a quality assurance engineer and, with some additional training and helpful employment supports, he now helps develop systems that detect and eliminate improvised explosive devices (IED), the destructive weapon responsible for his injuries.

Boggs's advice for veterans with TBI and/or PTSD who are seeking employment is to have trust in people. He recommends getting involved with veterans groups, such as the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, and reaching out to other wounded soldiers. "You can learn a wealth of information from their experiences," he says.