JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
More than 50 wounded warriors and their caregivers from across the nation transited Joint Base Andrews as they completed the fourth annual Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride 100-mile bike ride on April 28 to May 1 from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore and then Annapolis, Md.
Major Nathan Green, 316th Operations Support Squadron special projects officer, participated in the ride as a wounded warrior.
"The wounded warrior bike ride was the best thing I've done therapeutically," said Major Green. "It's the best medicine I could have had. Just talking to other people who are in a position like me helped a lot. Whether they had lost a limb or had a traumatic brain injury like I had, we had all been through some of the same experiences - we had all felt some of the same emotions and we could relate with one another. I could talk through some of the issues and relate in a way that I couldn't relate to anyone else."
Major Green not only related to the other wounded warriors, he was inspired by them.
"Just seeing others helped push me more," said Major Green. "I realized that if someone who has lost two legs can ride for 100 miles, then I can, and we can get through this as a team - that's what it's all about."
Major Green was wounded more than two years ago while deployed from Andrews.
"I was injured in Iraq April 20, 2008, during an attack on the United States embassy," said Major Green. "Insurgents attacked the embassy with rockets and I suffered a traumatic brain injury and damage to both of my ears from the rocket's explosion."
Major Green received a Purple Heart for wounds received in action.
"I'm proud of what I did over there in Iraq - proud of our mission," said Major Green. "Getting the Purple Heart also reminds you of how fragile life is. If things had stacked up just slightly different, I probably wouldn't be here today. I'll wear it proudly."
Pride is one of many feelings he's experienced in the wake of the incident.
"There are a lot of emotions that you go through when you're injured," said Major Green. "I could face the physical issues including the pain, the dizziness, the memory loss and everything else that went along with the injury. What caught me by surprise was the emotional aspect of it."
What Major Green remembers as the most difficult part of his recovery was accepting that he was different from what he used to be, and that he is now living with an injury suffered in the line of duty for his country.
"At first, you're in denial and you don't really think anything has changed. You almost can't face it," said Major Green with a short, painful burst of laughter. "I was not prepared for that. It took me a long time to realize that I was different."
With his family's support, Major Green has moved forward through his recuperation.
"My family has listened, and I think that's helped a lot," he said. "It's difficult at times because it is hard for them to relate."
As Major Green went through his own healing process, his family also needed to heal. They relied on Air Force programs designed to provide families with the support they needed.
"The Air Force's wounded warrior program provided both my family and I with support," said Major Green. "And that's the best support that I've gotten from the Air Force. I feel like that support really helped my family."
That help may help him continue to see the glass as half full.
"After my injury I was, and still am, very positive about the Air Force," said Major Green. "I have no negative views or regrets - I wanted and still want to carry out my duties. I try to look on the positive side of it."
Major Green also recommends this optimistic and positive outlook to families who may currently be dealing with a loved one recovering from combat injuries.
"Hang in there. I know it's tough," Major Green said to the families of wounded warriors. I've been married for nine years and when something traumatic happens, sometimes it's hard to share - even if that person is close to you - because sometimes that wounded warrior doesn't even know what he or she is feeling; it's just there. Sometimes it just takes time."