CPPD Voluntary Education reaching out to Wounded Warriors

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Leaders from the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) visited the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) leadership team June 15 to discuss expanding voluntary education opportunities to wounded warriors currently there.

The CPPD commanding officer, command master chief, and director of the Navy's Voluntary Education (VOLED) program spoke with NMCP's commanding officer, executive director and command master chief and toured Wounded Warrior Patriots' Inn. Patriots' Inn opened Feb. 12, 2010. The inn is designed to aid wounded warriors as they transition to outpatient care after release from the hospital by providing easy access to medical appointments, disability counselors, Veterans Affairs representatives, and other programs.

"Our wounded warriors have paid a great price, and it is our honor and privilege to serve them by offering voluntary education opportunities that meet the needs of these service members," said CPPD Commanding Officer Capt. J.P. Newcomer. "Our motto at CPPD is 'Where mind meets mission.' This is our way of bringing mission and mind to a specific, highly deserving population."

CPPD's Wounded Warrior program manager Lt. Cmdr. Leroy Smith began the process of working with the medical center in the fall of 2011 to identify specific needs of Sailors living at Patriots' Inn. "We recognized two years ago that wounded warriors have a lot of free time," said Dr. Mary Redd-Clary, director of the Navy's VOLED program. "We wanted to provide opportunities to help them with the next phase of their lives, regardless of whether they continue with their service or transition to civilian life."

Navy College Office Norfolk provides routine outreach support to the NMCP staff each Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Courses offered through Tidewater Community College at the complex have been more focused on hospital staff needs, Redd-Clary said. But wounded warriors have different needs.

"Some of these service members have never taken a college class, or they are interested in something outside the medical care arena. We're assessing exactly what the needs of this population are to better serve them," she said. "Our wounded warrior outreach counselor conducts outreach services most Monday afternoons and schedules additional time as needed."

Since the beginning of VOLED outreach at Patriots' Inn, approximately 45 service members wounded in a theater of combat have been provided some form of counseling or advice, according to Maria Rowe, director of the Navy College Office (NCO) at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. She said that 25 wounded warriors have taken academic placement tests, and 17 of those have started academic skills courses to prepare them for success in college classes.

The wounded warrior outreach discussions included possible types and levels of classes, as well as classroom accommodations for special needs such as wheelchairs. "Our outreach is all about focusing on the wounded warriors and their needs," Redd-Clary said. "These service members have reached a point in their lives where they may have to make some tough choices due to injuries. We want to help them see the possibilities of what they can still do, regardless of the injury."

The NCO Norfolk representative is located in NMCP's Building 272, Room 112, according to Rowe. "NMCP staff members are also welcome to contact the NCO Norfolk office whenever they need assistance," she said. NCO Norfolk customer service numbers are 757-444-7453/7454 and the email address is nco.norfolk@navy.mil. The NMCP office phone number is 757-953-7866.

CPPD is the Navy's learning center of excellence that equips Sailors to think critically, act responsibly, and lead proactively through its training courses and the Navy's voluntary education program. It is responsible for providing a wide range of personal and professional development courses and materials, including Navy instructor training, alcohol and drug awareness program training, suicide prevention, Bearings classes, and Personal Responsibility and Values Education and Training (PREVENT) classes, as well as General Military Training (GMT). Additionally, CPPD's leadership training is delivered multiple times throughout a Sailor's career via command-delivered enlisted leadership training material and officer leadership courses in a schoolhouse setting.

For more information about the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/cppd/.

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For more news from Center for Personal and Professional Development, visit www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/.