The Navy has changed the name of the program devoted to Sailors and Coast Guardsmen who are wounded or seriously, ill, but the mission focus remains the same – care.  

Vice Adm. Mary Jackson, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), released a NAVADMIN Oct. 28, officially renaming the program from ‘Navy Wounded Warrior – Safe Harbor’ to  ‘Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW),’ dropping the ‘Safe Harbor’ portion of the name.

Currently part of the Fleet and Family Readiness directorate within CNIC, the name ‘Navy Wounded Warrior’ offers brand recognition, aligns with sister service warrior care programs, and efficiently encompasses the program’s overall mission.

Changing the name will help bring more awareness to the mission and educate the fleet on how it continues to serve Sailors and Coast Guardsmen.

Capt. John Bushey, acting director for Navy Wounded Warrior, said the name of a program is important to get right, especially when serving wounded warriors is the main objective.

“NWW ensures covenant leadership is part of our commitment to our wounded, injured and ill Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and their families,” Bushey said. “NWW is a more succinct and accurate representation of the program. There was a lot of discussion about the name and ultimately we concluded we had the best option not only for the program but for the Navy.”

NWW is the Navy's sole organization for coordinating the non-medical care of combat and non-combat seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen, regardless of rank, and providing resources and support to their families.  It works side by side with Navy medicine to ensure top-notch support is provided to those enrolled in the program.

While the name only identifies the United States Navy, the program continues to care for Coast Guardsmen. In 2009, Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, and Commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Thad Allen, signed a Memorandum of Agreement which included Coast Guard service members as eligible participants in the NWW program. The leaders recognized the need for the program and worked together to ensure both Sailors and Coast Guardsmen had access to it.

Enrollment in NWW is not limited to those with combat wounds. The program also supports those with non-combat serious illnesses – both mental and physical conditions – and injuries sustained in deployment, training or liberty accidents.

NWW works to return Sailors or Coast Guardsmen to full duty. When that is not possible, the program works collaboratively with federal agencies and local organizations to help service members successfully reintegrate into their communities.

“No matter what brings the service member to us, we do everything we can for them while making certain their road to recovery is as seamless as possible,” said Bushey.

To learn more, visit http://www.navywoundedwarrior.com/.

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