Navy Wounded Warrior - Safe Harbor hosted the Navy Region Northwest Family Symposium on Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor Jan. 26.

The event marked the first Navy Wounded Warrior symposium held in 2017 and was attended by wounded warriors, family members, caretakers and naval senior leadership stationed in the Pacific Northwest.

Commander, Navy Region Northwest Rear Adm. Gary Mayes was the keynote speaker for the event and spoke about how important these symposiums are to the mission of Navy Wounded Warrior - Safe Harbor.

"Family members and caregivers make significant sacrifices to support their wounded warriors," said Mayes. "This symposium is a pledge to continue to provide resources and assistance specifically tailored for caregivers and those who need it most."

He spoke about the value Navy Wounded Warrior offers to its service members in the Navy and Coast Guard and encouraged committed participation from those who attended the symposium.

"To all, keep pushing, keep helping make (Navy Wounded Warrior) better," he said. "To the warriors, stay strong."

A panel of seven wounded warriors and caregivers addressed the crowd to share their stories while highlighting valuable services Navy Wounded Warrior offers.

"One of the best things for me was being able to participate in the adaptive sports camp," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) 1st Class (AW) Cameron Fisher. "Learning each of the sports and building camaraderie with my teammates was a great experience."

Many of the panelists said they received strong support through the assistance and guidance of their non-medical care managers, especially during the really challenging times on their journey.

"Sometimes we would have no idea who to ask the questions we had," said Colleen Perry, caretaker for her husband, Missile Technician 2nd Class (SS) Clay Perry. "It's been a huge help to have that person who will know."

"Navy Wounded Warrior has been a good organization because of the non-medical care managers," said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (FMF) Joseph Paterniti. "The good ones collaborate with both the Sailor and their family to find which course of action is going to be the best for everyone."

The family symposium served as an inviting platform for wounded warriors, their families and caretakers to engage in an honest conversation about their personal stories and how Navy Wounded Warrior has assisted them on their road to recovery.

"I really appreciate how patient and compassionate our non-medical care manager was with us on our worst day," said Perry. "I'm just really grateful for her."

Navy Wounded Warrior - Safe Harbor is the Navy's sole organization for coordinating the non-medical care of seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen, and providing resources and support to their families. Through proactive leadership, the program provides individually-tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of the wounded warriors' recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration activities.

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