The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project, a longitudinal study led by the Naval Health Research Center to examine the long-term impact of service-related injuries on quality of life, received an endorsement from the Office of Warrior Care Policy March 29.

The mission of the Office of Warrior Care Policy is to ensure that recovering wounded, ill, and injured service members receive equitable, consistent, and high-quality support and services.

Signed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Warrior Care Policy James Rodriguez, the endorsement recognizes the important role the WWRP plays in informing military health policy, allocating resources, assessing the effectiveness of treatments, and guiding the development of strategic plans for wounded warriors.

"We therefore appreciate the contribution the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project is making towards this mission, and towards making certain that our wounded warriors receive the most effective frontline treatments, the highest quality medical care, and the world-class follow-up that enhance both the quality of life of our individual wounded warriors and the readiness of our armed forces," wrote Rodriguez.

According to Michael Galarneau, director of operational readiness at NHRC and WWRP principal investigator, the study seeks to provide a solid scientific foundation and robust analytical platform that informs policy and decision makers as they seek to implement care and treatment.

"The endorsement demonstrates that the WWRP aligns with the Department of Defense's purpose, intent, and direction of wounded warrior policy," said Galarneau. "The WWRP research team deeply appreciates the secretary's validation and endorsement. The team intends to keep the secretary and his staff informed of the study's findings and use their feedback to enhance program objectives and provide translational results for improving our wounded warriors' ultimate rehabilitative quality of life outcomes."

As the DoD's premier deployment health research center, NHRC's cutting-edge research and development is used to optimize the operational health and readiness of the nation's armed forces. In proximity to more than 95,000 active duty service members, world-class universities, and industry partners, NHRC sets the standard in joint ventures, innovation, and translational research.

For more news from Naval Health Research Center, visit http://www.navy.mil/.