The Army is changing the name of the Disabled Soldier Support System (DS3) – a program that assists severely wounded Soldiers –to the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program.

“Medical technology has advanced to the point where Soldiers injured today on the battlefield are much more likely to survive than those injured in previous wars. Soldiers enrolled in the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program are also more often able to continue service to their nation in the Army. The name change of this program is indicative of the Warrior spirit that today’s Soldiers so proudly display,” said Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff.

The tenets of the program have not changed. The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program is designed to provide severely wounded Soldiers and their families with a system of advocacy and follow-up with personal support to assist them as they return to duty, or to civilian life. It is the personal attention to detail provided to each Warrior by the program’s staff that will ensure we do this right, that we take care of those wounded who so valiantly agreed to serve their nation in time of war.

“The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program is all about taking care of severely wounded Soldiers and their families -- about never leaving a fallen comrade – and truly supporting the Warrior Ethos these Soldiers have embodied in their service to our nation,” said Col. Mary Carstensen, Director of the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program. Carstensen emphasized “this is where we need to do it right – to work closely with those Warriors during and after recovery. Recovery is not limited to physical needs, but includes emotional, spiritual, financial and occupational needs as well. Whatever it takes, we are committed to taking care of our own.”

Additional information on the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program can be obtained by calling 1-800-833-6622. Media are encouraged to contact Army Human Resources Command (HRC) Public Affairs Office at 703-325-9904.