Wright Visits, Honors Wounded Warriors in San Antonio

You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Wright Visits, Honors Wounded Warriors in San Antonio 07/19/2013 12:29 PM CDT Wright Visits, Honors Wounded Warriors in San Antonio By Maria Gallegos Brooke Army Medical Center JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, July 19, 2013 - Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright honored two soldiers who'd earned the Purple Heart medal and visited with other wounded warriors, families and staff at Brooke Army Medical Center here July 17. From left: Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marshall Huffman, Southern Regional Medical Command; SRMC Commander Army Maj. Gen. Jimmie Keenan; Army Sgt. Anthony Ayers; Army Spc. Joseph Contreras; and Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright, pose after the Purple Heart ceremony held at the Warrior and Family Support Center near Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, July 17, 2013. Wright presented the soldiers their medals at the ceremony. U.S. Army photo by by Rebekah Almquist (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Wright, who yesterday was nominated by President Barack Obama to become the permanent undersecretary for personnel and readiness, presented Army Sgt. Anthony Ayers and Army Spc. Joseph Contreras with their Purple Heart medals and certificates, while Army Maj. Gen. Jimmie Keenan, commander of Southern Regional Medical Command, was the host for the ceremony. Wright, a retired military veteran with 35 years of service and the mother of a deployed soldier, voiced her admiration for the Purple Heart warriors at the ceremony. "It's clearly an honor to be here. I am humbled because I am a former soldier and a mom of a soldier ... I am humbled to be here in your presence. Thank you very much for everything you have done," Wright said. "The fact that you have given your time and energy and yourself to preserve this intangible gift of freedom that we in the United States enjoy every day -- thank you very much for that," she added. Ayers, an infantryman, was conducting a combined dismounted patrol in Afghanistan on May 14 when he was struck by an improvised explosive device. Serving as a tank crewman, Contreras was conducting a mounted patrol in Afghanistan when his vehicle was struck by an IED on Aug. 4, 2011. Contreras dedicated his Purple Heart medal to his grandfather, who was a World War II veteran. "I know he would be proud of me right now if he was here," Contreras said. Wright saluted all service members who've earned the Purple Heart. "We owe them the honor, we owe them the dedication and the respect -- not just today but every day of their lives," she said. Wright said she understands the apprehension that family members feel when a loved one is deployed. But, she said, the U.S. military provides the best medical care, equipment and technology in the world to support its service members. "As a soldier, I have gone over [to Afghanistan] myself and sent a lot of people over there," Wright told the reporter. "But as a mom, your heart goes -- and so my son is there and there's not a moment in the day that I'm not thinking about him and his safety." Following the ceremony, Wright visited with other wounded warriors, their families and staff at the Warrior Transition Battalion, the Center for the Intrepid, Fisher House, the Burn Center and the Emergency Department at San Antonio Military Medical Center. She thanked the warriors, families and staff for their dedication and offered encouragement and gratitude for their service to the nation. "We couldn't do it without these people who give their time and energy. All of you are truly a gift from God," Wright said. Wright is the deputy senior policy advisor to the secretary of defense on recruitment, career development and pay and benefits for 1.4 million active duty military personnel, 1.3 million Guard and Reserve personnel, 680,000 Department of Defense civilians, and she is responsible for overseeing the overall state of military readiness. Biographies: Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright Related Sites: President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts Brooke Army Medical Center Fisher House Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, thanks a wounded warrior for his dedicated service during her visit to the Warrior Transition Battalion. Following the Purple Heart ceremony, Wright visited with other wounded warriors, their families and staff at the Center for the Intrepid, Fisher House, Burn Center and the Emergency Department at San Antonio Military Medical Center, Texas, July 17, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Rebekah Almquist Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution   A wounded warrior demonstrates physical therapy equipment while Army Lt. Col. Donald Gajewski, Center for the Intrepid director, and CFI staff explain the role of physical therapy in the recovery process, as Acting Undersecretary of Defense Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright looks on July 17, 2013. Wright also visited the Warrior Transition Battalion, Fisher House, Burn Center and the Emergency Department at San Antonio Military Medical Center, Texas. U.S. Army photo by Rebekah Almquist Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Jessica L. (Garfola) Wright, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Karen Matayka hold Matayka's twins at the Brooke Army Medical Center Fisher House in San Antonio, July 17, 2013. Matayka's husband, Army Sgt. Ed Matayka, was the first wounded warrior who successfully had the in vitro fertilization transfer at San Antonio Military Medical Center. U.S. Army photo by Rebekah Almquist Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? 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