By Ana Gomez Salcido 
Congresswoman (CA-46), and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Loretta Sanchez said she wants to give a voice to former military men and women coming out of the armed forces back into civilian life.
Sanchez, a candidate for U.S. Senate, visited the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station in San Diego this Saturday, July 16, to get to know the non-profit and their work they do to help military men transitioning into civilian life.
Warrior Foundation Freedom Station in San Diego helps military men and women that were injured in war to transition into civilian life, explained the non-profit’s president, Sandy Lehmkuhler.
Warrior Foundation was created in 2004, and has helped over 200 warriors transition into civilian life using physical activities like surfing and cycling as their main core, while also providing housing for each one of the participants among other services.
“When someone gets out of the military it is a whole [process],” said Sanchez who has represented California in the United States Congress for the past 19 years. “We have now realized through empirical evidence we have gathered that if we don’t catch military men and women in the first six months, once they are out of the military, they tend to end up with substance abuse, homelessness, and other issues.”
Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, who continues to advocate for mental health awareness and services for veterans, accompanied Sanchez during her visit and said that he wanted to show his support to Sanchez in the next election because of their work together to improve the mental health system in the United States.
Sanchez and Kennedy were able to talk privately to some of the organization’s participants and also talked to some of the volunteers.
Lehmkuhler explained that they help warriors with some type of physical injury from war and that they work with the San Diego Naval Base Hospital in Balboa Park to know who needs their help.
One of the participants was a man who had his jaw and lips destroyed, but was able to have his lips reconstructed; he is one of many of the group’s success stories.
Warrior Foundation, an organization that is run by volunteers, is the only organization of its type in the United States, stated Lehmkuhler. They support four groups of veterans: seriously injured returning from war, PTSD victims, those undergoing physical or occupational therapy, and those who have been medically retired.
Sanchez said there are existing organizations that help veterans but when they already reach a point of homelessness or alcohol and drug abuse, after leaving their active duty life.
“There is no reason for that to happen,” said Sanchez. “It’s keeping them busy while they readjust into what’s going on back here.”
Sanchez also mentioned that there is no tracking for when people leave their active duty, because the Department of Defense doesn’t talk to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We don’t have a list like that either so that’s why it’s interesting to see this program and it doesn’t get them at transition after they left the military but actually when they are still in it active,” added Sanchez.