Disabled Iraq Veteran Requests Disability Grant For Practical Vehicle

by Jared Cole
(Spanaway, WA, USA)

Memorial Day at the Ocean

I am a 33-year-old Army man with a wonderful family: a wife of 5 years with a 3-year-old son and another little one on the way.

I have been in the Army for 14 years now combined active duty with 2 deployments and a National Guard soldier.

I have a technical AA degree and am starting school again in the fall to work towards my bachelors in business.

I sustained a lower back injury almost 3 years ago. I was injured in a motorcycle accident in June of 2008.

Another member of my motorcycle club performed an illegal stunt in front of me on a city street causing me to be ejected off my bike into the intersection.

I have been able to walk, but with increased discomfort due to my constant limping.

Unfortunately this accident happened a few weeks before I started 3 weeks of desert training and a week later I was off to mobilize to deploy.

After training and deployment for 10 months I was finally able to start my therapy and recovery more than a year afterwards.

I am still in an ongoing medical board, as I will be medically retired from the Army sometime this year.

I have a small 2-door commuter car I have been using the past 6 years.

Due to my back injury it makes it very difficult and painful to enter and exit my car as well as driving around in it.

I also do not feel comfortable transporting my son and soon to be child around in this vehicle as it would be extremely dangerous in an accident.

At this time I am in the final phases of a medical retirement board with the army.

I am planning on returning to my previous job, but due to my injury there will be some changes to how I will be able to continue on in the field of my work.

I am looking for a grant to purchase a newer, larger vehicle, preferably a truck. As a homeowner, I would find it greatly helpful. As a concerned father and husband, I would feel safer transporting my precious cargo.

Your help would be greatly appreciated, as being able to purchase a newer vehicle would improve my standard of living.