In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund celebrated a milestone. After decades of supporting service members and their families, with completed missions including the Center for the Intrepid and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, new ground was broken. In our current mission to expand the care offered at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, satellite Intrepid Spirit Centers are being built at military bases around the country. August 24, 2020 marked the first Intrepid Spirit Center to open on a U.S. Air Force Base.
Eglin Air Force Base in Florida was selected as the location. To commemorate the completion of the construction, which took just over a year, we celebrated with #EglinHeroesWeek. During this celebration, we staged a virtual tour of the Intrepid Spirit Center at Eglin Air Force Base and interviews with clinicians and patients. We were also fortunate enough to receive remarks from a range of notable military figures including Air Force Chief of Staff General CQ Brown.
Revisit the footage below to learn how an Intrepid Spirit Center heals and impacts our heroes experiencing the invisible wounds of war: traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.
Remarks From US Air Force Chief Of Staff General CQ Brown
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=658356031458858
Virtual Tour of Intrepid Spirit at Eglin Air Force Base
Patient Interview: Chief Master Sergeant Alex (Tre) Morgan
Clinician Interview: Speech Language Pathologist Evelyn Galvis
Interview: Dr. Thomas Piazza, Director, Intrepid Spirit Center at Eglin Air Force Base
Patient Interview: Sgt. 1st Class Ian Prescott, U.S. Army, 7th Special Forces Group (A)
Clinician Interview: Physical Therapist Joseph Blackburn
Patient Interview: Cliff Frazier, Senior Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy
Clinician Interview: Social Worker Sheoah Hardy
Interview: Col. Matthew Hanson, USAF, Commander, 96th Medical Group
Patient-To-Patient Conversation About Invisible Wounds with IFHF Honorary Co-Chairman Spencer Milo & Senior Airman Samantha Anderson
BONUS: Groundbreaking Speech
Watch U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Michael Brogan discuss his experiences with his invisible wounds and the team at Eglin’s Intrepid Spirit Center
BONUS: Construction Footage
View a short time lapse that shows the center rising during construction!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF5njTchA28
Learn more about the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund’s mission to heal our heroes.
Posted on August 24 2021 in Blog