Fort Carson, Colorado (May 13, 2021) – The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), and Fort Carson’s Evans Army Community Hospital today broke ground on a new Intrepid Spirit Center that will diagnose and treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) in regional active-duty service members at Fort Carson in Colorado. The facility will be the ninth center located at military bases around the country built by the IFHF, a not-for-profit organization and national leader in supporting the men and women of the U. S. Armed Forces and their families. Intrepid Spirit Centers currently operate at Fort Belvoir, VA; Camp Lejeune, NC; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Bragg, NC; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; Camp Pendleton, CA; and Eglin Air Force Base, FL.
Fort Carson’s Intrepid Spirit Center will cost approximately $12.5 million to construct and will be equipped with the latest in brain technology and treatment facilities. The Center will span 25,000 square feet and funding for the project is being raised privately through the IFHF.
“We are extremely proud to break ground on our ninth Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Carson,” said Arnold Fisher, Honorary Chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. “Our military heroes who fight to protect our freedoms, deserve the best care available and being close to their family and having their support is imperative to the recovery process. We are now another step closer to completing our mission of building Intrepid Spirit Centers around the United States.”
“It is an understatement to say that we are excited to break ground on the National Intrepid Spirit Center of Excellence’s (NICoE) 9th Intrepid Spirit Center here at Fort Carson today,” shared Colonel Kevin Bass, USA MEDDAC Fort Carson Commander. “The Intrepid Spirit Center will be a place of hope and encouragement. A Place that fosters the intrepid spirit of fearlessness, fortitude and endurance as they continue down the road of healing and recovery. This new center’s capability, and interdisciplinary treatment model, will greatly enhance the physical, cognitive and the behavioral treatment that our service members receive.”
All Intrepid Spirit Centers are being funded and built by the IFHF through a $100 million fundraising campaign. Though the centers are being built exclusively through private donations, each center is gifted to the U.S. Department of Defense for operation and management upon completion. All of the centers are located at military bases around the country.
The design and mission of the Intrepid Spirit Centers are based on the original National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) which opened in 2010 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Operated by the DOD, NICoE is the most advanced facility of its kind in the country, and is the center of the Armed Forces’ efforts in researching, diagnosing and treating TBI, PTS and related injuries sustained by military personnel.
About the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) serves United States military personnel experiencing the Invisible Wounds of War: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), the signature wounds of today’s wars. In response to this critical need, IFHF is building specially designed treatment facilities, named Intrepid Spirit Centers, at military bases across the country. Within these centers, service members receive the most advanced and proven care to address the complex symptoms of TBI and PTS. More than 90% of service members treated at the Intrepid Spirit Centers are able to continue on Active Duty and enjoy a full life. Eight Intrepid Spirit Centers have been built and are open at military bases around the country. Two more of these critically-needed facilities remain to be built. Each new Intrepid Spirit Center will provide care to thousands of service members suffering the devastating effects of TBI and PTS. Each center costs between $12-13 million to build and equip.
Posted on May 13 2021 in News