During the year Wounded Warriors have successfully transitioned through the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center and the Warrior Transition Battalion with great success. The care received has received Congressional accolades. The Warrior Transition Battalion has seen numerous changes over the year to provide the best quality care for the Soldiers it serves.

Building projects have been many, but it's the people inside those buildings and the jobs they perform that have provided the most impact.

"We've seen big changes in operation," said Lt. Col. Everett Sharpe, battalion commander.

Assisting Soldiers transitioning out of the military are two Veterans Administration liaisons who are assigned to the battalion.

"They don't have to go to the VA facility," said Sharpe of Soldiers.

Another important position Army wide is the Army Wounded Warrior Advocate.

"They are responsible for tracking severely injured Soldiers and those at a certain level of injuries," he said. "This came about in the need for Soldiers not to be dropped through the cracks between military and civilian life."

Since there is a network of people, a Soldier can be connected with an advocate in the event of a geographic move.

Also new are four different non-clinical case managers with different titles such as the federal recovery coordinator and recovery care coordinators.

"These advocates will assist veterans and their Families throughout their lives," said Sharpe.

Although additional space has been provided for all of the new personnel, Sharpe said he could use more.

"We're running out of room for staff," he said.

There are about 350 Soldiers in the WTB; many of them are National Guardsmen and Reservists who've been injured at Camp Shelby during training.

"If they aren't healed after 26 days, they come to us," said Command Sgt. Maj. Lester Williams, the WTB command sergeant major.

Also, the WTB will soon be getting a career counselor.

Another initiative was to hire nine civilian drivers for the WTB shuttle vans.

"One of the biggest complaints used to be travel time from Point A to Point B on a routine basis," said Sharpe.

At one time, WTB Soldiers were screened and filled the driver slots; however, higher level officials decided that was not the best practice although no accidents were reported during the 18 months WTB Soldiers drove the shuttles, said Williams.

Now that the buildings are finished, VIP visits have settled down, and policies are in place, Sharpe and Williams can get down to their highest assignment, caring for Soldiers, Sharpe said.