When Adam Schuster was injured in April while serving in Iraq, all his parents knew was he was leaving Iraq and on his way to West Germany where he had a short lay-over before being transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
With the help of Operation First Response, Schuster's family was in D.C. at the Walter Reed Hospital within 48 hours of the incident. The organization made arrangements for the family's airline tickets, taxis from the airport to the hospital, motel rooms and anything they needed while they were there with their son.
Danny Schuster, Adam's father who is from Maryville, said the family appreciates Operation First Response a great deal.
"OFR is such a great organization," Schuster said. "It really helps families like us who have several people who want to go visit the injured soldier."
The mission of Operation First Response, Inc. is to support the nation's wounded heroes and their families with personal and financial needs. At whatever stage the wounded soldier is when the OFR is contacted, the organization is committed to doing all they can to support the families.
OFR was founded by Peggy Baker. She said at the time of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, her son worked in a section of the Pentagon that was hit; however when the plane crashed into the building, he was a few buildings away.
Because her son was so effected by the tragedy of that day, he joined the Army informing his family after the fact.
"I started searching for 'mom support groups' and found one lady whose son had lost a leg in battle," Baker said. "I went to visit that young man in Walter Reed Hospital. It all started then."
By the end of 2004, the organization was so big, they had to form a foundation and OFR has been going ever since. OFR is operated out of its headquarters in Virginia, but their services go nationwide. Baker said there is one full time and one part time employee –– the rest of the time volunteers do the work.
"I traveled the journey with my friend whose son lost his leg," Baker said. "It was evident to me that there's plenty of things we can do to lighten the load of the families who have wounded loved ones. Thats where the American public –– the ones who reap the benefits of what the soldiers do –– can help. That is our responsibility."
Baker said OFR works with the Veterans Administration.
"The VA contacted us when Adam Schuster was injured," she said. "When they contacted us, Adam's father was very stressed. They needed help with flights and lodging. We made the arrangements for him. We provided the money needed by the family when they were visiting at Walter Reed Hospital. He knew he could call us for anything they needed."
OFR financial aid varies as each case is based on individual needs ranging from:
• rent or mortgage payments
• payment of over due utilities
• vehicle payments and repairs
• groceries
• clothing
• air transportation
• ground transportation which includes taxi rides to and from D.C. area airports, dollars given to purchase gas for traveling by car or to medical facilities and train tickets.
• personal requested items by service members and their families.
One of the programs at OFR is the backpack fund. In this program backpacks are filled with items that are needed by those that have been wounded and are without their own personal gear since being evacuated from the battle field. These backpacks are sent to combat support hospitals and military facilities to be given out to those who need them.
Another OFR program provides frequent flyer miles for families of the wounded who need help with airfare.
Baker said it is an honor and a privilege to be able to lighten the load of our wounded and their families.
"We have seen devotion beyond words from family members to their loved ones," she said. Mothers, fathers, spouses and extended family and friends who have spent endless hours at the bedside of their loved one, because of the severity of many of the injuries this journey can last for several months and for others...several years."
For more information about Operation First Response, email them at info@operationfirstresponse.org, or call (888) 289-0280. Email Baker at peggy@operationfirstresponse.org.
Adam Schuster, son of Danny Schuster, Maryville and Cheryl Lingerfelt, Guthrie, Okla., was shot in the neck and jaw with a small-caliber gun by an insurgent in Ramadi, Iraq, on April 22.
Schuster, a member of the National Guard 45th Fires Brigade was leading a three-vehicle convoy to assess damage to the city's infrastructure when they came under fire.
After arriving at Walter Reed Medical Center Schuster underwent a 14-hour surgery to temporarily rebuild his right jaw. He will have five to seven reconstructive surgeries to repair the damage over a period of several months.
Schuster has returned to Walter Reed Medical Center this week for additional surgery –– they will take six inches of bone out of his hip and use it to rebuild his jawbone. Again, Operation First Response has provided assistance to the Scuster/Lingerfelt families so they can be by his side through the procedures.
"I would first like to thank everyone for the prayers for Adam and our family," Danny Schuster said.
"At the present time Adam is stable and this is going to be a long road to recovery. His medical team believes he will have several more surgeries, but in the end will recover. As for Operation First Response, all I can say is thanks for such a caring organization. They need our support and donations. Until this kind of tragedy happens to your family, it is hard to explain the devastation that occurs. Thank you."
Maryville, Mo. —
