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July 13, 2009 · When Sergeant First Class Ireshekia Henry was deployed to Iraq from Fort Hood, Texas, she didn’t expect to be wounded by the enemy. She was stationed deep inside Camp Liberty as a human resources specialist, but her life changed dramatically one day in October 2007 during a routine walk to the base dining hall.
“As I reached the entrance point of the dining facility, two mortars hit, about ten feet away. One to the left and one to the right of me. My OIC was standing to the right of me, and I also had a friend standing to the left of me,” said Sergeant First Class Henry.
Henry’s friend on her left was killed instantly. Her commanding officer walking to the right of her took shrapnel in the face. Henry collapsed as fragments ripped into her body.
“Initially it was just a wound to my foot, it tore a pretty big gash out of my right shoulder, and it was the left foot — they couldn’t save it though. So they eventually had to amputate it,” said Henry.
Henry was transferred to the Center for the Intrepid on the grounds of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a state of the art facility where wounded warriors who have lost limbs rehabilitate their lives. Henry’s left leg was amputated below the knee, and she was fit with a carbon fiber prosthetic.
“I didn’t trust the leg. It was kind of weird for me to know that something was attached, and after not walking for so many weeks, I was kind of scared to take a step. I wouldn’t take a step without holding on to the support bars that were in the room where I first tried my prosthetic on,” said Henry.
But soon Henry took those first steps with her then fiancé David Henry there to help her. The two had known each other earlier in life, but when David heard about the blast at Camp Liberty, he relocated to San Antonio from Virginia to be by Henry’s side.
“I knew it would be difficult for her to raise her three children by herself while recovering, and we just made a decision together that it would be best if I was here with her to help her raise her three kids,” said David Henry.
While spending months in grueling physical therapy sessions at the Center for the Intrepid, Sergeant Henry was also making plans for her life after recovery with the help of the Soldier Family Assistance Center at Fort Sam Houston. Kim Goffer is an advocate with the Army’s Wounded Warrior Program. She helps place recovering soldiers in civilian jobs currently being offered by the federal government. She says the process starts with a look at the soldier’s resumé.
“We sit down with the warrior and find out what their goals and objectives are. We ask, ‘Are there any agencies that you are interested in?’ We work with through the agencies to sometimes link them, where they can talk and ask questions,” said Kim Goffer.
Despite Sergeant Henry’s strong and diverse skill set from years of personnel management in the Army, she says that the resumé meeting with Kim Goffer was one of the toughest steps in the process.
“We spent a while getting my resumé together, and when it came together I was like: ‘Wow, I didn’t know I did have the stuff,’ or just being able to put it into words that related to the positions that I was applying for,” said Sergeant Henry.
With Kim Goffer’s help, Sergeant Henry landed a job at the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center — or C-PAC — at Fort Sam Houston. Sharon Ferguson directs the center, which employs six thousand people and continues to grow.
“We talked at that time about what her interests were and what her background was and what she could do with us here in the CPAC. And I introduced her to some of my staff member, and so that’s when we actually began the relationship with her,” said Sharon Ferguson.
Sergeant Henry plans to take full advantage of the on-the-job training she’s receiving.
“What I hope to do through the training program that I’m going through with the CPAC is learn every position in their human resources office that way I can float around,” said Henry.
Sergeant Henry is excited about the future. She and her husband David recently bought a house in Cibolo and once her medical discharge comes through at the end of September, she will start working at the C-PAC full time. Her physical recovery continues as well. Earlier this summer, she finished her second mini-triathlon. Alongside her follow wounded warriors from the Center for the Intrepid. |
