By Emma Bouthillette
Staff Writer
As Iraq and Afghanistan veterans return home, the Maine Chapter of Operation Homefront is bringing the Wounded Warriors Program to the state to offer assistance to those who have been medically discharged, but are waiting for benefits to kick in.
In May, the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans hosted a conference in Washington, D.C. to pool resources of nationwide groups that address the needs of wounded soldiers. Pam Payeur, of Biddeford, attended as a representative for the state’s Operation Homefront chapter to bring those resources back to Maine.
Operation Homefront,  which is a national nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance and morale to soldiers, began following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The Maine Chapter of Operation Homefront recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, Chapter President Donna Chapman said.
Payeur has volunteered for Operation Homefront since fall 2007. She said her son, Mike, 22, has served two tours of duty for the U.S. Army in Iraq and is now at Fort Hood, Texas receiving treatment for a traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, neck injury, mild back injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, injuries to both knees and spider fractures from the knees down.
“He was blasted 11 times, so there is a strong chance that his injuries were accumulative,” Payeur said.
Payeur said he was brought state side for treatment early September 2007 and she expects him to be medically discharged by the end of 2008. She said like other veterans, he will experience up to a two-year gap in benefit coverage. For this reason, Payeur is working to bring Operation Homefront’s Wounded Warriors Program to Maine.
“These soldiers are injured enough so they can’t work. They are not in active status, they have no benefits, yet they still have financial burdens. The Wounded Warriors Program specifically helps those soldiers, providing resources and help,” Payeur said.
 “Here in Maine, Operation Homefront is helping with emergency needs. Wounded Warriors is a longer commitment,” Chapman said.
She said the program’s intent is to help wounded soldiers up to two years after they are medically discharged. Assistance includes grants until their benefits kick in, transitional housing, access to free legal services and retrofitting homes and vehicles for handicapped access, Payeur said.
John J. Ouellette, 51, of Saint Francis, served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004. He returned from Iraq with a leg injury, received medical assistance and was released from active duty in 2005, Ouellette said.
“When I was released, I had no income. My mortgage and oil bills fell behind. It was almost a whole year before I realized I was deep into trouble and couldn’t get myself out,” Ouellette said.
Ouellette said it took him some time to find help. He said a member of his family support group put him in touch with Chapman, and Operation Homefront took care of his oil bill and his back mortgage payments.
“They brought me back up to snuff,” Ouellette said.
Payeur said the Wounded Warriors Program can help soldiers in similar situations.
“If it isn’t something we can financially or physically do we can make phone calls to state reps and alert them that this person has fallen through the cracks, and there are many cracks,” she said.
“When the guards called me to apologize and said they’d lost me through the cracks, that was hard to hear. I had to sell my stuff and I used up all my savings before I called for help,” Ouellette said.
Payeur said Wounded Warriors also has teamed up with companies to help train injured soldiers for civilian jobs.
Referring to an article that appeared in The Navy Times on Sept. 3, 2007, Chapman said the unemployment rate for young veterans is three times the national unemployment rate.
Chapman said Operation Homefront has partnered with Airgas, the nation’s largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases in the country. In a press release issued May 28, Airgas announced the company’s goal to hire 100 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans within the next year. Chapman said Airgas is offering a “Welding 101” seminar in Maine to help train those interested in the welding industry.
“Wounded Warriors is run solely on volunteers, grant funding and generous donations of money or services. The need for money is huge. We have the resources, but without money coming in we can’t provide financial assistance,” Payeur said.
For more information on Operation Homefront, visit www.operationhomefront.net.
For more information on Maine’s chapter of Wounded Warriors or Operation Homefront, call Donna Chapman at 321-1321.