The Fort Moore Soldier Recovery Unit was recently selected as the best overall unit of its kind in the Army, according to a service official.
The Georgia-based SRU was presented the top title, a first for the unit, in April, Lt. Col. John Suprynowicz, the battalion commander for the unit, told Military Times.
“It’s truly emblematic of the superb civilian staff and cadre, going down to the squad leaders and platoon sergeants, that actually do all the heavy lifting every day,” he said Friday, emphasizing that the excellence award was earned from that continued due diligence. The win also culminated in a banner unveiling ceremony earlier this week.
The unit within the Army Recovery Care Program helps eligible ill, injured or wounded soldiers on their journey to return to the force, or transition out of the military through medical care and other professional development assistance.
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Made up of nurses, doctors, social workers, benefit and occupational coordinators as well as other faculty and staff, the Fort Moore SRU is one of roughly 14 such units across the service and serves up to 200 soldiers dealing with everything from cancer to behavioral health to knee surgery, Suprynowicz said.
With around 14 SRUs located at military installations across the country, more than 80,000 soldiers have received services through the recovery care program since its inception in 2007.
Among those who attended the ceremony this week were Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, the commanding general of the Fort Moore-based Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, as well as retired Col. Gregory Gadson, a former soldier turned motivational speaker who lost his legs as a result of an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
“I am freer today without legs than when I had them,” Gadson shared, according to a press release.
“Do not give up,” he said. “You are warriors, and your journey does not end here.”
Jonathan is a staff writer and editor of the Early Bird Brief newsletter for Military Times. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media
