Creating a National Dialogue Around Injury & Service: Restoring Dignity, Purpose, and Policy for America’s Wounded Warriors

Kirk Carlson
16 hours ago
2 min read

In every generation, Americans have answered the call to serve—with honor, with sacrifice, and often, with injury. But what happens after the battlefield? What happens when the physical or invisible wounds remain, long after the war is over?

For too many service members, injury has meant not just a shift in health—but a total loss of identity, purpose, and place within the ranks. At Covenant of Courage, we believe it’s time to start a national conversation—one that centers on injury, service, and what it truly means to support our troops after their wounds appear.

The Problem: Silence, Stigma, and Separation

Injury in the military is still too often seen as weakness or liability, not as a mark of sacrifice. And rather than being reassigned or supported, wounded warriors are frequently pushed out of service through discharge systems that:

Fail to offer alternative pathways for continued contribution
Ignore mental health and invisible wounds
Lack protections for those with temporary or service-connected disabilities
Erase the dignity and leadership potential of those no longer “deployable”

Why This Conversation Matters

This isn’t just a veteran issue—it’s a national readiness and justice issue. A country that celebrates service must also support those who bear its deepest costs. And yet, we’re discharging problem-solvers, crisis leaders, and role models who could still serve in non-combat, instructional, advisory, and emergency response roles—if only we had the policies to match our principles.

What a National Dialogue Looks Like

A true national dialogue around injury and service means:

Amplifying voices of those wounded in service who still want to serve
Challenging outdated discharge systems that treat people as expendable
Bringing together stakeholders from Congress, DoD, the VA, nonprofits, families, and veterans
Building pathways to reassign wounded warriors to meaningful leadership roles at home
Educating the public about the realities of post-injury service and transition

Our Mission: From Discarded to Reassigned

At Covenant of Courage, our #ReasonableRanks campaign calls for:

ADA-aligned reforms to military discharge practices
Career reassignments for non-deployable but capable service members
Investment in FEMA-aligned roles, training, and certifications
Expanded access to leadership pipelines like the JLBC Cadet Corps, where veterans can lead youth and community preparedness programs