The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is an American

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that currently builds advanced treatment centers to provide care to

military personnel Military personnel or military service members are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force, and space force), rank ( office ...

suffering from

traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...

(TBI) and

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

(PTSD). Since its inception in 2000, IFHF has provided over $200 million to treat service members with TBI and PTSD and those with

amputation Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...

s and severe

burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...

injuries, in addition to helping families of U.S. military personnel killed in action.

Initiatives

Family support

IFHF's first initiative was to provide support to families of both the United States and British military personnel lost in performance of their duty, mostly in service in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the years from 2000 to 2005, the Fund provided close to $20 million to spouses and dependent children, and to parents of unmarried service members. In 2005, federal legislation substantially increased the benefits to these families, and IFHF redirected its efforts.

Center for the Intrepid

IFHF’s next initiative was supporting military personnel severely wounded while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. To support this effort, IFHF raised the funds and built the

Center for the Intrepid The Center for the Intrepid is a rehabilitation facility to treat amputees and burn victims. It is located next to the San Antonio Military Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. It was specifically built to provide care for U ...

, located at

Brooke Army Medical Center Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is the United States Army's premier medical institution. Located on Fort Sam Houston, BAMC is a 425-bed academic medical center, and is the Department of Defense's largest facility and only Level 1 trauma center ...

in San Antonio, Texas. The Center for the Intrepid was completed and opened in 2007.

National Intrepid Center of Excellence

After completion of the Center for the Intrepid, IFHF began to tackle

and post-traumatic stress in military personnel. IFHF constructed the

National Intrepid Center of Excellence The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) is a Department of Defense organization working to advance the clinical care, diagnosis, research and education of military service members with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and psychological hea ...

(NICoE), located in Bethesda, Maryland, at the

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC; formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med) is a United States military medical center located in B ...

. This location allows close collaboration with the

Uniformed Services University Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university and professional school of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroa ...

, the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...

, and the

Veterans Health Administration The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the healthcare program of the VA through a Nationali ...

. NICoE was dedicated and opened in 2010, and provides diagnostics, initial treatment plans, family education, introduction to therapeutic modalities, and referral and reintegration support for military personnel and veterans suffering from these issues. In addition, NICoE conducts research, tests new protocols and provides comprehensive training and education to patients, providers and families, while also maintaining ongoing

telehealth Telehealth is the distribution of Health care, health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunications, telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminde ...

follow-up care with patients all over the country and throughout the world.

Intrepid Spirit Centers

In January 2012, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund announced its newest and current initiative: the creation of additional centers to serve as satellites to NICoE. As of August 2020, eight Intrepid Spirit Centers have been funded, built, and opened at the following military bases around the United States: *

Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir ( ) is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir (plantation), Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Lord ...

, Virginia *

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...

, North Carolina *

Fort Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Div ...

, Kentucky *

Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...

, Texas *

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

, North Carolina *

Joint Base Lewis-McChord A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

, Washington *

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...

, California *

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test ...

, Florida *

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...

, Colorado

Popular culture

In 2008,

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; O'Meara, born 30 March 1965) is an English journalist and media personality. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, at the age of 29, he was appointed editor of ...

won $754,300 for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on the competitive reality show ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It is a variation of '' The Apprentice'' series hosted by real estate developer Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, and actor and former California Governor Arnold Sc ...

'' ( ''The Apprentice'' (U.S. season 7)). On

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

in 2011, ABC's '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' hosted a one-hour special: ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition "Rise and Honor" A Veterans Day Special''. The net proceeds raised during the show benefited six different veteran-serving organizations, including the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

References

* *{{cite web , url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/24/AR2010062406295.html, title=Center to treat troops with brain injuries opens in Bethesda , first=Kevin, last=Sieff, work=washingtonpost.com , date=25 June 2010 , accessdate=May 17, 2018

External links

Official website
* https://web.archive.org/web/20100330093936/http://www.dcoe.health.mil/ComponentCenters/NICoE.aspx Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Organizations established in 2000 Non-profit organizations based in New York City Disability organizations based in the United States Medical and health organizations based in New York (state)