New start for wounded vets and military complex

New start for wounded vets and military complex

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Story by JoAnne Castagna
Courtesy Photo

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Heather Miller of Saint Charles, Mo., remembers a horrific day - Oct. 20, 2009.

"My husband Greg sent me a text message telling me he was going to take his life and that he will send me a message with the location of his body."

Luckily, she found him hours later safely in a hospital bed. Greg Miller suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and this was one of several suicide attempts he's made after his last deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq, in 2008.

Today, Greg is a retired staff sergeant with the U.S. Air Force and is on the road to recovery. He and his wife attribute this in large part to his love of art.

“His talents and ability to complete art projects have literally saved his life,” said Heather. “It also makes Greg feel good to finally have his passion of artwork get noticed.”

One of Greg's works of art will be displayed in the new Department of Defense (DoD) administrative office complex in Alexandria, Va. as part of the Spirit of Wounded Warriors and Veterans: Healing the Soul through Artistic Expression program.

“This program is a way for us to thank our wounded veterans for their service and provide them a venue to display their artwork. The residents of the complex will also benefit by being able to view the works of art,” said Joanne Hensley, chief, project development, BRAC 133. Hensley created this program in cooperation with personnel from other federal agencies.
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