Injured by Iraq bomb, he’s on home mission

WASHINGTON – Ever since Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly lost his right leg to a roadside bomb near Baghdad more than a year ago, he’s been on a mission.

It was more than just learning how to walk with a prosthetic limb at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Kelly, 24, of Prescott, Ariz., saw a need to help other wounded soldiers and their families cope with financial struggles that come with rehabilitation.

In the past month, Kelly and an advocacy group for veterans have persuaded several lawmakers to support the idea of creating a self-financed insurance plan that would award $50,000 to severely disabled soldiers before Veterans Affairs’ benefits kick in. The federal money can take a year or more to arrive.

“It would immediately relieve all the financial strains on the family and service member,” Kelly said. “To have that alleviated, it allows the family to focus on the rehab.”

The idea to allow those in the military to buy a new kind of disability insurance for a low monthly fee is supported by Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., who said he plans to introduce such legislation.

VA spokesman Terry Jemison said the agency is familiar with Kelly’s idea, but has not taken a position. The Pentagon would not comment on the plan.

Injured soldiers become eligible for VA benefits after their discharge. But it can be more than a year before those benefits are available, based on the recovery period. Soldiers continue receiving military pay during hospitalization, but often the money does not cover all of a family’s expenses. Hospital stays can require a soldier’s spouse or parent to leave work for months at a time, depriving the family of income and sometimes meaning costly travel during a stressful time.

Also, many soldiers are reservists earning less than in their civilian jobs. Recoveries only extend the difficulties.

Kelly heard story after story about soldiers losing homes or racking up debt during their convalescence. He began working on a solution with officials at United Spinal Association, a group that serves both veterans and nonveterans.

Renzi, a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said the timing is right because of President Bush’s proposal to increase life insurance and “death gratuity” payments to families of troops killed in combat.

More than 10,000 soldiers have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan since the start of combat operations. Based on Defense Department statistics analyzed by United Spinal, only about 1,000 of them probably would qualify for the new benefit. If most soldiers pay into the plan, Kelly said, it should more than cover the expense of payouts.