Innovative Programs Give Vets a 2nd Chance

Now, three times a week, right after his physical therapy, Gracia learns computer skills -- skills that he hopes will lead him to a new career in technology. After the trauma of his injuries, this new opportunity has proved emotional. "I'm actually happy," said Gracia. "I know that this is a good field. This is a job you can advance with."

During his time in Iraq, Nava says he and his unit were hit by mortar fire "almost every night."

(Courtesy of Guillermo Nava)

By the end of 2008, more than 200 active duty military personnel will have completed the TTA program. It currently exists at three sites -- the Naval Medical Center in Balboa Park, Calif., Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and the Eisenhower Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga.

Thirty percent of these graduates have gained civilian employment following separation from the service; 15 percent have returned to service in an IT-related military occupational specialty, while the remaining 55 percent are still continuing with their medical recovery.

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"These guys have not completed their mission, and they will tell you that. So now they don't want to become a burden on this country. They want to participate in the growth of this country," said Reynolds.

For some, that mission has always been serving their country. Marine Sgt. Guillermo Nava lived for the Marine Corps and was preparing to return to Iraq when just days before he was to redeploy, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that sidelined him from service.

"When I found out I could not stay in the Marine Corps I was devastated," said Nava. "I did not know what I was going to do. I never had time to go to school. I didn't have a background in anything except what they had trained me in."

Nava was not sure he could learn new skills, or how he would support his family. "I was very worried. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had my wife and son. I thought I would not be able to provide for them. I felt like I was wasting away."

Nava also suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in Iraq, during which he said he was involved in two or three near-miss explosions, and his unit came under mortar fire "almost every night." To this day, Nava's tour of duty continues to haunt him.