Since the explosive went off, Mililani soldier in good hands

Army Staff Sgt. Jarrett Razon of Mililani is back on his feet, just months after he was severely wounded in a blast from an improvised explosive device in Afghan­istan.

The 2001 Star-Bulletin all-state soccer player of the year at Mililani High School, Razon, 29, said, "My goal is to play soccer again, at least get back on the field. Eventually, I just want to do all the things I used to do."

Razon joined the Army in 2007 and was on his second tour in Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal technician with 787th EOD Company, based at Fort Lewis, Wash. Last year he was among seven soldiers wounded July 7 when another soldier stepped on the pressure-plate trigger of a roadside bomb, detonating it.

He was transported from Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghan­istan with third-degree burns to his legs, a shattered kneecap, shrapnel wounds and other injuries.

Razon underwent multiple surgeries, and has had two skin grafts and more than 125 stitches, but his path to recovery was not unlike that of many soldiers badly wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wounded soldiers face many challenges, from physical injuries to the less-evident psychological ones, but private organizations and government programs help the wounded throughout the healing process and beyond.

The U.S. government provides active-duty service members with free health care, and veterans may enroll in the Veterans Health Administration health care system. Through VA health care, Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans can receive free care for service-related physical and psychological injuries for five years after being discharged or released.

After the IED blast, Razon was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and finally flown to San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas, where he was treated at the U.S. military’s only burn center.

"It’s probably the best burn treatment center," Razon said. "They provided the level of care I needed."

He spent about a month as an inpatient at the medical center, then spent another four months in outpatient physical therapy to regain use of his severely burned legs.

"Therapy was the toughest part," he said. "Just physically, learning how to walk again and getting back into shape. (My legs) still hurt, but it’s only been about six months, so they’re still healing."

"I’ve got some big, major scars on my legs and knee, and I’m pretty sure they won’t bend any further than they do now."

RAZON’S MOTHER, Carla Razon, said he also shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He’ll get edgy and restless, and doesn’t like loud noises or sudden movements," she says.

And he still has much healing to do, but she says she’s grateful that he will continue to have support from the government and other organizations, even as a veteran.

"We hear the comment a lot that vets from the Vietnam War and other past wars didn’t get the necessary support," she said. "That’s why now, it’s great that there are all these different organizations and other support systems. They learned from the past."

Support from family members is also an important part of healing, which is why organizations such as the Fisher House Foundation and Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation make it possible for families to be with their wounded loves ones during medical treatment.

"These organizations definitely made it a lot easier and more affordable for (my parents) to be there," Razon said. "There’s a lot of support from the government, military and all the people who support the military. From housing your family and relatives, to providing gas and meal vouchers.

"It’s important when you’re recovering, that support and love from the family."

Through the Fisher House Foundation, Razon’s parents were able to stay just a few minutes away from him at a Fisher House at the San Antonio Military Medical Center for two months at no cost.

The Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation, a nonprofit that assists wounded EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) soldiers and their families, provided Razon and his family with use of a rental car for two months and financial help, which they used for gas, food and other expenses.

Jamie Mizerak, social media coordinator for Virginia-based Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation, said, "We’re a family organization and we believe it’s very important for the family to be there with the wounded warrior and not leave them by themselves. Everyone’s affected and it definitely helps having familiar faces, helps the warriors heal."

Despite all he’s been through and the recovery still ahead, Razon, who plans to leave the military when his six-year enlistment is up in May, counts himself lucky. IEDs are the main cause of death of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the soldier who stepped on the bomb that wounded Razon lost both his legs and part of his left arm.

"I take it as a blessing that I’m still here today," Razon said. "I’m grateful, thankful, to have walked away from that incident. It’s amazing."