Operation Homefront Provides Support for Wounded Warriors

Gaithersburg, Maryland – Army veteran Michael Shuster, was injured when his Humvee was hit by 2 explosive devices seven months into his tour of Iraq, MyFoxDC reports.

He has had to undergo multiple surgeries since then. One resulted in the amputation of his arm.

After a long recovery at Walter Reed, he had no place to go.

"Before I even got to this point I lived in a hotel for a year and a half," Shuster says.

He struggled financially, but with some major help, Shuster, along with his wife and 3-month-old twins were able to move into an apartment complex in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"Even though someone is helping me pay for my room and board, it gave me a huge sense of independence," Shuster says.

The group Shuster and his family received help from is called Operation Homefront.

Their main goal is to assist wounded soldiers with their financial needs

Operation Homefront has been in the apartment complex for about a year. During that time they have housed about 16 families of wounded warriors.

Navy veteran Kenya Smith said, "They placed me for a couple of months until I get back on my feet.

Smith was recently evicted from her home, and is now moving into the transitional housing too.

"People don't understand the sacrifices that not only our military, but military families are making," said Aaron Taylor.

Taylor is with Operation Homefront. He says through donations, they rent a block of units at apartment complexes to create a community for the soldiers.

"Just in 2010, we met over 167 thousand needs for military families. That includes wounded warrior housing, as well as food assistance, emergency financial assistance for things like car repairs, mortgage payments, and rent payments," Taylor says.

Also, in 2010 they spent nearly 20 million dollars to help families with financial issues.

Taylor said that the family is injured, if the soldier is injured, so they need to be together to heal together.

"My boys are my world. Without them I wouldn't be here," Shuster says. "Makes every surgery I've been through well worth it."

The organization believes it’s the least they can do for those who have sacrificed so much to serve our country.

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