Army veteran John Usener, whose recovery efforts are to be documented as part of a televised series about veterans and the challenges they face, says that while he's got "mixed emotions" about the "frustrating" situation looming in Iraq, he'd prefer staying out of the politics involved.
The Texas veteran, appearing on
Newsmax TV's "America's Forum" on Friday, instead prefers to speak about the Wounded Warrior Project and how it has helped him and other veterans in their recovery efforts.
Usener is appearing on an installation of MSNBC's television documentary "
Wounded: The Battle Back Home." The show is being split into several episodes, with Usener's segment scheduled to appear on Saturday night.
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Usener was injured in February 2007 in Iraq when a bomb hit a truck of U.S. soldiers on a recovery mission, resulting in head, neck, back, and vision injuries for Usener.
But he told "America's Forum" host J.D. Hayworth that the Wounded Warrior Project has given him tools for success through its many programs and is helping him reintegrate into society.
In all, Usener served three combat tours and one humanitarian tour before his medical discharge in 2010.
He's hoping to get his associate's degree and eventually work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
According to an article from
The Etcetera, a student paper from Eastfield College in Texas, Usener's injuries have posed many challenges, leaving him with difficulty balancing and migraine headaches. His eyes were also badly damaged, so he must wear sunglasses all the time to protect them from bright light.
Usener's segment can be viewed at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on MSNBC.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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