William A. Bliss
Fayetteville, N.C.
Class of 1997
Major: History
The Army has been my home since I graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1997. A large amount of that time has been spent right here at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Last summer, I was given the opportunity to move out of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade to take command in the Warrior Transition Battalion. The WTB's were formed in 2007 after the Army identified issues at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for outpatient care of wounded and injured soldiers.
Fort Bragg's WTB supports more than 500 soldiers with varying degrees of illness, wounds or psychological trauma. My wife, Becky, is a physical therapist and has been treating these soldiers for the past several years in an outpatient clinic for neuro and vestibular rehabilitation.
It has become our passion to insure these soldiers continue to receive world-class treatment for their problems and are given the life skills to cope with the new them in many cases.
I see and speak with many soldiers who have many different reasons for service to country. The soldiers who make the best transitions have a family or friend support structures to better help them through their stages of recovery. The effects of a strong spiritual fitness can be seen on a daily basis. Service, building strong bonds with family and friends, and faith in God are all traits built and embraced by the Bonaventure community.