Editor’s note: This article was compiled by several of the Summit County residents who work to make Wounded Warriors Family Ski Week possible.

Bobby Briggs brought his family from the small town of Hillsboro, Iowa to the Colorado Rocky Mountains not just to learn to ski but to participate in a unique program to help his military family improve their communications and relationships. The program, called Wounded Warriors Family Ski Week (WWFSW), is held in Breckenridge and is now in its fourth year.

Army Sgt. Briggs was injured in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq in 2005. He has been treated at many military facilities for the last six years for his serious injuries. He spent the last six months at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis where he underwent new therapy for retraining the use of his arms. He walks with a cane and never thought he would be able to snow ski.

Briggs, his wife, Michelle, and two children, Ashlea, 11, and Cody, 6, were selected from among 100 applicants to participate in the Fourth annual Wounded Warriors Family Ski Week (WWFSW) held recently in Breckenridge.

The WWFSW was begun in 2008 by Bob and Bonnie Miller after they saw an opportunity to help a wounded warrior overcome his fear of attempting a new outdoor recreational activity. Bob is a Vietnam veteran, and Bonnie knows well the sacrifices of a combat spouse with children, while her husband spends time in harm's way. The Millers are assisted by a team of 10 Summit County couples who run this annual event, which brings warriors and their families from places as far away as Puerto Rico, Alaska, Vermont and Florida. Their committee raises the necessary funds and arranges for all family needs including transportation, lodging, meals, ski lessons and opportunities for other activities, such as fly fishing and ice skating. Major sponsors of the event are Southwest Airlines and Grand Timber Lodge.

As Briggs tells it: “When a soldier is injured, the entire family is injured as well … and there aren't many family events for wounded warriors.”

He wanted to show his children what their daddy can do, not just what he can't do.

Help from BOEC

As one of 10 families chosen for this unique program, Briggs and his family learned to ski under the capable direction of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) ski instructors. Each day, the families met with their instructors and volunteer helpers, while warriors like Briggs were fitted for the adaptive ski equipment needed for them to conquer the mountain.

During the week, the family also attended several sessions of a program presented by the Aurora Mental Health Center (AMHC) called “Coming Together to Build Resiliency.” Resiliency is the ability to withstand adversity, recover and grow from the experience. Certainly, wounded warrior families experience adversity far beyond what their civilian counterparts know.

In the final session, the families each created a tapestry to illustrate their week's experience and what lessons they learned to improve their resiliency. They depicted their skiing activities, the new friends they made and reminders about their important values of respect, trust, love and hope for the future. This family bonding experience created wonderful memories for the families.

Jeremy Barnhart and his wife, Katrina, of Colorado Springs especially enjoyed the session of painting their family tapestry. They seldom find time to participate with their four children in a focused activity to enable family communication and bonding without the usual stress of dad's medical treatments and kid's school and outside obligations.

Long road of recovery

The result of his serious injuries is that Barnhart has a difficult time keeping his balance. He always considered skiing as too dangerous to attempt, but with the support of his family and the expertise of the BOEC adaptive ski staff, he was soon sliding down the mountain with his children cheering him on.

Marlene Husson, department director of Intensive Family Services at AMHC, described the ski week family program as “an effort to help the families of wounded warriors to adapt to their special and unique needs as a result of the serious injuries suffered by their spouse and father, and the long road to recovery for all members of the family.” This program, which she and co-worker Ann Kelly created, is tailored for seriously wounded troops and their families. It helps the families deal with their adversity and adjust to their new life as civilians after their medical retirement from the military. Husson is currently working on similar pilot projects with the Red Cross and the military.

Part of the Husson's family program includes the use of Diva, a service dog owned by Ann Kelly. Marlene Husson has worked with service animals at Walter Reed Hospital and felt that Diva would be a true asset to this program.

Bonnie Miller, founder of the Wounded Warriors Family Ski Week program, says of Diva: “When I saw her lie down in front of a nervous and anxious warrior to invite some petting (which automatically happened), the soldier quickly relaxed and began to participate in the group discussion. Diva made a believer out of me.”

Of course, the skiing experience for many of these families who had never skied before was the most impactful aspect of the week. All agreed that they had now conquered the mountain and felt that they could accomplish anything they set their minds to.

The next Wounded Warriors Family Ski Week will be held from April 8-15, 2012. The Millers and their committee will be searching for the next 10 warrior families starting in the fall.