Southwest Airlines Is Helping A Hero One Home At A Time

Helping a Hero One Home at a Time

by Casey Welch

For many American troops returning home from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan, the transition can be a difficult one. Some of these heroes return with injuries that require them to adjust to the many complexities that accompany a disability. HelpingaHero.org is a nonprofit organization that provides support for severely injured military personnel. The organization’s principal activity is to provide specially adapted homes for qualifying service members.

The most recent recipient of one of these handicap accessible homes is Cpl Zach Briseno. In a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday in Fort Worth, Texas, Cpl Briseno was joined by Mayor Mike Moncreif, Congresswoman Kay Granger, and Helpingahero.orgChairman Meredith Iler. It was a special ceremony for a very special man.

Cpl Briseno grew up in a military family. Both of his grandfathers served in the Marine Corp as well as numerous other family members. He knew he wanted to be a Marine when he was only nine years old.

In 2005, Cpl Briseno joined the Marine Corp and was deployed to Iraq the following year. His father died one week before his second deployment in 2007. On Nov. 29, 2007, Cpl Briseno and his convoy were hit by an IED and an anti tank mine exploded under their Humvee. Among the injuries he incurred from this explosion, Cpl Briseno required a double amputation of both his legs from the knee down.

Faced with the daily challenges that result from the wounds of combat, Cpl Briseno continues to serve his county by helping other wounded heroes as they embark on their road to recovery. His continued service is a testament to his the strength of his spirit and the commitment to his country.

At Southwest Airlines, November is Military Heroes Month and we’re proud to feature this hero today and to be a national sponsor of HelpingaHero.org. Cpl Briseno’s home is expected to be ready in the spring of 2011. We wish him and his family many years of happiness in their new home.  For more information please visit HelpingaHero.org.

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After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,100 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.

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