WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   Retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Earl Granville is a strong veteran. He served the military for nine years and participated in three combat missions - Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He lost his leg in Afghanistan in 2008.
Granville’s twin brother, who also served in the military, committed suicide. The loss of his leg and the death of his brother were tremendous blows to Granville, but his combat-tested resolve kept him from giving up.
For more than a decade, Granville has been making the four-hour drive from his home near Philadelphia to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. During his treatment visits, he undergoes rigorous sessions of physical therapy and has regular maintenance performed on his prosthetic limbs by the staff of WRNMMC’s Department of Rehabilitation. When necessary, the devices are completely replaced. He said he has regained a great deal of strength and confidence due to the service he receives, which is especially important to him as a veteran involved in the work of helping and supporting other veterans.
Motivation and life in the Army
Granville was motivated by his late brother to join the Army. He was initially drawn to the military because he needed money to pay for college. But the attacks of September 11, 2001, caused a change in his plans. He ended up staying in the military for nine additional years. “We were at Fort Benning Fort Benning training when the 9/11 attack occurred. Then I realized this was not about me anymore. It is now for country.”
Granville said his sole focus was on serving his nation to the best of his ability. “I followed my passion and served my country. I was not worried with the politics or the rights and wrongs of being there or not. But serving and working with people I loved and getting to experience the culture of the locals was a unique practice for me and I enjoyed every bit of it,” he added.  
WRNMMC prosthetics support
Granville said he keeps coming back to WRNMMC because of the incredible relationship he has with the staff. “I am here today to change my prosthetics, which I have been using for some time now. The support I get from the staff is tremendous. Sometimes being an amputee [involves] trial and error, especially in making artificial limbs for you. They might be tight or short.  But the staff here are patient enough to adjust them anytime. They also give us hope to put the past behind us,” he said.
Tiler Cook is a prosthetist who works in the WRNMMC prosthetics unit, which provides artificial limbs and bracing for active duty members, veterans, and their dependents. Cook said his role often requires a “jack of all trades” mentality. “You can be a nurse on one hand, other times a mechanic or an artist. The goal is to serve the patient. That’s what makes us unique and the flagship in military medicine.”
Cook said working in the unit gives him the joy and fulfilment to support military members and veterans who have gone through tough situations. “We are providing a functioning way of life for these heroes. Walking, running and doing the things they love with their legs brings joy and fulfilment to their lives. This is what we do every day to give our clients satisfaction, which creates a bond between us and them.”   
Granville agrees. “I can always send a text or call directly staff of the unit to share my feelings or make appointments to come for prosthetics replacement or maintenance. It’s simple and easy.”
Disability is not inability
Granville, who is also active in helping disabled veterans, is a motivational speaker who talks about diversity and the challenges of living with a disability. He organizes events that bring veterans together through ‘Operation Enduring Warriors’ because he wants them to know they are stronger than their disabilities.
“I want them to know their current [disabled] situation should not define who they are,” he said. “They are strong and should use their power positively for the benefit of their communities.”
Learn more about WRNMMC prosthetics and orthotics services at the following link: https://walterreed.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Specialty-Care/Prosthetics-Orthotics