Injured veterans selected for Sentinels scholarships

Injured veterans selected for Sentinels scholarships

By Sophia Kazmi Contra Costa Times
Posted: 02/17/2010 04:46:53 PM PST
Updated: 02/17/2010 06:42:30 PM PST

SAN RAMON — Two military veterans who were severely injured in Iraq will be welcomed this month as the latest Sentinels of Freedom scholarship recipients.

Marine Cpl. Matthew Carhart, 23, and Army Cpl. Elizabeth Bailey Wafflard, 27, will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 during a ceremony at the Bridges Golf Course.

Carhart, who is from Clarksville, Tenn., was shot by a sniper, said Mike Conklin, founder and chief executive of the Sentinels of Freedom. Wafflard, of Phoenix, was injured when two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, exploded.

As part of the program, the pair will relocate to the East Bay and receive housing, job training and help with educational goals. They also will be provided with mentors who will help them readjust to civilian life during the four-year program.

Sentinels of Freedom began in 2003 to help injured service members rebuild their lives. So far, the program has assisted 53 veterans, a total that surprises even the program's founder.

"I never thought we would get to this point," Conklin said.

Conklin has contacts around the country — typically an executive level military officer or a retired executive-level military officer — who notify him about potential candidates, he said. Applicants are vetted before being accepted into the program, Conklin said.

The Feb. 26 gathering will be open to adults only. Attendees should arrive early because space is limited to 300

guests. The event's dress code is business casual.

For more information about the ceremony, call 925-353-7100 or send an e-mail to Carla Goulart at carlagoulart@sentinelsoffreedom.org.

For more information about the organization, visit www.sentinelsoffreedom.org.

Contact Sophia Kazmi at 925-847-2122. Follow her at Twitter.com/sophiakazmi.