War-injured 3 on Hill's staff ready to help vets

WASHINGTON -- When veterans are having problems and they seek help from U.S. Rep. French Hill's office, they're assisted by three men who fought and suffered for their country in Iraq.




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Thomas "Tom" McNabb, 51, is the Little Rock Republican's senior representative, and he focuses on military and veterans matters. He volunteered for the Army in 1983 right out of high school and was stationed at Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.

It wasn't the enemy that knocked McNabb, an Army combat medic, out of service in Iraq that day in December 2005; it was an armored door designed to protect him.

"I was evacuating a casualty after an IED attack. We were taking some fire and we couldn't get a medevac to come get him. So we ended up having to medevac him ourselves. ... We couldn't get the door all the way shut, so I had to hold the doors shut as best I could in a moving vehicle. That door weighs about 400 pounds. In the process of trying to hold that door shut and get us out of an ugly situation, I completely destroyed my back and my left shoulder."

The Greenbrier resident, who was medically retired because of his injuries, attended the University of Central Arkansas after re-entering the civilian world, studying political science.

But the former staff sergeant gave up school after receiving a spot in the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program.

Participants work for two years for a member of Congress. While some work on Capitol Hill, most work in lawmakers' district offices.

To qualify, the veterans must have been on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, and they must have a service-related disability rating of at least 30 percent.

McNabb worked initially for then-U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, who offered him a permanent position in his Conway office after the fellowship ended.

Hill, who succeeded Griffin, asked McNabb to stay.

Since then, Hill has hired two more veterans with similar backgrounds.

One of them is a Wounded Warrior Fellow just like McNabb. David Carnahan, 41, began work Oct. 26 as a 2nd Congressional District representative for military and veteran affairs.

He served in the military twice, volunteering for service at the end of high school. "[I] didn't even walk my graduation; [I] left for boot camp. Did a tour in the Marine Corps during Desert Storm, Desert Shield, got out, moved back to Arkansas in the late '90s," Carnahan said. "And then, after 9/11, my patriot bone kind of took a stir, and I had to join again."

This time, he served with the Arkansas Army National Guard.

On Jan. 20, 2007, a Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Baghdad, killing 12 U.S. troops.

"When they got shot down, we went down, descended to the ground to go start retrieving bodies and set up a perimeter," Carnahan said. "I got impatient and jumped out a little early to go get there as quickly as I could, and we were still a good ways off the ground -- about 25 feet off the ground -- and I damaged my back and my knees."

Currently a staff sergeant, Carnahan attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, graduating in May.

The Sherwood resident welcomed the chance to join the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program.

"Honestly, it's my dream job. I really have been looking for a place to call home where I can help veterans like myself," he said.

"I couldn't have asked for anything better. I actually love coming to work."

Carnahan works at Hill's Little Rock office alongside Richard Maxwell, the third staff member who sustained injuries in Iraq.

The 32-year-old North Little Rock resident was in Baghdad the day he met combat violence.

"In August of 2004, I got hit by an IED. I got hit in the head and the shoulder. My helmet saved my life basically. I mean there's no two ways around that," Maxwell said. "I've still got a piece of shrapnel in my shoulder to this day."

He didn't realize initially how bad he'd been hit. "I was knocked out for a couple of minutes. When I woke up ... I didn't even realize my shoulder was bleeding. I jumped back up in the turret and continued to do my job. And then I was told that I was bleeding," he said. X-rays revealed the scope of the damage.

Despite his injuries, Maxwell wanted to continue serving.

"I was 21 years old and young and the baddest thing around. I wasn't going to let them put me on the bench," he said.

Returning to Arkansas, Maxwell enrolled at UALR, earning a degree in history and political science in 2014. Upon graduation, he was hired by the Republican Party of Arkansas. In June, Hill gave him his current job.

"I love being involved, being back involved in the military culture, being able to help veterans," he said.

Mark Thomsen, a staff member for U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, also participated in the Wounded Warriors program and was given a permanent position in the Jonesboro Republican's Cabot office.

McNabb says the veterans' representatives are able to understand and empathize when constituents approach them.

"We know exactly what these guys are talking about. We speak the lingo. We know how difficult it is, because everyone of us, not just myself, but Richard and David both, have all been through the VA disability process. We know exactly how mind-numbing and how time-consuming and how frustrating that that can be," McNabb said.

Griffin, the ex-congressman and current lieutenant governor who originally hired McNabb, says the veteran deserves high marks.

"He not only was good with the bureaucracy and getting people helped, but he was extremely well-liked by the veterans community," Griffin said. "The people he worked with, they loved him, and he did a great job."

As he prepared to celebrate Veterans Day, Hill said he's honored to work with McNabb, Maxwell and Carnahan.

"All three are genuine American heroes who who've seen action in the field, who bear those wounds and who are just doing an outstanding job on behalf of vets that live in our 2nd Congressional District," the congressman said. "They like to know that they're working with someone who has worn the uniform and walked in their boots. They appreciate that."

Metro on 11/12/2015

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