INDIALANTIC - After returning from Iraq, the last thing Army 1st Sgt. Roosevelt Turner wanted was to be stationed away from his family as he readjusted to reservist and civilian life.
So it was ideal when he was transferred from his Miami base to a unit in Orlando, a short drive to his home in Mims, and then brought to Brevard County so he could learn at one location about benefits available to him as a veteran.
Turner was one of about 175 soldiers from throughout Florida and Puerto Rico, most of them injured, who gathered here for two days of technical assistance and transition workshops, part of the Army's Installation Management Command program. The program also helps soldiers like Turner who are in transition or recovering from injuries, transfer to units closer to their homes so their families can provide support.
"The program is a great program," said Turner, who returned June 5 after a seven-month deployment to Iraq. "I want to see what they have to offer as far as VA benefits and so forth."
The H-3 Program, Heal, Help and Hire -- held Wednesday and Thursday at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Indialantic -- offered Veterans Affair information, resume preparation, and assistance with other issues faced by the soldiers.
"What we are doing today is part of a much bigger process," said Brig. Gen. Donald Bradshaw, commander of the Southeast Regional Medical Command. "It's a recognition of the service of these heroes."
Bradshaw said the program, which was started after the war in Iraq began, assesses whether an injured soldier can and wants to stay in the military. If not, the aim is to help them return to the civilian world.
"The majority of them are able to heal and return to service," he said.
Army Spc. Peter Nelson of Winter Springs, who was injured in a fall on a snowy mountainside in Afghanistan, hopes to start a new career as he recovers from injuries that forced him to be medically evacuated from Afghanistan.
"I'm transitioning from the military," Nelson said. "We're just starting to learn of the benefits. It's pretty uplifting."
For Sgt. Chris Dunbar, it was a matter of finding his footing in the civilian world after being on active duty since 2003.
"After that long, what do you do?" he said. "Where do you start?"
Dunbar of Tampa is recovering from a broken jaw suffered in an accident while serving in Iraq. He is plotting his future outside of the military, maybe by starting a business.
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