Meet Sergeant Ronald and Valeta Ackerson:

I am Valeta Ackerson, wife of a severely injured
combat veteran, a man who served his country
with his life and blood.

After nine years of marriage and two children,
I am proud to be the wife of Ronald who despite
his new challenges still has love, hope and
a future!

This is my story.

For Better or For Worse, Through Sickness and in Health . . .
During the early years of our lives as a dual military couple, my husband and I often had conversations of how he would he would become Command Sergeant Major of the Army, that he would never leave the Army, and how he would be in for 30 years and then would still have to get kicked out.

The Army was everything to my husband, Army Sergeant Ronald D. Ackerson, Jr. He survived the challenges of being raised in Los Angeles, losing his father to a fatal car accident at age four, and as a teenager being taken from his mother to be raised by an uncle and aunt who could offer him a better life. Immediately after high school, Ronald joined the United States Army. He was determined to succeed in his career despite these adversities. When I met Ronald he was confident and strong, highly intelligent and driven, a leader who led by example and expected nothing less than the best.

When his unit in Germany was alerted for deployment, Ronald prepared me, a civilian at the time, for our separation. We had two little girls who are only 23 months apart in age. We were very aware of the dangers that lurked in Iraq; however, our belief in God and that He would keep Ronald safe was comforting.

When the time came, Ronald packed his bags and went to war. Once in Iraq, Ronald was delayed in Kuwait. The bag that contained his weapon was left in Germany; therefore, he could not proceed any further until his weapon was secure. On the tenth day of his deployment, Ronald was reunited with his weapon and was enroute to his unit's new home. I had not heard from Ronald in three days and was very aware that he was traveling. I knew that I would hear from him as soon as he was safe with his unit.

On Thursday, August 26, 2004, at 6:30 PM, I received a call that his convoy had been ambushed and that Ronald was injured in an IED blast. He had sustained head as well as chest injuries. His location and status of being alive or dead was unknown.

Ronald was sent to Baghdad for a bilateral craniotomy. Although skull fragments, debris and shrapnel were removed from his brain, there is still shrapnel lodged in his frontal lobe, along with plates, screws and mesh that pieced him back together. Additionally, his sinus cavity was obliterated. Along with a Traumatic Brain Injury, Ronald has Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, memory loss, chronic fatigue and headaches.

We are currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Ronald is still undergoing treatment and will be sent to the Polytrauma Center on Palo Alto, California and the National PTSD Center. The road to Ronald’s recovery has been long, tiring, and difficult. My entire family tries to adjust to our new lifestyle and continues to try to reach a place of normality.

I have not worked since I left the Army four years ago to raise our girls. However now that Ronald’s Army career is coming to an end and he is facing uncertain employability, it is important for me to find a job. I am a mother and caregiver in need of employment.

Ronald's health is not the same. He faces challenges physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The combination of these factors can feel overwhelming.

I was so thankful that I found MSCCN! The opportunity that they afford “families” of the war wounded is immeasurable. They really consider the entire family and the issues that encompassed the family of war wounded veterans. I have been given a chance that I would not have had otherwise. They understand that my husband has appointments and demands that another employer would not consider.

We are not being given a chance to have jobs. We are being given an opportunity to have careers with a professional staff who cares for our men and women that have sacrificed so much. We are in a position to help other families like ourselves!