Operation TBI Freedom is this years Community Partner Hometown Hero for their work with veterans and active duty members who have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury or other combat related trauma.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Since Operation TBI Freedom began in 2008 the organization has served over 2,000 thousand individuals and their families.

In the Army culture we call it Battle Buddies. You never leave your Battle Buddy behind and were not going to leave our veterans behind, said Frederick Hinton, Eligibility Specialist for Operation TBI Freedom.

Operation TBI Freedom works with veterans and active duty members who have suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other combat related trauma.

We offer non-clinical case management. What that means to us is we really walk the journey with the veteran that has suffered the TBI, said Susan Holmes, Program Manager for Operation TBI Freedom.

Case managers create a life plan for their clients which covers all aspects of real life.

Anything thats going on in their lives. So it could be their medical or their mental health aspect, it could be something going on directly with their injury, but it also could be their financial situation, housing, familial support structures, said Holmes.

Were Colorado first and were Colorado proud of our veterans here, said Hinton. We want to put them first and those that have a TBI are dealing with a lot of invisible wounds.

Hinton, now works for Operation TBI Freedom, but he was once a client himself.

I was in a dark place. I didnt want to do much of anything. I started to isolate myself and Im married, 24 years of marriage. I have three kids and I was just out there flapping in the wind, he said.

Hinton has a TBI and served in the Army for 21 years.

I didnt have a purpose when I got out, he said.

Hes since found his purpose again, serving those he used to serve alongside.

This truly is a calling for everybody that works here, what we do, we dont do it for the money. We do it because we care about our brothers and sisters and we do it for all branches of service, Hinton said.

Holmes said the reason why the program works is because people like Hinton do care.

Every single Case Manager out there is a 20-plus year veteran, she said. Theyve all been there and done that. They speak the language.

We dont want them to be a statistic, said Hinton. We dont want them to end up being a number because theyre not a number. Theyre important to us and they should be important to everybody else.

Hometown Heroes will get their awards March 16 during a dinner at the Broadmoor.

To get involved with the Red Cross visit, http://www.redcross.org/news/event/Pikes-Peak-Chapter-Hometown-HeroesColorado-Springs

To learn more about Operation TBI Freedom visit, https://craighospital.org/programs/operation-tbi-freedom

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Hometown Hero: Operation TBI Freedom - FOX21News.com