James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital - Tampa, Florida

JAHVH Vehicle Operator Anthony Jimenez does a pre-departure inspection on the Mobile Medical Unit before heading out to flood-ravaged North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew devastated the area in September.

The destruction during and after Hurricane Mathew in September left many displaced and needing help. Who better to answer the call for help than a newly discharged U.S. Army Veteran with four deployments under his belt and a purple heart to boot?

Fresh on the job and new to The Department of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Jimenez said he felt very fortunate to be able to help those in need.

“It showed a lot of trust and it was very humbling that the VA would give me the opportunity to go there and help,” said Jimenez. “You don’t always trust the new guy to go out there but I’m grateful for the team that I had.”  

Jimenez had only been employed for one month, but he was very willing to do this for Veterans and to make a positive impact.

“Looking at Mathew, we had numerous VA’s and Veterans impacted. From the facility level, and the VISN and regional level, we coordinated with Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) to combine resources and mobilize with deploying employees from the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS),” said Travis Garrett, an emergency manager at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

Jimenez recently left the Army after almost 15 years of service. He was a driver during his time of service which made him perfect for the task at hand.

His mission was clear – help Veterans and the community with medical care and supplies while driving the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU). The MMU is a fully functional mobile clinic that looks like a big recreational vehicle and is used to triage and treat patients.  He may have been alone the whole time, but never felt that way.

“They’re my supervisors but I call them my team. Working with multiple services to coordinate the effort, having a steady stream of communication; it reminded me of being in the military, knowing you were a part of the team,” said Jimenez. 

 “Teamwork contributed to the success of the VA’s fourth mission,” said Garrett, who coordinated everything for the deployment, including the personnel.  “Everyone came together to get everything we needed to provide boots on the ground.”

The VA’s Fourth Mission is to ensure preparedness to provide services and protect people and assets continually and in time of crisis.

 “As Mathew made its way through the eastern seaboard, it opened a door for the VA to step up and do what only the VA can do,” said Garrett.  “With federal funding, proper resources and an internal protocol ready to execute, the strength of our VA’s emergency preparedness is unparalleled.”

When it was time to come home, Jimenez said he wasn’t ready to go.

“I feel very blessed. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m very fortunate to have been a part of it” said Jimenez.

Jimenez will continue his career being a daily hero, transporting patients to and from appointments, yet will always have one foot out the door to support the VA’s fourth mission and respond when needed.