United States – September 16, 2026 -- Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks by reaffirming its commitment to support veterans and service members for as long as they need help, not on a fixed timeline.
WWP CEO Walt Piatt says the organization's promise has no expiration date
"After 9/11, millions of Americans raised their hands and said, 'Send me,'" Piatt said. "It is now our turn to keep our promise to be there for them no matter what. Not for five years. Not for 25 years. For as long as they need us."
The nonprofit began in 2003 with backpacks delivered to wounded service members' bedsides
WWP started by handing out backpacks filled with comfort items to wounded troops in hospitals. That simple gesture grew into a broader effort to support warriors and their families through recovery and beyond.
WWP says support now starts at the bedside of newly injured troops
The organization is currently working with newly injured service members and their families in the earliest days after injury, addressing needs it says often begin before military transition and continue long after service ends.
Piatt describes a distinction between returning home and truly "coming home"
"A warrior can return to American soil, leave the hospital, take off the uniform, and still have a long way ahead," Piatt said. "That's not coming home; that's coming back." He said the goal is to walk with warriors through recovery, rebuilding, and reconnecting to a life of purpose.
WWP's logo depicts one warrior carrying another as a symbol of recovery turning into service
The organization says warriors who receive support often go on to become mentors, advocates, and community leaders, helping others further along in their own recovery.
Any veteran or service member who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001, can access WWP programs at no cost
WWP says its long-term goals include saving a million more lives, curing PTSD, ending veteran suicide, and ending veteran homelessness among warriors and their families.