CAMP PENDLETON — Military spouse and product developer April Mitchell created the Right Height, an adjustable hook, in hopes of giving people with less mobility more independence. Mitchell decided to give back to the military community by donating 200 of her product to Wounded Warrior Battalion – West during a ceremony aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Nov. 15.
“It was because of the military and us moving around, and having to go to different homes, that I came up with this product,” said Mitchell. “It only felt right to give back to the military.”
According to Mitchell, being a self-made entrepreneur shows other military spouses that each and everyone has a voice. Putting time and effort into making a new product not only could be very useful for others, but help make the world a better place. Mitchell finds the process of creating, developing and watching your invention come alive very empowering. With the experience of making her ideas a reality, Mitchell has prompted herself to help others create products themselves.
“I am blessed to have the opportunity to give back, and I really believe that every person, every company, every business, can give back to the community in any shape or form,” said Mitchell. “For some, it might be time or resources, monetary or like me, a product.
The Wounded Warrior Battalion West was created to provide the successful recovery and transition of wounded Marines and families. The battalion shares the mission and objectives of the Wounded Warrior Regiment and focuses on the whole Marine (mind, body, spirit, family) while addressing the varied and individual needs of each recovering service member. According to the latest numbers from the Marine Corps, about 200 Marines and sailors are attached to the battalion at the base, with another 132 supported as out-patients.
Battalion headquarters and companies A and D are located aboard Camp Pendleton. It has detachments at Naval Medical Center San Diego and Marine Corps Base Hawaii; a Patient Assist Team at Marine Corps Base Twentynine Palms; and liaison cells in Okinawa, Japan and at the VA Poly Trauma Center in Palo Alto. The Warrior Hope and Care Center is co-located with the battalion HQ and offers access to a wide array of services, including adaptive athletic training, mental health, care coordination, medical case management and physical therapy.
