Unique care for injured troops

By Colonel Jack Jacobs, NBC News military analyst

We have heard many unhappy stories about our wounded warriors, selfless Americans whose sacrifices have not always been matched by the medical care they deserve.

We already know about the young, disabled troops who must cope not only with their debilitating wounds but also with a frustrating bureaucracy. But on Monday evening's "Making a Difference," I will take us inside an extraordinary facility where our disabled troops don't have to deal with maddening paperwork--they spend all their time getting better.

The VA hospital in Augusta, Georgia, is unique: it is the only one in the country that has its own military unit, composed of wounded troops from Eisenhower Medical Center, the military hospital at nearby Fort Gordon. Rather than having to find their own way through the rehabilitation maze, these troops receive continuous care because of the seamless cooperation between the two hospitals.

Among others, you'll see Army Master Sergeant Morrissey, shot eight times with an AK-47 rifle, whose arms and legs were saved from amputation with the latest surgical techniques. But his rehabilitation was also the result of the intense rehab he received and the care of expert VA staff.

The bad news? There aren't more of these facilities around the country to treat the thousands who need it.