COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center program is designed to improve the lives of veterans who were injured in combat.

​​The Military Medicine Program works to address the functional needs of veterans who underwent amputations or reconstructive surgeries. 

Nick Vogt was a captain in Afghanistan in 2011 when an improvised explosive device exploded. 

“That’s when I was severely injured,” said Vogt. “One of my soldiers, he died that same event.”

Both of his legs were amputated and, while he recovered, he still had challenges sitting for long periods of time. 

That’s why Vogt’s wife, Lauren, says having a program to follow up with veterans after they’ve recovered is beneficial.

“There's guys like Nick who have been hurt 10 years ago and the crazy things they were doing in the early 2000s saved his life, but didn’t really address the quality of life long term,” said Lauren Vogt. 

To reduce Nick’s pain, OSU Director of the Orthopedic Reconstruction Program Dr. Jason Souza took skin from nick's shoulder, and created a pad to make sitting more comfortable.

“The military health system is well positioned to ensure survival in the setting of catastrophic trauma,” said Souza. “The flip side is we have an unprecedented number of patients with severe injuries who have functional problems that just haven’t been addressed.”

A veteran himself, Souza says he wants to get other medical professionals involved in the program.

“The idea is to have a training component that's specifically focused on this reconstructive space and that training component could be civilian surgeons but also military surgeons,” said Souza. 

Nov. 12 marks the 10 year anniversary of Nick’s injury in Afghanistan. He and Lauren have two children, ages 2 and 4.​