ARANSAS PASS, Texas — For some injured veterans, everyday life comes with obstacles many Americans never think twice about. Now, a national nonprofit is working to change that, one home at a time.
Homes For Our Troops builds specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans, helping them regain independence and rebuild their lives.
The organization’s CEO, retired Brig. Gen. Tom Landwermeyer, said the mission is rooted in a core military value: taking care of service members long after their time in uniform ends.
“The most important thing you can do is take care of your troops,” Landwermeyer said. “Every single one of them volunteered to serve… when it was their turn, they deployed in the blink of an eye. Their lives and their families’ lives changed forever.”
Founded in 2004, the nonprofit has built and donated more than 430 homes nationwide across 46 states, with Texas leading the way. Another 77 homes are currently under construction, and hundreds more veterans remain in need.
“We really see our mission as a moral obligation of the country,” Landwermeyer said. “These veterans volunteered and sacrificed so that we could continue to enjoy our freedoms every day.”
One of those homes is in Aransas Pass, where U.S. Army veteran Tyler Sloan is preparing to move in later this month.
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Sloan enlisted in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks, saying he felt a strong sense of duty shared by many of his peers.
“Like most guys back then after 9/11, I joined… to defend your country,” Sloan said. “When you serve, it changes everybody.”
While on a dismounted patrol in Mosul, Iraq, Sloan was shot by a sniper, suffering catastrophic injuries that led to months of hospitalization and ultimately the amputation of his leg.
Despite that, Sloan said he does not view his service as a sacrifice.
“It was my job… it was something I was willing to do,” he said. “I’d do it again every day of the week.”
Today, the challenges he faces are often found in the smallest moments.
“I don’t think people understand the mundane things,” Sloan said. “You add three or four steps to everything.”
Even simple tasks, like getting a glass of water or moving around the house, can require putting on a prosthetic limb, a process that takes time and effort.
Homes For Our Troops designs each home to eliminate those barriers. The houses include more than 40 special adaptations, such as wider doorways, roll-under countertops, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, and fully open floor plans with no interior thresholds.
“A veteran can get on one side of the home and with one push make it all the way across,” Landwermeyer said. “Everything is designed so they can do it for themselves.”
Safety is also a key factor. Bathrooms, often one of the most dangerous places for injured veterans, are designed with roll-in showers and accessible layouts to reduce the risk of falls.
The homes are built mortgage-free and customized to each veteran’s needs, but the organization also works to ensure long-term success by providing financial planning and ongoing support.
“We don’t just give them the home and walk away,” Landwermeyer said. “We stay with those veterans and their families for life.”
For Sloan, the impact of the home will be immediate.
“It’s going to take a lot of stress and worry away,” he said. “As I get older, I’m moving less and less, so having the ability to do stuff from my chair is going to be a game changer.”
He said he’s especially looking forward to small but meaningful changes in his daily routine.
“I won’t have to put my leg on right away in the morning,” Sloan said. “I can just use my wheelchair to get my coffee.”
Beyond accessibility, the home will also benefit his family, giving them more freedom and stability.
“It’s going to change a lot for us,” Sloan said.
Landwermeyer said that impact extends far beyond a single household. According to the organization, more than 90% of veterans report reduced stress after moving into their homes, while participation in community life and employment rates also increase.
“These homes don’t fix their injuries,” he said. “But they give them the freedom and independence to move forward.”
The program is funded entirely through public donations and corporate partnerships, with the CEO emphasizing the importance of community support.
“It takes the entire community to help them rebuild their lives,” Landwermeyer said.
Sloan is scheduled to receive the keys to his new home on April 25.
As he prepares for that next chapter, he also hopes others will learn about the organization that made it possible.
“The more people know about it, the more guys like me they can help,” he said.
To learn more about Homes for our Troops click here.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Pat Simon at pat.simon@kristv.com
