By J. S. Anderson
By J. S. Anderson
Constituents seeking assistance from the office of Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA – 53), particularly if they are veterans, active duty service members, or military families, may be put into contact with Mr. Mark Zambon, a wounded warrior and Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Working from Davis’s North Park office, Zambon is one of 34 veterans currently working in the offices of members of the United States House of Representatives. These wounded warrior veterans are Fellows in a relatively unknown initiative, the House of Representatives Wounded Warrior Program.
The Wounded Warrior Program was established to create employment opportunities for veterans within the House of Representatives. Eligibility as any “disabled veteran who has served on active duty since September 11, 2001” who has a “VA service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or greater,” was honorably discharged, and is a high school graduate or possesses a GED certificate.
In addition to the 34 current Fellows, there are presently 16 openings posted. Since the Program began in 2008, 122 veterans served as Fellows. As one of the newest Fellows, Zambon recently shared his story on how he had arrived at this point in his life, going from being a combat casualty to congressional staffer.
From Michigan, his mother, and father a motorcycle dealer, as was his grandfather, raised him and his six brothers. Zambon enlisted in the Marine Corps out of high school, intent on becoming an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech), one of the most hazardous military occupational specialties (MOS). At the time of his enlistment, Marine Corps policy required Marines to be at least a Sergeant in order to request to become an EOD Tech, so he had to wait. His waiting did not mean sitting around watching the calendar or painting rocks: rather, he completed two combat tours in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Then, due to needs of the service as combat increasing, in 2005 the Marine Corps changed its policy on the rank requirements for becoming an EOD Tech and Zambon was one of the first Lance Corporals accepted and moved into that MOS. His final four combat tours, one in Haditha, Iraq and three in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan, were done as an EOD Tech.
During the last two of these deployments, he was blown up five times. The first three occurred when he was in vehicles and resulted in what he described as no “flesh damage.” On the fourth, an improvised detonator went off in his left hand taking off distal joints of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of left hand. After recovery, he returned to Afghanistan on his sixth and final combat deployment with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton. Roughly 100 days into that combat tour, a squad of Marines was escorting his team to an improvised explosive device (IED) scene. Suddenly, triggered by a metallic pressure plate, a 10-pound charge went off under his feet, removing them. The quick actions and responses of his assistant team leader and a Navy Corpsman saved his life, as tourniquets were applied within a minute and he was MEDEVACed. Ultimately, he returned to NMCSD for further recovery, after six combat tours, two Purple Hearts, and the loss of his legs.
During recovery, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, completing his first recovery goal. Then he joined with a British team and completed the 15 days and 5,600 miles of the Dakar Rally. Ultimately, he became the first EOD Tech having lost both legs to return to duty, this time as an instructor. Zambon proudly described instructing 700 students from all the services who went through his classroom. Speaking of his time as an instructor, he related telling the students that the job is a dangerous one, with the loss of life or serious injury a very real possibility. Continuing, he told the students that if injured or killed, they would not be the first, or the last. And if seriously wounded, life goes on. He was living proof standing before them that life goes on. After accepting his discharge, Zambon trained as a swimmer for the Paralympics, but suffered an injury during training, derailing that goal. So he was looking for new challenges.
He subsequently learned about the House Wounded Warrior Program from one of the owners (a Navy retiree he had met during his recovery at NMCSD) of San Diego’s Industrial Grind Coffee. Acting on the information about this unique and maybe little known opportunity, he applied, was interviewed, and recently began working out of Davis’s North Park office. For Zambon, as he put it, this would be another opportunity to do some good for others.
Zambon serves as the Veterans Community Representative in her district office. In this work, he assists the congresswoman in serving the veterans, service members, and military families of the 53rd Congressional District by functioning as a liaison between the congresswoman, federal government and the community. Specifically, some of his job duties and responsibilities include staying informed of matters affecting veterans and other community members by interacting with constituents and community groups and monitoring news outlets, while keeping the congresswoman and coworkers informed of these matters and working to address any problems; acting as a representative of the congresswoman at community events; speaking to local groups, helping veterans, service members and their families with problems they are having with federal agencies; and general duties such as writing correspondence, preparing briefing materials, and assisting in answering the telephones and greeting visitors.
Zambon sees this position as an opportunity for “doing good” for the constituents in the district and not exclusively wounded warriors. In response to being asked to describe an unexpected highlight, Zambon compared “Team Davis” to some of his Marine Corps experience. During his 11 years in the Corps, he encountered “alpha males who pounded their chests,” which he views as not worthwhile for accomplishing the mission. With “Team Davis,” he has been impressed, because they are really helping people.
He spoke of being impressed with all the team members, starting at the top. According to Zambon, Davis sets the example and everyone knows his/her job, as the team serves the constituents and is results oriented. Commenting further on the quality of the team and its leadership, specifically noting the pace and tone set by Davis, he expressed being motivated and needing to rise to the standards expected of a member of the team. No small praise from a Marine veteran with Zambon’s pedigree.
When asked to describe an unexpected challenge, he spoke of dealing with constituent issues–some heartbreaking (homelessness, mental health, etc.), specifically highlighting that the average “Joe Civilian” has no idea of the problems vets suffer, nor the resources and care they need. So he is intent on learning all the laws, regulations, and policies that govern federal agencies, in order to best serve these constituents. Sometimes, he noted, a congressional office might not be the most appropriate to deal with the matter at hand, so he is learning to whom he can refer constituents. In the end, the office leadership told him the team’s effectiveness in their individual positions directly correlates to their knowledge. So he is working diligently to learn, so he can be the best possible Veteran Community Representative on Team Davis.
As to the future, doors will open and he will see what happens. And he heartily recommends the program to fellow Marines who might be in a similar situation. For now, he is very thankful to be serving people.
And service means a great deal to Zambon, as became clear during his comments about the required tasks of the military and national defense. The whole national population does not connect with these tasks, he observed, because most people do not understand the sacrifices the men and women in uniform make, underlining that it is not a matter of politics. American men and women give their absolute best, some give their life, as has been done by virtually every generation in our country’s history. In the past, however, higher percentages of the population had military experience, providing for more understanding of things military and the service and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.
These sacrifices and service are the “purest expression of love of which a human being is capable. It’s not like saying I’ll watch your house for the summer when you travel Europe. It is that young man or woman, as they render their last breath in life, looking at you and saying I’m doing this for you, so you can go forth and do great things and enjoy the life and country we’re blessed with,” said Zambon.
So he sees it is a great opportunity for combat veterans to bring that story to the congressional offices, the story they’ve written, via the House Wounded Warrior Program. The Fellows “bring the sacrifices to the people so they know what they have been given.”
It is quite a road less travelled, going from Marine to combat casualty to Congressional Fellow.
