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Travis Mills Opens New Retreat for Injured Veterans and Families

Jill Baker
/
Maine Public
The Travis Mills Retreat for wounded veterans officially opened Sunday in Rome, Maine.

A new retreat for injured military personnel and their families officially opened in Rome, Maine, this weekend.  The Travis Mills Retreat is a 1,000-acre property designed to help veterans overcome physical obstacles and relax with their families for a week at a time.

Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills is a quadruple amputee who came up with the idea while battling to recover.

Credit Jill Baker / Maine Public
/
Maine Public
The retreat has eight rooms, including two suites, like this one. The facilities will host eight families at a time for a week during the summer.

"These people that are going to be coming to visit here have sacrificed so much, they have given so much for their country: paralyzation or amputation," Mills said. "On top of that, I want people to understand that there does need to be a network built where people come in and they are able to feel comfortable learning new things adaptively, not live life on the sidelines."

Mills says his main goal is for veterans and their families to establish a network that they can lean on after the visit is over.

One veteran who will be taking one of the week-long stays will be Army First Sgt. Christopher Roseberry, who lost his lower right leg. 

Credit Jill Baker / Maine Public
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Maine Public
Each guest room has a personal bathroom and a specifically adjustable thermostat to accommodate for amputee guest needs. These are two of the eight available rooms.

"Whether it's a quadruple amputee or single amputee we are all the same," Roseberry says. "It's easy for us to relate; we don't have to hide anything because were all in the same spot. So I think that coming here that will help some people out tremendously."

Roseberry says he thinks the retreat will also give visitors a look at what's helped other people and what can help them. The families are able to bring their children, which he thinks will be directly valuable in just letting them relate and play together.

This summer more than 50 families are expected to visit the camp where they can swim, kayak and fish. More than $3 million has been raised to support the Travis Mills Foundation.