Tulsa Area Wounded Iraq Veteran Awarded Craftmatic® Bed to Assist in Combat Related Insomnia

Sapulpa, OK, USA (SANEPR.com) June 27, 2008 -- A 2007 survey of severely wounded troops from the War on Terror found that 92% have trouble sleeping due to nightmares, insomnia and pain. In order to combat this looming problem among the military, Craftmatic® Adjustable Beds has embarked on their CraftmaticCARES Program to donate one adjustable bed, free-of-charge to a severely wounded War on Terror veteran each week in 2008. SSG Shawn Green, U.S. Army (Ret.) of Sapulpa is this week’s winner.

Green first enlisted in the Army in January of 1983 and served proudly for 25 years until he was medically retired in 2007. He served two tours in Iraq with the 104th Training Division out of Washington state, his first in 2003 and second in 2007. Green honorably served under General Petraeus with the Multinational Transition Team.

“We were responsible for training the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Army to take over the country for themselves,” Green remembered. “We were under a constant enemy watch; every time we rolled out of the gate we knew they were watching our every move. We had to be on our toes for sure. Thank God we had helicopter cover.”

Although his unit was on the watch during his first tour Green was blown out of a Humvee in a mortar attack and severely damaged his neck, lower back and left shoulder.

But when his injuries weren’t treated properly in 2004, Green was deployed yet again in 2007 and was only there a month before his old injuries came back to haunt him.

“One day my entire left side went numb and the injuries finally shut me down after 25 years of service,” Green said.

He was flown back to the US in July of 2007 for physical therapy and back and neck surgeries at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX.

This week, Green learned that he would be receiving the Craftmatic bed because of his service to the military and his combat related injuries.

“Right now we just have a regular queen sized bed, with a standard mattress,” Green said. “Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I don’t. If my lower back isn’t getting the proper support, I wake up in pain and can’t go back to sleep. I guess I average about four to five hours of sleep a night.”

The Craftmatic Adjustable Beds are especially helpful to those with severe back injuries because the ‘S’ shape of the mattress mimics the curvature of the human spine, supporting the back in ways that flat mattresses cannot.

“Because Craftmatic beds adjust to fill the gaps created between a flat mattress and the spine, the entire back is fully supported,” said Eric Kraftsow, Elevation Bed, LLC owners of the Craftmatic trademark. “This is extremely helpful for those with back and neck injuries, such as SSG Green, who need to be properly supported in order to get a good night’s sleep and wake up fully rested. Craftmatic Adjustable Beds are proud to be an instrumental figure in these wounded heroes roads to recovery.”

For more information about the CraftmaticCARES Program, please visit http://www.craftmaticcares.com/.

# # #
About Craftmatic Adjustable Beds:
Craftmatic® Adjustable Beds first began marketing electrically adjustable beds specifically designed for use in the world's bedrooms over 30 years ago. Today, Craftmatic is one of the world’s best known and respected trademarks for quality products. Craftmatic Adjustable beds are available in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Over 1,000,000 Craftmatic Adjustable Beds are now in use in customer bedrooms around the world and attest to the fact that our unique beds are as durable as they are attractive and comfortable.

For more information, please visit www.CraftmaticCares.com