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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Two women sought following Rogue River robbery ... Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 12, 1916 ... Oregon LNG withdraws Army Corps lawsuit ... Two women sought following Rogue River robbery ... Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 12, 1916 ... Oregon LNG withdraws Army Corps lawsuit ... Wounded Army sergeant starts care at Walter Reed Tom Rollason of Medford was greeted with 'great respect,' says brother-in-law An Army sergeant from Medford critically wounded in Afghanistan last month is now beginning what his family expects will be a long road to recovery in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Comment By Paul Fattig MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 13, 2009 at 12:20 AM By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 13, 2009 at 12:20 AM » Social News An Army sergeant from Medford critically wounded in Afghanistan last month is now beginning what his family expects will be a long road to recovery in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Tom Rollason, 43, was transferred Sunday night from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center near the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, according to his brother-in-law Johnny Cordero of Medford. The sergeant was accompanied by his wife, Sandee, who is Cordero's sister. "We're very happy about that," Cordero said of Rollason's transfer to Walter Reed. "Tom is not a sit-around kind of guy." Rollason was wounded Sept. 20 by an improvised explosive device while in a truck convoy near Kandahar. Suffering spinal, internal and brain injuries, he was kept in a medically induced coma while in Germany, where he was taken shortly after being wounded, Cordero said. "He is barely sedated now," said Cordero, who is pastor of Lamb's Home Fellowship church in Medford, which the Rollasons attend. "He still has a tracheal tube and is unable to speak, but he is mouthing a lot, expressing himself very much. That's a wonderful sign." With his increased awareness, Rollason wanted to know what happened to three soldiers who were with him, Cordero said, noting that Sandee had to break the news that a friend died in the blast while the other two were wounded. "That was really hard on Tom — he had a good cry," said Cordero who keeps in frequent contact with his sister. Cordero described the sergeant as being respectful to the medical staff but alert enough to begin to feel a little impatient after being bedridden for more than three weeks. However, the soldier is scheduled for spinal surgery on Wednesday, he said. "When he expressed his fear to her, she told him, 'I'm one part, you're one part and together we make a whole," Cordero said, adding that her response buoyed her husband's spirits. Rollason's ambulance trip from the airport was accompanied by emergency lights and sirens to Walter Reed, where he was greeted with "great respect and a little pomp," Cordero observed. Sandee Rollason is staying at a hotel which has a shuttle every 30 minutes to the medical center, he added. "Sandee is handling it well but is very close to the point where she will need someone by her side," he noted. The Rollasons have three grown children who are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C. shortly, he said. They include daughter Elijah Rollason of Eagle Point and sons Joshua Rollason of Medford and Tim Rosenberg of Kennewick, Wash. A member of the 569th Combat Engineers/4th Engineer Division, Rollason was deployed to Afghanistan in February from Iraq, where he had just started his second tour. Contributions to help the family, whose home is not wheelchair-accessible, can be made in Rollason's name at local U.S. Bank branches as well as the Rogue Federal Credit Union. Cards can be sent to Sgt. Rollason in care of Cordero at 2131 Hill Way, Medford, OR 97504. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected]. By Paul Fattig MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 13, 2009 at 12:20 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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