Opening of two new clinics Home BaseThe event, a nonprofit organization managed by the Red Sox Foundation and Mass General Brigham, brought together political leaders, business executives, veterans and members of the public.

Home Base collaborated with Suffolk Construction and the Wounded Warrior Project on the $5.1 million project that added 5,500 square feet of new clinical space.

Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, who joined dignitaries to cut the big blue ribbon, described the expansion as a “major step forward”.

“This expansion will improve the quality of care we are able to provide,” said Hammond, Home Base’s general manager. “This will also allow us to double the number of Special Operations team members coming here each week.”

The Suffolk Innovation Clinic and the Wounded Warrior Project Brain Health and Special Operations Performance Clinic are located in the third-floor expansion.

“This is a project near and dear to each of us in our organization,” said John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction, who serves on the Home Base Board of Supervisors. “Having the opportunity to be a member of such a dedicated organization. . . It means the world to us.”

The clinics will focus on special operations veterans with neurological, psychological and physical conditions related to traumatic brain injuries. The research will focus on developing new methods and treatments to improve veterans’ brain health.

“Our veterans and warriors should never be viewed as a burden to society,” said Retired Lt. Gen. Walt Piatt, CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project. “They must be the leaders of society because they are the ones who set us free.”

In his speech, Ekonak touched upon his service in the Army for 10 years and the help he received at the Home Base. In Iraq and Afghanistan, his job was to analyze and share intelligence to prevent attacks on U.S. troops.

However, there was an attack that no one saw coming. Eight soldiers were killed, a memory he said “will haunt me for years.”

“You can’t stop them all,” Ekoniak said, his voice trembling. “I wish I could have done more that day, and that’s one of the reasons I didn’t sleep well, one of the reasons I came to Home Base.”

He suffered a traumatic brain injury from a botched aerial jump. Yet he continued to serve, even after undergoing 16 surgeries, rehabilitation and physical therapy “for injuries that never healed.”

At the suggestion of his wife and friend, he returned to Home Base for treatment.

“Home Base was the first time I felt truly listened to,” said Ekoniak, who works in a civilian role for the defense department providing care to veterans. “I went to doctors for years and was rejected.”

At Home Base, he finally had a brain MRI; this was a test he never had while serving in the Army. ““I take comfort in knowing that there is a reason why things went wrong, and I am on the road to recovery,” he said.

He recalled the harsh reality of veterans dying by suicide and urged veterans in attendance to prioritize their health.

“Please give yourself a break,” he said. “Live a life worth living. If there is pain, migraine. . . “PTSD symptoms prevent you from doing this, please take time for yourself.”

The audience rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

Kiera McDonald can be reached at [email protected].