OCTOBER 3, 2025 – Since March of 2025, Centro de Rehabilitacion Integral de Comayagua (CRIC) has come to know the caring heart and guidance of Joint Task Force-Bravo’s two-person physical therapy team.
U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Collier Amundson, Army Forces Medical Detachment (AFMD) Chief of Rehabilitation and Minnesota-native, dedicates one day each week to caring for Honduran locals. He offers exercises and regiments that facilitate the healing of neurologic and orthopedic cases, ranging from spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries to significant joint trauma.
Starting out as a passion for strength and conditioning, Amundson explained how he experienced the transformative power of fitness and movement firsthand while he was an active-duty Airman in the U.S. Air Force, where he then felt a calling to separate and go to school, obtaining his Clinical Doctorates from the Mayo Clinic. After 15 years in the civilian sector, he felt drawn back to the military with a new mission: working as a medical specialist officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. From then on, he’s used his expertise to provide care with long-term health improvements for his patients.
“The most rewarding aspect of conducting physical therapy missions in Comayagua is the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals who would otherwise go without care,” said Amundson.
Many of the patients face significant financial and physical limitations and traveling to a medical facility is not feasible.
“For them, rehabilitation isn’t just inaccessible—it’s unimaginable,” Amundson said.
One of the most compelling patient journeys, he recalls, was of a young man who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, resulting in the complete loss of motor and sensory functions.
Amundson said when the man first arrived at the CRIC, nearly four months post-injury, he was nonverbal, unable to swallow food or water, reliant on a feeding tube, wheelchair bound, and completely dependent on others for all aspects of care.
“From the moment he entered our program, I knew the path ahead would be long—but not impossible,” Amundson expressed with hope.
He began by extensively educating the patient’s parents on safely stretching and mobilizing him to restore range of motion, emphasizing frequent position changes throughout the day and encouraging the patient to engage with his surroundings outside of his wheelchair. Amundson also provided a regimen of daily exercises aimed at rebuilding strength, postural control, and foundational movement patterns.
“Over time, the transformation was remarkable,” Amundson stated. “He began to verbalize, eat and drink independently, and—perhaps most moving of all—he started smiling and joking with his parents again.”
Amundson joyfully shared the most recent milestone for the young man was him standing on his own for the first time since his injury.
Other patients, like Rito Chavez, a Honduran from La Paz who suffered a machete work accident, also attested to the healing practices of Amundson’s physical therapy regiments.
“Being able to move again is life-changing for my family,” said Chavez. “I’m the only income for my family, and even though we have to travel far for care, I’ve noticed a big difference since coming to physical therapy for the last three months.”
U.S. Army Reservist Sgt. Tyler Grant, AFMD combat medic and physical therapy assistant from Ohio, was also inspired by Amundson’s transformative work.
“Maj. Amundson is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met,” Grant said. “You can tell he loves his job and he’s very knowledgeable. I don’t think there’s anything else he would rather do in his life. This is it.”
Grant added that although he is a combat medic by trade and currently working on his nursing degree, he’s now looking into physical therapy school after his time as an assistant with Amundson.
“These missions have profoundly impacted me in two key ways: both professionally and personally,” Amundson said.
He explained professionally, he’s become a far more versatile practitioner due to working in resource-limited settings, challenging him to develop creative, effective treatment strategies with minimal equipment, and strengthening his neurological skillset.
While his civilian practice primarily focuses on ambulatory orthopedic patients, here he’s had the opportunity to manage patients with complex neurological cases caused by strokes, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries, deepening his confidence as a physical therapist.
On a personal level, he noted the missions have reinforced a powerful truth that as a medical provider, he can make meaningful impacts wherever he goes.
“Witnessing the needs of underserved communities and the transformative power of care has inspired me to pursue global outreach beyond the scope of my military service,” Amundson said.
Amundson envisions committing to international healthcare efforts long-term and exploring the possibility of launching his own nonprofit to expand his efforts globally.
“My hope for my patients is that they never lose faith in their ability to grow, adapt, and reclaim movement throughout their lives,” Amundson states. “The human body is remarkably resilient—its capacity for neuroplasticity and physical adaption is nothing short of extraordinary.”
Story by Staff Sgt. Sadie Colbert
Joint Task Force Bravo