Service on the front lines.

National Service Officer Danny Soto winds his way through the snarl of rush hour traffic in Washington, D.C., each morning. It's not even 7 a.m., but he's on his way to the front lines of service--Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"It's a job I love," said the former Navy corpsman. "I have literally hundreds of wounded veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and other battlefronts who need the DAV's help. I'm there to serve."

"The DAV has always sought to extend our service to newly disabled service members," said National Service Director Randy Reese. "We had a need to be where these wounded service members were, and we've assigned Danny Soto there to do the jobs they need done."

Soto's office is Room G-27 at Walter Reed. A bilingual native of Puerto Rico, he's as comfortable with Spanish as he is with English. Since many of the returning troops primarily speak Spanish, he's able to explain complex issues relating to VA benefits in their native language.

He dispenses his professional counseling expertise as service members undergo Medical Evaluation Boards and discharge reviews and files claims for those soldiers leaving the service.

"I make sure that all their injuries are documented and that they receive their rightful benefits as combat-wounded veterans," he said. "I also try to cheer them up and make their lives a little better as they go through rehabilitation."

Soto is also available to family members who have lots of questions about what will happen to their loved ones. Will they get medical care after they get out of the service? How does government care work? What will happen?

He meets with all family members of newly wounded patients once a week, using his network of contacts and his sharply-honed skills as an NSO to ensure that questions are addressed and service is provided.

"I try to give them the best information available," said Soto. "The wounded veterans and their families suddenly find themselves in a system in which they have no knowledge and cannot fathom the myriad of details required."

Even with his office at Walter Reed in Washington, Soto is often at nearby Bethesda National Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland assisting wounded Marines and sailors.

"They are often the most seriously wounded of the casualties coming back from Iraq," said Soto. "They face long months of recuperation and rehabilitation. It's where I am needed, and I'm happy to be there to help."

Recognizing the impending needs of wounded service members, DAV was among the first to offer professional claims services at Walter Reed and Bethesda. Soto, working out of the DAV's National Service Office in downtown Washington, found himself spending most of his days working directly with the newest generation of disabled veterans, with a good part of the time spent on the road.

In order to provide even better service, DAV received permission to establish a National Service Office at Walter Reed. Now wounded veterans know where to find Soto when they need him, and loved ones can get answers to their questions.

"Soto is also an important link to the outside world for the rehabilitating service members," said Reese. "He is a driver and escort to dinners at local restaurants each Friday night. He takes them to Washington Nationals baseball games and often takes wounded soldiers on the field to meet with Major League Baseball players. It is Soto who encourages them to go out in public and build their confidence."

"Danny's language skills, medical knowledge and compassionate nature are welcomed by the wounded service members at Walter Reed and Bethesda," said Reese. "He's one of them--a disabled veteran--and his personal skills quickly win over disabled veterans."

"I know I'm here to do a job," said Soto. "But it's a job I love, so it isn't really work. It's a pleasant mission to help these young men and women rebuild their lives with all their rightful benefits."

"I am very grateful to be part of the DAV's mission to build better lives for disabled veterans and their families," he said. "It's an honor to serve them or any veteran that needs the DAV's services."

"Clearly, these young men and women need our services," said Reese. "It is the core work of the DAV. We will stand by them for their time in Walter Reed, and the rest of their lives."