Segs4Vets
Segs4Vets is a volunteer-supported U.S. program that provides Segway personal mobility devices to severely injured and disabled military veterans.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Segs4Vets is a continuing U.S. grassroots program established in 2005 to provide Segway Personal Transporters, commonly called Segways, to American military personnel and veterans who sustained severe injuries or permanent disabilities while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial brand, it functions as a charitable service and assistance program supported and administered by volunteers. The initiative made its first presentation in September 2005, when three service members injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom received Segway vehicles. The program was developed with assistance from General Ralph “Ed” Eberhart, USAF (Ret.), who was serving as president of the Armed Forces Benefits Association. Its central premise was that a universally designed mobility device could help recipients address practical mobility limitations while also presenting the device as an enabling tool rather than as a visible medical aid. Segs4Vets describes the Segway as offering potential physical and psychological benefits by helping disabled service members move more independently and participate more fully in daily activities. A significant early challenge involved military rules governing gifts to active-duty personnel. After its first presentations, Segs4Vets pursued authorization to provide devices valued above the applicable gift limit to severely injured active-duty service members. In August 2006, it became the only program described as having received a blanket waiver from the U.S. military permitting donations exceeding $1,000 to eligible active-duty personnel. This authorization enabled the program to expand beyond veterans who had already left service and to reach wounded service members during rehabilitation and transition. The program's reach was strengthened through cooperation with the Department of the Navy's Severely Injured Marines and Sailors Initiative, or SIMS. SIMS personnel began working with Segs4Vets in 2006 to encourage service to more severely injured personnel from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Their collaboration produced a major presentation ceremony on December 7, 2006, at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. Although the SIMS pilot program concluded its work in 2007, its staff and advisers continued to support Segs4Vets activities. Segs4Vets also developed training and assessment arrangements at military medical centers where wounded service members received rehabilitative care. Sites identified in the program's history include Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Naval Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and Naval Medical Center San Diego. These arrangements were intended to evaluate recipients' needs, teach safe operation, and integrate the device into rehabilitation and post-service mobility planning. The program has held recurring presentation ceremonies, including events in Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California. Since its establishment, it has reported providing more than 1,200 Segways to wounded or disabled veterans. Sergeant Kortney Clemons, USA (Ret.), is among the notable recipients associated with the program. Segs4Vets has received recognition including the 2008 Secretary of the Army Public Service Award, the 2010 Spirit of Hope Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the 2016 Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Distinguished Citizen Award, presented to Jerry Kerr in connection with his work embodying the society's values. The available reference material does not identify a formal corporate owner, a public-company structure, or a current executive leadership roster.
History
Segs4Vets began in the United States in 2005 as a volunteer-driven effort to improve mobility for military personnel and veterans with severe service-related injuries. Its approach was based on donating Segway personal mobility devices, rather than conventional wheelchairs or other visibly medical equipment, to help recipients manage mobility challenges and participate more independently in work, rehabilitation, and community life. The first presentation took place in September 2005 and involved three people injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. General Ralph “Ed” Eberhart, USAF (Ret.), who was then president of the Armed Forces Benefits Association, assisted with the initiative's conception and implementation. After the initial event, organizers sought permission to provide the relatively high-value devices to eligible active-duty personnel. Military gift rules presented a practical barrier because the value of a Segway could exceed the normal limit for gifts to service members. In August 2006, Segs4Vets obtained a blanket waiver described as the only one of its kind for donations above $1,000 to severely injured active-duty military personnel. The program's institutional relationships expanded in 2006 through the Department of the Navy's Severely Injured Marines and Sailors Initiative. Colonel William J. O'Brien, HMC Christine Jensen, and Joseph Wade worked with Segs4Vets to encourage service to more severely injured Marines, sailors, and other personnel from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The collaboration culminated in a major presentation ceremony on December 7, 2006, at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. SIMS completed its pilot work in May 2007 after identifying coverage gaps and recommending ways to address them, but several individuals involved in the initiative remained active in Segs4Vets-related work. Training and assessment became an important part of the program. In 2006, Segs4Vets began arranging activity at military medical centers that treated and rehabilitated wounded service members. The named sites included Walter Reed Army Medical Center in February 2006, the National Naval Medical Center in May 2006, and Brooke Army Medical Center in November 2006. Naval Medical Center San Diego was added in November 2008. These programs were intended to help determine suitability, provide instruction, and support safe use of the devices. Presentation ceremonies subsequently became a recurring feature, with events associated with Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California. The program has identified wounded veterans such as retired U.S. Army Sergeant Kortney Clemons among its recipients. Publicly available descriptions state that more than 1,200 Segways had been provided to wounded veterans since 2005, although the reference material does not provide a current annual distribution figure or a complete accounting of funding. Segs4Vets has received several forms of recognition. These include the 2008 Secretary of the Army Public Service Award for distinguished public service, the 2010 Spirit of Hope Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the 2016 Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Distinguished Citizen Award presented to Jerry Kerr. The program has also been associated with the Independent Charities of America Seal of Excellence and membership in the Military Family and Veterans Service Organization of America. The available sources do not establish a separate incorporated parent company, a formal commercial ownership structure, or a complete current leadership team. Its public identity remains that of a continuing charitable program supported by volunteers and partners.
- 2016
Distinguished Citizen Award associated with Jerry Kerr
[1]The Congressional Medal of Honor Society presented Jerry Kerr with its Distinguished Citizen Award.
- 2010
Spirit of Hope Award
[1]The Office of the Secretary of Defense presented the program with the Spirit of Hope Award.
- 2008
Naval Medical Center San Diego added
[1]The program expanded its medical-center training and assessment activity to Naval Medical Center San Diego.
- 2008
Secretary of the Army Public Service Award
[1]Segs4Vets received recognition for distinguished public service and support of U.S. veterans.
- 2006
Military donation waiver obtained
[1]The program received a blanket waiver permitting donations exceeding $1,000 to eligible severely injured active-duty military personnel.
- 2006
Medical-center assessment network developed
[1]Training and assessment activity was established at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Naval Medical Center, and Brooke Army Medical Center.
- 2006
First major SIMS-linked presentation ceremony
[1]A large presentation was held on December 7 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, following cooperation with the Navy's SIMS initiative.
- 2005
Program established and first recipients served
[1]Segs4Vets began operating as a volunteer-supported U.S. effort and presented Segway vehicles to three service members injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom in September.
Products and positioning
A volunteer-supported veterans assistance program positioning personal mobility technology as an empowering, rehabilitative, and socially inclusive alternative to conventional medical mobility aids.
Mobility assistance device · 2005
Segway personal mobility devices
The program's principal offering is the donation of Segway personal mobility devices to severely injured and permanently disabled U.S. military personnel and veterans. The devices are presented as universally designed mobility tools that can help recipients navigate daily environments while reducing the emphasis on disability. Segs4Vets combines device provision with eligibility review, training, and assessment through military medical and rehabilitation settings.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Severely Injured Marines and Sailors Initiative collaboration
United States
Segs4Vets worked with the Department of the Navy's SIMS initiative to reach more severely injured Marines, sailors, and other service members from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Outcome. The collaboration produced a major December 2006 presentation ceremony and helped establish a model for later recurring ceremonies.
- 2006Military medical-center training and assessment
United States
The program developed training and assessment arrangements at military medical centers serving wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom personnel.
Outcome. The arrangements supported evaluation and instruction at Walter Reed, the National Naval Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and later Naval Medical Center San Diego.
- Recurring wounded-warrior presentation ceremonies
United States
Segs4Vets has used public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., San Antonio, and San Diego to present mobility devices to eligible wounded and disabled service members.
Outcome. The ceremonies became a continuing public-facing part of the program, although the available source does not specify a complete schedule.
Brand decisions
2006
Pursuit of a military waiver for high-value donationsStrategyBackground
The value of a Segway could exceed the ordinary limit for gifts to active-duty military personnel, restricting the program's ability to serve severely injured service members while they remained in service.
Action taken
Segs4Vets sought and obtained a blanket waiver allowing donations above $1,000 to eligible active-duty personnel.
Aftermath
The waiver enabled the program to extend its assistance to severely injured service members during active-duty rehabilitation and transition.
2006
Expansion into formal training and assessmentStrategyBackground
Recipients needed evaluation and instruction to determine whether a Segway was appropriate for their mobility needs and to support safe operation.
Action taken
The program began establishing training and assessment activity at military medical centers providing rehabilitative care.
Aftermath
The approach broadened Segs4Vets from a donation effort into a program incorporating clinical-context assessment and user training.
Recent events
- 2016
Jerry Kerr receives the Distinguished Citizen Award[1]
Other
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society honored Jerry Kerr with its Distinguished Citizen Award in connection with characteristics and service associated with the society's values.
- 2010
Segs4Vets receives the Spirit of Hope Award[1]
Other
The Office of the Secretary of Defense presented the program with the Spirit of Hope Award.
- 2008
Segs4Vets expands medical-center training and assessment[1]
Other
The program established or expanded training and assessment activity at military medical centers, including Naval Medical Center San Diego.
- 2008
Segs4Vets receives the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award[1]
Other
The program was recognized for distinguished public service and support for U.S. veterans.
- 2006
Segs4Vets receives a blanket military waiver for high-value donations[1]
Regulation
The program obtained a waiver allowing it to donate Segways valued above $1,000 to eligible severely injured active-duty military personnel.
- 2006
SIMS collaboration leads to a major Segs4Vets presentation ceremony[1]
Campaign
The Segs4Vets program and the Navy's Severely Injured Marines and Sailors Initiative collaborated on a presentation ceremony in Arlington, Virginia.
- 2005
Segs4Vets makes its first presentation to wounded Iraq War service members[1]
Other
The program presented Segway vehicles to three recipients who had sustained injuries while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sources2 sources
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