Retired Army commander gives back as nurse at Lafayette VA Clinic
After Steve Baunach retired from the U.S. Army in 2015, little did he know he would see more action, this time helping his fellow Veterans at the Lafayette VA Clinic.
“In 2020, I was called up by the 101st Airborne as a reserve, when the pandemic hit, to run a COVID clinic and Army hospital,” Baunach recalled. “It made me want to give back after my reserve time.” In 2022, the Afghanistan War Veteran missed the comradery with the soldiers, so he applied to the Lafayette VA Clinic, where he now works as a registered nurse in primary care.
The 65-year-old nurse loves to see his Veterans and colleagues happy. Baunach and some of his co-workers recently held a birthday celebration for a 100-year-old Veteran at the Lafayette VA Clinic. Before joining the VA as an employee, Baunach was a patient at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. “I was on the outside looking in,” said Baunach. “Now that I’m on the inside, looking out, I want our employees to know that I see how focused they are, giving Veterans the best care. I love my teammates.”