RALEIGH, N.C., April 16, 2015 – Operation: Coming Home, a joint volunteer project by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA), the U.S. Veterans Corps, and various area nonprofits and businesses, has announced that its tenth Hero Home is under construction in Raleigh’s Highland Creek Preserve neighborhood. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, April 16 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the occasion. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Payne will reside in the custom-built home provided by Centex Homes.

Staff Sgt. Payne, a native of North Tonawanda, New York, enlisted in 2002, training at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Buffalo. Upon completion of his training, he joined the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Payne was deployed three times, and was injured during a combat patrol in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, losing both legs and severely injuring his left hand. He was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and later retired from the Army. Staff Sgt. Payne currently resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

On hand for the celebration were Staff Sgt. Payne and family members; James West, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners; representatives from the Raleigh City Council; representatives from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA); representatives from Centex Homes, the USO of North Carolina and members of the U.S. Veterans Corps.

For more information on Operation: Coming Home and the construction of the tenth Hero Home, visit http://www.operationcominghome.com.

DETAILS:

- Staff Sgt. Payne was named the recipient of the tenth Hero Home at the NC State vs. Notre Dame men’s basketball game on Jan. 25.

QUOTES:

“Staff Sgt. Payne selflessly served his country, asking for nothing in return, but we wanted to give him this house as a way to honor his sacrifice and to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of Operation: Coming Home and all our volunteers,” said Tim Minton, president of the Operation: Coming Home Foundation. “This custom-built home from Centex Homes will be a place where he and his wife can establish roots, build a family and become part of the community. We are excited to begin the process of constructing our tenth Hero Home and look forward to its completion in just a few short months.”

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:

Operation: Coming Home on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/OperationComingHome

ABOUT OPERATION: COMING HOME:

Operation: Coming Home is a joint volunteer project by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA), and various area nonprofits and businesses. The project builds and donates homes for disabled combat veterans who have served in the Middle East, after a selection committee interviews candidates to determine the best fit. For more information, visit http://operationcominghome.com.

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