St. Louis, Mo.—The National Wood Flooring Association has provided flooring for its 85th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program.
The home dedication for retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joe Bowser took place Nov. 19, 2025, in Ashland City, Tenn. NWFA member Mullican Flooring donated the wood flooring for the project.
Bowser re-enlisted in the Army Reserves following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. While deployed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was injured when two rockets exploded near him. The blasts resulted in the loss of his right leg.
“Sergeant Bowser underwent 14 surgeries following his injury but continued to serve through 2021 as staff assistant to the secretary of the Army,” said Stephanie Owen, NWFA president and CEO. “His new home will be an enduring reminder of our gratitude for his service to our country. We’re honored to partner with Mullican Flooring to provide beautiful real wood floors for his new home.”
The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. In addition to the 85 completed homes, NWFA is working with its members to source wood flooring for 14 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. To date, 163 NWFA member companies have donated products, logistics and installation services across the United States. Those contributions total more than $7 million.
A list of participating companies is available at nwfa.org/giving-back.