Photo by Craig Coleman First-graders from Lafayette Elementary School in the District entertain Soldiers, family members and staff with a patriotic celebration in Wagner Sports Center Nov. 13.

1st Lt. Daniel Berschinski, Staff Sgt. Bradley Fasnacht, Sgt. Thomas Rollason, Pvt. 1st Class Joshua Kerber and Pvt. 1st Class Roger Scherf were awarded the decoration for wounds sustained in battle by Brig. Gen Richard P. Mustion, Adjutant General of the Army.

Berschinski lost both legs above the knee to an improvised explosive attack Aug. 18 in Arghandab district of Kandahar province. He arrived at Walter Reed Aug 25.

‘‘The care here’s been phenomenal,” Berschinski said. ‘‘You can see that they get a lot out of helping Soldiers heal.” He praised the doctors, nurses, physical therapists and prostheticians. ‘‘The guys who make the prosthetics are part scientist and part artist. I was just walking for the third time today on my prosthetic legs. It’s just amazing what they can do. Walter Reed gets top-of-line prosthetics. If you lose a limb and you want to get it replaced, this is the place to be.”

Berschinski isn’t sure whether he will stay in the Army. If he does leave, he plans to attend graduate school in the Washington, D.C. area and later look for work here. ‘‘I’d like to be close to Walter Reed, so I can continue to work with the Military Advanced Training Center whenever I need to.”

Kerber, 21, a military policeman from West Chicago, Ill., was wounded while on patrol in the Lobar Province of Afghanistan, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle. He lost his left arm in the fight Oct. 4. He called his medical treatment at Walter Reed ‘‘wonderful.”

‘‘The doctors tell me I’m trying to do too much at this point,” Kerber said. ‘‘I just try to keep pushing myself to get back to normalcy. You learn to do certain things with one arm, certain aspects of life change, but I’m still going to knock down every wall that gets in my way. That’s how I’ve always been, and that’s how I’m going to continue to be.”

‘‘I was just so extremely proud. It was a very, very proud moment,” said his mother, Kathy Kerber.

Scherf was the only survivor in his squad from an IED attack Oct. 27 in Arghandab. He lost a lung in the attack, among other injuries. ‘‘My nurses who looked after me, my doctor, were outstanding,” he said.

Scherf isn’t sure whether he will stay in the Army. If he doesn’t, he plans to go to college, find work in law enforcement or park services and start a family.

Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland, commanding general of the Northern Regional Medical Command (Provisional) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said through squad leaders, nurse case managers, primary care physicians, social workers, education counselors, and job fairs, Walter Reed is helping wounded, injured and ill Soldiers complete their mission of healing, and transition, whether that is staying in the military or transferring into civilian life.

‘‘We’ve all heard that life is a journey, and yours is a journey of transition, back where we need to have you and whatever your goals and dreams may be,” Hawley-Bowland said. ‘‘You warriors are the focus of our healing efforts, and you deserve our very best efforts. You inspire me every day. Your Warrior Transition Brigade cadre are proof of the commitment to never leave a fallen comrade behind. We’re all very proud of what [they] do to lead and support these warriors.”

Before the ceremony, 106 first-graders from Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C. entertained Soldiers, family members and staff with a patriotic celebration, featuring the music of John Phillip Sousa, George M. Cohen and other favorites. Interspersed with the songs were short recitals. World War II veterans from California also attended the celebration and award ceremony.