Actor Gary Sinise played double-amputee Lt. Dan in “Forrest Gump.” Now he’s helping real-life wounded veterans live more independent lives.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the Gary Sinise Foundation just built its first smart home in North Texas for a wounded Collin County veteran, and a second Dallas-Fort Worth home is in the works for a wounded Flower Mound vet.

Through the foundation’s RISE Program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment), Sinise builds smart homes that adapt to the specific needs of severely wounded veterans. Since 2011, the nonprofit has either built or started 61 homes nationwide.

"As citizens, I believe we have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that our returning defenders are welcomed back into their communities with the resources to begin a new life," Sinise said in a statement. "As we all are the beneficiaries of the blessing of freedom they sacrifice to provide."

The Collin County recipient, 33-year-old retired U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Byers, lost his leg from an explosion in Iraq. His new 3,000 square-foot energy efficient smart home is helping him adjust to his new life by providing wide doorways and hallways to accommodate his wheelchair as well as a specially-equipped bathroom where he can shower in private without assistance. 

The microwave oven was installed for Byers’ reach. And smart features allow him and his wife to turn lights on and off, change the HVAC temperature, monitor outside security cameras, see who’s at the front door, and even unlock the door via an iPad.

Though the Sinise Foundation provided the home in an unincorporated part of Collin County, Byers is responsible for taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

"Our main goal [was] to build the home that could help Brandon regain some of his independence," Scott Schaeperkoetter, director of operations for RISE, told the News.