Email   Print   Share By Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General

Facebook Digg Delicious July 26, 2012 | Editorial

The decade of combat has taken a toll on our Soldiers and Families, including children who’ve had their fathers and mothers gone for, literally, half their lives. For many of the Soldiers and veterans coming home, the battle hasn’t ended. They face physical and mental injuries, anxiety, depression, changing Family dynamics, financial problems and the extraordinary challenges of post-traumatic stress. We need to attack the negative stigma of seeking help. You are the best warrior in the world, but you’re still a human being. Calling for help in dealing with these issues is no different than calling in for help for other reasons. We have learned that the earlier we are able to address and treat an issue, the better the prospects are for those suffering. Another thing we’ve learned is that it is critical to start building resilience in our Soldiers with a commitment to Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

This past weekend, Fort Hood had the honor of hosting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors seminar and Good Grief Camp. Hundreds of people joined together with survivors for a powerful time of support, care and hope. The conference was a special program of comfort and support for all those grieving the loss of a service member. It provided survivors with a wealth of information, resources and personal contact with fellow survivors in a spirit of friendship and understanding with workshops designed to help heal and cope with life after loss and to restore resilience.

Bereavement experts tell us that for each active- duty military loss, there are an average of 10 people who are significantly impacted by the death. They are mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, fiancés, grandparents, cousins, and other relatives and Family friends. Many people think that military service members only die in wartime, but there has always been unfortunate loss in the military.

TAPS mission is to provide ongoing peer-based emotional support to anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one who served in the Armed Forces. TAPS is committed to providing compassionate care to anyone who is grieving the death of someone serving in the military, regardless of the circumstances of death, relationship to the deceased, or geography, and their services are provided free-of-charge. They are able to bring survivors together for comfort, healing and hope through grief seminars for adults and Good Grief Camps for children.

The Good Grief Camp for children and teens provides a safe and supportive atmosphere to conduct activities and opportunities to learn coping skills, establish and identify support systems, and create awareness that they are not alone in the grief of their loved one. Children and teens meet others their own age to share and learn together.

Many of our military members supported the Good Grief Camp by serving as mentors or big brothers or big sisters to children who have lost a parent, guardian or other loved one in military service.

The Army is one of the most resilient institutions in our nation with a deep bench of talent and leadership, and we are ready and able to foster and care for our Soldiers and Families. The Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camps are providing support to our military Families who have lost loved ones. Programs like these are crucial to maintain the resilience of Army Families. Despite an extraordinarily tough decade, the Army has kept its course straight and true, remaining the strength of our nation and will continue to care for our Soldiers. History tells us that our Army and our nation have dealt with tougher times.

Finally, watch out for one another. Remember that when things look the worst – you will need each other the most. Thank you for all you do for our Army.

Phantom Warriors! Army Strong!