A Much Needed Outreaching Hand Of Support

Today, unlike any generation in history, citizens across the country are increasingly supportive in their actions and commitments to all members of the armed forces.

Americans in Afghanistan preparing to head 'outside the wire' ready their weapons. Salem-News.com photo: Tim King

(LOS ANGELES) - This article is about support. This is about our giving the life-blood of help to those who have been willing to shed their own life’s blood for all of us.

This is an article to shine a bright light on those service members, veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen who are often left in the shadows as they return from service and try to reenter “normal” life.

It is also about those left behind when a loved one dies in the name of service. Facing the heartbreaking loss of their loved one, while struggling to find their own new place in the living world, is a challenge that can’t be met alone.

There are many men and women service members, veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen — who need us. It is now our turn to be there for them. This is about our being other-driven. Compassionate. Empathic. This is about stepping outside of ourselves, and our lives for a moment. To reach out to those in need.

To offer the many resources we have in our communities, while finding positive and productive solutions for these giving service members. For the past several years, under the strong leadership of Admiral Mike Mullen, the Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a dedicated, determined and dogged team of talented members of the armed forces have been working tirelessly to make a noted difference in the lives of many.

They are the members of the Warrior and Family Support Office. I have had the privilege to get to know these outstanding men and women over the course of the past year.

Under the adroit and effective leadership of Colonel David W. Sutherland, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this phenomenal team of professionals has made a difference in the lives of many. Colonel Sutherland has the abilities and skills of a gifted leader. He communicates with his team with the strength of an encouraging manager.

He understands the intricacies of leadership and management and has mastered both. His true and honest passion is evident to all those who hear him speak. His persuasive and purposeful resolve to help all those that serve is indisputable. One of the missions for the Warrior and Family Support Office is to travel to all 50 states to meet with community leaders, Chambers of Commerce, business groups, non-profits, charitable foundations and others. The goal is to create awareness in communities, and identify the needs of our servicemen and women and to cultivate helpful resources in each city. And, in addition, to anticipate and assist with the difficult transitions of those entering the work force, education arena or the pressures of “normal living.”

It has been demonstrated, that when Americans know of a problem, especially with our service members, they can rise above anything to help. Many times it is simply identifying the need and then putting our collective and creative minds together to solve it. It is in our nature to help.

Today, unlike any generation in history, citizens across the country are increasingly supportive in their actions and commitments to all members of the armed forces. Our nation is so full of support for our service members it is difficult to illustrate all the organizations and individuals trying to do their part to support our veterans.

Admiral Michael Mullen, the Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calls this a “Sea of Goodwill” of American support. Focusing on this supportive commitment to our service members, “Sea of Goodwill” conceptual paper was co-authored by Major John W. Copeland and Colonel David W. Sutherland. The concept of this “goodwill” flows along many paths, at varying rates or speeds, which ebbs and flows into almost every community and neighborhood.

It is not a government program; it is the description of the growing desire across the country to support service members and veterans. The Full Text of Sea Of Goodwill can be found at the Link below.

http://www.hjfcp3.org/wp-content/uploads/Sea_of_Goodwill_17_May_2010.pdf)

The crucial focus of this Sea Of Goodwill is creating the public’s awareness, building supportive dialog, encouraging community involvement, and promoting community services for service members, veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen.

The primary goal is to improve the quality of life of our returning service members, veterans, their families, and families of the fallen. The significance of this support is in the matching of a community’s desire to help those who are actually returning to their hometowns. The success rate is tremendous when the help is tailored to the individual and the community they are a part of.

We need to reach out and extend help within our communities to the returning service members on his/her return home. Their needs are great. Offering them educational guidance along with the availability to start or continue their education is invaluable. Providing the security and promise of meaningful employment. Attaining crucial access and the right to good quality health care. All of these would provide the returning service member’s transition an easier reentry into society.

Most of us know the power of independent groups working successfully together within a community — so much can be accomplished! This same attitude and determination to succeed can be utilized to help our service members.

So much can be achieved if we all extend a hand, offer our talents, time and a giving heart.

As more and more of our service member return home and make their way back into society, the public is just beginning to become aware of the many transitional needs of these most important service members, veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen.

The next phase of this most difficult work begins with the implementation of practical solutions to help these deserving men and women. It begins with all of us — it starts with us asking everyone in our own communities to help. Get involved. Find out about organizations in your area that are reaching out to help. Be pro-active. Give to those who have given to us. This can be America at its best.

These Americans need to be welcomed back — with an open-heart and an outreached hand.

“A Much Needed Outreaching Hand Of Support”
Resources To Help Veterans
October 6, 2011

GETTING INVOLVED

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Across the nation, many local-level organizations are forming to ensure that our Nation’s returning Service Members, Veterans, Families and Families of the Fallen have access to the services and support they need to succeed during transition and reintegration into civilian life.

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES:

WARRIOR GATEWAY
Warrior Gateway is a privately funded non-profit organization created to connect the military community with health care, education and employment organizations. It provides access to the largest directory of service organizations, national to local, and enables to search by category or location, including zip code.
Website: www.warriorgateway.org

NATIONAL RESOURCE DIRECTORY (NRD)
The National Resource Directory (NRD) is a government-sponsored Web portal created to help connect to services and resources that support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration. The U.S. Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor created the NRD.
Website: www.nrd.gov

I SUPPORT VETS
I Support Vets (ISV) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise patriotic support for our veterans at the local and national levels and to help ready our communities to receive and care for our military families. ISV has the firm belief that our military members, past and present, receive the utmost thanks and support of a grateful nation. The ISV team has developed a custom dog tag as a visual demonstration of support. ISV assists communities in their readiness to serve our veterans by strengthening the people and organizations that directly serve them.
Website: www.isupportvets.org

STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
Student Veterans of America (SVA) provides Veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and through graduation. SVA member chapters are student groups that have formed on college and university campuses to provide peer-to-peer networks for Veterans attending those schools.
Website: www.studentveterans.org

TROOPS TO COLLEGE
ENSURING VETERANS ARE AWARE OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS
The Troops to College program aims to attract more Veterans to California’s public universities and colleges by making campuses more Veteran friendly and promoting community services for our reintegrating Veterans, families, and families of the fallen. It is a partnership between the Governor’s office, California’s Community Colleges, California State University, the University of California, the state’s Departments of Education, Veterans Affairs, and Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as well as all branches of the Armed Forces.
Website: www.troopstocollege.ca.gov

THE PATHWAY HOME –
CARING FOR THE NATION’S “NEW WARRIORS”
The Pathway Home is a residential, state-licensed care center for the treatment of post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) located on the grounds of The Veterans Home of California in Yountville. It serves all branches of active and non-active military and the National Guard by providing community services for our reintegrating Veterans, Families, and Families of the Fallen.
Website: www.thepathwayhome.org

COMING HOME PROJECT
The Coming Home Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted, since 2006, to providing expert, compassionate care, support, education, and stress management tools for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, service members, their families, and their service providers. They are an experienced multi-disciplinary team of psychotherapists, veterans and interfaith leaders committed to alleviating the unseen wounds of war.
Website: www.cominghomeproject.net

ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION OF NYC
Since 1988, the Robin Hood Foundation has targeted poverty in New York City. They are focusing on building public awareness through an information campaign and encouraging community involvement by the programs they support. 100% of all donations go directly to the source of a problem to find a solution.
Website: www.robinhood.org/home.aspx

A Note From Lesli: A very special thank you for the Herculean efforts of all those in the Warrior and Family Support Office and all the amazing work they do. They are truly America’s best!

An additional thank you to the Warrior and Family Support Office for this partial listing of the thousands of resources and opportunities for all of us to get involved in helping these brave men and women. *No endorsement of any named organization is implied.

Lesli Moore Dahlke is a Salem-News.com Contributor based in Los Angeles who was born and raised in the Golden State of California. She describes herself as a child of the 50’s, growing up in the same place she has always lived- the San Fernando Valley, which is a vast suburb of Los Angeles, where her father Del Moore was a noted television and movie actor.

Lesli studied journalism and recieved a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Television and Film Production from California State University Northridge. Her credits include commercial film production, numerous areas of television production; including producing live sports programming, documentaries for The Discovery Channel, PBS Network programming and Telecourse, as well as producing the first series for the Playboy Channel and various other ventures. Her experiences were vast, challenging and never routine, yet Lesli’s most challenging experiences were yet to come, with the diagnoses of two virulent cancers caused by her exposure to Agent Orange while with the USO as an innocent 18-year old girl. Send Lesli an email ad this address: lesli@alossofinnocence.com