By Judy Troccano, Guest Blogger

Editor’s Note: CaringBridge is a participant in the AW2 Community Support Network.

CaringBridge provides free, personalized websites to help wounded warriors and their Families stay connected to their strongest support groups–their extended Family members. These websites are designed specifically to help Families communicate critical information and stay in touch in a healthcare crisis. After a combat injury, setting up a CaringBridge website is the fastest, easiest way to keep in touch with Family, friends and those still deployed in the field.

The free, nonprofit web service simplifies communication by providing one central place to update everyone. A CaringBridge website includes a journal to post health updates, a photo album, and a guestbook for loved ones to leave messages of support and encouragement. It connects a Soldier’s entire community, creating a network of support for everyone involved.

Families going through a serious health event can be overwhelmed by medical terminology, treatment decisions and hospital visits. In times like these, support from extended Family and friends can be essential.

The website can be an important tool to help wounded warriors reduce isolation and stress in a difficult time, giving them a much-needed outlet for sharing their experience and receiving support.

CaringBridge has grown to host more than 170,000 personal sites that connect over half-a-million people daily. The free websites are not just for war-related injuries–they are also used for Families facing cancer, a serious car accident, premature birth and much more. Learn more or create a site today at www.CaringBridge.org.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

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AW2 Symposium delegates James and Diana Hume meet with representatives of the San Antonio Vet Center at AW2's Community Support Exhibit Hall.

By Sarah Greer, WTC Stratcom

There’s so much energy in the Community Support Exhibit Hall here at the AW2 Symposium. Delegates are learning about valuable resources provided by the 23 organizations attending.

I got a chance to talk to most of the exhibitors today, and their enthusiasm was contagious. So many had stories to share about their work with wounded warriors and Families—and their plans to expand to serve even more Soldiers and Veterans. These organizations are an incredible example of the commitment and compassion that thousands of organizations exhibit toward America’s wounded warriors every single day.

The organizations at this year’s Community Support Exhibit Hall include:

• Air Compassion for Veterans*
• America’s Adopt a Soldier*
• Bob Woodruff Foundation
• Challenge America*
• Disabled Sports USA
• Freedom Alliance*
• Give an Hour*
• Higher Ground*
• Hope For The Warriors*
• INRange Systems
• Lakeshore Foundation*
• Operation Mend – UCLA Health System
• Our Military Kids*
• Patriot Paws*
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.*
• Project Victory
• Quality of Life Foundation
• San Antonio Vet Center*
• SHARE Initiative / Shepherd Center*
• Triple H Equitherapy
• U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Center and School
• U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military Program*
• Wheelers for the Wounded – San Antonio

* Denotes organizations in the AW2 Community Support Network

Three years ago, Symposium delegates asked AW2 to help them learn more about the resources available to AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families. In response, AW2 launched the AW2 Community Support Network in 2009 to increase local community support for wounded warriors to assist in their reintegration and long-term success.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

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By Sarah Greer, WTC Stratcom

Today at the AW2 Annual Training, Maureen Pratt from the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy and I presented on “Networking with Resources” to educate the AW2 staff about the National Resource Directory and the AW2 Community Support Network.

While the AW2 staff does a great job networking with all types of organizations to connect AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families with the resources available to them, AW2 wanted to ensure everyone knew about the updated and new tools.

Maureen gave a great overview of the National Resource Directory (NRD), an online database of more than 10,000 organizations available to support wounded warriors. The NRD is a partnership effort between the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, and wounded warriors should look there first when they need to find a useful resource. NRD contains federal and military programs, state and local organizations, nonprofits, and Veteran service organizations, and it was recently redesigned to make it even easier for wounded warriors to find the resources they’re looking for. AW2 staff were appreciative of having a central, federal resource to find specific resources for their wounded warriors.

The AW2 Community Support Network was also well-received—I was thrilled to recognize several staff members for recommending quality organizations and for building warm relationships with the organizations that do such a good job supporting AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families. We talked about ways to strengthen relationships with AW2 Community Support Network organizations—these organizations can participate in quarterly conference calls with AW2 leadership and even submit blogs about their success stories and upcoming events for AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families.

To the AW2 Soldiers and Veterans—you can recommend organizations, too. Feel free to send me an e-mail at AW2CommunitySupportNetwork@conus.army.mil with the organizations that have made a difference in your recovery and transition.

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By Ann Yingling, AW2 Advocate

I had a really cool day recently! Jeff, one of the Veterans I work with, is in the process of receiving a psychiatric service dog through Paws 4 Vets, a member of the AW2 Community Support Network.

I say “process” because it is certainly that. There are applications, interviews, home studies, and “bumps” to attend. (A bump is the process of meeting various dogs to see if any of them bond with the human. And believe me—the dog is the one doing the choosing!) There are trainers to meet, training to attend, and on and on. And it is for good reason that the process is so meticulous—this is serious stuff, not only for the person who receives the dog, but for the dog, too. It’s finding a life partner and making a life-long commitment!

But back to my day… I traveled to Fort Stewart where Paws 4 Vets has a pilot program with the Warrior Transition Battalion there. Both Cadre and Soldiers assigned to the WTB will be training the dogs, which will eventually be assigned to a Soldier or Veteran. Attending that day at Fort Stewart were Terry Henry, Director of Paws 4 Vets, his daughter Kyria who trains the trainers, the Soldiers who will be training the dogs, and Jeff and his parents.

We started out with basic introductions—Jeff and another Veteran (Navy!) who will also be receiving a dog, told the group their “story”. It was very emotional—both heart breaking and heart warming, listening to these two Veterans talk about their service in Iraq, their struggles with PTSD, and the hope for a “normal” life that the dogs have given them. All the while they were speaking, several beautiful golden retrievers and a black lab lay quietly and patiently at their feet. The Soldiers who are training the dogs then spoke about how this program has given them something worthwhile to get excited about—knowing that they will be helping out a fellow wounded warrior. They also told of the benefits received from the dogs in their own healing process.

Then we got to see Sallie, one of the goldens, in action! She showed us just one way that she will be helping a wounded warrior who suffers from agoraphobia (the fear of crowds or open spaces). If Jeff (for example) and Sallie are out in public, and someone is approaching Jeff from behind, Sallie will nudge Jeff in a special way to alert him. If Jeff is not paying attention, Sallie will nudge a second time, a little harder. If the person has approached within an arm’s length of Jeff, Sallie gives a very definitive bark to alert him. Another way a psychiatric service dog has been known to help is that they can “sense” things we humans can’t. For example—for someone who is prone to seizures, flashbacks, or nightmares, the dog might sense the event before it actually happens. Dogs have been known to warn a person of an oncoming seizure—alerting the person so that he can get to a safe place before the onset of the seizure. Dogs can wake a person up before the he becomes too entrenched in a nightmare or flashback. Also, the responsibility of having a service dog is another “hidden” benefit. A dog has to be let out and has to be walked and fed. These responsibilities can help get a person out of the house, give the person a mission or something to focus on.

At Fort Stewart that day, I saw lots of neat “tricks” that a psychiatric service dog can do and I also witnessed the most basic benefit of a service dog: the love and companionship provided. No one loves you as unconditionally as a dog!

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By Sarah Greer, WTC Stratcom

Thirteen new organizations have joined the AW2 Community Support Network since February 1. These organizations want to publicly show their support for severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families through the AW2 Community Support Network, which is now 125 organizations strong.

I encourage all AW2 Community Support Network organizations to submit their success stories and upcoming opportunities so AW2 can share the information with all AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families through the AW2 blog and publications. In the last few weeks, we have posted information about other AW2 Community Supporters, including the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injuries, Our Military Kids, Give an Hour, the National Military Family Association, and Colorado Technical University. I’d love to hear from more organizations as well.

New Organizations (registered between February 1 and March 9, 2010)

• Air Compassion for Veterans
• America’s Adopt a Soldier
• Call of Duty Endowment
• Fore Hope, Inc.
• Higher Ground
• Monmouth University School of Social Work: The Coming Home Project
• NEADS, Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
• Outdoor Explorations
• Service Dog Project, Inc.
• The Scott Rigsby Foundation
• The Sierra Group
• United States Association of Blind Athletes
• WarriorWorks, Inc.

Any AW2 Soldier, Veteran, or Family member can nominate an organization for the AW2 Community Support Network by contacting me at AW2CommunitySupportNetwork@conus.army.mil or (703) 325-0397. For more information, please visit the AW2 Community Support Network section of the AW2 Web site.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

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