Helping families, Building stronger communities

Well I can't wait to get back into the groove of milblogging. I never realized how much therapy it was to write about "the life" and have feedback.

As part of my new job of working with families I have attend various training classes to learn more about the programs available through the Army for them. Two that I have taken this week.

One was the Care Team training. Care Team members are people who, after a family has been notified of a lost Soldier, volunteer to work - round the clock if needed - to assist the family with everything from picking up groeries to fielding calls to taking care of pets and/or children so the spouse can grieve in a process that is best for them. It takes tremendous strength and personal fortitude to put yourself in a place where you face the harsh realities of war.

The second class was a seminar on Domestic Violence. It was disheartening to learn about how close DV is to my own home, but it is a problem nationawide. It is just more "advertised" in the military world because it is so easy to pick on the negatives. But I was amazed at the many program put into service by the Army and Dept. of Defense to help the families. It made me feel better about helping families because there are so many others out there focused on helping families.

I am constantly amazed at the support that is provided by the military for the families. I can see how much has changed over the history of the military. Where it once was concern for the Soldier on a professional level it has moved more towards ensure the families are cared for as well. The moral of the Soldier and health of the family are equally as important as the training and professional aspect of the Soldier. It's great to know that we are important too.

Until our next cup of tea ...