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WASHINGTON D.C. (June 23, 2008) - Losing a parent or sibling who
served in the military can be devastating to children, but they
don't have to cope alone.
Thanks to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, more
than 300 of war's youngest survivors attended the TAPS "Good Grief
Camp" over Memorial Day weekend. Many of them have lost a father or
brother serving with the military in Iraq or Afghanistan.
TAPS is a veterans service organization providing peer-based
emotional support, grief and trauma resources, seminars, case work
assistance, and 24/7 crisis intervention care for all those
affected by a death of a loved one in military service. The
organization has held its Good Grief Camps for 14 years.
"We've found that children who have attended the Good Grief Camp
felt a closeness to each other like many have never experienced, as
they are surrounded by others their age who have [suffered] a
similar loss," said Heather Campagna, director of the 2008 Good
Grief Camp. "There is a comfort when someone says they understand,
… and for the first time, in many instances, they know it is
true."
While attending the camp, children are paired one on one with a
military mentor who becomes their "big brother" or "big sister" for
the weekend. They gain their own age-appropriate peer support
network and learn coping strategies for dealing with loss through
educational activities.
The campers also connect their own family's experience with a
national legacy of military service, learning how the nation honors
those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the
country as they visit memorials and participate in ceremonies.
Organizers say the depth of loss children experience may not be
fully recognized.
"When a child loses a parent or another relative in the
military, often they suffer secondary losses that are not
acknowledged in their lives," Campagna said. "They might move away
from a home, be away from a military base when that is the only
thing they have known, have to attend a new school, notice the …
empty chair at Thanksgiving dinner, and miss their confidante.
Connecting with a mentor can be an empowering experience for a
child who has already lost so much."
Mentors said the experience is rewarding.
"I loved working with the kids," said Marine Cpl. Phillip
Vilkas. "The first time, I was exhausted at the end of each day,
but I never felt more proud to be in uniform than when a child who
has lost a loved one looks up at me."
TAPS will hold Good Grief Camps with a one-day curriculum in
conjunction with an adult survivor seminar in nine locations around
the United States this summer and fall. The events are planned for
July 12 in Philadelphia, July 26 in Alabama, and Aug. 2 in Indiana.
Dates for events in Ohio and Hawaii, as well as at Fort Lewis,
Wash; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Fort Bliss, Texas, are currently being
scheduled.
A special camp and seminar designed for families who have lost
contractors and U.S. government civilians working with the military
will be held in Dallas on Aug. 23.
TAPS is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense
Department program connecting citizens and companies with
servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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