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August 16th, 2013 · No Comments ·
Fort Hood Survivor Outreach Services, a model for the Army, holds 2nd annual Survivor Seminar & Good Grief Camp
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs
FORT HOOD, Texas The 2010 Fort Hood Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp brought together nearly 300 Family members from as far away as South Korea, Alaska and Nebraska who joined other survivors in weekend-long program of comfort and support.
Included in this group were 120 youngsters ranging in age from four to 19 who participated in a full schedule of activities, each with a Soldier/Mentor who spent the entire two full days with them using the buddy system.
Weve had Families tell us, We dont want to sit around and cry, so based on their feedback and with the help of Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, our Survivor Outreach Services has grown considerably, said Janeth Lopez, Fort Hood Survivor Outreach Services Program Manager.
Lynch, who is now the commanding general of the Installation Management Command, combined the efforts of several organizations and services to take care of military Families when he was the III Corps and Fort Hood Commander.
One of the biggest challenges for an installation is acquiring the space needed to house the services required to adequately help surviving Families, Lopez said.
Beginning in the spring of 2009, a series of events led to significant changes for surviving Families at Fort Hood.
First, the God Star Family Centers organization, Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors (HUGSS) was replaced by SOS, a program which falls under the Armys Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.
Along with the Casualty Assistance Center, HUGSS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and focus groups used to help form the programs future, the Fort Hood SOS program began to take shape, Lopez said.
The Fort Hood area of responsibility includes 175 counties in Texas. Because of the size, one of the first actions, after acquiring the large space to house their offices an
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