Veteran Focus

Allied Associates International
Army Scholarship Foundation
Institute for Veterans Education & Training (I-VET)

Applied Integrated Technologies, Inc.
Association of the United States Army

Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International
AFCEA Educational Foundation
Fisher House Foundation
Fisher House Smart House at Landstuhl
Homefront Hugs
Homeward Deployed
Operation Gratitude
Operation Iraqi Children
Sgt. Mac Foundation
USO
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team
Wreaths Across America 

This is one of several articles published in our Veterans Focus. To see all articles from the series, please visit www.afcea.org/signal/veteran.asp.

Booz Allen Hamilton recently made an extra-special donation when it agreed to sponsor the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team’s trip to West 2012 in January. (Read more about the team in “Battlefield to Ball Field”.) It also supports a large range of other charities both through corporate giving and through employees who share their personal time and resources. Suzanne Piner, Booz Allen’s deputy director of community partnerships and philanthropy, explains that individuals volunteer across the country; employees who spend 40 hours or more during a one-year time span helping a specific nonprofit can even qualify for a company-sponsored grant for that organization.

For years, AFCEA International and its many members have been dedicated to providing financial, material and emotional support to the military community. Among the various charities that benefit from these donations is the Fisher House Foundation, which offers free lodging to troops, veterans and their families when a loved one is in a military or veteran medical facility.

Love of the game has inspired athletes through the ages to overcome adversity and reach new heights. But their efforts pale in comparison to that of a group of veterans determined to continue playing despite life-altering amputations. Already proven to be men of commitment by their decisions to serve their country, the members of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team will settle for nothing less than competing at or near their pre-war levels, refusing any excuses or low expectations.

For many people, the concept of charities that support the military is purely academic. Even those who have served may never have needed help. But for me and my family, the services rendered by one such charity made a huge and lasting difference in our lives.

Military families are bearing heavy burdens as they repeatedly watch their loved ones go off to fight conflicts halfway around the world. Long rotations in dangerous areas mean that wives, husbands, children and parents must handle the workload at home short one helper as they try to stave off the fears and worries associated with caring about someone in a war zone. Because most people in the country lack an understanding of this situation, these families can feel isolated or unappreciated, and National Guard and Reserve families may not even have the support of a base community. For those who have lost a loved one on the battlefield, the number of people who can empathize is even smaller.

As thousands of troops return home from the battlefield with physical and mental injuries, the country is searching for a way to support, thank and encourage these brave men and women. The effort is assisted by those receiving care, because this group has embraced the mantra “help others to help themselves.” Some of the most impressive programs were started or are facilitated by the wounded in an attempt to ensure their comrades never have to go through the darkness they went through.

Approximately 1 percent of the U.S. population has been fighting a war for the last decade while the remainder of the country sees battle only through a screen. But people back in the states eagerly are demonstrating their support for those in uniform. Rallies, ribbons and letter-writing campaigns have become norms across the country, and some people are taking the help even further. From ensuring contact with home to sending comfort items to the frontlines, organizations large and small are proving that, at least in spirit, U.S. warfighters do not stand alone.

The debt that the people of the United States owe veterans not only is impossible to repay but also is unfathomable to most of the population. From the men who froze at Valley Forge to win the country freedom from tyranny, to the service members battling terrorists bent on taking down the nation today, the costs of security have always fallen on the shoulders of few. To recognize these sacrifices, service organizations, nonprofits and the federal government offer an array of programs to help veterans attend school, start businesses or build their lives in other ways. These groups stand ready to assist those who have served and are inventing new, faster ways to take advantage of their resources.

AFCEA International and its members have a long history of supporting the military community. Bringing people together is a large part of our mission; supporting veterans, troops and their families is undoubtedly our passion. This publication is intended to highlight other groups that reach out to the military in a way that is helpful to veterans from every war, to troops and to their families. It is not intended to be comprehensive. Indeed, that would be almost impossible because the outpouring of support for the military is so large and varied. It also is not promoting the organizations included as better than ones not mentioned. The goal of the following articles is to provide information about reputable groups that offer different forms of support in a variety of ways. But more importantly, this publication is designed to showcase the immense pride and gratitude the people of our great nation feel for their service members.