by Capt. Chris Sukach
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
11/8/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force leaders, elected officials and distinguished guests are scheduled to dedicate the Fisher House for Families of the Fallen on Dover Air Force Base, Del., Nov. 10.
The Fisher House for Families of the Fallen is a unique facility among the Fisher House Foundation's 49 other Fisher Houses currently operating worldwide. This 8,462 square-foot house is equipped with nine suites that include private, handicapped-accessible bathrooms and features common areas that include a multi-cooking station kitchen, large communal dining and family rooms.
It is designed to provide short-term, on-base lodging to families who travel to Dover AFB to witness the dignified transfer of their loved one. The adjoining 1,714 square-foot Meditation Pavilion will provide a quiet place for families to gather, pray and reflect during their stay at the Fisher House. Built with private donations to the foundation, both structures will be gifted to the Air Force as part of the ceremony.
The secretary of the Air Force, the Air Force chief of staff, and the Fisher House Foundation chairman broke ground on the facility during a ceremony May 1.
The Fisher House is adjacent to the Center for the Families of the Fallen, where those who come to Dover AFB for the dignified transfer of their loved one will receive care and support before and after the dignified transfer. The center staff also provides a point of contact where families can request follow-up assistance, such as counseling services, as they cope with the loss of their loved one.
Founded in 1990, the Fisher House program builds "comfort homes" for families of wounded service members, and other military or veteran patients, receiving medical treatment at VA and military hospitals around the world. Since its inception, more than 130,000 families have stayed at one or more Fisher Houses.
