Finding Support After the Loss of a Loved One in Military Service

Confidential non-medical counseling

Sharing your feelings can be productive and therapeutic, especially if you're grieving. In addition to the support you receive from your family and friends, confidential non-medical counseling may be a valuable outlet for you. Here are a couple of free counseling options to consider:

• Military OneSource provides 24/7 service to all active-duty, survivors, National Guard and Reserve Component service members and their families. Counselors offer information and make referrals on a wide range of issues including grief and bereavement. Arrange a face-to-face, phone, online or video counseling session by calling 800-342-9647.
• Veterans Affairs Bereavement Counseling offers bereavement support to parents, spouses and children of active-duty, National Guard or Reserve Component service members who die while on military duty. Call 202-461-6530 or send an email to vetcenter.bereavement@va.gov to use this service.

Support and action groups for adults

Family and friends can be a great source of strength to you during this difficult time; however, there are also many service-related organizations that can offer support from people who understand grief and may have been through a similar experience.

• Air Force Families Forever offers additional support for survivors who are grieving the loss of an airman by way of a quarterly newsletter and a secret Facebook community through Family Support Network, exclusively dedicated to friends and family of Air Force fallen.
• American Gold Star Mothers Inc. is a group of mothers who have lost sons or daughters in military service. They honor their children by helping veterans and volunteering at patriotic events.
• American Widow Project members offer emotional and educational programs that help surviving spouses rebuild their lives. They host gatherings, distribute free support DVDs and maintain a website filled with stories and support resources.
• Gold Star Wives of America Inc. is a group that supports surviving spouses. The group also advocates for legislation that expands surviving spouse benefits and provides support services for veterans in their local communities.
• Navy Gold Star Program provides survivors with information on resources available to them. Sign up to receive the "Survivor's Link," the Navy Gold Star Program's quarterly newsletter.
• Navy SEAL Foundation provides tragedy assistance and legacy activities to ensure that service is always honored to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
• Society of Military Widows members advocate for women whose spouses have died either in military service, from a service-connected illness or after retirement from military service.
• Special Ops Survivors is an organization dedicated exclusively to serving surviving spouses of active-duty special operations personnel who have died in combat or training since Sept. 11, 2001. They offer special operations survivors individual emotional support, group emotional support and financial assistance.
• Special Operations Warrior Foundation has a family services team dedicated to serving the families of the fallen and wounded special operations personnel by providing ongoing support and counseling services.
• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education provides information and resources on surviving the suicide of a loved one.
• Survivor Outreach Services offers support to surviving families of fallen soldiers. As the Army's official long-term support program, Survivor Outreach Services helps continue the survivor's connection with the Army by providing comprehensive services that include assistance with housing, education and finances.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is a peer support organization that offers survivors grief counseling referral services, caseworker assistance and crisis information. The group also offers survivor retreats and seminars.
• Travis Manion Foundation empowers survivors to take the next step in their personal journey through service projects, furthering education, physical challenges and more.

Support and action groups for children

Losing a loved one can be especially difficult for children, so finding resources tailored to their needs is essential. The following groups work to provide grieving children with a comfortable place to talk about their feelings and feel understood:

• Comfort Zone Camp is a nonprofit bereavement camp that brings together children who have lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. The free camps, which are held year-round across the country, include confidence-building programs and support groups for ages 7-17.
• The Dougy Center provides a safe place for children, teens, young adults and their families to share their grieving experience through peer support groups, education and training.
• The Moyer Foundation provides comfort, hope and healing to children of military families and hosts a free weekend-long experience with traditional camp activities combined with grief education and emotional support at Camp Erin.
• Snowball Express hosts annual all-expenses-paid holiday galas for surviving families to help them create hope and new memories.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors offers Good Grief Camps for young survivors to connect them with peers who have also lost a loved one.

Support and action groups for families

• Tuesday's Children promotes long-term healing for all those directly impacted by the events of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, as well as communities affected by acts of terror worldwide, including those who lost a loved one serving in post-9/11 military operations. Their services strengthen family resilience, provide individual coping and life management skills, and create community through mentoring, leadership, mental health support, family engagement opportunities and "helping-heals" opportunities.

Support resources for children

You can order these free resources from Military OneSource by calling 800-342-9647 or order one of these products online:

• Trevor Romain's Memory Box Grief Comfort Kit, based on the Parents' Choice Award-winning DVD, "What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies," uses gentle humor, original music and a compassionate storyline to pass along practical and helpful advice for grieving children.

• Sesame Street's "Talk, Listen, Connect: When Families Grieve" features Elmo and other Sesame Street Muppets, along with courageous stories of families who have experienced the death of a parent. The kit includes a bilingual DVD, storybook and guide for parents and caregivers.

Your connection to the military community doesn't have to end with the loss of your loved one. Stay in touch with your military friends, be active on social media, and if and when you feel the time is right, volunteer with one of the many organizations you've read about in this article. Sharing your story and knowledge with other survivors may give you comfort and help others at the same time.