Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

Help for soldiers’ families

A lot of people call soldiers heroes today, but a group in town is proving that they really believe that. The Community of Heroes is a nonprofit organization that grew out of the God Bless Fort Benning Day celebrations. However, the present Community of Heroes has a much broader scope in that they are organizing with a mission to help soldiers and families year-round and not focus solely on one major event. As noted on its Web site, the Community of Heroes is dedicated “to a yearlong process of supporting our men and women in uniform.”

Much of the focus to date has been on the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Benning. The uncertainty associated with waiting for a final decision on medical discharge or retirement — and the effects of wounds and injuries on employability — is an understandable strain for the Warrior Transition Battalion soldiers and their families.

The Community of Heroes has worked hard to help relieve some of that stress. One idea is to match soldier interests to the products and services provided by local industries. This will go a long way in relieving some of the uncertainty and fear that come with the changes caused by leaving active military service, especially if this is happening out of necessity because of injuries.

Local volunteers have assisted with sports competitions, an Easter egg hunt and a children’s play at the Springer Theater. Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership Corporate offices in Atlanta have donated furniture and sponsored a Fourth of July telethon in Atlanta to support soldiers.

The local Community of Heroes leadership is determined to do the right things for the right reasons for soldiers and their families. Besides holding a God Bless Fort Benning Day in 2010, the Community of Heroes wants to develop a mentoring program to assist soldiers in finding employment when they leave active service.

In addition to enduring the pain from injuries received while serving our country, these young men and women face the same challenges of anyone trying to find a job.

I think many of us know how hard that can be, especially in the economic times we face.

Carrying out such a vision takes a lot of help, of course. The Community of Heroes can sure use any help people in the local area can provide. With the activation of the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Community of Heroes organization expects the Warrior Transition Battalion to grow. This will compound the challenges and opportunities to show our soldiers that we care about them and that we are thankful for their service.

Those who want to donate can call the executive director, Lisa Lavallee, at 706-587-9585.

The Community of Heroes hopes to act as a point of contact for any person, group or organization that wants to help soldiers.

New ideas are welcome. A desire to serve and say thank you to the men and women in uniform is the only real requirement to be able to help.