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When Memorial Day is Every Day
On Memorial Day, our nation pauses to honor the brave Americans who served and gave their lives in defense of our freedom. We gather at parades, place flags at gravesites, and visit veterans and national cemeteries in solemn remembrance of their sacrifice. For many Americans, this sacred act of remembrance lasts a single day. But…
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Be of Service
It might sound crazy, but when I learned that my son, Jesse, was deploying overseas, I was honestly excited. As someone who enjoys sending letters and packages to family and friends, in my head, this was an opportunity to do just that. I sent Jesse packages two to three times a week with things he…
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When You Really Don’t Feel Like Celebrating the Holidays
Special occasions make it difficult to grieve. They’re full of sentiment, and that is part of what makes them hard. Whatever we do and wherever we go, we are bombarded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays. Every “Happy Holidays” greeting, every waft of nutmeg and cinnamon, every decoration is a reminder that…
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Words Matter: Suicide Postvention Saves Lives
When Air Force Chaplain, Captain Kelly Parker, sits with a service member who’s hurting, and words are hard to come by, the single word tattooed on her arm can fill the silence and get her message across: stay. “It’s upside down, but that’s intentional. When I show my Airmen, they can read it,” Parker explains.…
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The Heart of TAPS Good Grief Camp
It takes a lot to shake a four-star general, but it was former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey’s first visit to Good Grief Camp that put his confidence and composure to the test. The annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Good Grief Camp — a camp just for children…
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TAPS Gives Military and Veteran Survivors a Voice on Capitol Hill
Behind each devastating death in the military community is a family left to grieve an immense loss. Standing behind these military and veteran survivors is the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the national nonprofit organization that has — for 30 years — been the trusted source for immediate and peer-based emotional support, assistance in…
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Legacies Live On at TAPS
On Jan. 30, 2024, Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann opened her oral testimony before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, “I am the Gold Star Daughter of United States Army Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Haycock, who died while training to deploy in 2002, and Air Force Veteran Nichole Haycock, who died by suicide in 2011. I personally understand…
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Veteran Supporters Urging: It’s Time to Apply for PACT Act Benefits
As the one-year anniversary of the historic PACT Act signing approaches, the Department of Veterans Affairs — with support from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS — is ramping up an already aggressive campaign to deliver the legislation’s promised benefits and increased presumptions to veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving and…
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TAPS, VA urge veterans and survivors to seek earned PACT Act benefits
Beginning more than 10 years ago, military-connected survivors Alice Daniel, Coleen Bowman, and Danielle Robinson began to speak out with their stories of loss as a result of their loved one’s exposure to toxins while deployed. While each story is unique, the uphill battles for medical care, benefits, and answers are recurring themes. Their voices,…
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Surviving Families Leading Relief Effort in Dnipro, Ukraine
By Kelly McHugh-Stewart Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the city of Dnipro has become a hot spot for humanitarian aid. Located along the Dnieper River and just 200 miles north of Mariupol, the city has taken in thousands of refugees and has been a refuge for Ukrainian soldiers. For people like Elena…
