Obama, Biden, Carter, Dole Team Up for Wounded Warriors
Published at
Sean Gallup/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Caregivers of veterans and active service members will receive some peer support, thanks to new programs announced Friday by first lady Michelle Obama along with Dr. Jill Biden, former senator Elizabeth Dole, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
“It’s going to take all of us working together to get you to a place where you feel that you live in a country that appreciates your service — because you do,” the first lady told veteran caregivers gathered in the East Room, some accompanied by soldiers.
Over the next 14 months, the Department of Defense will form peer-to-peer support forums for caregivers, the family members who support injured soldiers, often losing time at work, or their jobs altogether, and facing a slew of new challenges as they care for loved ones.
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) has also committed to training 10 “master trainers,” 50 trainers, and 10,000 peer mentors for caregiver support. The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will launch a website to offer financial and legal guidance, while the Chamber of Commerce will expand its current job-fair program for caregivers.
The new programs were spurred by Joining Forces, the veteran-support initiative launched by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden in 2011. They follow and RAND Corp. study on caregivers’ needs commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
“As a military mom, this is something close to my heart,” Biden said. “I’ve had the honor to meet with caregivers at Walter Reed, Fort Belvoir, and at bases around the world. Their loyalty, love, and devotion is truly inspiring.”
Dole recounted her experience caring for her husband, former senator and presidential nominee Bob Dole, when he was hospitalized at Walter Reed in 2012.
“My eyes were opened,” Dole said, telling the East Room audience that “a story of profound need is emerging” as family members care for their loved ones after military service.
Carter, too, recalled her own experience as a military wife.
“As a Navy wife myself, I experienced the challenges of balancing family and work while my husband was at sea,” Carter said. “I cannot imagine how it would be to so eagerly anticipate a loved one coming home and instead of unbridled joy, to those caregiving demands that [were] never before imagined.”
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio