Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Ange Desinor | James Elzie, the program manager for Survival Outreach Service, and a native of...... read more read more
FORT HOOD, Texas- Families of fallen service members visited the Survival Outreach Service here, July 16.
The SOS is an Army Community Service program designed to provide short-term or long-term support to survivors of Soldiers who die while on active duty.
When a Soldier dies, their loved ones are assigned a Casualty Assistance Officer for up to six months, said James Elzie, the program manager for SOS, and a Columbus, Ga. native. “At that time, SOS steps in to provide that support.”
The SOS is offers grievance counseling, financial counseling and provide care for survivor Families, said Elzie. Elzie said, being the program manager is his way of giving back and supporting Family members of the fallen.
“The hall of remembrance is a place that we provide for them so they have a place to hang a picture of their loved ones, reminisce and visit whenever they want,” said Elzie.
Denisa Thomas, the spouse of fallen Soldier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Terry M. Thomas, and a mother of two, visits the SOS center to get support, guidance or to vent.
She said the SOS staff reached out to her from Germany after she contacted them for support via email. When she first arrived here, Thomas didn’t have any close friends or Family members to help.
“I made a few friends but it’s different when you are a widow,” said Thomas a previous resident of Munich, Germany. “It’s a different kind of understanding. I’ve met other survivors which I didn’t have before. I feel like I’m not in a gray cloud anymore.”
She also said meeting survivors like her has made it easier to connect the dots and make the grieving process easier.
Thomas said, her and the other survivors have gotten together, potlucks and even celebrated holidays.
While looking at her husband’s photo on the wall Thomas said she knows her husband hasn’t been forgotten when she goes to the SOS center. She said she feels proud of him.
Thomas has been coming to the SOS center for four years after moving from Germany.
From email to getting support for her children, she said SOS is important because many have fallen and people tend to forget. SOS is a place to remember them.
Thomas said not only does the SOS provide support but it also gives her peace.
For more information about the SOS program, visit http://www.hoodmwr.com/acs/sos.html
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2014 23:37 |
| Story ID: | 136464 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | COLUMBUS, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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