Resources for Troops & Veterans, Their Families, & Those Who Provide Services To Them

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The following resources may be helpful to military troops and veterans, their families, and those who are working with them.

The resources fall into 3 groups:

First, there are citations of relevant articles on such topics as combat trauma, the impact of deployment on troops & their families, the challenges of returning home after discharge, bereavement, and providing clinical services to troops and their families. A few of these are available online, and where possible, I've provided links.

Second, there are links to helpful organizations and programs, such as aid and assistance programs for each branch of the service, Operation Uplink, Operation Military Support, Military Spouse Career Center, Seamless Transition for Veterans returning from Iraq & Afghanistan, Veteran Employment site, legal information & resources for military personnel and their families, National Military Family Association, Military Sentinel, Operation Family Fund, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Books for Soldiers, and Fisher House.

Third, there are links to United States military organizations.

This collection is not meant to be comprehensive but rather a starting point, especially for those in remote geographic areas or otherwise without convenient access to these materials. Because there is such a vast literature in such broad areas as trauma, bereavement, disability, assessment, therapy, and rehabilitation, the resources below are limited to those that focus exclusively on the military troops, veterans, and their families.

Articles:

"The Role of Psychologists in the Care of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in Primary Care Settings" by Shira Maguen, Greg Cohen, Beth E. Cohen, G. Dawn Lawhon, Charles R. Marmar, & Karen H. Seal. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 2010, 41(2), pp. 135-142.

"Trends and Risk Factors for Mental Health Diagnoses Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Using Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care" by Karen H. Seal, Thomas J. Metzler, Kristian S. Gima, Daniel Bertenthal, Shira Maguen, and Charles R. Marmar. American Journal of Public Health, September, 2009, vol. 99(9), pp. 1651-1658.

"Listening to Military Members Returning From Iraq and/or Afghanistan" by Marie Shaw & Mark Hector. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2010, vol 41(2), pp. 128-134.

"Neuropsychological Test Performance in Soldiers With Blast-Related Mild TBI" by Lisa A. Brenner, Heidi Terrio, Beeta Y. Homaifar, Peter M. Gutierrez, Pamela J. Staves, Jeri E. F. Harwood, Dennis Reeves, Lawrence E. Adler, Brian J. Ivins, Katherine Helmick, & Deborah Warden. Neuropsychology, 2010, vol 24(2), pp. 160-167.

"Trauma experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder among women in the United States military" by Josphine Chaumba & Brian Bride. Social Work in Mental Health, May, 2010, vol 8(3), pp. 280-303.

"Battlemind debriefing and battlemind training as early interventions with soldiers returning from iraq: Randomization by platoon" by Amy B. Adler, Paul D. Bliese, Dennis McGurk, Charles Hoge, Carl Castro. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, October, 2009, vol 77(5), pp. 928-940.

"Effectiveness of imagery rehearsal therapy for the treatment of combat-related nightmares in veterans" by Carla Nappi, Sean Drummond, Steven Thorp, & John McQuaid. Behavior Therapy, 2010, vol 41(2), pp. 237-244.

"Family Functioning Predicts Outcomes for Veterans in Treatment for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Lynette Evans, Sean Cowlishaw, & Malcolm Hopwood. Journal of Family Psychology, August, 2009, 23(4), pp. 531-539.

"Access to what? An evaluation of the key ingredients to effective advanced mental health access at a VA medical center and its affiliated community-based outreach clinics" by B. Shiner, B. V. Watts, A. Pomerantz, A. Groft, D.Scott, B. Street, Y. Young-Xu. Military Medicine, October, 2009, vol. 174(10), pp. 1024-32.

"Diagnosis and Treatment of PTSD-Related Compulsive Checking Behaviors in Veterans of the Iraq War: The Influence of Military Context on the Expression of PTSD Symptoms" by Peter W. Tuerk, Anouk L. Grubaugh, Mark B. Hamner, & Edna B. Foa. American Journal of Psychiatry, July, 2009, vol. 166(7), pp. 762-767.

"Stigma and barriers to care in soldiers postcombat" by Kathleen Wright, Oscar Cabrera, Paul Bliese, Amy Adler, Charles Hoge, & Carl Castro in Psychological Services, May, 2009, vol. 6(2), pp. 108-116.

"Use of family focused therapy in rehabilitation for veterans with traumatic brain injury" by Barbara Dausch & Sheila Salima. Rehabilitation Psychology, August, 2009, vol 54(3), pp. 279-287.

"Baseline self reported functional health and vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder after combat deployment: Prospective US military cohort study" by Cynthia LeardMann, Tyler Smith, Besa Smith, Timothy Wells, & Margaret Ryan in British Medical Journal, April, 2009, vol 338(7701), pp. 1-9.

"Mild head trauma and chronic headaches in returning US soldiers" by Brett Theeler & Jay Erickson in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, April, 2009, vol. 49(4), pp. 529-534.

"Official position of the military TBI task force on the role of neuropsychology and rehabilitation psychology in the evaluation, management, and research of military veterans with traumatic brain injury" by McCrea, Michael; Pliskin, Neil; Barth, Jeffrey; Cox, David; Fink, Joseph; French, Louis; Hammeke, Thomas; Hess, David; Hopewell, Alan; Orme, Daniel; Powell, Matthew; Ruff, Ron; Schrock, Barbara; Terryberryspohr, Lori; Vanderploeg, Rodney; & Yoash-Gantz, Ruth, in Clinical Neuropsychologist, 2008, vol 22(1), 10-26.

"Screening soldiers in outpatient care for mental health concerns" by G.A. Gahm & B.A. Lucenko in Military Medicine, 2008, vol 173(1), 17-24.

"Hippocampal volume in aging combat veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder: Relation to risk and resilience factors" by Yehuda, Golier, Tischler, Harvey, Newmark, Yang, Ren, & Buchsbaum in Journal of Psychiatric Research, August 2007 vol. 41, #5, 435-445.

"Occupational stress and strain in the naval service: 1999 and 2004" by Bridger, Kilminster, & Slaven in Occupational Medicine, 2007, vol. 57(2), pp. 92-97.

"Traumatic memories of war veterans" by Geraerts, Kozaric-Kovacic, Merckelbach, Peraica, Jelicic, & Candel, & Ingrid in Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, March 2007, vol. 16, #1, pp. 170-177.

"From the Front Line to the Front of the Class: Counseling Students Who Are Military Veterans" by Black, Westwood, Sorsdal, & Michael. Chapter in Lippincott & Lippincott (Eds.), Special populations in college counseling: A handbook for mental health professionals. (pp. 3-20). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association (2007).

"The stigma of mental health problems in the military" by Greene-Shortridge, Britt, & Andrew in Military Medicine, 2007, vol 172(2), pp. 157-161.

"Support for military families and communities" by Hoshmand & Andrea. in Journal of Community Psychology, March 2007, vol 35, #2, pp. 171-180.

"Symptoms of dissociation in healthy military populations: Why and how do war fighters differ in responses to intense stress?" by Morgan, Southwick, Hazlett, & Steffian. Chapter in Vermetten, Dorahy, & Spiegel (Eds). Traumatic dissociation: Neurobiology and treatment. (pp. 157-179). Washington, DC, US: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. (2007).

"Reflecting on the military's best practices" by Jordan in Human Resource Management, Spring, 2007, vol, 46(1), pp. 143-146.

"Psychological Distress and Burden Among Female Partners of Combat Veterans With PTSD" by Manguno-Mire, Sautter, Lyons, Myers, Perry, Sherman, Glynn, & Sullivan, in Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, February 2007, vol. 195, #2, pp. 144-151.

Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital by Heidi Squier Kraft. Little, Brown, 2007.

"Outpatient Mental Health Care at a Remote U.S. Air Base in Southern Iraq" by Wayne Chappelle & Vicki Lumley, in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, October 2006, vol. 37, #5, pp. 523-530.

"Interpreting symptoms in military personnel after combat" by B.N. Axelrod, Bradley N. in Lancet, May, 2006, vol. 367, #9524, pp. 1709-1710.

"APOE and TBI in a military population: Evidence of a neuropsychological compensatory mechanism?" by Han, Drake, Cessante, Jak, Houston, Delis, Filoteo, & Bondi, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry, February, 2007.

"Anhedonia and emotional numbing in combat veterans with PTSD" by Kashdan, Elhai, & Frueh, in Behaviour Research and Therapy, March 2006, vol. 44, #3, pp. 457-467.

"PTSD and Vietnam Veterans" by Vdermetten, Bremner, Skelton, & Spiegel in Science, January 12, 2007, vol. 315, #5809.

"Clinician to Frontline Soldier: A Look at the Roles and Challenges of Army Clinical Psychologists in Iraq" by Moore & Reger in Journal of Clinical Psychology, March, 2006, vol 62, #3, pp. 395-403.

Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Returning Soldiers and Their Families by Keith Armstrong, Suzanne Best, & Paula Domenici. Ulysses Press, 2005.

"Combat effects on mental health: The more things change, the more they remain the same" by Pitman, Archives of General Psychiatry, February, 2006, vol. 63, #2, pp. 127-128.

"Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, physiological reactivity, alcohol problems, and aggression among military veterans" by Taft, Kaloupek, Schumm, Marshall, Panuzio, King, & Keane in Journal of Abnormal Psychology, August, 2007, 116(3), pp. 498-507.

"Psychological Distress and Burden Among Female Partners of Combat Veterans With PTSD" by Manguno-Mire, Sautter, Lyons, Myers, Perry, Sherman, Glynn, & Sullivan in Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2007, vol. 195(2), pp. 144-151.

"Smaller right hippocampus in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder" by Pavic, Gregurek, Rados, Brkljacic, Brajkovic, Simetin-Pavic, Ivanac, Pavlisa, & Kalousek, in Psychiatric Research, January 25, 2007.

Down Range: To Iraq and Back - Advice and information for families of service members dealing with combat stress and PTSD by Bridget Cantrell & Chuck Dean. Wordsmith Books, 2006.

"Combat Exposure, Perceived Benefits of Military Service, and Wisdom in Later Life: Findings From the Normative Aging Study" by Jennings, Aldwin, Levenson, Spiro, & Mroczek in Research on Aging, January, 2006, vol. 28, #1, pp.115-134.

Steeling the mind: Combat stress reactions and their implications for urban warfare by T.Helmus, & R. Glenn, 2005, published by RAND Corporation.

"Military sexual trauma: Violence and sexual abuse" by Valente & Wight in Military Medicine, 2007, vol. 172(3), pp. 259-265.

"Counseling military families" by Rotter & Boveja in Family Journal-Counseling & Therapy for Couples & Families, October, 1999, vol. 7, #4, pp. 379-382.

"Functioning and psychiatric symptoms among military men and women exposed to sexual stressors" by Murdoch, Pryor, Polusny, & Gackstetter in Military Medicine, July, 2007, 172(7), pp. 718-25.

"Decreased Anterior Cingulate Volume in Combat-Related PTSD" by Woodward, Kaloupek, Streeter, Martinez, Schaer, & Eliez in Biological Psychiatry, April, 2006, vol. 59, #7, pp. 582-587.

Emotional Cycle of Deployment: A Military Family Perspective: This online article, written by military psychiatrists, discussed how the "emotional cycle of an extended deployment, six months or greater, is readily divided into five distinct stages. These stages are comprised as follows: pre-deployment, deployment, sustainment, re-deployment and post-deployment. Each stage is characterized both by a time frame and specific emotional challenges, which must be dealt with and mastered by each of the family members."

"Environmental, lifestyle, and psychological factors in the health and well-being of military families" by Paulus, Nagar, Larey, & Camacho in Journal of Applied Social Psychology, December, 1996, vol. 26, #3, pp. 2053-2075.

"Families of prisoners of war held in Vietnam: A seven-year study" by Hunter in Evaluation & Program Planning, 1986, vol. 9, #3, pp. 243-251.

"Families under war: Stresses and strains of Israeli families during the Gulf War" by Lavee & Ben-David in Journal of Traumatic Stress, April, 1993, vol. 6, #2, pp. 239-254.

"Family crisis intervention by phone: Intervention with families during the Gulf War" by Shamai in Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, July, 1994, vol. 20, #3, pp. 317-323.

"Lifetime and current sexual assault and harassment victimization rates of active-duty United States Air Force women" by Bostock & Daley in Violence Against Women, 2007 vol. 13(9), pp. 927-944.

"Family Violence in the Military: A Review of the Literature" by Rentz, Martin, Gibbs, Clinton-Sherrod, Hardison, & Marshall, in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, April, 2006, vol. 7, #2, pp. 93-108.

"Friends and caring professionals as important support for survivors of war and torture" by Behnia in International Journal of Mental Health, Winter, 2001-2002, vol. 30, #4, pp. 3-18.

"Group therapy for partners of combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder" by Armstrong & Rose in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, October-December, 1997, vol. 33, #4, pp. 14-18.

"Impact of combat trauma across the family life cycle: Clinical considerations" by Scaturo & Hayman in Journal of Traumatic Stress, April, 1992, vol. 5, #2, pp. 273-288.

"Impact of the threat of war on children in military families" by Ryan-Wenger in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, April, 2001, vol. 71, #2, pp. 236-244.

"Impact of war on the physical and mental health of the family: The Lebanese experience" by Farhood, Zurayk, Chaya, Saadeh, & colleagues in Social Science & Medicine, June, 1993, vol. 36, #12, pp. 1555-1567.

"Involving families in the treatment of combat reactions" by Levy & Neumann in Journal of Family Therapy, May, 1987, vol. 9, #2, pp. 177-188.

Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd Edition: This is a complete online book developed by members of the National Center for PTSD and the Department of Defense. It is addressed specifically to clinicians and focuses on the unique needs of veterans of the Iraq war.

"Key Elements in Couples Therapy With Veterans With Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Sherman, Zanotti, & Jones in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, December, 2005, vol. 36, #6, pp. 626-633.

"The Mental Health of U.S. Military Women in Combat Support Occupations" by K. Lindstrom, T. Smith, T. Wells, L. Wang, B. Smith, R. Reed, W. Goldfinger, & M. Ryan, Journal of Women's Health, March, 2006, vol. 15, #2, pp. 162-172.

"Marital intimacy, family support, and secondary traumatization: A study of wives of veterans with combat stress reaction" by Mikulincer, Florian, & Solomon in Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, September, 1995, vol. 8, #3, pp. 203-213.

"Mental health problems, use of mental health services, and attrition from military service after returning from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan" by Hoge, Auchterlonie, & Milliken in JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, March, 2006, vol. 295, #9, pp. 1023-1032.

"Navy mothers experiencing and not experiencing deployment: Reasons for staying in or leaving the military" by Kelley, Hock, Bonney, Jarvis, Smith, & Gaffney in Military Psychology, January, 2001, vol. 13, #1m pp. 55-71.

"Neuropsychological Outcomes of Army Personnel Following Deployment to the Iraq War" by Jennifer J. Vasterling, PhD; Susan P. Proctor, DSc; Paul Amoroso, MD, MPH; Robert Kane, PhD; Timothy Heeren, PhD; and Roberta F. White, PhD, in Journal of the American Medical Association, August 2, 2006, vol. 296, #5, pp. 519-129.

"'Out of sight' but not 'out of mind': Parent contact and worry among senior ranking male officers in the military who live long distances from parents" by Parker, Dunkle, & Vaitkus in Military Psychology, October, 2002, vol. 14, #4, pp. 257-277.

"Perceived sexual-orientation-based harassment in military and civilian contexts" by Moradi, in Military Psychology, 2006, vol. 18, #1, pp. 39-60.

"Plasma Neuropeptide Y Concentrations in Combat Exposed Veterans: Relationship to Trauma Exposure, Recovery from PTSD, and Coping" by Yehuda, Brand, & Yang, in Biological Psychiatry, April, 2006, vol. 59, #7, pp. 660-663.

"Psychological adjustment of Navy mothers experiencing deployment" by Kelley, Hock, Jarvis, Smith, Gaffney, & Bonney in Military Psychology, July, 2002, vol. 14, #3, pp. 99-216

"Recent sexual abuse, physical abuse, and suicide attempts among male veterans seeking psychiatric treatment" by Tiet, Finney, & Moos, in Psychiatric Services, January, 2006, vol. 57, #1, pp. 107-113.

"Stigma and the military: evaluation of a PTSD psychoeducational program" by Gould, Greenberg, & Hetherton in Journal of Traumatic Stress, August, 2007, vol. 20(4), pp. 505-15.

"Secondary traumatization among wives of posttraumatic combat veterans: A family typology" by Waysman, Mikulincer, Solomon, & Weisenberg in Journal of Family Psychology, June, 1993, vol. 7, #1, pp. 104-118.

"Service Delivery in a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" World: Ethical Care of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Military Personnel" by Johnson & Burhke in Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, February, 2006, vol. 37, #1, pp. 91-98.

"Social anxiety and posttraumatic stress in combat veterans: Relations to well-being and character strengths" by Kashdan, Julian, Merritt, & Uswatte, in Behaviour Research and Therapy, April, 2006, vol. 44, #4, pp. 561-583.

"Soldiers who kill themselves: The contribution of dispositional and situational factors" by Bodner, Ben-Artzi, & Kaplan, in Archives of Suicide Research, 2006, vol. 10, #1, pp. 29-43.

"Survival Analyses of Social Support and Trauma Among Homeless Male and Female Veterans Who Abuse Substances" by Benda in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, January, 2006, vol. 76, #1, pp. 70-79.

"Methods for controlling combat stress evolving over time" by T. Hicklin in Psychiatric Annals, 2003, vol. 33, pp. 720-724.

"Systematic assessment of mental health following various types of posttrauma support" by Larsson, Michel, & Lundin in Military Psychology, April, 2000, vol. 12, #2, pp.121-135.

"Taking care of our military families" by Neubauer & Neubauer in Families, Systems & Health in Spring, 1997, vol. 15, #1, pp. 79-83.

"The effect of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder on the family" by Solomon in Psychiatry: Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes, August, 1988, vol. 5, #3, pp. 323-329.

"Total force and the new American military family: Implications for social work practice" by Knox & Price in Families in Society, March-April, 1999. vol. 80, #2, pp. 128-136.

"Treating combat-related stress disorders: A multiple case study utilizing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) with battlefield casualties from the Iraqi War" by Russell in Military Psychology, 2006, vol. 18, #1, pp. 1-18.

"Depression in entry-level military personnel" by Warner, Warner, Breitbach, Rachal, Matuszak, & Grieger in Military Medicine, August, 2007, vol. 172(8):795-9.

"Premilitary sexual assault and attrition in the U.S. Navy" by Stander, Merrill, Thomsen, Crouch, & Milner in Military Medicine, 2007, vol. 172(3), pp. 254-258.

"Understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in female partners of veterans with PTSD" by Nelson & Wright in Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, October, 1996, vol. 22, #4, pp. 455-467.

"U.S. Military Enlisted Accession Mental Health Screening: History and Current Practice" by Cardona, Ritchie, & Elspeth in Military Medicine, 2007, vol. 172(1), pp. 31-35.

"Violence and hostility among families of Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder" by Glenn, Beckham, Feldman, Kirby, Hertzberg, & Moore in Violence & Victims, August, 2002, vol. 17, #4, pp. 473-489.

"Virtual reality exposure for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder" by Ready, Pollack, Rothbaum, & Alarcon, in Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 2006, vol. 12, #1-2, pp. 199-220.

"War and the family" by Schwab, Ice, Stephenson, Raymer, and colleagues in Stress Medicine, April, 1995, vol. 11, #2, pp. 131-137.

"When war comes to men's lives: Life-course patterns in family, work, and health" by Elder, Shanahan, & Clipp in Psychology & Aging, March, 1994, vol. 9, #1, pp. 5-16.

"Work-family conflicts of women in the Air Force: Their influence on mental health and functioning" by Vinokur, Pierce, & Buck in Journal of Organizational Behavior, November, 1999, vol. 20, #6, pp. 865-878.

"Working with the bereaved: U.S. Army experiences with nontraditional families" by Ender & Hermsen in Death Studies, November-December, 1996, vol. 20, #6, pp. 557-575.

Helpful Organizations & Programs:

Air Force Aid Society: "The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is the official charity of the United States Air Force incorporated in 1942 as a non-profit organization whose mission is to help relieve financial distress of Air Force members and their families and to assist them in financing their higher education goals."

American Red Cross: Among its services: "Using the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, the Red Cross allows military members stationed all over the world to send messages to loved ones back home during an emergency or other important events. These communications are delivered around-the-clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year." In addition: "Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services personnel serve in nearly 1,000 chapters in the United States, on 109 military installations around the world and alongside our troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Kosovo and Afghanistan."

Books for Soldiers: This service enables anyone who visits the site to fill a request from deployed military personnel for books, DVDs, CDs, video games, and relief supplies. The site emphasizes: "The DoD has discontinued the 'To Any Soldier' program, which was a program where you could address a package 'To Any Soldier' and it would be sent to a random soldier. All packages must be REQUESTED by the troop and this is why we built the site. Soldiers, airmen, Marines, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen give us their address and we send them a package. No more blind drops. Everything is requested by the troop per DoD guidelines." It also states: "Keep in mind, troops are deployed all over the world. We have more than a million troops and only 300,000 are in the Gulf. Books For Soldiers accepts requests for those stationed all over the world."

Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund: This organization "provides "College Grants and Financial Assistance to surviving children and spouses of our U.S. military service members who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Our financial assistance program assists disabled service member families as well."

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury: "DCoE is the open front door of the Department of Defense for warriors and their families needing help with PH and TBI issues, promoting the resilience, recovery and reintegration of warriors and their families. DCoE partners with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and a national network of military and civilian agencies, community leaders, advocacy groups, clinical experts, and academic institutions to establish best practices and quality standards for the treatment of PH and TBI. Our work is carried out across these major areas: clinical care; education and training; prevention; research and patient, family and community outreach. In addition, DCoE is working to tear down the stigma that still deters some from seeking treatment for problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI with our Real Warriors campaign."

Family Advocacy Program: "The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) provides services to troops and family members experiencing domestic abuse and child abuse through prevention efforts, early identification and intervention, support for victims, and treatment for abusers. Everyone is required to report suspected domestic abuse or child abuse to FAP." This link provides a directory of Family Adbvocacy Program representatives at Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force installations around the world.

Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents: This online guide from the Department of Veteran Affairs informs veterans and their dependents of the variety of federal benefits available.

Find State Resources for Veterans: "Select your state to find Job Search, Educational, National Guard/Reserve, and Homeless Veteran resources."

Fisher House: "Supporting America's military in their time of need, we provide "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury."

G.I. Bill web site: This V.A. web site provides comprehensive information about the G.I. Bill. "You can now search for approved programs of education on our website. You can search for approved programs at colleges, non-college degree granting institutions, licensing & certification granting providers, and national testing providers."

Give An Hour: "dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of the troops and families affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We provide counseling to individuals, couples and families, and children and adolescents. We offer treatment for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, sexual health and intimacy concerns, and loss and grieving.... The mental health professionals who join us are giving an hour of their time each week to provide free mental health services to military personnel and their families."

Hooah4Health: This is the U.S. Army health promotion and wellness web site. "Unlike other health-related web sites, this one is specifically designed to address the force health protection and readiness requirements of the ARMY, particularly its Reserve Component."

Legal Information & Resources for Military Personnel and their Families: The Judge Advocate General's Corps provides online legal information and resources in such areas as family matters, financial issues (including taxes), insurance, immigration, housing (including landlord-tenant issues), estates, the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, and consumer and contract issues.

Coming Home Project: "The Coming Home Project is a non-profit organization devoted to providing compassionate care, support and stress management tools for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. We are a group of veterans, psychotherapists and interfaith leaders committed to helping transform the wounds of war. We help veterans and family members rebuild the connectivity of mind, heart, body and spirit that combat trauma can unravel; renew their relationships with loved ones; and create new support networks.... The Coming Home Project offers a range of free services: workshops and retreats; psychological counseling; training for care providers; and community forums. Our programs address the mental, emotional, spiritual and relationship challenges faced by veterans and families before, during and after deployment."

Military HOMEFRONT: The "official Department of Defense web site for reliable Quality of Life information designed to help troops and their families, leaders and service providers. Whether you live the military lifestyle or support those who do, you'll find what you need!"

Military Sentinel:This joint project of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Defense provides information and resources for "consumer protection issues that affect members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. . . ., from auto leasing, to identity theft, to work-at-home scams." It also provides an easy, formal way to "enter consumer complaints directly into a database that is immediately accessible by over 500 law enforcement organizations throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. These law enforcement agencies use this complaint data to target cases for prosecution and other enforcement measures. The information from Military Sentinel can also be used by members of the JAG staff and others in the Department of Defense to help protect armed services members and their families from consumer protection-related problems."

Military Spouse Career Center: A site that helps military spouses find jobs.

National Center for PTSD: The mission of this program, which is within the Department of Veteran Affairs, is "to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders."

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans: "The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV)...is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans each year."

National Military Family Association: Among this organization's primary purposes is "to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits and services available to them and to inform them regarding the issues that affect their lives."

National Personnel Records Center--Military Personnel Records: "This site is provided for those seeking information regarding military personnel, health and medical records stored at NPRC (MPR). If you are a veteran or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, you may now use vetrecs.archives.gov to order a copy of your military records. For all others, your request is best made using a Standard Form 180. It includes complete instructions for preparing and submitting requests."

Operation Dear Abby: Dear Abby, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of the Navy's LifeLines Services Network are providing this private and secure online resource that will allow you to send a Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman, or Coast Guardsman a holiday greeting or message of support.

Operation Family Fund: This program provides "financial grants for immediate or long-term needs to the Families of soldiers who have been killed or severely disabled as part of the world wide war on terrorism."

Operation Military Support: This program receives "names of military personnel that are not receiving mail or packages from home and assigns them a volunteer who wants to write and send packages to them."

Operation Uplink: This program "keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones by providing them with a free phone card."

Operation USO Care Package: This United Service Organizations (USO) program "enables individuals to financially support care packages that will be delivered to service members en route to overseas destinations. . . . Operation USO Care Package is approved by the Department of Defense, and provides a safe, easy way for individuals and corporations to show their prayers and thoughts are with our service members. . . . The Care Packages contain an assortment of items specifically requested by the military, such as prepaid international calling cards, disposable cameras, toiletries, and sunscreen."

Seemless Transition: This Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) web site provides resources for Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve service members who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It includes a locator for the local V.A. hospital.

SOFAR: Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists: "a pro bono mental health project that provides free psychological support, psychotherapy, psychoeducation and prevention services to extended family of reserve and national guard deployed during the Global War on Terrorism from time of alert through the period of reunion and reintegration."

Soldiers Project: "The Soldiers Project is a component of the Ernest S. Lawrence Trauma Center of the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS).... Because of LAISPS' commitment to bringing psychoanalytic understanding to underserved groups within our community it established the Ernest S. Lawrence Trauma Center. The Center's projects are run by volunteer licensed clinicians who provide free psychoanalytically-informed psychological services to 'at-risk' populations as well as educational presentations to the community."

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: "a national non-profit organization made up of, and providing services to, all those who have lost a loved one while serving in the Armed Forces. The heart of TAPS is our national military survivor peer support network. We also offer grief counseling referral, case worker assistance and crisis information, all available to help families and military personnel cope and recover. We provide these services 24 hours a day free of charge."

Triwest Healthcare Alliance Behavioral Health Resources [at the site, choose "Behavioral Health"]: This site offers "practice guidelines, assessment tools, and a number of other resources to help you assist patients experiencing depression, stress, PTSD, substance use disorders and more. From locating a specialty provider to supporting a family managing a diagnosis..."

VeteranEmployment.com: "In partnership with Monster.com, veterans, active duty, guard and reserve can search for thousands of jobs for veterans from employeers who value military experience. Plus a special section for security clearance jobs."

Vets4Vets: "Our primary goal is to help Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans understand the value of peer support and to regularly use peer support to express their emotions, manage their challenges and ease their reintegration into society. Our vision is that anytime a veteran needs to talk with someone who really understands, a local Vets4Vets peer support group is available at no cost. We envision Vets4Vets being a common name in the minds of all veterans as a place where they, and their comrades, can go to heal."

Virtual Naval Library: This site is a digital collection of naval medicine and military medicine texts.

White House Office of Homeland Security: This executive office, according to the president, "will lead a comprehensive and unified effort to defend this nation. The Department will analyze threats; guard our borders and airports; safeguard critical infrastructure and coordinate the response of our nation to future emergencies."

United States Military Organizations:

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