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Supporting Our Troops And Military Families
 

American Flag picture by Senator Patrick Leahy

This continues to be a trying time for our brave men and women serving our country abroad.  While soldiers often receive our prayers and thoughts, sometimes their loved ones left behind in the States are left to cope with the absence of their loved ones on their own in the shadows of war. 

As Vermonters, we are known for our generosity and neighborly way of life.  I encourage you to reach out to the families of our soldiers, offer to cook them dinner, offer to mow their lawn, or help in your own unique way. 

The resources on this page will help answer questions the families of soldiers may have and help families across Vermont deal with the stresses of being at war.

Resources For Families Dealing With War

My office is proud to be part of the Vermont Military, Family and Community Network, which is bringing together members of the community, government and private sectors to assure that our returning service members and their families get the support and services they need.  See the Veterans Resources page of the National Center for PTSD web site for more information about the network, or call the Vermont National Guard Family Readiness Program at 1-888-607-8773.

The Vermont National Guard Family Support Program provides services, information and referrals to the families of deployed Guard members and other Active Duty personnel with family members in Vermont.  My wife, Marcelle, was honored to accept Vermont Adjutant General Martha Rainville's request for her to serve as the honorary chair of the program.  Contact the program directly for more information.

Vermont National Guard Family Support Program
789 Vt. National Guard Road
Colchester, Vermont  05446
Phone: 
1-888-607-8773 or 802-338-3347

 

The American Red Cross can help with emergency communications that link active duty military personnel with their families back home, financial assistance, and counseling.  Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) 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

Red Cross Chapters In Vermont:

Marcelle and I wanted to share an article by military wife Kristin Henderson we read in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine in early October with families of deployed troops.  It gave us insight into the lives of families dealing with deployments that even as the parents of a former marine, we couldn't have expressed so eloquently. 
Click here to read the text.

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Ombudsmen Services Program can help you understand the federal protections available to assist families who are faced with disruption of employment and loss of income due to the deployment of Guard members and reservists.  Call the EGSR Help Line at 1-800-336-4590 or the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) in Montpelier at (802) 828-4441.

The National Center for Children Exposed to Violence is an independent organization that helps find solutions to the complex issues that face children.  Families looking for helpful ways to talk about the situation with Iraq might find their sight helpful.

Additional resources for military members and their families can be found in the military casework section of my website.  If you need further assistance, please contact my Burlington office at 1-800-642-3193 (in Vermont) or (802)863-2525. 

Military Assistance:

Supporting the Troops:

 

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