Every year, hundreds of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines die in service to our country. While some of them will make the ultimate sacrifice on the field of battle, others will lose their lives while living a unique life as a service member. These men and women will leave behind their beloved family and friends.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
TAPS is there to provide comfort, support and care to these military survivors.
Bonnie Carroll founded TAPS in 1994 in the wake of a military tragedy. Bonnie became a surviving wife when she lost her best friend and husband, Brigadier General Tom Carroll, who died in an Army National Guard aircraft crash in Alaska in November 1992. Out of this tragedy, Bonnie found strength through the peer support she received from the families who lost loved ones in the same tragic event.
TAPS is a national non-profit organization serving families, friends and military service members who have been affected by a death in the armed services. We offer peer support, crisis response and intervention, grief care and counseling resources, casework assistance, long-term survivor wellness, and community and military outreach.
Programs
National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp:
A four-day event held each Memorial Day Weekend in the Washington, DC, area. This healing weekend allows survivors to come together for grief education and to learn skills that assist them in their grief journey. Casualty personnel, commanders, family support personnel and chaplains also come to learn more about the grief process and to strengthen skills that assist them in supporting survivors. Theme for 2003: "Remembering the Love, Celebrating the Life, and Sharing the Journey."
Peer Mentor Program:
A national network of trained Peer Mentors who have lost a loved one in the armed forces and are able to reach out to and support others who are affected by a similar tragedy. Mentors are available for family, friends, and co-workers of fallen service members.
Community SurvivorLINK Program:
Organized groups of survivors, volunteers and professionals in various locations around the country. These groups are designed not only as support groups, but also to give all those interested in supporting military families, through the mission of TAPS, an opportunity to meet, network, and raise awareness within their community.
TAPS Chat:
Each Tuesday evening at 9 PM Eastern Standard Time, the TAPS Chat forum is open. It brings together survivors from across the country and is facilitated by a survivor volunteer and/or TAPS Staff. Participants are encouraged to share their hearts with those who can truly understand their grief journey.
TAPS Hotline:
A toll-free crisis and information line that receives calls 24 hours a day everyday.
Resource Library:
This program maintains a collection of materials on grief, trauma, and a variety of related topics of interest to survivors. A selected few of these resources are available to survivors at no fee.
Counseling Resources and Casework:
This program provides survivors with contacts and information regarding counseling resources in their local area, including local support groups and professional counselors. We also provide problem-solving assistance for survivors who have difficult questions or situations that need to be resolved.
Quarterly TAPS Magazine:
This publication focuses on military survivor topics that are both informative and inspirational. Also included is a book review section for printed grief materials. The magazine is sent free of charge to survivors, commanders, chaplains, casualty staff and caregivers around the world.
Crisis Response Plan:
This plan allows us to network and deploy Trained Crisis Responders during traumatic events involving military personnel.
Crisis Intervention:
This program provides "Coping With Casualty" briefings to military commands around the country. This educational briefing approaches casualty from a survivor perspective. The goal of this presentation is to prepare casualty and family services personnel to respond to a wide variety of emotional issues presented by survivors.
Volunteer Program:
This program coordinates the efforts of volunteers nationwide. Interested persons are able to volunteer their time and services administratively, professionally, or with special events. Applications may be submitted through the website at http://taps.org/volunteer.htm. Visit the TAPS website here.
