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On May 2nd, 2004, Petty Officer Pete Herrick’s life changed forever. A Naval Reservist recalled to duty in Iraq, Petty Officer Herrick was serving with NMCB 14 in Ramadi. While preparing for a convoy mission, Herrick’s unit fell under mortar attack, leaving 5 of his comrades dead and 33 wounded. When Petty Officer Herrick regained consciousness, he was in a Navy hospital in Bethesda with his wife, Diana. Herrick also awoke to the news that he was paralyzed from the neck down and his left leg had been amputated.
In addition to the emotional and physical challenges caused by his combat disability, the Herrick family has to rely on a combination of military pay, government benefits and charitable aid to pay the bills. Unfortunately, Petty Officer Herrick’s story is not unique.
At the time of this writing, 1050 American Servicemembers have lost their lives in Iraq and more than 7,200 had been wounded in action, among them 2,200 Sailors & Marines. Even before the official declaration of hostilities on March 13, 2003, U.S. military personnel, government workers, civilian contractors, and the media have been paying the ultimate sacrifice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
As members of the military community, we feel a special connection to all military families; and, in particular, those who have suffered some type of loss. Although tragedy is no stranger to military service, the scope of the recent losses have brought to the forefront the sacrifice of our men and women serving in OIF/OEF - and the breadth of their needs. The challenges faced by military families are unique, significant and acute. Although DoD/VA programs provide meaningful medical and survivor benefits, military families suffering a casualty are often put in financial extremis. For many, the road to recovery and rehabilitation is long and costly.
Fortunately, there are a great many ways for us to help our own -- from sending messages of support, to volunteering, or providing financial support to charities focused on helping Servicemembers, Veterans and their families. This year, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and Navy-Marine Corps Relief fund drives take on even more meaning and urgency as members of our own community are in need of our help.
The tradition of the military helping its own goes back many years.
"Founded in 1904, the Navy & Marine Corps Relief Society has been
helping tens of thousands of Sailors and Marines each year," says
Admiral Steve Abbot, USN (ret), President & CEO of the Navy-Marine
Corps Relief Society. "In the hundred years since we were founded,
we've provided 1 billion dollars of assistance to over 4 million Sailors
& Marines."
According to Admiral Abbot, the Society has been dealing with the hardships on families caused by combat deployments and the high-tempo of operations. Petty Officer Herrick’s family is one of the many families benefiting from the Societies programs. “The Society helped pay to fly our children to Pete’s bedside,” said Diana Herrick. “I haven’t been back to my house in 5 months since this happened, and the support we’ve received from the Navy and Navy Relief has made all the difference”
Although support for the Society remains strong, Abbot cautions against
complacency. "Historically, the community has been extremely generous
in response to incidents such as 9/11 or the USS Cole. Unfortunately,
during prolonged events like the War in Iraq people can be less inclined
to give charitably -- although the need continues."
President Lincoln said the nation has an obligation “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan.” Let’s continue the proud tradition of taking care of our own.
I have listed below a few of the many charities working hard to support our colleagues in uniform and their families. Although far from complete, it provides a good starting point.
© 2004 Christopher Michel. All opinions expressed in this article
are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
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Chris Michel is Founder and President of Military Advantage, the nation's largest military membership organization. Through Military.com, the company connects over 4 million members to the lifelong benefits of military service and provides public and private sector clients efficient access to the military market. Members trust Military.com for career, education and financial services. Founded in 1999, Military Advantage has raised over $30 million from leading investors and strategic partners, including A&E Television Networks. In 2004, Military Advantage was acquired by Monster Worldwide (Nasdaq: MNST).
Prior to founding Military Advantage, Chris was a strategy consultant assisting companies in the airline, entertainment, and financial services industries.
Chris also served as a Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy. While on active duty, Chris flew as a P-3 Navigator, Tactical Coordinator and Mission Commander in support of maritime interdiction operations in the Red Sea, NATO enforcement operations in the Adriatic, and counter-narcotics missions in Central America. Following his operational tour, Chris worked in the Pentagon as Aide to the Chief of the Naval Reserve.
An advocate for servicemembers and veterans, Chris is a frequent speaker and has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Financial Times, and others. He is also a regular guest on CNN and other national radio and TV programs. In addition, he writes the monthly "Charting your Course" column for U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine and is working on his first book to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2005. He also serves as a Director of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and a Trustee of the U.S. Naval Institute Foundation.
Chris earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
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