United Warrior Survivors Foundation - SPECIAL OPERATIONS WARRIORS

WHO ARE THESE "SPECIAL OPERATIONS WARRIORS"?

The Special Operations community is comprised of 144 units consisting of thousands of Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy personnel stationed around the globe. The U.S. Special Operations Command is made up of US Navy SEALs (plus Special Boat and SEAL delivery teams); Air Force combat controllers and pararescuers; Marine Force Reconnaissance companies and battalions; and several Army groups, including the Rangers and Green Berets, "Night Stalkers" of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and psychological and civil affairs units; and all the support personnel assigned to these Commands.

Among the members of the U.S. military, Special Operations troops have carried an extremely weighty bulk of the burden since September 11, 2001. They are the force behind many of our nation’s accomplishments, but the pride in their victories is achieved at a tremendous price.

It is not uncommon for Special Operations warriors to say that they have spent “most of the last six years” away from their families; and their families have lived each of those days in a constant state of fear, exhaustion and worry.

These valiant heroes are not made up, fictional characters starring in Hollywood blockbuster films. They are real people – true, committed patriots. They are members of our communities, players on our local softball teams and parishioners at our churches. They are sons of past warriors, husbands ready to defend and fathers setting the ultimate example for what it means to serve this great nation and to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Our commitment at UWSF is to the members of these Special Operations units and to their families, without preference to race, sex, ethnicity, religion, unit or rank.

WHAT DOES A SPECIAL OPERATIONS SURVIVING SPOUSE GO THROUGH?

The loss of a spouse, under any circumstances, is a tragic, heart-wrenching and life altering ordeal. However, in addition to the overall sense of loss, the spouses of fallen Special Operations personnel grapple with innumerable additional struggles. All too often the details regarding their loved one’s death are unavailable due to the clandestine nature of the mission.

Further complicating their already tragic situation, surviving spouses soon discover that they shunned from the tight-knit community they had been so deeply immerse in prior to the warrior’s death. Those who live in military housing are required to move out within a year of their spouse’s death. And friends who are married to Special Operations personnel often distance themselves, as a surviving spouse becomes a tangible reminder of the dangers implicit in the job. The familiar structure and routine of military life, and the support system upon which they relied, are violently and abruptly stripped away. The surviving spouses rapidly find themselves living in a civilian world that is very different from the military environment they had known just a short time before.

Many Special Operations wives live far from their own parents. Often they gave up on pursuing their own careers in order to support their husbands’ military choice. And after the loss of their spouse, the widows find themselves grieving with little or no support system in a hugely demanding environment often with no plans for either their own, or their children’s futures.

UWSF helps ease the shock of losing a spouse by providing guidance and assistance. We help newly widowed spouses connect with other women who have already gone through, and survived, similar tragedies. UWSF offers emotional and financial counseling to help ease the pain of the loss and to help the women plan for their futures.

Through grants, scholarships and educational and financial counseling, UWSF helps surviving spouses prepare for the new life they hoped never to have to live.

BEING PREPARED FOR THE WORST

The United Warrior Survivor Foundation focuses on serving the unmet needs of the surviving spouses of Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel thereby complementing the aid provided by other organizations primarily dedicated to the needs of the children.

In addition to providing for the families of SOF personnel killed in the line of duty, UWSF also strives to assist living SOF personnel by providing the reassurance that their families will be cared for should the worst occur.

With the United States’ continued commitment to fighting the war on terrorism, and as these units continue to serve in harm’s way, so the need for UWSF’s services will continue to increase.

We ask you, our fellow patriots, to help us establish the financial resources we need to ensure the availability of necessary services and support to ALL the surviving spouses of our Special Operation Forces heroes. DONATE

OTHER SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

Special Operations Warrior Foundation
Naval Special Warfare Foundation
Force Recon Association