A memorial service will be held at Sadowski Field on Fort Hood tomorrow, Tuesday November 10th – the day before Veterans’ Day.
The public is encouraged to attend. Gates will open at 10 am Central Time, and while all are welcome, it is recommended that you arrive early. All individuals will be required to pass through a security check; the following items will be prohibited: bags, strollers, umbrellas, signs, liquids, and sharp objects. Cameras are allowed.
In addition to the service, a Town Hall meeting will be held this evening, Monday November 9th, from 7 pm until 8 pm Central Time. Speaking will be Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the Fort Hood Commander; CSM Arthur Coleman, Jr., COL Bill Hill and COL Steve Braverman. The Town Hall will be broadcast on the Fort Hood television channel this evening for those who cannot attend.
The memorial service tomorrow will honor those who lost their lives last week at Fort Hood. The following individuals will be honored:
Lt. Col. Juanita L. Warman, 55; assigned to the 1908th Medical Company out of Missouri.
Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52; assigned to the 467th Medical Detachment out of Wisconsin.
Capt. John P. Gaffaney, 54; assigned to the 1908th Medical Company.
Capt. Russell Seager, 51; assigned to the 467th Medical Detachment.
Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow, 32; assigned to the 16th Signal Company out of Fort Hood.
Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29; assigned to the 467th Medical Company.
Spc. Jason Hunt, 22; assigned to the 1st Brigade out of Fort Hood.
Pfc. Frederick Greene, 29; assigned to the 16th Signal Company.
Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, 19; assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Hood.
Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22; assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion.
Pfc. Kham Xiong, 23; assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion.
Chief Warrant Office Michael Cahill; Civilian employee on Fort Hood.
Fort Hood has also issued information for those seeking counseling. Counselors and Chaplains will be available at the Resiliency Campus on the corner of 33rd Street and Battalion Avenue. In addition, a hotline has been set up for the families and friends of those killed. The number is 866-836-2751. A number of other resources are available for military families in the wake of a tragedy. These resources include:
Army Family Readiness Groups, or ArmyFRG: each unit within the Army has an FRG; contact the FRG Leader or FRG Assistant for more information.
Military OneSource: this resource has a 24/7 telephone line and serves military members, their families and reserve members. Their hotline number is 1-800-342-9647.
Military Homefront: this is a DoD website that provides up-to-date information for military members and the public.
TAPS: a toll-free crisis line for family members of fallen military members. The number is 1-800-959-TAPS.
All members of the military and their families are encouraged to seek out assistance from the Army following a tragic event, like the shooting on November 5th.
I recommend seeking out information via Twitter as well. Our Twitter account, www.twitter.com/veteransblog, follows 218 amazing veteran and military-focused organizations, all of which have been “Tweeting” with breaking news and support resources since the Fort Hood incident.
I also wanted to pass along information about an exciting free offer for all veterans, mil members and civilians. Amazon.com has a free MP3 album entitled “Veterans Day Honor” available for download on their website. The album includes twelve recordings, including “To The Colors,” “Star Spangled Banner” and “Here’s To America.” Music is performed by the US Navy, Marine, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard Bands, as well as performances by the Navy and Sea Chanters Chorus. This is an excellent gift for the veteran in your life. What better way to honor our veterans than by listening to patriotic music performed by our talented servicemen and women. Please visit our Twitter page for more information.
And, of course, keep all connected to Fort Hood in your thoughts as Veterans’ Day approaches.
