IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Gail Keith
602-799-0662
gailk@gailkeithmarketing.com
A Way to Cope When
Your Child is in Harms Way
Phoenix, AZ, August 23,
2006 – Viana Bruce, Key Volunteer for the United States Marine Corps unit
based in Phoenix, Arizona and Leader of the Phoenix based Military Family
Support Group, announced the group’s third anniversary and the ongoing need for
donations, supplies and support. The Military Family Support Group has met
every Wednesday, at Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant, Metro Center, from 12:30-3:00
PM, in Phoenix, Arizona, since the war began over three years ago.
Bruce pioneered the Military
Family Support Group (formerly known as Military Moms) after an emotional
goodbye to her son, Adam Bruce, a Corporal in the United States Marines, Bulk
Fuel Unit. Corporal Bruce (then a Private First Class) was deployed to Iraq
just two months after he completed basic training at the age of 19.
Viana Bruce immediately
bonded with other parents during the goodbyes and the value of remaining
connected to others who have family in the military become painfully
clear.
“The worry that a parent
of a soldier feels is unlike any other parental worry one can experience. Sometimes, you think you are crazy. When you have a son or daughter who is in
harms way, every time the phone rings you think, ‘God, don’t let this
be THAT call.’ To be able to share that emotion, keeps you sane.” States Bruce who is also on the Governor 's Commission for the 9/11
Memorial in downtown, Phoenix .
Part of the strategy for
coping and supporting military families, the Group is very active in community
service. In the past three years, The
Military Family Support Group has sent over 2,000boxes
of much needed supplies to the soldiers in every branch of the service. The Group also receives reports
from their soldiers when there are shortages of common personal items such
as shampoo, boots or even sewing kits. In addition, when a soldier is aware of
another soldier who does not have family or is not receiving mail, the Group is
notified and they immediately begin personal communication through letters and
e-mail.
“We think of every
deployed soldier as our own son or daughter and we worry for their every day
comfort. Having been a military mom for more than 18 years, you
never get used to your child being at war, even if that child is grown
with his own family. While the soldiers do their jobs, they are often out
of communication for as much as 4-5 weeks at a time. Its heartbreaking when you don’t know what’s
going on, the support of other military parents is priceless.” States Vivian Irvine, mother of United States Army
SSGT Keith Follin, of the 5th Engineer Battalion, Charlie Company,
currently deployed in Iraq.
The Military Family Support
Group is also a source of information for the families. At the weekly informal lunch meetings,
the Group relies on insight from regular members who are active
military and veterans who socialize with family members and comforts them in
long periods of ‘no news’.
It is estimated
that approximately 75 soldiers have been lost to this war are from
Arizona with dozens of others having connections here. The Military Family Support Group has members
who joined after receiving the tragic news of the death of their son or
daughter, stating they need to be around other military parents as part of
the healing process. One of the
members is the mother of Sergeant Joshua Harapko, of the United States Army,
10th Mountain Division, who was killed in much publicized Black Hawk
Helicopter crash in March 2003, which took the lives of 11 soldiers during
preparatory training.
The Military Family Support
Group welcomes anyone who wishes give hands on personal support to Military
Families and the soldiers in Iraq or other parts of the world.
For more information, or to
make a donation, please call Viana Bruce at 602-686-1132.