Survivor Link: Issue 9
The Survivor Link is the Army Survivor Outreach Services Newsletter. This newsletter is published on a quarterly basis to provide information about benefits changes, program updates, opportunities to connect with other survivors and to stay linked to the Army.
Army Survivors can subscribe to The Survivor Link at any time. To subscribe just follow the link in this newsletter. You can choose to have the Survivor Link delivered to your email address or as a text message to your cell phone.
When you subscribe you will be asked a few questions. Please complete your first name, the component of your Soldier (Regular Active Army, US Army National Guard or US Army Reserve), your relationship to the Soldier (spouse, child, parent, staff or other), and your State of residence.
Did you know that the Army has more than 150 Survivor Outreach Service Coordinators ready to assist Surviving Families who are having problems with benefits such as the Survivor Benefit Plan, TRICARE, or education benefits?
Click on the map to use the SOS Coordinator Locator and find the coordinator nearest to your home.
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Army Family Action Plan
Did you know that Surviving Families can use the Army Family Action (AFAP) to voice quality-of-life issues and share feedback, ideas and suggestions with Army leaders? AFAP is a powerful tool that enables Soldiers, Arm Civilian, Retired Soldiers, Survivors, and Family Members to communicate issues to the Army’s leadership.
Issues can be submitted through your local Army Community Services Office, Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator, or online through the Issue Management System: https://ims.armyfamilywebportal.com/
What is the Army SAWG?
Have you heard of the Army SAWG? SAWG stands for the Survivor Advisory Working Group. The SAWG brings together Army Senior Leaders, Headquarters Department of the Army Staff and a panel of nine survivors. As a team the SAWG discusses quality of life issues affecting Army survivors world-wide and provide advice and recommendations regarding vital quality of life issues and concerns of Army survivors. The entire team meets bi-annually in the National Capital Region to discuss issues and look for innovative solutions to assist survivors.
What has the Army done
The Army has worked to improve Army services and policies, as well as influence Department of Defense policies and legislation.
Some of the most recent efforts include successfully proposing legislation that was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 to improve access to military installations for survivors, spearheading an effort to address the impact of the 2017 Jobs Act and Tax cuts that increased
the tax burden on children receiving the payments from the Survivor Benefit Plan, commonly known as the Kiddy Tax, establishing Army policy to expand Casualty Assistance Officer support, upon request, to any minors and launching the Survivor Connection, a quarterly newsletter to keep families better informed.
What efforts does the Army have planned for the future?
As an officially chartered Army committee, the SAWG will continue to be a voice for Army survivors to the Secretary of the Army, Army Chief of Staff and the Sergeant Major of the Army. The 12 survivors serving on the SAWG bring the survivor perspective from their own personal experiences and the stories of other survivors in the community. The SAWG uses these stories, along with feedback received through sources such as the Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) comments, queries to the Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Inquiry Form on Military OneSource, or through emails to program managers that are available on the Survivor Outreach Services webpage.
Why is this important to the Army?
The SAWG enables the Army to address quality of life issues for the surviving family members and maintain the covenant with Soldiers that the Army will continue to care for their families in the face of loss.
Resources:
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Mrs. Julie Compton Moore:
Changing the Army Casualty Notification
On May 11, 2023, Fort Benning was renamed as Fort Moore. Fort Moore was named for Lieutenant General Hal Moore and Mrs. Julie Compton Moore. Many Americans know the story of the Hal Moore’s war experience in Viet Nam from the book and movie, We Were Soldiers Once…and Young.” However as Army Families and Survivors, we know that some of the most influential and unofficial service comes from the Families who support our Soldiers and lets them be extraordinary. Mrs. Julia Compton Moore was no exception.
Mrs. Julia Moore exemplified the service and sacrifice of the Army Wife. The daughter of an Army Colonel, Julia Compton Moore lived every aspect of military family life, starting with her birth in an Army hospital at Fort Sill, Okla., in 1929.
Julie is most noted for her leadership supporting Army wives and families responding to the flood of casualty notifications after the Vietnam battle of Ia Drang.
The Army was unprepared and empowered taxi drivers to deliver telegrams to the Families of the fallen. Julia, horrified with the practice, followed taxis to offer comfort to widows and attended many local funerals of Soldiers lost in combat under her husband’s command.
Through her efforts, the Army changed its policy and had uniformed personnel deliver the notices – a practice that continues to this day. The Army established the Julia Compton Moore Award in 2005 to recognize civilian spouses of soldiers for outstanding contributions.
Finally, Julie experienced a mother’s anxiety with sons on active duty during the Invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, and Iraq/Afghanistan. Julie was always an active supporter of Army Wives Clubs, daycare centers, and other military community support organizations, eventually leading many groups. A life-long Red Cross volunteer, Julie began helping Soldiers in this capacity as a teenager.
Her work and contributions led to her recognition as one of the most influential military wives in our nation's history.
We are proud to trace the lineage of Survivor Outreach Services to the work of Julia Compton Moore. The selection of Fort Moore will uniquely honor Army Families and highlight the military spouse’s invaluable contribution to combat readiness. There can be no better way to inspire the men and women who will train to defend our nation, and particularly to provide recognition to the widows of our Nation’s fallen, than to name the installation for the couple who exemplifies America’s highest standards of command, character, and compassion — Hal and Julie Moore.
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Putting your feedback to work. The Army staff often hears about the work that is done by the Casualty Assistance Officers (CAO). These men and women have one of the hardest jobs in the Army. We asked how can we make the job of supporting our Families a little easier and one answer was to have an easier way to answer all the questions. The solution? Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division (CMAOD) created a mobile application for CAOs to use while providing assistance to Family members. The CAO Smart Book application is available for free download in the Apple and Android stores. This app is to supplement the information provided by a CAO's supporting Casualty Assistance Center (CAC), and adds another tool for the CAO to help Families.
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Honoring Those Who Served
The Military In Lasting Tribute online memorial honors service members who died while on active duty from 1985 onward. This Memorial Day, share the memorial to honor their sacrifice and make sure they are never forgotten.
The one thing I want the world to remember about my Soldier is….
He was doing exactly what he wanted to be doing. (Patti)
His dedication to his family, his friends, his fellow soldiers, and our country (Karen)
She had a very deep love to serve and take care of the Soldiers she called her brother and sisters. (Aaron)
What I want the world to know about my son is that he was a treasured gift to his family and a fiercely loyal soldier and battle buddy. (Alicia)
Bringing Corporal Story Home
Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division Past Conflict Repatriation Branch briefed the living Family members of Medal of Honor Recipient, Army Cpl. Luther H. Story on Friday, April 21, 2023.
Cpl. Story was identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and the Family received information surrounding the circumstances of his death and the process of identification. Story will be buried in Andersonville, Georgia, on May 29, 2023.
In 1950, Story was a member of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On Sept. 1, 1950, Story was reported killed in action after his unit was engaged by the Korean People's Army near Naktong River, South Korea. His remains were not recovered after the battle, and the Army issued a presumptive finding of death.
Eleven sets of remains were recovered near Sangde-po, South Korea, and eight were identified. The remaining unidentified Korean War remains were buried as Unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Modern advances in forensic capabilities led DPAA to disinter the remains. To identify Story's remains, scientists used dental and anthropological analysis along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.
On Wednesday, 26 April 2023, President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol released a joint statement on the identification of Cpl. Story while hosting the Family in Washington, D.C.
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DFAS Survivor SBP Newsletter, April 2023
Please click below to view a copy of the most recent newsletter from DFAS. You will find information about:
- The Survivor Benefit Plan 2023
- All About the Online Survivor Benefits Reports (OSBRs)
- Keeping Your Contact Information Updated
- School Certification Season
- What You Need To Know For Child SBP Annuitants Approaching Age 18
.....and more
DFAS Newsletter
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PACT Act Resources
The PACT Act is a historic new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. The law empowers VA to provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
Dine and Dial
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
7:00 PM Central Time
Financial Education for Military Survivors
Hosted by Fort Leonardwood SOS
The call number is:
(1-605-475-5910; Access Code 7681905#)
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