The Rev. Dr. Sean Cox
Chair, Network for Ministry to the Armed Forces
979-822-5176 rector@standrewsbcs.org
http://standrewsbcs.blogspot.com/

Sean is rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Bryan, Texas (Diocese of Texas). He went to St. Andrew's Church in 2006 from California. Sean attended the University of Arizona (B.A.), the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest (Master of Divinity) and Virginia Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry). He serves as a chaplain in the US Navy Reserve. He is married with two children.

In 2008, the Diocese of West Texas hosted a major event in San Antonio which brought together families and clergy representing parishes in the metro area, where there are four major military installations. This is to be the launchpad for coordinated ministry to those bases by San Antonio parishes.

In the Diocese of Texas, a special out-treach to Fort Hood, the largest Army base in the world, was begun by St. Christopher’s parish, Killeen. An effort began at St. Andrew’s, Bryan, TX, to begin a veterans’ support group.

The Diocese of Western Louisiana is exploring needs in the Fort Polk area with hopes of getting a project underway there. The Network is taking a breather until after Synod with the goal of looking at the needs of other dioceses in the Province over the next year.

Deployment Resources and Information

Deployment and Children

Children of deployed members of the military experience a broad range of reactions to the stress of family deployment. Their reactions may include anger, sadness, fear, confusion, and feelings of abandonment, loss, anxiety, and depression. Each individual in the family of a deployed service member must adjust to new roles and responsibilities in addition to the “loss” through separation of their loved one(s). Most students and their families will be able to adjust to a “new normal” after the departure of a spouse or parent. The cycle then repeats and readjustment must again occur at reunion.

Phases of Deployment: (Each phase produces a new cycle of emotions and new (or renewed) stress.)
(1) Pre-deployment – The time before a service person leaves but during which the family is preparing for departure.
(2) Deployment – The period of time the service person is actually absent from the family.
(3) Reunion – The time after the service person returns.

Needs of Children:
• Establish and maintain a predictable routine
• Ample warning about changes in routines
• Talk about the deployed person
• Positive avenues for expressing feelings
• Validation and valuing

Read more

Resources

• "As soldiers return from war, help offered for families," McAlester News-Capital (Sept. 2008)

• "Backstory: Enlisting churches to help soldiers," Christian Science Monitor (Sept. 2006)

• "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: How Churches Can Help Soldiers and Their Families Readjust After Combat," The Soul of War (May 2007)

• "Chaplains + Churches supporting our troops," NC Conference Christian Advocate (Methodist) (May 2007)

• "Roses not ashes: Tending to returning soldiers," National Catholic Reporter (May 2008)

• "Veteran Ministry: How churches can help soldiers and their families readjust after combat," Christianity Today (June 2006)

• War and the Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Edward Tick (Quest Books, 2005)

• "When Soldiers Return Home," Trinity Lutheran Church, Mount Joy, PA (July 2008)

For Your Information

What Parishes Can Do: Outreach to Military Bases For details please contact The Rev. Dr. Michael T. McEwen, Lt. Col., Chaplain Corps, US Army (Ret.) *  This is a “living” document in that additional suggestions are always welcome.  Please email them to michael.t.mcewen@gmail.com

Veterans and Combat Stress

This is a "self-teaching" PowerPoint Presentation on the problem from Chaplain Mike McEwen. It is a simplified description that is suitable for military and civilian audiences.

>> Download the PowerPoint presentation

Visit the Office of the Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies to

>> Download a bulletin insert for this program

Home Support Team (H.O.S.T.)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Episcopal Church wants to be more intentional in its response to the growing needs of U.S. military personnel, their families, and community impacted by the on-going conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a result, a program of community outreach called “Home Support Team” (or “H.O.S.T.”) has been encouraged by the Office of the Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies of the Episcopal Church, to lead our church’s response to the growing number of persons impacted when a loved one is deployed in harm’s way and when he or she returns.

Currently over 150,000 American troops and civilian contract personnel are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Over 4,000 have died and over 29,000 have returned home wounded, including many amputees and otherwise maimed for life. Every American community, large and small, is being impacted by the deployment of local National Guard and Reserve personnel in addition to the huge number of Active Duty (full time) troops who absent themselves from family and community.

We believe the need is great for local faith-based communities to be pro-active in reaching out to these families and individuals.

Nearly 50% of those being deployed in harm’s way are from local Reserve and National Guard units and don’t always have access to a military installation which has support groups and other resources for Active Duty military families. Therefore, it is important for faith-based communities to be creative in meeting the growing needs of families and persons in the community who are impacted when a member is deployed or returns home physically maimed or emotionally traumatized. The fear of this possibility is often a great burden on families who have a loved one deployed. H.O.S.T. seeks to address this anxiety.

H.O.S.T. is ecumenical, inter-faith and non-partisan in all respects. Otherwise it will not reach the targeted population of all local families/individuals who have been impacted by the war. H.O.S.T. is neither limited to those who have Episcopal Church membership ties, nor is it a proselytizing instrument. Episcopal Church dioceses and congregations will be expected to join hands with local churches/institutions of other denominations, with synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations (clergy groups, ecumenical lay groups, etc.), and with non-religious groups.

Bishop Katharine recently attended the Chaplains and Family Conference at Kanuga. Click on the photo to see more pictures from the conference.

"The Military: Faith Under Fire"

get stretchers ready for the wounded. But when the soldiers of Fox Troop returned to station near Tall Afar, all they had was the bloodied corpse of one of their men. Benimoff began a familiar death ritual. The heat was closing in on 100 degrees; a smell of diesel fumes filled the air. Benimoff gathered the medics around the corpse of their comrade in the shade of an armored personnel carrier. Ignoring the din of rumbling engines and radio chatter, he began to pray in a strong and reassuring voice, quoting Psalm 121: I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Continued

Army Chaplain Roger Benimoff heard the IED blast and saw the smoke rising. From his vantage point at a forward-aid station on the morning of June 7, 2005, he peered through a fog of dust as .50-caliber machine-gun fire erupted in the distance. Then the guns went silent. Benimoff helped medics

Reaching, Praying, and
Reading Across the Miles

The booklets of prayer for adults or children, the suggested reading list, or any of the inter-activity suggestions can be downloaded or passed on as a thoughtful suggestion to those facing the trials of service far away from home. Continued