Army letters vow longer help for survivors

[unhappycamper]

A copy of an Army letter being mailed out thousands of letters to survivors of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking what it can do to better help them, even years after the deaths of their loved ones.


Army letters vow longer help for survivors
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 21, 2008 5:52:37 EDT

WASHINGTON — The Army is mailing out thousands of letters to survivors of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking what it can do to better help them, even years after the deaths of their loved ones.

The Army recognizes it’s made mistakes in some of its dealings with the families of fallen soldiers, Col. Carl M. Johnson, director of the Army’s Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center, said in an interview. And the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, encourages families to be candid in their comments and suggestions.

About 13,500 letters have been sent this month, and copies are expected to reach about 20,000 survivors of those killed while on active duty with the Army since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — either in a war zone, in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Some families may have been offended by past actions, Johnson said, and the Army wants them to know the service has learned from its mistakes, has made changes and wants to make additional improvements.

“Some of them may have said, ‘You know what, I don’t need to be a part of the Army any more because they don’t want me or they don’t know how to treat me,”’ Johnson said. “Well, we’ve learned a lot and I think we’ve improved a lot and this is a way to reconnect with them.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_familiesoffallen_082008/%2e