L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Troop & Family Support

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Our Mission Provide comfort items/recreation events to wounded, injured, or ill service men and women in our Military & Veterans Hospitals, Wounded Warrior Battalions, and Warrior Transition Units. Support individual transitions to communities. OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Where and When did OCW begin? Lansdsthul Regional Medical Center, Germany 2007 originally Operation Lansdshtul created by then-National Commander Paul Morin OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Next Step Toward OCW In 2008 then-National Commander David K. Rehbein Expanded the program outreach and in December 2008 Renamed Operation Comfort Warriors OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT The American Legion National Executive Committee meeting held on October 17 th &18 th 2012 consolidated Heroes2Hometowns and Operation Comfort Warriors together with Resolution 12 1.Many of the same Veterans we served under several different programs 2.Multiple programs serving the same population can cause confusion and redundancies 3.Eliminate some administrative costs and tasks for separate programs OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT How do we know what to get? What are the servicemembers wants or “wish list” ? OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Outreach Department Hospital Staff Cadre Post or Installation Ask them What do you need? What can we do to help? OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Individual gifts or grants

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Individual gifts or grants ors/228342/ocw-helps-connect-service-dog- and-wounded-warrior

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Unit gifts and grants OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Storage Shipping Flexible Based on need Cash Expedient

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Application For Assistance OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT

OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Typical questions from Military Leadership What's in it for you? Is it allowable under military regulations?

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Ethics Letter OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Direct the staff to the OCW Facebook page Legion home page Videos of other events OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Regulations restricting gifts to individual servicemembers “Gifts offered by non-prohibited sources to a group of personnel that does not distinguish on the basis of official responsibility or favor higher rank or rate of pay. Examples would include all members in a particular unit; all personnel who responded to a particular disaster; and all personnel injured in a particular disaster or event (such as the bombing of the Cole, the Pentagon disaster, the Iraq or Afghanistan theatre of operations). (5 C.F.R (c)(2)(iii))” bers.doc. (Researched 05Nov2012) OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Donations:  OCW is funded 100% by donations from American Legion Posts and individuals.  100% In – 100% Out.

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS Donations:  Can be done by individuals, units and organizations.

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS for OCW Facebook Page riors

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Family Support Network Local posts provides direct support to service personnel and their families First Gulf War showed the need for helping families of deployed service members Activation of military units/personnel intensifies the need - Don’t forget that extended training situations can leave a family in need of assistance too

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Family Support Network Provide assistance with household chores Repairs & Maintenance Child Care Expenses

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Family Support Network Service members and their families in need can make contact via: - Their local Legion post - Their Legion department - Call NHQ nationwide toll-free number: (800) , - Online application (NHQ website): NHQ phone calls and website applications are relayed to appropriate Legion department Department then relays to local Legion post Local post makes contact with the family to assess specific need(s) Local post coordinates resources necessary to provide direct, local assistance

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Family Support Network FSN only works if local posts respond to the needs of our comrades and their families home or car repairs mowing grass grocery shopping child care local financial assistance/potential TFA

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT How you can help  Promote FSN at all levels of the organization.  Actively seek out military families in your local communities.  Be involved with Family Readiness and other support groups.  Know your local resources.  Blue Star Banners.  No job is too small!

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Family Support Network Help ensure that military families do not shoulder the burden of service alone.

L EADERSHIP E DUCATION A ND D EVELOPMENT Questions ? OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS