TAPS

Air Force Veteran John Gordon, 90, plays Taps at Martinsburg VA on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. “Not about me. It’s about them.”

TAPS will always provide a safe space and supportive community for all those grieving a military loss– to walk alongside the families of our nation’s fallen heroes on each step of their grief journey. Each step of the way, TAPS will always provide comfort, support, and, most importantly, hope.

21 newly bereaved survivors come to TAPS each day for resources and care. The need is great and growing. In 2020 and thus far in 2021, the families of those service members and Veterans who have died by suicide or illness, as a result of exposures to toxins while serving overseas, represent the largest population of new survivors turning to TAPS for resources and care.  

Last week, VA hosted three VetResources Facebook Live events to share the resources offered by six organizations who each have something unique to offer Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

Dr. Carla Stumpf-Patton’s work around suicide prevention and postvention is more than a job. It’s personal. Stumpf-Patton is the surviving spouse of Marine Sgt. Richard Stumpf. He was a Gulf War-era combat veteran who died by suicide in 1994, several days before their only child was born. She now serves as the senior director of Suicide Postvention Programs for TAPS, or Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Her message to Veterans and military members is clear: comprehensive postvention care is a key to prevention.

Every day is Veterans Day at VA. To all those who have served, and those serving today, we thank you for your service. Here is a photo album of Veterans Day events across America and across the ages.

Katelyn McKibben, R.N., has always been passionate about taking care [...]

The new VA briefing is designed to be more collaborative and stimulating, helping service members make informed decisions about their health care, employment, housing and other benefits.

Bonnie Carroll talk about her military service, losing her spouse, founding TAPS, dealing with grief, and how survivors can get assistance through TAPS.

“Every person can recognize the tune within the first three notes. When you hear the music, it brings you back to the very first time you heard it.”

A panel of experts from TAPS, Got Your 6, and SVA tell us all about the development and execution of the Forever GI Bill.

Most of the world does not like to talk about pregnancy or infant loss. But not talking about it does not make it any less real.