National Initiatives

This Outward Bound program offers wilderness expeditions free of charge to veterans who have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to encourage camaraderie and help veterans readjust after leaving the combat zone.

The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative launched by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury to promote resilience, facilitate recovery and support reintegration of returning service members, veterans and their families.

Troops-to-Teachers (TTT) provides Referral Assistance and Placement services to military personnel interested in beginning second careers in public education as teachers. The purpose of TTT is to assist eligible military personnel to transition to new careers as public school teachers in targeted schools.

The National Guard’s Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) help National Guard members and their families meet the challenges of military life by providing many types of practical and emotional support. An FRG is important during normal duty because it forms a strong network of families and military personnel that helps prepare families for mobilization or deployment, and ensures that all arrangements are complete.

Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is the U.S. Army's collaborative effort with America's communities to support the children and youth impacted by deployment. Operation: Military Kids, as part of the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project, is a vital part of the Army OneSource (AOS) delivery system. Families and youth can access information about OMK programs, link to OMK partner programs on this OMK Web site or by contacting their State 4-H Military Liaison.

Talk, Listen, Connect is a multi-media initiative that provides educational support for military families with children between the ages of two and five who are experiencing the effects of deployment, multiple deployments, and combat-related injuries. Talk, Listen, Connect provides separate educational modules for parents and children and is available in English and Spanish. This educational support tool was launched in 2006 by Sesame Workshop—the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street—and is available free of charge.

View full resource here.

Give an Hour (GAH) is a nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to U.S. military personnel and families affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. GAH seeks to do this by reaching out to mental health providers nationally and asking them to donate one hour of their time each week to provide free mental health services to military personnel and their families.

A joint effort of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Ad Council, the Community of Veterans site is designed as a resource for our nation’s newest veterans. While addressing a range of topics, this site is ultimately a point of connection where Veterans are helping Veterans.

A veteran's experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan are unimaginable, and returning home isn't always easy. Family members or friends of a veteran have the power to help, but knowing where to start can be difficult. This Web site has resources, services, and tips for friends and family members on how to communicate and support their loved ones who are now veterans.

View full resource here.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF) was created within the California Community Foundation (CCF) to provide funding to nonprofit organizations that offer direct services and other forms of assistance to American military personnel and/or their families who have been impacted by deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.