At-Home conflict resolved for OIF Veteran
For many Iraq veterans, conflicts don’t end once they leave the field of battle.  One wounded warrior who served in Iraq lost his left leg while in combat.  In recovery and with an honorable discharge, he faced enormous domestic issues at home – his wife filed for divorce, and his finances were in arrears.  He turned to 2-1-1 and was connected to a military call specialist who assisted the veteran with referrals for financial assistance to resolve his unpaid car payments and other financial needs. Although his marriage is over and he still has injuries, this veteran is getting back on his feet – and grateful for the help from 2-1-1. 

Multiple referrals assist critically ill service member to unite with family
After 23 years of active duty, one Army service member called 2-1-1 for assistance that went above and beyond the normal referrals for military personnel.  As he was preparing to deploy to Iraq, the soldier was diagnosed with terminal, inoperable intestine cancer. Faced with this illness, he still wanted to attend his brother’s wedding before undergoing chemotherapy. His connect to a military call specialist led to a series of referrals:

• When he asked for a referral for transportation to the wedding, an advocacy call was made to “Operation First Response” in Virginia who agreed to fund the plane fare, hotel lodging and car rental.
•  The caller also got assistance from “Operation Thanks for Giving-Blue Star Families” in Wilson County, Texas (Blue Star Moms) who greeted the soldier at the airport stopover to make sure this critically ill soldier was fed a home-cooked meal.

This soldier/caller returned home successfully and is getting ready to deal with the rigors of chemotherapy.  

Financial assistance through caring advocates
When the wife of a Houston-area reservist came to San Antonio to be near her wounded husband at BAMC, her Houston home was burglarized.  Her temporary stay at Fisher House was soon ending, and she had nowhere else to go and no financial resources to get back to Houston.  The 2-1-1 Military Call Specialist referred her to “Operation Comfort” who picked her up from the Fisher House and bought a one-way ticket back to Houston.