As the U.S. continues to have troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan, an Army base in Tennessee has had
to turn away some seeking counseling. A local
school stepped in to help students and others in
the community cope with the pressures families
face as loved ones are at war. Reed Galin has
the story.
SCRIPT:
Wars in distant lands hit very close to home for
the soldiers and families based at Fort Campbell
in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Karrin Moser: "Fear of daddy not coming home
alive, fear that daddy's got broken bones."
Joanne McCasland: "Our biggest problem was
communication."
Lori Bednarczyk: "... having to work on your
marriage, having to work with that relationship
with your children and your family.
Meegan Pierotti-Tietje : "We grieve when they
leave. We grieve."
Joanne McCasland: "I always felt like I needed
to know that other people were having the same
problems because you do kind of feel isolated
and you think it's just you and just your
husband."
(Locator: Clarksville, Tenn.)
Enter the Lazarus Project, a program spearheaded
by Austin Peay State University's Wesley
Foundation, which provides free counseling and
support for families and friends of deployed
service men and women.
Don McCasland speaks to group: "I wouldn't tell
her we got shot at or an IED went off or any of
that stuff."
Don McCasland retired after deploying to Iraq 3
times. He and his wife Joanne now lead one of
the program's support groups. Partnering with
the college and local churches is a key element
to Lazarus' success.
Don McCasland: "It only takes one person, one
congregation to make a big difference."
Bethel United Methodist Church in Clarksville
provides meeting space and art classes for
children while parents attend counseling
sessions.
Just down the road, New Providence United
Methodist Church takes an active role in helping
families talk out their issues. Pastor B.J.
Brack is a firm believer in the support groups.
The Rev. B.J. Brack, New Providence United
Methodist Church: "Establish them in a small
group relationship where people have an
opportunity to share and grow. That's what we're
finding out they need the most."
Jodi McCullah is a campus minister at Austin
Peay and a driving force behind the Lazarus
Project.
The Rev. Jodi McCullah: "You have to go to them
and you have to be persistent-I'm here; what can
I do? I want to care. Tell me about how hard it
is. I really want to listen. I really want to
know what you're dealing with. But we have to,
as a community, surround them."
