Salute to Service
Victor Ojeda and LaDainian Tomlinson | Salute to Service
The human cost of the post-9/11 wars on America is staggering. More than seven thousand U.S. service members have been killed due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and more than 30,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have died by suicide during that time. For the families left behind, the burden of those losses can be unbearable. When Army Staff Sergeant Lesliee Ojeda's husband was killed in Iraq, she struggled to stay strong for their 14-month-old son Angel. But thanks to some folks who had survived similar losses, they discovered a community and a path forward. Since its founding in 1994, TAPS has provided comfort, care, and hope 24/7 through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones. To learn more about TAPS, or to lend your support, please visit www.taps.org.