The Fort Campbell Religious Support Office recently sponsored a “ministry fair” attended by

nearly 200 ministry leaders, mental health professionals and volunteers

for the purpose of helping the faith and military communities work together to support troops.

Fort Campbell’s Religious Support Office hosted the ministry fair to familiarize the faith community with the 571 support programs the military base offers to help soldiers and military families in crisis, encompassing 40 different areas of need, including soldier and family assistance, chaplaincy, medical support and prevention programs.

The effort is similar to one by the Southern Baptist Convention, led by retired Chaplain (MajGen) Douglas Carver, to help the community know how they can help — since they are far more likely to be around returning servicemembers.

The director of the Warrior and Resiliency Center at Fort Campbell, Dr. Theresa Benchoff, noted the value of local churches in the military’s efforts to stem suicides and help troops recover from the moral wounds of war:

Theresa Benchoff, a physician and director of Fort Campbell’s Warrior and Resiliency Center, said the church can contribute greatly to the health of the family.

“We’ve done everything we know to do and the suicide [rate] keeps going up,” Benchoff said. “Anything we as a community can do to support the family network so it doesn’t fall apart and become broken, I think that’s what stops this vicious cycle that we find ourselves in.

The US military it attempting every avenue it can to assist US servicemembers with their struggles, including those that have led to troops taking their own lives.  Some bases have made an admirable effort to engage the local faith community to rise up and support the troops when some of them need it most…

when they come home.

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