AW2 Community Support Network
Interactive Communications Forums
Each organization listed in the AW2 Community Support Network offers services that are either covered by insurance or free to AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families are encouraged to contact these organizations directly for more information about the services they offer.
Federal Organizations
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) 
A Department of Defense initiative, DCoE leads a collaborative network to promote the resilience, recovery, and reintegration of warriors and their Families who face psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues. DCoE works with other parts of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and with a national network of military and civilian agencies, community leaders, advocacy groups, clinical experts, and academic institutions to establish best practices and standards for treatment.
Real Warriors Campaign
The Real Warriors Campaign, a Department of Defense initiative, combats the stigma associated with seeking psychological health care and encourages servicemembers and their Families to use these resources. The campaign features stories of real servicemembers who have sought treatment and are continuing to maintain successful military or civilian careers. It educates servicemembers and Families about the range of resources and support available for psychological health concerns and TBIs.
Extenal Organizations
American Veterans (AMVETS)
AMVETS, one of the nation's largest Veterans' organizations, is proud to support AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families by offering services such as advocacy in the Department of Veterans Affairs claims process and financial assistance during recovery. AMVETS' 180,000 members at more than 1,300 posts from coast-to-coast stand ready to support wounded warriors.
Blinded Veterans Association
Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) supports blinded and visually impaired Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families through the rehabilitation process and adjustment to vision loss. BVA Field Service Officers have in-depth knowledge on rehabilitation options, benefits counseling, resources, career advising, and many other topics. BVA's Operation Peer Support initiative invites blinded Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan to meet each other and other Veterans who have adjusted to vision loss.
Blue Star Riders
Blue Star Riders is a non-profit organization of riders and non-riders who support America's troops and Veterans and honor wounded warriors and fallen heroes. Their activities include visiting hospitals and outreach centers, attending funerals for fallen heroes, spreading the word of the fallen, and Wounded Warrior Torch. They bring awareness to America's fallen and wounded warriors by attending Veterans' events like Cripple Creek, Rolling Thunder, and special memorial services for Families.
Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors
Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors is a free, safe and healing sanctuary where our wounded warriors and their families can relax, reconnect and recover from the horrific effects of war. Our facility includes developing partnerships with local non-profit organizations who will offer various nature-focused, evidence-based, non-clinical therapy programs for the service member, their spouses and their children. Located 60 miles outside of Washington, DC, in Bluemont, VA, Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors serves outpatients from the new Walter Reed National Medical Center at Bethesda and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.
Bring Everyone In The Zone, Inc.
Our mission is to provide education and support to service personnel and their Families who are experiencing the devastating effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. To train facilitators in recognizing cases that require additional services including medical referral and providing them with needed resources. We fulfill our mission through our P-C-S programs: Preparing, Caring, and Sharing. We Prepare volunteers through our professional basic intermediate facilitator training programs and have trained over three hundred facilitators since our first training in August 2008. We Care by connecting our customers to a myriad of community resources and connections that assist Veterans and leverage these resources. Since May 2009, we have collaborated to leverage funds to assist with basic needs including rent/mortgage, utilities, care repair, food, and case management services. Financial assistance is provided on a case by case (donation by donation) basis. We share through Peer support that is provided by our volunteers on a one to one or a group basis currently have over sixty groups meeting throughout the state. Our first weekly group began in August of 2008.
Call of Duty Endowment
The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) helps Soldiers transition to civilian careers. CODE assists organizations that provide job placement and training to Veterans and on engaging the media and public forums to raise public awareness and demonstrate how private companies can hire Veterans. Their mission is to create a national campaign that will assist organizations that provide former servicemembers with job placement, training, and educational services.
CaringBridge
CaringBridge provides free, personalized websites to help wounded warriors and their Families stay connected to their strongest support groups—extended Family members and friends—during a serious health event, care, and recovery. The free, nonprofit web service simplifies communication by providing a central place to update everyone. The CaringBridge website includes an online journal for health updates, photo album, and guestbook for loved ones to leave messages of support and encouragement.
Challenge America
Challenge America answers the question of "When it happens, where do we go?" for returning injured military personnel and their Families. They work with communities across the country to link new and existing services, and they support recreational, occupational, and housing programs to better serve servicemembers and Families in their home communities. The connection to services at the local level is made by having the resources searchable online by zip code.
Combat Wounded Veterans of South Mississippi
Combat Wounded Veterans of South Mississippi is a non-profit organization that provides support to our local wounded warriors of all services to include, financial resources, assistance with VA benefits, employment, and spiritual. We collaborate with other local organizations to facilitate the needs of our Mississippi Wounded Warriors.
Freedom Is Not Free
Freedom Is Not Free provides quality of life enhancements and financial assistance to wounded servicemembers and their Families. Freedom Is Not Free also provides children of military Families "experiences of a lifetime" though participation in annual camps.
GettingHired.com
GettingHired.com offers a free online portal to connect job seekers with disabilities with employers. The portal is designed to help people prepare for the workplace and build their careers, and their social networking platform connects job seekers with each other and career mentors. Job seekers will find opportunities posted by employers who expressly use the portal to hire them.
The G.I. Go Fund
The G.I. Go Fund focuses on assisting Veterans as they transition from military to civilian life. The G.I. Go Fund offers assistance on securing employment, enrolling in Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, education advancement, and other programs. The G.I. Go Fund also offers a Transition Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Heroes to Hometowns
Heroes to Hometowns is designed to welcome home servicemembers who are severely injured. In facilitating a positive transition home, Heroes to Hometowns inspires community pride and establishes a support network for servicemembers and their Families so they can live productive lives. Heroes to Hometowns also offers national assistance.
Hope For The Warriors
Hope For The Warriors works to enhance the quality of life for servicemembers and their Families nationwide who have been affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Their programs offer a full cycle of support, starting with Immediate Needs financial assistance, and continuing through A Warrior's Wish, Warrior's Hope & Morale, Above amp; Beyond professional development, spouse/caregiver scholarships, Team Hope For The Warriors, and other programs.
The Link-Up.org
The Link-Up's mission is to empower wounded warriors with self-reliance to get back to the outdoor sport of their interest. Using an internet-based social networking platform, they connect injured Veterans with donors who can assist them to arrange a day or more of outdoor recreation. Their goal is to create a social network for donors and wounded warriors to make arrangements for hunting, fishing, and other interests, all to enhance the wounded warrior's recovery.
Operation First Response, Inc.
Operation First Response (OFR) supports America's wounded warriors and their Families with personal and financial needs. Services are provided from the onset of injury, through recovery, and along the warrior's journey from military life into the civilian world. Financial aid varies as each case is based on individual needs ranging from rent, utilities, vehicle payments, groceries, clothing, and travel expenses.
Operation Homefront of Texas
Operation Homefront of Texas provides emergency and morale assistance for troops, their Families, and wounded warriors. They also assist when servicemembers transition from the military to the Department of Veterans Affairs system.
Our Forgotten Warriors
Our Forgotten Warriors provides short-term structured housing for active duty servicemembers and Veterans who recently sustained emotional and cognitive injuries in the line of duty. The staff helps warriors increase their level of independent functioning. The staff affirms warriors as the heroes they are and increase the warriors' determination to overcome obstacles and challenge others to follow their example.
Psychiatric Service Dog Society
Psychiatric Service Dog Society (PSDS) assists Veterans with disabilities who choose to train their own psychiatric service dogs. PSDS provides information, coaching, and online communities for Veterans to network and learn about training their own assistance dogs.
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Street's Talk, Listen, Connect project provides support and offers resources to military Families with young children who are experiencing the effects of deployment, multiple deployments, or a parent returning home with injuries. Visit the links above to request free materials.
The Sesame Street Family Connections website is a free, bilingual, child-centered space where Families can interact when distance makes everyday communication difficult.
Southwest Veterans' Business Resource Center
The Southwest Veterans' Business Resource Center, Inc. (SWVBRC) works with local communities to serve Veterans and active duty servicemembers from all military components, and with exception, spouses through outreach and education programs. SWVBRC believes welcoming home our men and women doesn't end after the crowd disperses, it MUST continue for life. SWVBRC also believes Veterans have served America, now America will serve them with programs that work so they reintegrate into society.
Tempered Steel
Tempered Steel is a non-profit organization that supports those suffering the most debilitating traumas from Iraq and Afghanistan by encouraging peer-to-peer support and providing direction to additional services that will meet their needs. Tempered Steel also encourages public introspection on the courage, heroism, and commitment of warriors through the stories behind the wounds of war. Tempered Steel was founded by an AW2 Veteran and his mother.
The Warrior Gateway
The Warrior Gateway helps Veterans, servicemembers, guardsmen, reservists, Families and caregivers find the services they seek. These services include counseling, youth services, financial services, and health topics. The site is interactive with over 30,000 public, nonprofit, and for-profit programs. Service providers can share updates and other information via their online profiles. Users can add and rate the providers, plus leave feedback about their experiences on helping others, and building on the military tradition of "taking care of each other."