Many of our readers have been with God’s Word for Warriors since its inception nearly seven years ago. We highly prize your commitment to and partnership with this ministry. This FBO effort could not be possible without you.
You may ask, “What is an FBO?” For our pilot friends, it is a “Fixed Base Operator,” one who supplies all the aeronautical needs of aircraft, such as fuel, maintenance, and so forth. But in our jargon, FBO means a “Faith-Based Organization.” As an FBO, GWFW is designed to provide transitional support from a moral/spiritual base to veterans as they reintegrate into the society following military service and deployments. This is the foundation upon which GWFW built its ministry and outreach.
The Rand Corporation recently conducted exploratory interviews with several FBOs and reported: “…veterans may look to FBOs for support because they are a resource that offers privacy and confidentially….We found that FBOs not only help veterans with spiritual matters, such as moral injury, but….also address areas of veteran health and wellness, including vocation, education, financial and legal stability, shelter, access to goods and services, mental health, access to health care, physical health, family, and social networks.
In some cases, the support is offered to veterans directly; in other instances, the support is indirect, via training individuals to help veterans or educating the public about veterans’ reintegration challenges.” (For a copy of this Rand report visit: www.rand.org/t/rr931).
GWFW fully realizes the importance of partnerships with our supporters. Obviously, our efforts are sometimes limited by resource and capacity restraints, insufficient connections, and veterans themselves. Therefore, we reach out to you to assist us in overcoming these constraints. We solicit your efforts in helping us meet veterans in your midst to determine how we might help them most effectively. A great approach may be: “Thank you for your service,” following up in your conversation with, “Have you heard about God’s Word for Warriors?”
The Rand Corporation continues its report: “More than 2.7 million military veterans have served in the post-9/11 era, and the U.S. military includes approximately 850,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel who toggle between reserve status and active duty, repeatedly reentering civilian society….While many veterans navigate readjustment to civilian life with little difficulty and even great success, research suggest that reintegration can present considerable challenges, particularly for those who supported military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Many of our veterans return home searching for meaning and purpose in their lives.These men and women are seeking more than a set of faith beliefs and practices associated with faith traditions.This is where GWFW and you come into place and where your support, encouragement, and involvement are so important.
-- Dr. Tom Seals