COLLEGE STATION – In conjunction with Veterans Day, the Military Program of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wants to remind those serving their country that the program is committed to providing quality educational programming for military professionals, service members and their families.
“Veterans Day is a time to remember those who have sacrificed so much for their country,” said Donna Wisneski, AgriLife Extension’s Texas Military Program director. “And this is also a good time to remind service members and military families we also serve them through our military-related programs and resources.”
Wisneski noted that Texas A&M University has a long tradition of military support and that AgriLife Extension has been collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Defense since the mid-1980s to assist Texas military families and programs.
She said Texas military bases rely on a team of collaborators from AgriLife Extension who have different specialties and can deliver programs that make life better for service members and their families, as well as the communities where they train and live.
“This partnership led to AgriLife Extension providing continuous support for Fort Bliss in El Paso since 1987, Fort Hood in Killeen since 1996, and Joint Base San Antonio since 2005,” she said. “At all three locations we have AgriLife Extension personnel working within programs related to family advocacy, employment and financial readiness, mobilization and deployment, new parent support, relocation assistance, substance abuse prevention, risk reduction and suicide prevention.”
Wisneski said the newest addition to the Military Program has been the induction of a pilot project known as the Wounded Warrior Project, which was established under an agreement with USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Army Installation Management Command — Family Programs.
“Like many families, military families also have day-to-day concerns about financial management, parenting and building positive relationships,” she said. “However, life in the military comes with special stresses, especially if the service member becomes wounded in battle.”
Rachel Brauner, AgriLife Extension Wounded Warrior project coordinator, said the wounded warrior pilot project’s mission is to provide support to families of wounded, ill and injured service members through educational materials and support services.
Brauner said educational items are designed to provide information concerning specific medical conditions, coping and resiliency strategies, and working with seriously wounded service members.
“Educational programming developed under the project consists of fact sheets, caregiving video series, educational courses, professional development webinars, and caregiver and warrior resources and social media outlets,” she said.
For more information on the Texas Military Program’s Wounded Warrior project, go to http://www.extension.org/pages/60576. More information on the agency’s Texas Military Program and available resources can be found at http://agrilife.org/military/
“While many of our programs serve the active duty component of the military, it is our goal to provide quality programs, activities and resources so our servicemen and women can successfully transition into their local communities as a member of our veteran population,” Wisneski said.
-30-