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Imagine youʼre a young solider, a world away from home with a four-month-old daughter youʼve never seen. Through a series of truncated phone conversations you discover her life is in danger. Your parents, in-laws and wife are by her bedside praying for a heart to replace her tiny, malfunctioning one. “Helpless” probably doesnʼt begin to cover the way youʼd feel.
Now imagine thereʼs a group of retired soldiers back home whoʼve heard about your baby and taken it upon themselves to do all they can to meet your familyʼs needs — both practical and emotional. Thatʼs just the kind of thing a group of retired Special Operations soldiers are doing through a non-profit organization called Task Force Dagger Foundation.
Itʼs all about serving those who serve us in the Army Special Operations Command and attending to the needs of their families. Two local men Keith David and Ben Bethke helped establish the group along with Frank Antenori of Arizona and Rick Walker of Tennessee. All are retired Special Operations soldiers looking for a way to continue serving their country and brothers in arms, after their retirement.
“People assume that all the needs of our service families are being met by the military and/or benevolent organizations,” Ben said. “Thatʼs just not possible and some situations fall through the cracks leaving families to struggle. Task Force Dagger Foundation was established to fill those gaps so families can put situations behind them quickly and soldiers can get back to doing what they do best.”
That might mean arranging to fly a wounded soldierʼs family to his bedside or reaching out to a military family whoʼs lost a child. Often when a SOC soldier loses a limb, he worries he can no longer enjoy outdoor activities with his kids. So Task Force Dagger Foundation organizes outdoor events, called Recreational Therapy Events, tailored specifically for wounded soldiers to interact with their families and other soldiers and their family members who are going through the same type of life experience. The events are centered around activities that the whole family can enjoy things like scuba diving excursions or fishing expeditions.
Theyʼve arranged for soldiers and their families to attend Texas Ranger games together. Thereʼs even a couples cruise in the planning where not only can soldiers and their wives get away together but wives can meet, to support and encourage one another. “These family events can have a profound and lasting impact on the healing process of a wounded soldier,” Ben said. “Weʼre here to help in the transition and recovery of not only our wounded brothers in arms but their family members as well,” Keith said. “Weʼre just glad weʼre able to be there when thereʼs a need.”
FamilyWise Healthcare and our family of patients want to thank Keith, Ben and other Task Force Dagger Foundation volunteers for serving those who serve us.
For information on how you can help visit www.TaskForceDagger.org
