Our Fallen Warriors have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. As a result of their loss, the surviving family members need our help and our support in any form the family may require.
Those families who have lost a Service Member deserve our eternal respect, gratitude and the very best services and support we can provide. The Department of the Army has made a commitment to the families of Fallen Warriors.
The Survivor Outreach Services Office here at U.S. Army Garrison-Miami is part of an Army-wide program designed to provide dedicated and comprehensive support to survivors of deceased soldiers.
Other Services have similar programs which the SOS Office works with to support other service family members. The purpose of the SOS Office is to manage and deliver access to support, information, family services and family advocacy. There is no time limit for this commitment.
As the Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator, Maddie Husta provides long term support to families of the fallen and is the link to many and various services and support programs available in the SOUTHCOM AOR.
Through an established and growing network of military and civilian service providers and outlets, the SOS office will coordinate the support family members need as they journey through the transition following the loss by providing direct services as well as information, referrals and recommendations.
They will also connect family members with support groups, bereavement and financial counselors, as well as help with all of the paperwork and document management necessary following the death of a service member. The SOS office also provides special financial counseling and support to assist the surviving family in sound financial planning and in moving to financial security following the death of a service member. Staff member Rudy Argüello, provides professional financial information and services in areas such as investing, estate planning, tax issues and basic budgeting.
One important but little known Survivor resources is direct assistance with immigration. If the spouse, child, or parent of a U.S. service member who died as a result of combat while serving in an active duty status in the U.S. armed forces, they may be eligible for immigration benefits as an “immediate relative” for up to 2 years after the service member relative’s death. These include posthumous U.S Citizenship for the fallen warrior and accelerated access to long-term entry Visas, work permits and residency Visas (Green Card). In some cases, a surviving spouse, child, or parent of fallen service members may be eligible for permanent naturalization as a U.S. citizen as the surviving relative of the service member under Section 319(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
For more information on SOS, call Maddie Husta, 305-437-2178, by E-Mail: Madhya.Husta@hq.southcom.mil or visit www.southcom.mil/usag-miami/sites/mwr/WhatisSurvivorOutreachServices.pdf
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