By Spc. Collin MacKown
14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT CARSON, Colo. – The Fort Carson Soldier Recovery Unit hosted a Caregivers Resource Fair to support Soldiers, veterans, and their Families during the transitioning period from the military into the civilian sector with over 32 organizations attending Dec. 6, 2022, at Fort Carson.
Capt. Kenneth Cramm, Soldier Recovery Unit commander, notes the resource fair’s purpose was to provide the Soldiers and their Families with the ability to speak with the organizations that can potentially provide substantial support services as they transition to the next phase of their career.
“There are a multitude of resources offered to Soldiers while they are transitioning out of the Army,” said Kenneth Tate, a recovery care coordinator at the SRU. “We want to make sure that they are prepared, so that they can get a head start on every aspect of their transition.”
This event had 32 resources available which included organizations that help with employment readiness, behavioral health, education opportunities, finance, spiritual needs and legal inquiries. All organizations had tables and posters explaining their individual programs, while the Soldiers rotated every five minutes until they had visited each one.
“Looking at this event from a big picture is really trying to let these Soldiers know just how many external resources are out there,” said Tennille Wren, a recovery care coordinator at the SRU. “We want to help bridge the fear of the unknown and show them that they’re not going to be alone through their process.”
This fair revealed many opportunities for Soldiers’ futures and assisted them in their decision making for the next chapters of their lives.
“When a Soldier gets to the unit is exactly when their transition starts,” said Timothy Light, a recovery care coordinator at the SRU. “We encourage them to start thinking about that and planning for that while accessing these resources and not getting stuck, so that they can leave, living fulfilling lives.”
“We try to encourage every Soldier when they come, in order to get rid of that fear of not being able to rely on the Army for stability anymore,” said Tate. “We remind them that a lot of us fear the unknown, but if they take advantage of the resources available, they can have a smooth transition out.”
This type of event not only benefits the Soldiers who attend, but also the cadre. All staff from the SRU who experienced the resource fair are given the opportunity to learn more about programs and organizations in order to better assist Soldiers in the future.
“It is a significant event because we are educating even the cadre in the unit about the services available,” said Lynn Marie Smith Martin, the supervisor for the Army recovery care coordination directorate. “As the cadre interacts with every organization, they then know that there are more places available for their Soldiers.”
Cramm said this event was the first of its kind with bringing every organization together, but already the SRU is hoping to now host resource fairs annually. “The event has been beyond successful,” Martin said. “This resource fair is now the example for all other SRU’s, and they hope to now implement something similar for other Soldiers across the country.”
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