Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) www.TAPS.org

October 31 Mile Challenge: https://tinyurl.com/TAPS31MileChallenge Caring for the Families of America's Fallen Heroes. www.taps.org

TAPS is the national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources to all those grieving a death in the military or veteran community.

What a meaningful weekend for TAPS families in Tennessee. πŸŽΈπŸ’™At our Family Camp: Healing Through Music & Nature with Gold...
10/09/2026

What a meaningful weekend for TAPS families in Tennessee. πŸŽΈπŸ’™

At our Family Camp: Healing Through Music & Nature with Gold Star Mentors, families made drums, wrote songs with Nashville songwriters, hiked at sunset, and gathered around the campfire. The weekend ended with a concert where families performed the songs they created together, in honor and remembrance of their loved ones.

Thank you to Gold Star Mentorsβ„’ , our volunteer songwriters, group leaders, and every family who joined us. Through music, Brett Jones’s legacy continues: one guitar, one song, one connection at a time.

10/08/2026

β€œHere at TAPS, I talked about him a million quadrillion times to other kids, realizing that they lost their dad, too.”

Jaxon is 8 years old, and he’s proud that his dad, Army SPC Jared Johns, served our country. He also knows how lonely grief can feel at school, where most kids still have their parents and talking about his dad hasn’t always felt safe.

At TAPS, Jaxon found kids who understand. Together they talk about their dads, lean on their support systems, and learn they’re all connected. It’s where he works through the scary days and the hurts, and in his words, it’s β€œthe best place ever.” πŸ’™

We honor SPC Jared Johns, and we’re so grateful Jaxon is part of our TAPS family.

Not sure how to talk to your child about su***de? Comment β€œGuide” and we’ll send you our resource.

You are not alone. Call 800-959-TAPS(8277) anytime.

***dePrevention

10/07/2026

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." β€” C.S. Lewis

The racing heart. The restlessness. The sense that something else bad is coming. If grief has left you feeling anxious, afraid, or completely unlike yourself; that is not you losing your mind. That is what the death of a loved does to a body that cherished someone deeply.

Dr. Alan Wolfelt breaks down why fear is so common in early grief, and what you can do to gently care for yourself through it.

Comment β€œFearless" below and we will send you the full TAPS article. πŸ’™

Your experience matters. Your voice can help shape what comes next. πŸ’™ If you are grieving the death of a loved one in th...
10/07/2026

Your experience matters. Your voice can help shape what comes next. πŸ’™

If you are grieving the death of a loved one in the military or veteran community to a death by su***de, we invite you to participate in the National Su***de Survivor Survey.

⭐ This national study is listening directly to survivors to better understand the experience of su***de loss, the support survivors receive, and what may help families and communities in the future.

Every question is optional. Every journey is different. Every voice matters.

⬇️ Click the links in the comment to take the survey.

10/06/2026

When Stacey Meeker died, her husband Chris didn’t just grieve his wife. Under current law, surviving military spouses who remarry before age 55 are stripped of the benefits their loved one earned through years of military service, including Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), survivor benefits, and healthcare coverage. Benefits that were paid into. Benefits that were earned.

That is the remarriage penalty that the Love Lives on Act, included in the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, looks to overturn. And it affects tens of thousands of military surviving spouses right now.

⭐️Want to learn more about the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act from our policy and advocacy team? Comment β€œAdvocate” and we will send you a registration link to a virtual webinar on October 13th for you to learn more.⭐️

Join us tomorrow for a TAPS Institute for Hope and Healing webinar ⬇️ ⭐ π–π„ππˆππ€π‘: 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐄 π’π“πŽπ π…πˆπ†π‡π“πˆππ† π†π‘πˆπ„π…: π‹π„π€π‘ππˆππ† 𝐓...
10/05/2026

Join us tomorrow for a TAPS Institute for Hope and Healing webinar ⬇️

⭐ π–π„ππˆππ€π‘: 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐄 π’π“πŽπ π…πˆπ†π‡π“πˆππ† π†π‘πˆπ„π…: π‹π„π€π‘ππˆππ† π“πŽ 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍

When loss hits, our first instinct is often to fight the pain or run away from it. But resisting grief can prolong our suffering. True healing begins when we stop fighting and learn to lean in.

In this webinar, we will shift the focus from trying to β€œget over” loss to learning how to live alongside it. You will discover how to move through emotional pain with self-compassion rather than resistance.

What You Will Learn:

Release Resistance: Simple techniques to stop fighting your emotions and reduce internal stress.
The Art of Leaning In: How to safely sit with painful feelings instead of running away.
Reframe Your Healing: Tools to carry your loss forward while rebuilding a meaningful life.

πŸ—“οΈ October 6th at 12 p.m. ET
πŸ”— ⬇️ Register at the link in the comments

Today, the entire TAPS family joins together to wish Admiral Michael Mullen, our nation’s 17th Chairman of the Joint Chi...
10/04/2026

Today, the entire TAPS family joins together to wish Admiral Michael Mullen, our nation’s 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, a very happy 80th birthday. πŸ’™πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‚

For decades, Admiral Mullen and his wife Deborah have been more than supporters of TAPS; they have become part of our family. From headlining TAPS events to advocating alongside our survivors for su***de prevention and military family support, they have shown up for this community with genuine care and unwavering commitment.

Admiral Mullen serves on the TAPS Honorary Board, and Deborah serves on the TAPS Board of Directors where she chairs our Ambassador Committee. These roles reflect not just their dedication, but their deep personal investment in the families we serve.Β 

Mike, thank you for a lifetime of service to our country, for your unwavering friendship, and for the compassionate care you and Deborah have given our TAPS family. We love you.Β 

And as you said last night, there’s so much more to do! Happy birthday and here’s to many more!Β 

An incredible evening aboard the Intrepid Museum at the advance screening for the premiere of NCIS: New York! Thanks to ...
10/03/2026

An incredible evening aboard the Intrepid Museum at the advance screening for the premiere of NCIS: New York!

Thanks to our friends at CBS and Paramount The NCISverse for hosting our TAPS families and big shoutout to stars LL COOL J and for visiting with us before the event β€οΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸŽ¬

We can’t wait to watch this season! Tune in alert: NCIS: New York premieres Tuesday, October 6 at 9 PM ET on CBS and Paramount+

10/03/2026

Most people think of grief as sadness, but anyone living inside it knows the physical weight.

It is the kind of tired that sleep cannot fix. It takes energy simply to sit upright, to answer a phone call, to make dinner, or to walk through a grocery store where the world is moving along like nothing happened. Carrying profound love that has nowhere physical to go takes real, daily effort.

If your body and mind feel worn down today, you are not broken, and you are not falling behind. Loving someone who isn’t here to hold your hand or walk through the door is heavy, quiet work.

The puck drops tonight for the Washington Capitals, and the TAPS family is ready. πŸ’β€οΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈBonnie Carroll and Diana Roday Ho...
10/02/2026

The puck drops tonight for the Washington Capitals, and the TAPS family is ready. πŸ’β€οΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

Bonnie Carroll and Diana Roday Hosford are sporting the Washington Capitals’ stunning new 250th anniversary jerseys and sending our best to the Caps as they kick off their season.

For more than a decade, the Washington Capitals and the MSE Foundation have shown up for military and veteran surviving families in ways that go far beyond the ice. We are so grateful for this partnership and the friendship that’s grown alongside it.

Here’s to a great season, Washington Capitals We’ll be cheering you on every step of the way. πŸ’™πŸ’

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3101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600
Arlington, VA
22201

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