The “Collateral Damage” of the Wars on Florida Families

More than 500 soldiers and family members from the 1-153 Cavalry, Florida National Guard, showed up to learn more about services and resources to help them transition from deployment to civilian life. This Yellow Ribbon Program was in Panama City February 2011. Photo courtesy of the Florida National Guard.

What are the needs of Florida’s military families? How well are government agencies and private organizations meeting those needs? Those two questions are asked and answered in a new study to be presented by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, and Dr. Susan MacManus, a distinguished professor at the University of South Florida.

As imporatant as the questions and answers are the solutions. The study offers “explicit recommendations for improving struggling government programs … and for increasing the role of private philanthropic programs.”

Later this morning, the study, “Collateral Damage: Floridians Coping with the Aftermath of War”, will be released detailing the impact the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and multiple deployments have had on Florida military families and veterans. The results are embargoed until after the announcement in Tallahassee.

When the study is made public, I will provide links and details. The research was funded by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, the largest community foundation in the state, and the James Madison Institute, a non-partisan think tank dedicated to limited government and increased individual responsibility.