A woman wearing a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors shirt holds flowers at a cemetery. TAPS has begun working with families affected by Operation Epic Fury, offering immediate emotional support and connecting them with resources as they begin processing their loss. (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)
After the deaths of service members during Operation Epic Fury were announced, military families across the country began the difficult process of grieving their loved ones.
“In those first 24 to 72 hours, families are often in shock,” said Bonnie Carroll, president and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. “Nothing about that moment feels real. They are suddenly faced with overwhelming decisions, questions and a profound sense that the world has shifted beneath them.”
Thirteen service members have been killed as part of the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28. The operation is in its third week.
TAPS, one of the nation’s leading organizations supporting families of fallen service members, quickly stepped in to assist families in navigating their loss. It has been coordinating with casualty officers, chaplains and survivor assistance teams while providing emotional support and connecting families with resources.
The families affected by the recent casualties have expressed gratitude for the support system available to them, Carroll said. “They know they can call us 24/7. The families are getting everything they need,” she said.
Carroll added that TAPS has also “reached out directly to the units that suffered losses,” letting them know the organization can provide additional resources, comfort and support.
“TAPS has MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and protocols with each branch of the military, and works side by side with them whenever a death occurs,” Carroll said.
Peer mentors and staff from TAPS also often attend funerals, standing alongside families to offer comfort and support as they honor their loved ones.
“My mentor had the courage to reach out to me and help me begin to make sense of the ‘grieving world’ ... to reach his hand out to me and pull me over an abyss,” said Timothy Jabin, a surviving father. His son, Tyrone, was an airman apprentice in the Navy who died by suicide in 2020.
Carroll said that “TAPS is that family that comes right alongside, just quietly, with that presence to fill in gaps, letting families know they are not alone and to provide a lifetime of support and care.”
Six Army reservists assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) were killed in a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Another soldier died from injuries sustained during a March 1 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. In addition, six crew members died after their Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq last week.
For many families, Carroll said the most important priorities are safety and stability — knowing they will be cared for, that benefits are in place, and that their loved one’s life and service are properly honored.
“We really get to understand exactly what their needs are, who they are, how we can best wrap them in all of this comfort and care, and connect them with others in this community of support so they know that they are not alone,” Carroll said.
The organization, led by experts in grief and trauma care, offers 24/7 help lines, casework assistance, and grief programs for children, and also helps families navigate everyday challenges, such as transferring a vehicle title or correcting a headstone inscription.
In addition, TAPS helps surviving family members with military benefits, state benefits, social security, VA programs and private sector assistance.
Carroll said that 85% of TAPS staff are survivors. Over time, thousands of trained peer mentors connect grieving families with others who have experienced similar losses. This helps create a safe space for “raw and authentic conversations” about the most difficult experiences with those who truly understand.
“Grief is one of the most misunderstood experiences,” Carroll said. “People think it’s something we get over or we have closure ... and it just doesn’t work like that. We redefine our relationship with those we love, and that love lives on.”
