There exists a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the world right now, and this holds especially true for families who have a loved one fighting in the Middle East. At a time when many predicted that victory would be close at hand, the war in the Middle East is only just beginning. As a result, it is survival rather than victory that is often in the minds and hearts of friends and families at home. This Middle East war is far different from the air campaign in the Persian Gulf a decade ago. The United States involvement in the Persian Gulf necessitated a minimal deployment of ground troops and resulted in a fewer number of casualties than have already befallen the Coalition Forces.

In the current conflict, each day brings news of more POW’s, men and women missing in action, casualties, and the threat of chemical warfare. Tens of thousands of American soldiers are scheduled to depart for the Middle East to join the more than 300,000 American and British forces already engaged in this conflict.

Family members are living in uncertainty, not knowing when their husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, sons, or daughters will be returning. For those of us who do not have a loved one participating in this conflict, we can only imagine the hardship of coping with world events along with demands of daily living. Certainly, every "war family" is proud of the men and women, all of whom, have volunteered their service to the armed forces. Operation Comfort is entirely a volunteer effort which provides support to "war families" who are struggling under the tremendous burden of stress, anxiety, fear, helplessness, and loss.

On March 25th, Dr. Jose David Cohen, a psychotherapist based in North Hollywood, California, made a commitment to provide free psychotherapy to family members who had a loved one fighting in the Middle East. The following day, Dr. Cohen contacted several news agencies, political figures, fellow clinicians, and advocacy groups in an effort to initiate a grass roots effort that he has termed "Operation Comfort." By the end of the day, Dr. Cohen’s efforts were recognized by a number of radio and television stations, and we are continuing to grow and reach out on a daily basis. On March 28th, Dr. Cohen was joined by Dr. Steven Sherman to further develop and share in the vision of Operation Comfort.

Our mission is to create a network of mental health providers across the nation who are willing to offer their services, free of charge, to family members who have a loved one fighting in the Middle East. Whether you are a mental health care provider or have a loved one serving overseas, we welcome and invite your participation in Operation Comfort.