•   Operation R&R started in 2008 with the idea of providing a nice stress free vacation for Soldiers and their families on Hilton Head Island. However the benefits quickly evolved from just a vacation to an opportunity to reconnect. This need has primarily resulted from the multiple deployments that our military has had to endure since the start of the Iraqi Conflict back in 2001. The feedback we're getting from the Commanding Officers of the bases in our reach, has been they see this time with family as having an impact on the returning soldiers quality of life.  We are working to mitigate some of the issues returning deployed soldiers face.

    •    The suicide rate in the Military is the highest in history. The suicide rate in the military has doubled since 2001 and this does not include the recently rising rate of suicides among spouses.  The ability to reconnect with family helps these soldiers to feel 'less lost'.  Reconnecting helps them recognize they're not alone when dealing with problems.  They feel better being close to their spouse and more open to discuss issues.

    •    The divorce rate in the Military is now more than double the national average. An example of that is that the US Army had less than 5,000 divorces in 2001 and over 11,000 last year. Many marriages have issues.  When you interject several deployments of 9 months and more during an enlistment, you add a facet most of us don't have to address.  The stress of these deployments affects the children as well.  It takes a toll on the entire family unit.  These trips provide much needed time together.  We had  one couple who were married 5 years.  The trip we gave them was the first time the spent their anniversary together.  You can see it in the faces of the spouse and children.  The joy of just getting away and being together really makes a difference.

    •    Along with the 1,500 families we've brought here, came nearly 3,000 children.  Many of these youngsters have experienced multiple deployments, sometimes with both parents. Children in military families experience higher rates of mental health, trauma and anxiety issues than children of civilians. Are we a cure all for every issue that arises, of course we're not.  We want to give these families some special time together.  A time to create memories these children can hold on to while their mom or dad is deployed.

    •    As one can imagine, multiple and prolonged deployments have an adverse effect on spouses.  As they saying goes; 'When one family member serves, the entire family serves.. It's tough on the spouses who remain here stateside.  Loneliness and the accompanying depression results in close to 40% of women having at least one mental health diagnosis. That's nearly twice the number of women whose husbands were not deployed.  One more point:  Bereavement experts report that for each active military loss, an average of 10 people are significantly impacted.  Since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, an estimated 69,000 family members, Gold Star Families, have been significantly impacted.

    •    The New York City Fire Department is the largest municipal fire department in the United States and the second largest in the world after the Tokyo Fire Department. The FDNY employs approximately 11,051 uniformed firefighters and 4,414 uniformed EMTs, paramedics, and fire inspectors.

    •    The FDNY's motto is New York's Bravest for fire and New York's Best for EMS. The FDNY serves more than 8.5 million residents within a 302 square mile area.

    •    The FDNY also has witnessed continuing deaths of personnel from illnesses attributed to their work after the Sept. 11 attacks. A total of 343 firefighters died that day and since then, counting deaths from illnesses, that total has hit at least 502. In September, 32 more names of those who died from illnesses attributed to September 11 were added to the FDNY memorial wall.

    •    The New York City Police Department, established in 1845, is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the United States, with approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees. NYPD is known as New York's Finest. They also serve the 8.5 million people who call New York City's 5 boroughs home. Twenty-three police officers were killed on September 11, and since then we have added to this Memorial the names of 18 of their colleagues who succumbed to illnesses that are related to the recovery work they courageously performed at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills.

    •    The addition of these officers from both departments underscores the reality that this tragedy is something the Departments and City will endure for a long time to come. It is not just New Yorkers, but visitors from around the country and world, who pay deepest respects to these fallen First Responders.