Riding for a good “CAUSE”

By Debbie Gregory.

For hundreds of thousands of veterans returning home from the battlefronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, making it home alive is just the first challenge.

Although the VA has come a long way from the 1970s, when many Vietnam veterans failed to reintegrate into society, resulting in homelessness and drug addiction, the department still has problems. The VA bureaucracy is notoriously difficult to navigate, with veterans left to figure out, on their own, what benefits they are eligible for. As a result, many of them fall through the cracks. More than 720,000 veterans do not take advantage of VA benefits for which they are eligible.

To fill in the gap, veteran charities are a crucial resource — providing financial assistance and job training, funding medical research and rehabilitative services, and helping veterans obtain government benefits. Every year, Americans give millions of dollars to such groups, expecting that the money will assist those who’ve served their country.

Comfort For America’s Uniformed Services (CAUSE) organizes programs that promote recreation, relaxation and resiliency for members of the US Armed Services recuperating from injuries received in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CAUSE would like to formally introduce their Warrior Riders, Darrel & Roseann Mooney. Everywhere they go, people can’t believe that a retired married couple will be traveling coast to coast in support of our wounded warriors. The Mooneys are part of the CAUSE family, and look forward to the next few months of the Warrior Ride.

Darrel Mooney is a Vietnam veteran. Roseann Mooney grew up in a military family. Roseann served 4 years in the Army Security Agency as a Chinese linguist. They are looking forward to seeing America in their cross-country journey.

They hope that the wounded and disabled are never forgotten, and continue to receive the support of the American public after the din of war disappears.

CAUSE provides just one piece to the puzzle of ensuring care, comfort, and resiliency to military families.

CAUSE is a proud partner, along with the USO, of the Fort Belvoir’s Warrior & Family Center. After 70 years of supporting troops and their families, the USO continues to provide services that boost the morale and resilience of our military members all over the world.