Take a look at some of the issues North Carolina's military families face while their loved ones are overseas.
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Links to Resources for Military Families
Information and resources to help children, parents and educators with military deployments.
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Soldiers grateful to be home for Thanksgiving
Watching football, stringing up Christmas lights, Fort Bragg paratroopers enjoyed a Thanksgiving at home, a few days before they'll leave on a yearlong deployment in Iraq.
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Soldier returns home to Durham after 15 months in Iraq
Phillip Barbee has been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., since coming back from serving 15 months in Iraq. Wednesday evening he finally saw his family again in Durham.
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Soldier donates food, water to tornado victims
More than 50 cases of food and water for the victims of recent tornadoes were left anonymously outside a Chatham County school.
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Community helps disabled vet who gave up dogs
The community is rallying around a disabled veteran who had to give up dozens of dogs because he couldn't care for them any more and wanted them to have a better life.
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Veterans Day events take place across Wake County
A morning parade in downtown Raleigh, afternoon exhibits in Cary and an evening concert with country stars honored veterans three days before the national holiday.
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Soldiers, families get computers
Soldiers in the 82nd Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team are headed to Iraq for a year, but they are leaving with donated computers to help them stay in touch with family and friends.
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Gates: Military working to combat domestic violence
During a visit to Fort Bragg, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the military is committed to curbing the type of violence in its ranks that led to the recent slayings of three female troops.
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Thief takes quilt to be raffled off for veterans
A thief made off with a quilt that the Sampson County Veterans Service Council had sold hundreds of raffle tickets for to raise money to help veterans in need.
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Study: Soldiers returning from combat suffer alcohol problems
Troops returning from war often have to deal with a number of serious health problems. A new study found heavy drinking is a problem, especially among soldiers returning from combat.
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New state law eases school moves for military families
North Carolina on Thursday joined a group of 10 states that have a uniform standard for educating students from military families.
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Couple makes front-lawn memorial for fallen soldiers
Barbara Morris has placed a white cross and American flag in her front yard for each of the 269 Fort Bragg soldiers who have died since Sept. 11, 2001.
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Soldier's dog goes AWOL before deployment
A Fort Bragg soldier's dog escaped an airline kennel as the pair were preparing to ship out to Saudi Arabia. The Army gave him a temporary reprieve to search for the animal.
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Return of 82nd Airborne continues
Three planes flew into Pope Air Force Base Sunday, bringing 800 members of the 1st Brigade Combat Unit home.
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Family, supporters greet paratroopers back from Iraq
"Welcome home!" were the sweetest words in the English language to 300 paratroopers who returned home to their families and loved ones on Thursday after 13 months in Iraq.
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Army wives rally at Fort Bragg
In the wake of the slayings of two female soldiers, Fort Bragg officials and some military wives maintain the Army provides plenty of support to couples dealing with the stress of deployments.
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Variety marks Independence Day celebrations across N.C.
From the state capital to the town of Faith, in Fayetteville, Durham and beyond, parades and picnics signaled the start of the holiday weekend around the Triangle Friday.
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Guardsmen fly home to tears, hugs and flags
The North Carolina National Guard unit that has suffered the most casualties since World War II arrived at home Tuesday evening.
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Ground broken for wounded war vet's 'Hero's Home'
A local veterans group and homebuilder associations broke ground Friday on a home for Joey Bozik, the first recipient of the group's mission, "Operation Coming Home."
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Living honor the fallen in Memorial Day ceremonies
Military members, their families and supporters laid wreaths and listened to the haunting strains of “Taps” at ceremonies honoring those who have died defending freedom.
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Fallen soldiers' names added to Special Ops memorial
The names of 32 Special Operations soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past year were added to a memorial wall at Fort Bragg on Wednesday.
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Bush examines repairs to notorious Bragg barracks
A month after an online video depicted squalid living conditions in barracks on Fort Bragg, President George W. Bush toured the barracks Thursday to look over repairs that have been made.
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Employers get glimpse of N.C. Guardsmen training for Iraq
The military hopes a trip by business owners to see their employees training as National Guardsmen will help understanding when the soldiers return home.
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Employers get glimpse of N.C. Guardsmen training for Iraq (Part 2)
North Carolina's 30th Heavy Brigade Combat team is preparing to deploy to Iraq in early 2009. To help ease the transition from work to war, the National Guard invited employers to watch the soldiers train up close.
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Army vows clean-up of dilapidated barracks
Stung by a online video showing a dilapidated barracks at Fort Bragg, Army Secretary Pete Geren and other top military officials vowed Wednesday to fix all barracks that have fallen into disrepair.
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Wounded Soldiers Deployed to Classrooms
Eleven wounded soldiers have taken on a new mission – teaching students whose parents are in the Army overseas.
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Erwin Soldier Says It’s Time to Leave Iraq
President Bush defended the Iraq war Wednesday as U.S. troops began a sixth year of combat. An Erwin soldier who recently returned from the conflicted region is not convinced.
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Parade Welcomes Home Injured Erwin Vet
Hundreds turned out for a parade in downtown Erwin Saturday to welcome an 82nd Airborne soldier wounded in Iraq.
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Fort Bragg Tones Down Bugle Calls to Mute Complaints
A week after switching daily bugle calls to a louder speaker system, Fort Bragg officials have turned down the volume on early morning and late-night calls in response to noise complaints.
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Service Separates Families Over Holidays
Many of North Carolina's military families celebrated Christmas Day as best they could while missing loved ones who were hundreds or thousands of miles away.
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Christmas miracle: soldiers fly home for holidays for free
It's Operation Christmas Miracle: 180 National Guard soldiers were to fly from RDU to be home for Christmas – on Southwest Airlines' dime.
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Group lays Christmas wreaths on veterans' graves
Thousands of volunteers laid Christmas wreaths on the graves of veterans in cemeteries nationwide, including Raleigh National Cemetery, on Saturday.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren While Parents Serve
In some military families, both parents are deployed at the same time. It causes challenges for child care and often times; families are forced to come up with creative solutions.
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Raleigh Parade, Ceremony Honors Veterans
An estimated 90,000 veterans call Wake County home. On Saturday, the 26th Annual Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony was held in downtown Raleigh.
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Group Needs Help to Share Holiday Cheer With Soldiers
Give 2 the Troops sent 800 care packages of Christmas gifts – each with enough goodies for 10 soldiers – to war zones in 2006. The nonprofit wants to the same this year, but is short of both supplies and funds.
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Buried Debris Forces Out Bragg Families
Eleven families have had to move out of housing on Fort Bragg in recent weeks because construction waste was illegally buried in their yards, officials said Thursday.
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Wall of Heroes Honors Parents of Fort Bragg Students
A Wall of Heroes stands in one Fort Bragg elementary school, dedicated to all the parents who have served – and to the father of two little girls who died in combat on the day after Mother's Day.
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Fort Bragg Asks for Time Off for Military Kids
Fort Bragg is asking school districts in the 11 counties surrounding the U.S. Army post to give students five additional excused absences when a parent returns from war.
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Military Schools Comfort Children With Parents at War
Their parents are facing bombs and bullets, but the children of deployed soldiers at Fort Bragg are fighting their own battles at home.
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Injured Fort Bragg Soldier to Get Homecoming in Nebraska
A Nebraska community rallied to pay for a homecoming for a Fort Bragg soldier, who lost most of his eyesight in Afghanistan.
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Upscale Military Housing Offers Incentive to Serve
Fort Bragg is getting a makeover. Renovations to base housing aim to create an upscale community with resort-style living as an extra incentive for soldiers to serve during a time of war and extended deployments.
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Calligraphers Plan to Honor Fallen Troops
The Carolina Lettering Arts Society is sponsoring the Namegrams Project, in which tags bearing the names of killed soldiers will be hung from trees along Fayetteville Street.
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Military Loved Ones Get Lessons in Soldiers' Lingo
Military life can seem like a whole different culture, one with its own language, traditions and customs. Some spouses of service members can quickly feel lost, especially when their loved one deploys.
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Fort Bragg a Hub of Diversity
A map from Cumberland County's planning department shows the highest concentration of Latinos in the county are at Fort Bragg. Ten percent - or 4800 soldiers - on post are Hispanic.
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Study: Child Abuse Rises During Deployment
Children of soldiers are more likely to be maltreated when one parent is deployed, a study commissioned by the military found.
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Bandannas Provide Inspirational Message to Troops
An army of volunteers is sending thousands of bandannas to soldiers to inspire and comfort them on the battlefield.
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Army Vets Suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
When soldiers come home, the physical battle can become a mental one. The Army said up to 25 percent of soldiers who return from Iraq show signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many of those troops are reluctant to ask for help, but when one former airman did, he claims it started a chain reaction that eventually cost him his job.
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Benson Community Raises Money for Veterans' Memorial
American Legion officials said they envision the memorial having five granite slabs that represent each branch of service. The slabs would be arranged in a circle with a flag in the middle and a wall of honor with the names of Benson-area soldiers who died serving our country.
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Airman Says Stress Disorder Cost Him His Job
Air Force veteran Damon Wood said he kept quiet about how the war was affecting him. When he finally asked for help, he said, it cost him his career.
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Donations Needed to Keep Troops in Touch With Loved Ones
A non-profit organization is trying to keep military families connected with loved ones fighting overseas, and it's asking for the public's support.
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Volunteers Provide Counseling for War Veterans
As the Department of Defense faces a growing crisis in mental health services for military personnel, some civilian groups are stepping in to help fill the need for care.
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Woman Parachutes to Honor Her Father, Brother
Carol Boatman Jimenez wanted to perform the tandem jump in memory of her family. Her brother, a Fort Bragg soldier, died from natural causes last year. Her father, a paratrooper, was wounded in battle.
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Fort Bragg Leader Asks Wilson Church to Pray for Troops
Lt. General Lloyd Austin spoke to the congregation at his father-in-law’s church, St. John AME Zion, about family, service and sacrifice.
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Army Moms: Lone Sentinels on the Home Front
Being a parent here at home can be tough any day, but explaining to children that their father or mother is in harm's way is even tougher.
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Local Veterans Remember Fallen Comrades
With thousands of men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, many say Memorial Day is as much about honoring and supporting current soldiers as it is about veterans.
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Volunteers Tend to Troops' Lawns
Angelika Chiri is getting ready for 15 months on Iraq. Her husband is already there. Thanks to volunteers, there’s one chore the couple won’t have to worry about while they’re away.
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Army Chief Visits Womack Hospital, Bragg Families
Acting Secretary of the Army Pete Geren toured Fort Bragg's Woman Army Medical Center and planned to meet with family readiness groups.
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Blue Angels Fly Proud at Wings Over Wayne
In a memorable performance in the skies over Wayne County Saturday, the Navy's Blue Angels took to the skies at the Wings Over Wayne Air Show in their first performance since one of their pilots died in a crash last month.
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Face of Fayetteville Changing
Fayetteville will soon see major changes as defense companies flock to the area in pursuit of big money
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Fallen Paratroopers To Be Honored at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg will remember nine paratroopers Tuesday who were killed last month in a suicide bombing north of Baghdad.
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Army Pilot's Early Homecoming Surprises Wife
Chief Warrant Officer Charles Ramsey is an Army Blackhawk pilot whose latest covert operation brought cheers and tears to many in Fayetteville.
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Benson Turns Out to Lay Paratrooper to Rest With Tears, Salutes
Staff Sgt. William C. Moore was laid to rest in his hometown Thursday, a week and three days after he and eight comrades from his 82nd Airborne Division unit died in Iraq.
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More Time Overseas Could Mean Fewer Troops
Extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan could lead to a mass exodus from the military in the coming years, according to observers.
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Wait for Information on Fort Bragg Casualties Long, Frustrating for Many
When nine paratroopers died in Iraq Monday, the names of the soldiers weren’t officially released but the military reported they were from Ft. Bragg. With limited news, the wait for families can be unbearable.
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Extended Deployment Takes Family by Surprise
A Fayetteville wife was watching the news when she heard her husband would have to stay overseas longer than expected.
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Army Widow: War Protests Hurt Troops
As the Iraq War becomes more unpopular in the U.S., many military families said they worry about the negative effect that senitment could have on their loved ones still in harm's way.
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Lawmakers Consider Tax Break for Troops
Active-duty troops would be relieved of paying state income tax, under a measure being considered in the General Assembly. But some lawmakers question whether the state can afford the tax break.
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Families Patiently Wait for Troops Still in Iraq
Of the 3,200 U.S. troops killed since the war began, more than 150 were stationed at Fort Bragg. Families say the four years of warfare have been tough, but they're surviving.
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Fort Bragg Soldiers Charged With Hardest Job Imaginable
Charged with what they say is one of the hardest jobs in the military, casualty notification officers help families of fallen soldiers cope.
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Family Flies Flags at Half-Staff to Remember Soldier
Two flags fly at half-staff in front of Cathy Moore’s Ayden home in honor of her son who sacrificed everything.
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Army Couple Marry on Valentine's Day Before Deployment
The Cumberland County Magistrate's Office has had as many as 90 weddings on previous Valentine's Days, compared to five or 10 on a typical day. But at one wedding on Wednesday, the newlyweds had a added sense of urgency.
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Army Wife's Anti-War Signs Draw Fire
An Army wife calling for U.S. troops to be brought back from Iraq is engaged in a war on the home front.
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Army Wife Blogs to Garner Support for Troops, Families
President Bush's new strategy in Iraq has touched off a vigorous debate, but there's no debating that military families shoulder much of the burden in the war. That's something the wife of a Fort Bragg soldier said America tends to forget.