ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Born out of tragedy right here in Alaska in 1992, a national service organization that has aided thousands of veterans' families will return to the state where it all began this June. As more military families are forced to cope with the death of a loved one as a result of the Global War on Terrorism, it couldn't come at a better time.

Bonnie Carroll's life changed in November of 1992 when her husband, Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, along with seven other guardsmen, died in a C-12 crash near Juneau. Two years later, she used the experience of great personal tragedy to help others in similar circumstances, but she had no idea how far-reaching her efforts and the fledgling organization she was starting would extend.

Today, Carroll's organization, called Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, is considered a national service organization, receives about 30 calls a day from families in need and has an honorary board of directors that includes former President Jimmy Carter, actor Ben Stein and U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.

The well-established organization, based in Washington, D.C., is guided by the premise Carroll discovered after the death of her husband: that the greatest source of strength and healing for those suffering after the death of a loved one is finding solace with others who share the same experience.

According to the TAPS mission statement, services offered by the military and veterans' agencies are outstanding, but often involve bureaucratic processes difficult for a grieving spouse to keep up with.

TAPS assistance takes several forms including peer support, grief resources, crisis intervention, case work assistance and an area it's especially well known for, grief camps for children held each Memorial Day in Washington.

The grief camps bring children who've lost parents together for fun and special activities specifically designed to help younger survivors deal with loss.

Maria Sutherland's children have benefited from the camps. "My boys initially resisted counseling efforts, but I made them go to the camp," said Mrs. Sutherland of the TAPS Good Grief camp. "Now they can't wait for the next camp to come around."

The mother of two lost her husband, Staff Sgt. Stephen Sutherland, assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade, when his vehicle rolled over in Iraq in November 2005. Recently, her sons Omar and Victor were asked to be camp mentors, to use their experience to help others in similar situations.

"They're not quite ready for that yet, but it's definitely a possibility," Mrs. Sutherland said. She believes the contact with others in similar circumstances was crucial to her sons' healing after the loss.

Mrs. Sutherland's sons won't have to travel as far for one camp coming up this summer. For the first time since TAPS was created, the Good Grief camp will be held in Alaska where it all began.

"We're extremely excited to be conducting the camp locally in June," said Tracie West, a Mobilization and Deployment Specialist at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and a local TAPS coordinator. "We really hope anyone in Alaska affected by the death of a military member will take advantage of the grief camp being held here in the state."

For those unsure as to whether they will attend the camp, Maria Sutherland's experience and that of her children speaks volumes about the program. When asked how it made a difference, she said, "They didn't have to say 'I know what you're going through.' It was understood."

The camp will be held along with a TAPS seminar June 5 to 7 at Fort Richardson and registration is now open. For more information on Camp Good Grief and TAPS, go online to www.taps.org or call (917) 384-6717.