Wednesday's Internet Edition, December 03, 2008.
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News editor - The Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau is preparing for the deployment of a number of troops at Ft. Hood by starting programs to help dependents.
Executive Director David Landmann started brainstorming on what the chamber can do if troops are deployed back in the fall. “We are planning not just gestures, but programs to encourage families to stay,” he said.
Landmann cited many reasons why families should stay in Cove while spouses are gone. “If they go home, they are in the worst possible position to get information on the spouse’s unit,” he said. He added that it’s important for dependents of deployed troops to stay close to the “unit family,” or other dependents of the same unit.
Staying here also ensures continuity in family life, he stated. “Kids stay in school, have friends for support, live in the same neighborhood and sleep in their rooms at night,” he said.
Additionally, moving is costly, reports Landmann. While spouses are deployed, there is no reimbursement for relocation, he said. Plus, “We’re right next to Ft. Hood, so everything to support military families is right there,” he added.
In regards to the dependents of the deployment troops, the Chamber has created the slogan, “Home is where the heart is and Copperas Cove is where the heart is.” Landmann adds, “We want them here. We want them to know that they are welcome here. They are part of this community.”
The chamber intends to actively offer programs to military families while their loved ones are deployed, said Landmann. One plan is to have the chamber serve as s clearinghouse for information. “We’re here to provide good, basic information about Copperas Cove,” he stated. Spouses can find out where to get a mechanic or a loan, he added.
Landmann is also looking into developing a Copperas Cove card for military families. The free card, good for as long as the spouse is deployed, would offer discounts with chamber member businesses. “This would be an incentive for spouses to stay here and provide continued traffic for businesses,” he said.
Landmann says he hopes to have volunteers run an occasional workshop on the life skills that are sometimes done by one spouses. Another plan still in the works is a regular Parents’ Day Out, which would provide activities for kids so their parents can have time to themselves.
The chamber will also keep up to date on the services Ft. Hood offers. Landmann adds, “We also want to remind Ft. Hood that we are here to assist them.”
The chamber is working with other local entities to hold a rally in support of deployed troops, said Landmann. “We want to let families know that as a community, we are here for them,” he added. The rally is tentatively planned for mid-February in downtown Cove.