A Support Group for Families of Armed Services Personnel in the Persian Gulf War

During the Persian Gulf War, the Red Cross and a family service agency in Greensboro, North Carolina, began a multigenerational support group designed to serve military families. The major features of this innovative group approach are described in relation to the major dimensions of Schopler and Galinsky's (1993) model of support groups. From this group experience, the leaders learned the significance of appropriate sponsorship in providing an appealing environment, the importance of inclusiveness, a greater understanding of the enrichment that diversity brings, and the significance of the role that mentor families can play in a support group.