Special Operations Warrior Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) is an American tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to provide college scholarship
s and educational counseling to the surviving children of Special Operations personnel killed in training accidents or operational missions. These services are provided throughout the United States
, or overseas, depending upon where the surviving children reside.
Today, the foundation has 911 Children in its program, with 140 students enrolled full-time in colleges and universities across the country.
The foundation also provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel to allow their loved ones to travel and be bedside when they are needed most.
The foundation began as the Col. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons
Scholarship Fund. It was named in honor of the Army Green Beret
, Bull Simons, who repeatedly risked his life on rescue missions.
Following creation of the United States Special Operations Command
, and as casualties mounted from actions such as Operations Urgent Fury (Grenada
), Just Cause (Panama
), Desert Storm (Kuwait
and Iraq
), and Restore Hope (Somalia
), the Bull Simons Fund gradually expanded its outreach program to encompass all Special Operations Forces. Thus, in 1995 the Family Liaison Action Group (established to support the families of the 53 Iranian hostages) and the Spectre (Air Force gunship) Association Scholarship Fund merged to form the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. In 1998 the foundation extended the scholarship and financial aid counseling to also include training fatalities since the inception of the foundation in 1980. This action immediately added 205 children who were now eligible for college funding.
In 2010, the foundation provided $4.8 million in scholarship grants, financial aid, and counseling to families of fallen special operations personnel.
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s and educational counseling to the surviving children of Special Operations personnel killed in training accidents or operational missions. These services are provided throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, or overseas, depending upon where the surviving children reside.
Operation
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is a top-rated, non-profit organization located in Tampa, Florida. The SOWF supports America's special operations forces by providing full college educations to the surviving children of fallen special operations personnel as well as immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel.Today, the foundation has 911 Children in its program, with 140 students enrolled full-time in colleges and universities across the country.
Mission
The mission of the foundation is to provide a college education to every child who has lost a parent while serving in the Special Operations Command during an operational or training mission. The foundation provides funding for tuition, books, fees, room and board, laptop computer and printer. Eligible students are not restricted to traditional four year colleges: they may attend junior colleges or vocational schools as well. The foundation also employs a school psychologist to help families through the grieving processes and the challenges that come with losing a parent.The foundation also provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel to allow their loved ones to travel and be bedside when they are needed most.
Awards
In 2010, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation was awarded its fifth consecutive four-star rating from the nation's leading charity watchdog, Charity Navigator. This esteemed rating places the SOWF in the top 5 percent of charities rated for its financial efficiency.History
The SOWF was founded in 1980 following the failed attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran. The doomed mission was plagued with problems from the start, but it ended in disaster when a helicopter and C-130 gunship collided in the desert of Iran, at a location now referred to as "Desert One," killing eight military personnel and severely incapacitating another. The fallen warriors left behind 17 children. The survivors took it on themselves to provide college educations for the children of their fallen comrades.The foundation began as the Col. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons
Arthur D. Simons
Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons was a US Army Special Forces officer, best known for leading the Son Tay raid, an attempted rescue of American prisoners of war from a North Vietnamese prison at Son Tay.-Early life:Arthur David Simons was born in New York City, moving to Missouri in his youth...
Scholarship Fund. It was named in honor of the Army Green Beret
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
, Bull Simons, who repeatedly risked his life on rescue missions.
Following creation of the United States Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
, and as casualties mounted from actions such as Operations Urgent Fury (Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
), Just Cause (Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
), Desert Storm (Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), and Restore Hope (Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
), the Bull Simons Fund gradually expanded its outreach program to encompass all Special Operations Forces. Thus, in 1995 the Family Liaison Action Group (established to support the families of the 53 Iranian hostages) and the Spectre (Air Force gunship) Association Scholarship Fund merged to form the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. In 1998 the foundation extended the scholarship and financial aid counseling to also include training fatalities since the inception of the foundation in 1980. This action immediately added 205 children who were now eligible for college funding.
Financial requirements
There are more than 900 children of fallen special operations troops with whom the foundation is charged with helping in their education requirements. With nearly 100 children eligible each year for college in the upcoming years, the foundation's estimated financial need through 2018 is $60 million.In 2010, the foundation provided $4.8 million in scholarship grants, financial aid, and counseling to families of fallen special operations personnel.