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Prisoners of War: Healing the Wounds

Aired April 14, 2003 - 11:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, if past cases hold true, the former prisoners of war and their families face a very difficult road back to a routine life.
Peggy Brown and Nancy Mainor work as family assistance officers at Ft. Bliss. We talked with them a few days ago, back when news might have been a little more bleak. But it looks as though you're going to have a pretty nice and warm conversations with these families in the days to come.

Nancy, what exactly are you guys going to be doing in the next couple of days?

NANCY MAINOR, FAMILY ASSISTANCE OFFICER: Well, in the next couple of days, Leon, we'll still preparing because we still have troops that are deployed and they are in a combat situation. So we'll still be preparing, doing education and training for our family members as well as assisting those family members who may need assistance. And talking with those families.

HARRIS: And Peggy, let me ask you about the families who will not be seen, at least no time soon at least, their loved ones coming back on television. Those who have family members who are still M.I.A. -- does this news of the last 24 hours or so make things more difficult or easier for them and what do you do about that?

PEGGY BROWN, FAMILY ASSISTANCE OFFICER: Well, we don't have any MIAs still here at Ft. Bliss, but I'm sure that it still does give them hope, and I know that they're still hoping their soldiers will be found and returned safely.

HARRIS: Yes. Heidi -- Heidi you want to jump in here with a question?

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I do I have a quick question, Peggy and Nancy. Heidi Collins here. Just wondering as a former wife of an Air Force guy, I know that before my husband deployed there was quite a course that we went through in preparing for that deployment: the signing of power of attorney, looking at wills, all of that. Do you guys help with that sort of assistance before they even go, in trying to prepare for all of this, as well?

BROWN: Yes, we do. We help with all of that and it was kind of a unique situation this time because so many troops deployed so quickly. But all of that was taken care of. COLLINS: And did that, do you think, prepare them for -- for possibly what could happen, put them in the mindset of maybe getting those conversations started about what could happen as they go overseas?

MAINOR: Definitely, Heidi. And that's the purpose of doing those briefings and that kind of training, which the military actually calls it "Operation Ready, " and we do do a number of sessions with the family in preparation for the separation of their soldiers.

HARRIS: You know, in this case, fortunately, the injuries that these POWs sustained were pretty -- relatively minor. There were no life-threatening injuries here that we're talking about or any injuries in which any of these people have to worry about being paralyzed for life or anything like that. But do you have to deal with, I guess, preparing the families as they get ready to reunite -- do you have to prepare them for the state they'll see these POWs in?

BROWN: Yes, I'm sure that they look quite a bit different now than when they left here a few months ago, and there's also the mental health issues that have to be dealt with, as well. It's not going to be easy for them to reintegrate back into normal life.

HARRIS: I suppose that should be easily understood. How about for the families that are going to be going overseas, if any of them do decide to go to say, Landstuhl, Germany and Ramstein Air Base there or whatever to meet up, will you all be sending someone or some representative to go along with them to help them through that process?

BROWN: No, they will be handled by the professionals there at Landstuhl or Ramstein and they'll be taken care of strictly by them.

HARRIS: All right. Obviously you guys are very glad to see things work out the way they have worked out, no doubt?

BROWN: Yes.

MAINOR: Absolutely.

BROWN: Very.

HARRIS: All right. Well, we're happy to see you all being happy about all of that. Peggy Brown, Nancy Mainor, thank you very much for your time and we're happy this story does have a happy ending for you all.

COLLINS: We certainly are.

BROWN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 14, 2003 - 11:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, if past cases hold true, the former prisoners of war and their families face a very difficult road back to a routine life.
Peggy Brown and Nancy Mainor work as family assistance officers at Ft. Bliss. We talked with them a few days ago, back when news might have been a little more bleak. But it looks as though you're going to have a pretty nice and warm conversations with these families in the days to come.

Nancy, what exactly are you guys going to be doing in the next couple of days?

NANCY MAINOR, FAMILY ASSISTANCE OFFICER: Well, in the next couple of days, Leon, we'll still preparing because we still have troops that are deployed and they are in a combat situation. So we'll still be preparing, doing education and training for our family members as well as assisting those family members who may need assistance. And talking with those families.

HARRIS: And Peggy, let me ask you about the families who will not be seen, at least no time soon at least, their loved ones coming back on television. Those who have family members who are still M.I.A. -- does this news of the last 24 hours or so make things more difficult or easier for them and what do you do about that?

PEGGY BROWN, FAMILY ASSISTANCE OFFICER: Well, we don't have any MIAs still here at Ft. Bliss, but I'm sure that it still does give them hope, and I know that they're still hoping their soldiers will be found and returned safely.

HARRIS: Yes. Heidi -- Heidi you want to jump in here with a question?

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I do I have a quick question, Peggy and Nancy. Heidi Collins here. Just wondering as a former wife of an Air Force guy, I know that before my husband deployed there was quite a course that we went through in preparing for that deployment: the signing of power of attorney, looking at wills, all of that. Do you guys help with that sort of assistance before they even go, in trying to prepare for all of this, as well?

BROWN: Yes, we do. We help with all of that and it was kind of a unique situation this time because so many troops deployed so quickly. But all of that was taken care of. COLLINS: And did that, do you think, prepare them for -- for possibly what could happen, put them in the mindset of maybe getting those conversations started about what could happen as they go overseas?

MAINOR: Definitely, Heidi. And that's the purpose of doing those briefings and that kind of training, which the military actually calls it "Operation Ready, " and we do do a number of sessions with the family in preparation for the separation of their soldiers.

HARRIS: You know, in this case, fortunately, the injuries that these POWs sustained were pretty -- relatively minor. There were no life-threatening injuries here that we're talking about or any injuries in which any of these people have to worry about being paralyzed for life or anything like that. But do you have to deal with, I guess, preparing the families as they get ready to reunite -- do you have to prepare them for the state they'll see these POWs in?

BROWN: Yes, I'm sure that they look quite a bit different now than when they left here a few months ago, and there's also the mental health issues that have to be dealt with, as well. It's not going to be easy for them to reintegrate back into normal life.

HARRIS: I suppose that should be easily understood. How about for the families that are going to be going overseas, if any of them do decide to go to say, Landstuhl, Germany and Ramstein Air Base there or whatever to meet up, will you all be sending someone or some representative to go along with them to help them through that process?

BROWN: No, they will be handled by the professionals there at Landstuhl or Ramstein and they'll be taken care of strictly by them.

HARRIS: All right. Obviously you guys are very glad to see things work out the way they have worked out, no doubt?

BROWN: Yes.

MAINOR: Absolutely.

BROWN: Very.

HARRIS: All right. Well, we're happy to see you all being happy about all of that. Peggy Brown, Nancy Mainor, thank you very much for your time and we're happy this story does have a happy ending for you all.

COLLINS: We certainly are.

BROWN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com