Interview with Jennifer Paquette of the Green Beret Foundation

1. What is your organizations full name, your full name and your position within the organization? The Green Beret Foundation, Jennifer Paquette, Director of Operations and I also sit on the Board of Advisors.

2. How and why did you get involved? My husband, Roland Paquette III, was an 18d (Special Forces Medic) with 1/3 SFG and was severely injured December 28, 2005 when his vehicle was hit by an IED. He lost both of his legs above the knees. I started working for USSOCOM Care Coalition helping start a pilot program supporting injured, ill and wounded Special Operations warriors and their families. I was a project manager and mentor for this program. I am still a mentor in the program but I am focusing on school; am supporting my husband while he goes to Physician’s Assistant school and focusing on getting the Green Beret Foundation up and running.

3. What is your mission and how do you hope to achieve it? The Green Beret Foundation provides unconventional resources to facilitate the special needs of our wounded, and provide unique support to the Special Forces community in order to strengthen readiness and uphold Green Beret traditions and values.

a. What is your Short term goal- We are currently focusing on creating a solid resource network and legitimate business infrastructure in order to facilitate our long-term goal of alleviating any gaps in care or controllable stressors for wounded Green Berets and their families. We want to instill confidence in our donors in order for them to be confident that their donations are truly making a difference in the Green Beret Community. We are focusing on marketing, holding fundraisers, partnering with corporations and private donors in order to raise the necessary resources.

b. What is your Long term goal- to setup a solid support system that will be able to support wounded Green Berets for many years to come. We support Green Berets wounded in combat operations, training, and peace time operations. Because the Green Berets are called upon to operate with supreme precision in extreme situations their training can result in injured soldiers. And although our nation will eventually end war-time activities, the Green Berets will continue to be tasked with potentially dangerous and life threatening peacetime activities. We want our foundation to be able to continue supporting Green Berets injured during their service to our country for a long time to come.

4. What are some of the activities being supported by your organization? Health and Welfare, Advanced rehabilitation and operational health & performance programs. Equipment related to rehabilitation and operational health & performance treatments and procedures not covered by the DOD, the Veterans Affairs, or TRICARE such as:

• In-Vitro fertilization for those whose reproductive capacity has been affected by their wounds, injury or illness.
• Career & educational opportunities and Life reintegration assistance.
• Travel Transportation and lodging for medical treatments not covered by TRICARE.
• Transportation and lodging for Veterans seeking medical assistance through VAR or occasions when travel for medical purposes for our wounded on active duty is not covered by the government.
• Memorial Costs incurred by family members for Gold Star events and certain memorials.
• Family assistance and resources to aid and assist the spouses and children of the Special Forces community who have been affected by the loss of their loved one.
• Financial assistance for certain hardships when approved by our Board of Directors

5. What can we all do to help your organization accomplish its goals? As we continue to have fundraisers around the nation, we will need help from volunteers to run these events. We can always use assistance with ideas and opportunities for fundraisers or events and resources surrounding raising awareness about our efforts to support our warriors. We are also looking for opportunities to educate the public however we can by enlisting the help of various publications, all of our social networks, social meetings, & TV and radio public service announcements.
Address:
Green Beret Foundation
PO Box 8250
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
Greenberetfoundation.org
My number: 505-264-3284 Email: jen@greenberetfoundation.org
Aaron’s number: 714-975-3154 Email: aaron@greenberetfoundation.org
6. Is there anything else you would like to add? I would also like to make sure that you know that I am not the founder. The founder and president is SSgt (R) Aaron Anderson formally of 7th SFG who was traumatically wounded in 2006. He has pulled together an outstanding Board of Directors and Board of Advisors made up of all former Special Forces Soldiers (and one wife of a SF soldier- me). It has taken this complete team to get it started.
We also work very closely with the USSOCOM Care Coalition to help us identify soldiers with needs. They act as a clearing house for the wounded. Care Coalition tracks all casualties from the combat theater to state side. We cannot operate efficiently and effectively without this organization. This is very important.