Thousands of Military Families Arriving at Seattle's SeaTac Airport from Japan--Counseling and Financial Aid Provided

Flying in from Japan to Seattle's SeaTac Airport in Washington State, are thousands of military dependents. This action is due to a voluntary evacuation by the Department of Defense following last week's disaster from the quake, tsunami, and nuclear issues.

Reportedly, 233 family members, including 190 children and nine pets, arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) on Saturday after a 10-hour flight from Yokota Air Base.

This is only the beginning, thousands of military personnel and their families will soon be be arriving at Sea-Tac and will continue to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

The procedure upon arrival from Japan includes being escorted into a special room where USO workers help them fill out paperwork.

In one of the first groups to arrive was Dorothea who left her husband on base but brought her two children, 9-year-old Jackson and 6-year-old Elizabeth. She arrived at SeaTac, but will end up in Kentucky with family.

As traumatized travelers arrive, they are being provided with a number of support services, including how to get financial aid and counseling after surviving the scary and unsettling events in Japan.

The military bases in the area are providing temporary housing for those who need a place to stay.

It is uncertain how long this evacuation will continue. Altogether, approximately 7,000 military personnel and their families are expected to arrive through Sea-Tac Airport.

How many people will have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and will never emotionally be the same from this tragic event? It has been sobering to hear about Japan but I cannot even imagine the lifelong stress that could remain if I were there during the quake, all the aftershocks, the tsunami, and the nuclear ordeal.

StephEaly: http://www.allvoices.com/users/StephEaly