The People

Who are these people that love our "Wounded Warriors" so much that they are willing to give whatever time they have to help them?

Judith Markelz - "Mom"

When these Wounded Warriors and their families arrive in San Antonio, who is there to offer them some Texas hospitality? How is it possible that they might feel at home when they are in a place so foreign to them? Judith Markelz, manager of the Warrior and Family Support Center formerly knowns as Soldier and Family Assistance Center, makes offering a "home-like" atmosphere her primary mission.

To most who come through this center, she is known as "Mom". This is a big job for a woman who was drawn to this position more than three years ago. Her husband served as the Deputy Commander at Brooke Army Medical Center. Through her dealings with the Wounded Warriors who came to BAMC, she recognized the need to serve them and their families as they struggled to find a normalcy to lives that had been so badly damaged by enemy fire, bombs and other hazards of their service.

Warrior and Family Support Center  Volunteers

People from all over South Texas that give of their time and talents to help these men, women and children in any way they can.

The volunteer assistants that come from every walk of life and background come daily to the Warrior and Family Support Center to offer help in any way possible. Their goal is to provide a means for the Wounded Warriors and their families to re-connect the pieces of their broken lives. These services cover many areas but include:

  • Setting up transportation
  • Providing snacks and refreshments
  • Offering videos and CD's
  • Providing access to internet and other computer resources
  • Setting up child care services
  • Coordinating dinners at local restaurants
  • Outings, such as, rodeo, NIOSA, Monster Truck, and many more

In Judith's own words, she is there to serve these people, especially those family members who give up everything they have, to come to San Antonio to help their Wounded Warriors heal, because "that's what you do". When everything important is on the line, we would hope that we would all have the same kind of resolve that Judith has to do what is difficult because it is the right thing to do.