How the Comfort Crew Supports Military Kids
Military children are some of the most adaptable, resilient young people in America. They navigate frequent moves, school transitions and the unique emotional landscape of having a parent who serves. Since its founding in 2007 by Trevor Romain and Ronda Englander, the Comfort Crew for Military Kids has been dedicated to making sure they have the tools, resources and community to not just get through those experiences, but to grow through them.

The Comfort Crew’s mission is built around three core objectives: increasing communication within military families, teaching kids how to understand, manage and express their feelings, and making sure every military child knows they are not alone. They deliver on that mission through support materials, in-person presentations and online educational resources, reaching military families at every stage of the military journey.

During their early work, Trevor and Ronda witnessed firsthand the challenges military children face. Their commitment to the mission is deeply personal. Trevor served in the South African Army and saw the impact of war on children. Ronda lost her father, a Medevac pilot, in Vietnam when she was just 3 years old. As a Blue Star daughter, her experience has been a driving force behind the Comfort Crew’s work ever since.

Taking Care of What Matters Most
There are currently 1.2 million children of active-duty service members in the United States. Nearly 80% attend public schools, often cycling through multiple districts over the course of their childhood. The average military family moves every two to three years, and one in three children with a deployed parent is considered at high risk for psychological challenges.

These families deserve thoughtful, practical support, and the Comfort Crew delivers it.

“There was a gap in support for military children navigating the challenges of deployment, transition and loss,” said Executive Director Angela Salyer. “Our kits are designed to fill that gap by providing tangible tools that build and nurture resilience, emotional strength and connection when they need it most.”

The Comfort Kits: Resources That Meet Kids Where They Are
The Comfort Crew is best known for its signature Comfort Kits, four specialized programs designed for school-age children that address the specific challenges military kids face at every stage of the military journey. Each kit uses a unique blend of humor, storytelling and hands-on resources to help kids open up, connect and build resilience. The Comfort Crew calls this approach “edutainment.”

Every kit includes follow-up support delivered every 45 days for a full year, including videos, activity pages and recommended resources, along with access to the Comfort Crew Academy, a virtual learning and resiliency platform designed specifically for military kids.

Here is what is inside each one:

“With You All the Way! Dealing With Deployment”
About 138,000 military children are affected by deployment annually. This kit is designed to help them process the anxiety, uncertainty and big emotions that come with a parent being away. Each kit includes access to an animated movie to let kids know they are not alone, a journal to help them express their feelings, a family guidebook for parents, a plush bear to provide comfort and companionship, and items like postcards and a set of dog tags to help them feel connected. Families also receive ongoing support every 45 days throughout the deployment cycle, along with access to the Comfort Crew Academy. Surveys show that 97% of participants found the Deployment Kit helpful and 99% would recommend the Comfort Crew to a friend or family member.

“Together Again! Helping Military Families Reconnect”
Homecoming is a celebration, but what comes after can be complicated. Research shows that post-deployment families often experience higher levels of stress, instability and lower levels of family functioning, with analysts estimating that more than 62% of returning troops receive support to treat post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD-like symptoms. This kit gives kids and families a framework for navigating reintegration together. It includes access to an animated movie, a journal, a family guidebook and a plush bear, along with follow-up support every 45 days for a year and access to the Comfort Crew Academy.

“Taking Care of You! Support for Kids of Injured Heroes”
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 50,000 service members have returned from war with visible injuries, and an estimated 320,000 have returned with traumatic brain injuries. Military children in these families often struggle to process the experience of a parent coming home wounded and need their own space to work through those feelings. This kit includes an animated movie, a journal, a family guidebook and a plush mouse to provide comfort and companionship, plus follow-up support every 45 days for a year and access to the Comfort Crew Academy.

“Helping Military Children Handle Loss”
Losing a parent is the most profound experience a child can face, and for military children, that loss often comes alongside losing their military community and support system as well. This kit, called the Memory Box, is designed to give children ages 6 and up the tools to understand their emotions, find purpose in the aftermath of loss and know they are not alone. It includes access to the Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning animated film “What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies?”, which uses gentle humor, original music and a compassionate storyline to explain loss to children, a journal, a family guidebook, the companion book “What On Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies?” and a plush mouse. Families receive follow-up support every 45 days for a year and access to the Comfort Crew Academy.

“We are always honored when we hear from military families about how these resources have positively impacted their lives,” said Executive Director Angela Salyer. “Families tell us these kits help children feel less alone and more equipped to handle the challenges that come with military life.”

Request a Comfort Kit

More Than a Kit
The Comfort Crew’s reach extends well beyond the box. The WYATW! World Tour brings live, in-person presentations to military communities across the country, creating shared experiences that help children feel seen, connected and celebrated. The Comfort Crew Academy extends that support online, giving families, educators and counselors tools to support military children no matter where a PCS move takes them.

To date, the Comfort Crew has delivered more than 500,000 Comfort Kits and impacted more than 1 million military kids, supported by a volunteer network of more than 5,000 people who believe in the mission.

“The presentation and online Academy help kids feel happier, healthier and more confident,” said Co-Founder Trevor Romain. “These kids didn’t sign up to be military children, but they make so many sacrifices. During the presentations, they do incredibly brave work — sharing how they feel and learning how to support one another when they’re down. I always double dog dare them to leave as kinder people, because that’s how we’re going to change the world.”

The Numbers Behind the Mission
Two million military children have had a parent deployed since 2001. One in three of those children is considered at high risk for psychological challenges. The Comfort Crew meets that need with programs that are thoughtful, proven and built specifically for this community.

But behind every statistic is a kid who is figuring it out, and doing it with more strength than most people realize. The Comfort Crew makes sure they never have to figure it out alone.

Trevor shared one of his favorite letters, written by a 9-year-old girl named Delissa:

“My dad was gone 3 times and I felt like he did not know us. I sometimes got so sad and I was real depressed because it felt like he was not my same dad. But I promise your movie helped a lot. I wrote my ideas down in my journal and my dad read it and you know what, he cried. And when he cried I knew that he cared and I felt so much better to know that he got his feelings back and I got my dad back.”

A Community That Shows Up
One of the most meaningful things the Comfort Crew offers is something no kit can fully contain: the reminder that military children are part of a community that sees them, understands them and is actively working to support them. That sense of connection is woven into everything they do, from the animated movies to the in-person tours to the online academy.

“We hope every military child and family walks away from our programs feeling supported, understood and better equipped to handle the challenges they face,” said Director of Operations Crystal Harmon. “Our goal is to provide not just resources, but a sense of connection and reassurance that they are never alone in this journey.”

How You Can Help
The Comfort Crew is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported in part by the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC No. 46891). Military families can request a Comfort Kit directly through the organization’s website, and supporters can donate, volunteer or help spread the word.

Because when military kids are equipped with the right tools and the right community, they do not just get through the hard seasons. They grow through them.

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