The Special Operations Warrior Foundation pledges to continue to work diligently and unselfishly to preserve the legacy of our fallen Warriors through the college education of the families they left behind.

It takes a Special kind of "quiet professional" to meet the exacting standards of America's Special Operations Forces. As the war on terrorism continues to unfold, Special Operations Forces will be facing new challenges all too frequently. In fact, there has never been a greater need for Special Operations Forces than right now - and Special Operations Forces will continue to be the force of choice time and time again during this tumultuous period.

Special Operations personnel are conducting more missions, in more places, and under a broader range of conditions than ever before. These missions entail high operational tempos, heavy and unpredictable deployment schedules, personal hardships and, by their very nature, inordinate casualties both in operations and training. Since the Iranian hostage rescue attempt in 1980, America's Special Operations Forces have suffered casualties at over four times the rate of conventional forces. Most of these casualties occur at an early age, at the beginning of their careers, thus leaving behind families who have yet to accumulate the resources to provide for their surviving children's college education.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation strives to relieve Special Operations personnel of the one concern, their families, that might distract them from peak performance when they need to be - and when America needs them to be - at their very best.

Today, more than 600 such deserving children exist who should not be denied the education their fallen parent would surely have wanted for them. With nearly 100 children eligible each year for college in the upcoming years, the Foundation's estimated financial need through 2018 is $40 million.