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Magazine profiles first military social worker officer killed in action

Social worker David Cabrera’s wife, August, and their sons, Max and Roanin, walk behind his remains at the funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.

A special cheers to the Washington Post Magazine for this profile of social work hero David Cabrera, MSW, LCSW, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 29, 2011. The article said Cabrera is the first military social worker officer who lost his life during a war.

Cabrera, who is survived by wife August and four children, was a special social worker, the article said. Instead of staying at base camp he would hop in an armored vehicle and go to the front lines where the soldiers were.

He would counsel soldiers who were suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, depression or who were suicidal until late at night and then wake up early and start again.

To help put solders at ease he would take retired bomb dog Lucy, a Chocolate Labrador, with him when he visited soldiers.

The article talks about Cabrera’s path from a broken home to social work and his special relationships with his wife, friends and colleagues.

“I’m an infantryman. My job is to hurt people and break s—,” said Lt. Col. Richard White, 45, who said Cabrera would counsel him while the two smoked cigars. “But Dave was there to help fix things, fix soldiers and make things better.”

A memorial for David Cabrera, who was an assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Photo courtesy of DCMilitary.com.

 SocialWorkersSpeak.org did another article on a memorial service in honor of Cabrera. To read that item click here.

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  1. As I tried to write I noticed that some words were being deliberately distorted by a computer system that kept distorting what I wrote. Strange. You try to do good but insecure and resentful people try to take pot shot at good social workers because of their own stupidity. So I shall present what I wrote again .

    Social workers are special people all over the world. Unlike journalists and doctors without borders their work is not well known or well documented. Their courage, kindness and compassion rarely goes known. Their work is not well documented. They work in many organizations, with many different and diverse groups of people and on different problems and needs.

    Many social workers have died, killed: by distraught clients, angry abusive husbands who did not like their work with their victim-wives, by bombs and bullets in combat areas and in accidents while they were on rescue missions. There were Muslim social workers who were killed by men in their own communities for trying to help battered women, help women fleeing honor killing , etc. Such brave social workers’ services will never be known. Like this military social worker who quietly and bravely helped men and women in distress in combat zone, whether he agreed with the decision for combat or not. It takes compassion and courage to do what he did. And there are many who will be grateful for that. May he rest in peace, and may his wife and children always remember him with love and pride.

    Dr. Meera
    PhD in Social Work

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