As the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensified through July and August, federal officials launched what was thought to be the largest evacuation since Americans exited Liberia a decade ago. The U.S. Department of States estimated that roughly 25,000 Americans were in Lebanon when hostilities suddenly escalated. On Saturday, July 22,
flights carrying evacuees began arriving at McGuire Air Force Base in Central New Jersey. As part of the overall humanitarian assistance effort, the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services-Disaster & Terrorism Branch coordinated crisis counseling services at the Repatriation Center set up at the base. Members of the Disaster & Terrorism Branch were joined by several counselors from Catholic Charities, who assisted throughout the several days that the Repatriation Center was active.
Counselors also received evacuees who were bussed from the base to Newark Liberty airport. Crisis counseling was available around the clock through Tuesday, July 25, as flights continued to arrive throughout the day and night. Nearly 1,000 evacuees received psychosocial support from counselors positioned in the base passenger terminal.
In addition to direct personal contact with counselors, brochures and other resources were made available to evacuees. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals were provided to the children by local relief agencies. To help extend this support to evacuees who moved quickly through the Repatriation Center on their way home, an online program, "Coping with the Stress of Emergency Evacuation" was developed and posted on the Web. The program provides psychoeducational information about the emotional impact of emergency evacuation and repatriation, as well as strategies for coping. The program can be found on the home page of www.disastermentalhealthnj.com.