Bonnie Carroll

President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Bonnie Carroll founded the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the American nongovernmental organization providing care to the families of military and conflict deceased.

The surviving spouse of a Soldier, Ms. Carroll also served in the military, retiring as a Major in the USAFR. In her earlier civilian career, she served three Presidents in the White House in senior policy positions; lobbied on Defense and Aerospace issues; and was posted in Baghdad, Iraq as the Deputy Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Communications in ’03-’04. She has traveled extensively to countries of conflict mentoring programs to empower bereaved survivors. In 2015, the US Department of State asked TAPS to mentor the creation of an organization in Ukraine to care for the families of their fallen, and today, TAPS Ukraine is a major national program across Ukraine offering psychosocial support and resources. Ms. Carroll has published research on “Turning War Grief Into Positive Peace” which has been presented at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. In 2015, Ms. Carroll was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, the highest US civilian recognition.