Blue Star Families of Central Virginia was formed in the early spring of 2003 as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. One Army Ranger mom, Joanne Cochran, had recently moved to Charlottesville, Virginia from California. Joanne was familiar with a Blue Star Mothers organization in the Bay Area. Out of her need for strength and support from other military families she starting searching for military support groups and found none in the area. So, she decided to start her own!

Since that time, our membership has steadily grown to over 50 families. Our membership includes families with loved ones serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and civilians at National Ground Intelligence. We conduct monthly casual meetings with most of our time devoted to sharing information about our military family member, where they are, what they're doing, etc. We share what we have learned about the military such as what to expect when your son/daughter graduates boot camp, where to stay, how long you will get to see them, etc. Also, when our loved one is deployed, we share what we have learned about sending packages, when to expect a phone call, how to send mail, etc. On occasion we have guest speakers addressing issues of concern. We learn so much and we find tremendous support and understanding from each other.