Department Service Officer Newsletter

 

Volume 17, Issue 1

May 1, 2009


 

Department Service Office Business Hours:  The Department Service Office will be open each Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM.  Appointments are not necessary for visits. You may contact the Department Service Office by calling (603) 222-5784, faxing (603) 222-5787; or by using the following e-mail address: Gary.Wayman@VBA.VA.GOV.

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Dealing with deployment: Finding support when your family member in the guard or reserve is called to active duty:  If you have a family member in the National Guard or Reserve, your experience with military life may be somewhat limited. Compared to relatives of active-duty service members, you may be less familiar with military family programs and unaccustomed to the support of a military community. But when your service member is called to active duty, you'll experience the same feelings about an upcoming deployment. Fortunately, more and more programs and services are available to help Guard and Reserve families through the activation, deployment, and return of their service members. The following information will help you understand what resources are available to you.

 

Gathering information: If you know how to find the right information when you need it, you'll be better prepared to manage on the HomeFront with strength and confidence. Here are some good ways to become well informed:

 

Use the Internet to learn about military resources for families. Because Guard and Reserve families are scattered across thousands of communities throughout the U.S. and its territories, the military has introduced new ways to support them during deployments. These include Web portals provided by National Guard and Reserve family programs that give families critical information, points of contact for services, links to other sources of support, and opportunities to interact with other military families. Internet sites with extensive information specifically for Reserve Component families include:

 

National Guard Bureau Family Program Online Community at http://www.guardfamily.org

Army Reserve Family Programs (online) at http://www.arfp.org

Marine Forces Reserve MCCS at http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/hq/mccs

Lifelines Services Network (click on Reserve Families) at http://www.lifelines.navy.mil

 

Participate in family readiness briefings and activities. When military units are preparing to deploy, spouses, children, parents, and other family members usually have an opportunity to attend at least one event designed to inform them about the deployment and mission of the service member's unit. These events include:

 

At these events, you'll be able to:

 

Learn about military culture and lifestyle. Understanding military culture and the effects of military duty on family life can help you and your family cope when your service member is called up. You can learn about military structure, language, customs, benefits, and your role in accomplishing the mission by participating in classes and online educational opportunities offered by active and Reserve Components. Programs you might look into include:

 

 

Knowing where to go for military family support: Whether you're dealing with financial or legal issues, needing more support for your children, concerned about your emotional well being, or wanting to connect with other military families, a network of support is available to you. Knowing about and using these resources is an essential part of family readiness, and will help keep you confident and informed during your service member's deployment.

 

Get to know your unit family support staff and volunteer network. Guard and Reserve commands have organized family support systems of staff and volunteers. Family Coordinators, Family Readiness Officers, or other designated family support specialists are your primary links to information and support services. Family Readiness Groups (Army), Key Volunteer Networks (Marine Corps), and Ombudsmen (Navy) work with unit leaders to strengthen their bonds with families and provide a way for families to share information and support.

 

If you make an effort to know key staff and volunteers before your service member deploys, it will be easier to ask for help should you need it. Call your service member's unit to connect with these resources, and be sure to stay in touch during the deployment. If you move or get a new phone number, be sure to notify the unit points of contact so you won't miss out on important information and activities.

 

Visit an installation Family Support Center or National Guard Family Assistance Center. As an immediate family member of a Reserve Component service member on active duty, you're entitled to all the services available at military installations. Fleet and Family Support Centers, Marine Corps Community Services, Airman and Family Readiness Centers, or Army Community Service Centers offer a wide range of professional support services as well as information and referral to community resources. If you live near a military installation, a visit to the Family Support Center will give you an idea of the services available. And if the nearest installation isn't your service member's branch, don't let that keep you away. Installation family program professionals are accustomed to serving all activated personnel and their families without regard to service branch.

 

If you don't live near a military installation, find support at a National Guard Family Assistance Center. States and territories have Joint Force (Army and Air National Guard) Headquarters that have established over 300 Family Assistance Centers (FACs) nationwide. FACs are strategically located to be available to geographically dispersed families, and they are staffed by people trained to provide critical information, outreach, and referrals to services in your community. You don't have to be a Guard family to be assisted at an FAC. They serve families and service members in all active and Reserve Components. To find the nearest FAC, visit the Guard Family Program Web site, http://www.guardfamily.org, and follow links to the locator for your state.

 

Remember that Military OneSource is there for support 24/7. This free service, provided by the Department of Defense, is available to all active duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families. Consultants provide information and make referrals on a wide range of issues. In addition, Military OneSource is your source for professional, face-to-face counseling provided at no cost to you. You can reach the program by telephone at 1-800-342-9647 or through the Web site at http://www.militaryonesource.com.

 

Take advantage of support for military children and youth. If you're a busy parent, you may be discovering that the most stressful part of your service member's absence is meeting the needs of your children by yourself. Many new initiatives are in place to give Guard and Reserve families access to quality childcare and to provide support for school-age children. For example, you can get help finding childcare and possibly assistance with the cost of care through Operation Military Child Care, a partnership program between the Department of Defense and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Go to http://www.naccrra.org/militaryprograms for details.

 

For resources designed to help children cope with the emotional aspects of having a deployed parent, be sure to see:

 

If you'd like to help your local schools and community become more responsive to the needs of children with deployed parents, be sure to access Operation: Military Kids at http://www.operationmilitarykids.org.

 

Finding support within your community: Families of Reserve Component members deployed for the first time are often surprised to discover how many people in their communities have some connection to a deployed service member. If you're too far away to participate in family readiness group activities, you can find others with common experiences closer to home. Ask your neighbors, co-workers, school personnel, or leaders in your religious organization if they know someone with a spouse, child, or significant other on active duty, and get in touch.

 

Another option for mutual support is through an online community. When you search the Web sites shown in this article, you'll find opportunities for both adults and youths to join online military family discussion and support groups.

 

People without any connection to the military can be very understanding and caring, too. So don't be afraid to share your feelings with friends, relatives, and co-workers. Above all, don't try to go it alone. Having a support system at home helps families avoid the risk of burdening their service members with worries that might distract them from the mission.

 

Getting involved: It's a well-known fact that focusing on helping others can be an effective coping technique. Unit family support groups and volunteer networks rely on the voluntary efforts of family members to achieve their mission. Your group will have an important role for you to play in welcoming new members, planning social activities that bring families together, or being a source of support for someone else in need.

 

Whether you're a spouse, child, parent, or friend, or are related in another way to a service member or the unit, you can belong to the group and volunteer your services. These groups need volunteers before, during, and after the deployment, but especially during down times when it's more of a challenge to keep families interested and involved.

 

Taking care of yourself: No matter how much support is available, it's good to know how to be your own best friend when life presents challenges. As you focus on taking care of home and family during your loved one's deployment, try not to have unrealistic expectations of yourself. And keep in mind that family separations, difficult as they are, can offer unique opportunities to nurture your own physical, emotional, and spiritual well being.

 

Resources Branch-specific support Air Force Crossroads: The main Web portal for all Air Force families. Be sure to access the information under the Family Separations link. You can also register for the Spouse Forum. For more information, click here, http://www.afcrossroads.com.

 

My Army Life Too.Com: Information for active, Guard, and Reserve families, with links to the Army's Virtual Family Readiness Group, Army Family Team Building training, and information on managing deployment, family finances, and many other topics. http://www.myarmylifetoo.com.

 

Marine Corps Community Services: Information about Marine Corps installation services. The Deployment Support section has a downloadable "Unit Deployment Guide for Families." For more information, click here, http://www.usmc-mccs.org.

 

Navy Fleet and Family Support Programs: Provides an overview of programs available to military families through Fleet and Family Support Centers, plus links to a directory of centers and the Navy Family Ombudsman/Deployment Support program, including the Reserve Ombudsman Online. For more information, click here, http://www.ffsp.navy.mil/.

 

Naval Services Family line: A volunteer organization that provides information about the military lifestyle and support to sea service families. The Web site includes information on the Compass program, a course designed to educate spouses about Navy life. For more information, click here http://www.lifelines.navy.mil/Familyline.

 

General support Military HOMEFRONT: The official DoD quality-of-life Web site, with extensive information for military families. Use the "Military Community Directory" link to locate your nearest installation Family Support Center. http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil.

 

MilitaryStudent.org: A DoD site with information for children, teenagers, and parents to help with deployments and transitions. For more information, click here http://militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/.

 

Your military support services: Each service branch sponsors information and support programs for service members and their families. You can call or visit any installation Army Community Service Center, Marine Corps Community Services, Fleet and Family Support Center, or Airman and Family Readiness Center regardless of your branch affiliation.

 

If you aren't near an installation, National Guard Family Assistance Centers are available in every state. The Local Community Resource Finder on the National Guard Family Program at http://www.guardfamily.org will identify your closest center.

 

Military OneSource: This free 24-hour service is available to all active duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families. Consultants provide information and make referrals on a wide range of issues. Up to six free face-to-face counseling sessions are also available. Call 1-800-342-9647 or go to http://www.militaryonesource.com. Provided by the Department of Defense.

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The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund: honors the bravery and dedication exhibited by Americans in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb defending our country by providing educational scholarships to their children. Thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Guardsmen have been killed in the War on Terror.

Thousands more members of our Armed Forces have been permanently disabled, leaving their families in difficult financial situations. Their children – the sons and daughters of America’s military heroes – (many of whom are now young) will be eligible for a Freedom Alliance Scholarship in the years to come.

 

Freedom Alliance has established a permanent Scholarship Trust Fund to aid the children of these brave Americans so that we will be able to help the children of American heroes when it is their turn to attend college.

 

Through the generosity of so many patriotic Americans, the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships for thousands of young Americans, reminding them that their parents’ sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation.

 

Scholarships Awarded: Through the generosity of thousands of Americans, the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund has awarded $2.5 million in scholarships to the sons and daughters of American heroes in the last several years, including:

 

 

Eligibility: Students are eligible if they are the dependent child of an active duty service member who was killed or permanently disabled (100% VA rating) as the result of an operational mission or training accident, or who is currently certified as POW or MIA. The applicant must also be a senior in high school, a high school graduate or enrolled in an institution of higher learning, including colleges, universities, or vocational schools. (See application form and scholarship rules for complete eligibility details.)

 

Applications: The 2009-2010 Application is now available at http://www.fascholarship.com/

Applications must be submitted by July 31, 2009.

 

Donate: Honor the men and women who serve and sacrifice for our country by helping their children obtain the dream of a college education by clicking https://www.ifr-ors.com/ors_2_live/clients/freedom_alliance/scholarship_fund/index.cfm

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NASA Space Camp Scholarship: Information on the Scholarship: NASA Space Camp is a place where kids come together for a journey they will never forget. Each child learns about astronauts and space travel, and also experiences something even more important: developing bonds of friendship. This is a microcosm of the life of military children. They travel, they learn, and they quickly bond into lifetime friendships.

 

It is fitting then that the Military Child Education Coalition has created a Space Camp scholarship in memory of one of its brightest and finest children, Bernard Curtis Brown II. Bernard, the 11-year- old son of Chief Petty Officer and Mrs. Bernard Curtis Brown, was killed on September 11, 2001, when the hijacked airliner on which he was a passenger, crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. At the time, he was on his way to California to represent his school at a National Geographic event.

 

The MCEC officers and directors feel, and Bernard's family agrees, this is a fitting way to honor Bernard's memory. The scholarship gives military-connected children the opportunity to have an extraordinary experience bringing together the worlds of service, science, and learning.

 

Scholarship Awards: The Bernard Curtis Brown II Space Camp scholarships are funded by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and other donors. The scholarship covers:

 

Full tuition, meals, lodging, program materials, and transportation (from student's home base to nearest Space Camp and return).

 

Eligibility Requirements: Each student applicant must:

 

About the Scholarship [http://www.militarychild.org/files/pdfs/SpaceCampAbout.pdf]

 

Application: *Please take note of the deadline.  The deadline is March 10 each year (when March 10 is on a weekend, the deadline is the following Monday after March 10). Click here for Space Camp Application [http://www.militarychild.org/files/pdfs/SpaceCamp_Application.pdf].

 

About Space Camp: U.S. Space Camp is an eight-day program that shows youngsters firsthand what it takes to be an astronaut. Activities include simulated Space Shuttle missions, training simulators, rocket building and launches, scientific experiments, and lectures on the past, present, and future of space exploration.

 

Offered at Huntsville, AL. Space Camp takes a unique, fun, and hands-on approach to learning outside the classroom, and students leave with a greater appreciation for school and their studies.

 

For more detailed information about Space Camp, visit their Web site at: http://www.spacecamp.com/.

 

Winners of Space Camp Scholarship: The winners of the Bernard Curtis Brown II Space Camp Scholarship will be announced at the Annual Military Child Education Coalition Conference each year.

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New “Operation Purple” Program Provides Family Retreats: It's no secret that deployments put stress on a family, and the National Military Family Association has developed a new "Operation Purple" program at no cost to military families. Military families participate in one of two National Military Family Association (NMFA) Operation Purple family retreats, a pilot program, in March 2009. The retreats helped families reconnect after a service-member's return from deployment. The association created Operation Purple summer camps in 2004 as a way to help children of military families struggling with the stresses of war. A new program helps military family members re-establish their roles through family retreats.

 

"The intent of it was to bring the family together so that they could tell their deployment story as a family and really build on the experience of bringing the family back together after the deployment," Michelle Joyner, NMFA's director of communications said. "This was just helping families [with] the reintegration piece of re-establishing the family roles, [which] was done through writing this deployment story as a family unit," she added.

 

Based on a six-week program that the FOCUS Project at the University of California at Los Angeles has been using with the Marine Corps, the first two Operation Purple family retreats were held in Port Angeles, Wash., and Sausalito, Calif., in March. NMFA worked with the FOCUS Project to come up with a concept that would be beneficial for military families and could be accomplished in a long weekend, Joyner said.

 

With support from the Sierra Club, military families bonded and enjoyed a number of outdoor activities in the national parks where the retreats were held. Activities were guided by four master's-degree-level clinicians experienced in working with families, said Patricia M. Barron, NMFA's director of youth services.

 

"Our collaboration with the FOCUS curriculum saw that the activities used at the retreats were centered on skill building and resiliency training," she said. "Families were taught to use specific skills to identify feelings that could impede communication and also spent time creating a family collage that told the story of their unique experience as a military family."

 

The camp staff also was well trained, Barron said. As field-science educators, each held at least a bachelor's degree, and many had a master's degree.

 

Eligibility for March's pilot program was limited to those who had returned from deployment within the past year, and despite limited outreach, the response was huge, NMFA officials said. Applications came in from 400 families, and 43 were accepted for the program. The participants' response to the retreats was very positive, Joyner said.

"They appreciated having the dialogue and the activities that sparked the conversations," she said. "It was nice, because you're never sure how group activities are going to go over when you do them the first time."

 

NMFA officials are planning at least two more retreats for the fall, to be held on the East Coast, and hope for a third, possibly to be held on the West Coast, Joyner said.

 

Registration takes place through the Operation Purple Web (http://www.nmfa.org/) site, which also features information and updates on the program.

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