Duke Field reservists, families attend third Yellow Ribbon event

  • Published
  • By Dan Neely
  • 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  More than 30 Duke Field reservists and their family members attended the 919th Special Operations Wing's third deployment transition event Sept. 19-20 in Destin.

Part of the U.S. military's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, the weekend event, held at the Hilton Sandestin Golf Resort, provided a wide array of pre- and post-deployment support and benefits information for the wing's Citizen Commandos and their loved ones.

The YRRP provides information, services, referrals and proactive outreach programs to members of the National Guard and Reserve, as well as their families, through all phases of the deployment cycle. Attendees comprised a mix of recent war returnees and others preparing to deploy.

Colonel Jon Weeks, 919th SOW commander, kicked off the event by welcoming and thanking his Airmen for their service and offering special praise for family members in the audience for their vital roles in supporting their military loved ones. He also emphasized his view of the event's central purpose.

"Part of this process is information so that you (Reservists) can get everything you're entitled to and your family members know they are thought of as much as their service members," the colonel explained. "Ultimately, I believe this is about family members. When the service member deploys ... I think we as a service have an obligation to the family members - the spouse and the children - who are left behind. This is our way to say thank you for allowing them to serve."

Moments later attendees headed to the first of the weekend's breakout sessions that covered everything from VA and Tricare benefits to special sessions on marriage enrichment, family communication and financial awareness, just to name a few. Between sessions, the various support agencies manned kiosks to answer questions and distribute a wealth of informational materials.

"Overall, I think this was a great event," said Lt. Col. Eugene Hardy, a 711th Special Operations Squadron electronic warfare officer. "A lot of the briefings obviously covered issues for married couples, but as a single parent, I still found a lot that did apply for my 11-year-old son, such as the 'Kids and The Active Military Lifestyle' briefing. There were a lot of very dynamic speakers who gave some very good pointers."

Chief Master Sgt. Chris Goosby, 919th Mission Support Group, described the Yellow Ribbon program as a dramatic improvement in the way reservists and their families are supported throughout the deployment cycle.

"I think it's really good, especially for our younger folks and their families, the way it helps them understand all the benefits that are available to them from beginning to end," the chief said. "Back in the day when you came back from a deployment, you just went home ... and that was it. So learning all about things like VA benefits and Tricare really helps their entire deployment process go smoothly."

While the next major YRRP event isn't scheduled until sometime in early 2010, a small-scale Duke Field event for the next group of deploying reservists is slated for the October unit training assembly. Master Sgt. Steve Morgan, 919th SOW YRRP director of cycle support, said he will provide two one-hour briefings during the UTA, including military personnel flight, Tricare, VA, financial management and Airmen and Family Readiness information.