Yellow Ribbon provides proactive outreach for Reserve, Guard, families

Published May 2, 2010
By Capt. Bryan Lewis
315 Airlift Wing Public Affairs

CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. -- One cannot attend a retirement, promotion or change-of-command ceremony today without witnessing multiple references to the sacrifice families make, especially with the current high operations tempo.

Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense once said, "In this time of war, our families deserve our support and thanks, as well. They are the power behind the power-- husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters of our troops."

According to an April 14 report by the Defense Procurement News, a total of 134,637 National Guard and Reserve personnel are currently activated. Considering all the husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters that Secretary Gates praised, that's a large number of people impacted by today's military environment.

So, outside of a 'thank you' and some flowers at a retirement or change-of-command, what else is available for families of reservists and guardsmen?

The answer is the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

The joint, reserve-component program's mission is to provide information, services, referrals, and proactive outreach opportunities to National Guard and Reserve members and their families throughout a deployment cycle - before, during and after a deployment.

Marking its beginnings in 2008, YRRP is intended to be an overarching program that combines the best practices of support services currently offered by the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

One thing the program's leaders have learned is returning reservists and guardsmen need opportunities to reconnect with their families.

"[Post-traumatic stress disorder], the specter of suicides and all sorts of things have told us that it's critical to make sure that our troops and their families are readjusting properly," said Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs. "We recognized that when ... active Guard and Reserve [members] go off to conflict and come back, and then demobilize or go back to their home base, it's really necessary that they get back together with their families and have a chance at a 30-, and a 60-, and a 90-day point to talk about their experiences, to see if everything's going OK."

To ensure 315th Airlift Wing members and their families have opportunities to "readjust properly" a Yellow Ribbon Program Representative was established early this year.

Senior Master Sergeant Ed Pankey, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program representative here, recently attended a 30 to 60-day, post-deployment, yellow ribbon event in Hershey, Pa., hosted by the 514th Air Mobility Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

"I attended the event so that I could get some ideas in order to start working on putting together a post-deployment event for deploying 315 AW members that will be held sometime after labor day," said Sergeant Pankey. "What I really liked about the Hershey event was the information that was provided by Military Family Life counselors concerning reintegration for the family members."

The event, which included free child care, also provided information about avoiding debt, Tricare, post-traumatic stress disorder, educational benefits, and family communication, in addition to free time to enjoy area attractions.

The military member, along with their family, is on orders to travel and attend yellow ribbon events, which means that not only will the service member be paid and all travel costs covered, but their family's travel, hotel, and per diem expenses will be reimbursed as well, said Sergeant Pankey. There are multiple yellow events hosted by various units throughout the country every month, and 315 AW members deploying, or those home from a recent deployment, may attend these events, he said.

The 315 AW is currently planning to host a yellow ribbon event this summer in Hilton Head. For more information on this event and others, contact Senior Master Sgt. Pankey at 843-963-8614.