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Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program helps educate 188th Airmen on available resources

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Many times the most crucial portion of the deployment process is the adjustment phase upon reintegrating into civilian society. The 188th Fighter Wing returned last May from an Aerospace Expeditionary Forces deployment to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. And June 26-27, the Arkansas Air National Guard unit hosted a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to help ensure its Airman are equipped with the resources and tools necessary to complete a successful transition to society.

The Yellow Ribbon Program benefits families by providing education and access to services for a wide variety of questions and concerns that servicemembers and their families may have regarding their health, benefits, or other deployment related challenges.

Families are educated about benefits directly available, including referrals, relationship, financial or other sundry counseling services conducted through Military OneSource, Veterans Affairs Centers, TRICARE, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and multiple other state and local programs.

Many 188th members have or will return to full-time civilian employment. This creates unique challenges relative to their active duty counterparts. The Yellow Ribbon program works with Airmen and their families throughout all phases of the deployment cycle. This event was focused on reintegration.

"We received positive feedback from both the attendees and the resource providers," said Eva Patton, Airmen and Family Readiness program manager. "There were a number of family members who attended the event along with their servicemember. The tools that they left with will definitely help them to be more resilient on the next deployment."

The Yellow Ribbon Program can be traced back to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Secretary of Defense to establish a national combat veteran reintegration program to provide National Guard and Reserve members and their families with sufficient information, services, referrals and proactive outreach opportunities throughout the deployment cycle.

The law mandated the Secretary of Defense establish the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and required the Under Secretary of Defense for Personal and Readiness be designated as the executive agent. Subsequently, the executive agent established the Office for Reintegration Programs wiithin the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is an overarching program, encompassing all phases of the deployment. However, each of the Service's Reserve components (Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve) currently utilizes service programs to meet the intent and requirement of the legislated program held in each state and territory.

The DoD Yellow Ribbon Program Office (Office for Reintegration Programs) will unify efforts among the services, National Guard and Reserve components, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations in order to provide members and their families with a wide range of programs and options as close as possible to the servicemember's residence.

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program helps educate 188th Airmen on available resources

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Many times the most crucial portion of the deployment process is the adjustment phase upon reintegrating into civilian society. The 188th Fighter Wing returned last May from an Aerospace Expeditionary Forces deployment to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. And June 26-27, the Arkansas Air National Guard unit hosted a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to help ensure its Airman are equipped with the resources and tools necessary to complete a successful transition to society.

The Yellow Ribbon Program benefits families by providing education and access to services for a wide variety of questions and concerns that servicemembers and their families may have regarding their health, benefits, or other deployment related challenges.

Families are educated about benefits directly available, including referrals, relationship, financial or other sundry counseling services conducted through Military OneSource, Veterans Affairs Centers, TRICARE, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and multiple other state and local programs.

Many 188th members have or will return to full-time civilian employment. This creates unique challenges relative to their active duty counterparts. The Yellow Ribbon program works with Airmen and their families throughout all phases of the deployment cycle. This event was focused on reintegration.

"We received positive feedback from both the attendees and the resource providers," said Eva Patton, Airmen and Family Readiness program manager. "There were a number of family members who attended the event along with their servicemember. The tools that they left with will definitely help them to be more resilient on the next deployment."

The Yellow Ribbon Program can be traced back to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Secretary of Defense to establish a national combat veteran reintegration program to provide National Guard and Reserve members and their families with sufficient information, services, referrals and proactive outreach opportunities throughout the deployment cycle.

The law mandated the Secretary of Defense establish the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and required the Under Secretary of Defense for Personal and Readiness be designated as the executive agent. Subsequently, the executive agent established the Office for Reintegration Programs wiithin the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is an overarching program, encompassing all phases of the deployment. However, each of the Service's Reserve components (Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve) currently utilizes service programs to meet the intent and requirement of the legislated program held in each state and territory.

The DoD Yellow Ribbon Program Office (Office for Reintegration Programs) will unify efforts among the services, National Guard and Reserve components, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations in order to provide members and their families with a wide range of programs and options as close as possible to the servicemember's residence.