Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes military spouses' sacrifices

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Anna-Marie Wyant
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
AUSTIN, Texas --  When Air Force Reservists deploy, they pack up their gear, get their paperwork in order and prepare to go wherever they're told, all to support their country. They leave behind their civilian jobs, homes and families to face war environments.

But in a sense, they leave behind a sort of war environment. Reservists' spouses are left to face a battlefield of their own: home. While the battlefield at home does not entail combat boots, M-16s and MREs, it may entail driving kids to multiple extracurricular activities, endless yard work and getting home appliances fixed.

Approximately 30 military members, their dependents and support personnel from Homestead Air Reserve Base's 482nd Fighter Wing attended the South Region's most recent Yellow Ribbon Program in Austin June 24-26. They were there to learn about their pre-and post-deployment benefits, get advice from chaplains and counselors, and meet other Reservists from other bases and much more.

The event's keynote speaker was Mrs. Kristy Tubbs, a financial counselor, life coach, biblical counselor, proud military souse and mother of three.

"I do have a lot of credentials," Tubbs said, "but the biggest credential I have to be standing here today, that gives me the wisdom, the knowledge and the input to change your life, is this ring right here," said Mrs. Tubbs as she pointed to her wedding ring.

Mrs. Tubbs has been married to her husband, Lt. Col. Rick Tubbs, an Air Force Reserve pilot, for 23 years. Mrs. Tubbs said she knew very little about the Air Force and even less about deployments when they got married, but she learned quickly. The harsh realities of war were not just overseas; she felt them at home. She said at some point, she didn't even know how many times her husband deployed.

"I stopped counting after ten deployments; I just gave up," she told the crowd.

She said she strongly supports YRP and what is does for military members and especially spouses. She said it's a great networking opportunity for military spouses to build their own support system with each other as they face similar challenges.

"We sometimes forget that there is another element to the deployment that remains back at home," said Col. David E. Davis, 482nd FW Vice Commander. "It's important that the deployed military member knows that his or her family will be taken care of and has the full support from the Air Force Reserves while they're gone."

"This was the largest representation by Homestead ARB members and their dependants at an YRP event," said Capt. Robert Lax, 482nd FW Yellow Ribbon Program Manager.

YRP was initiated by the Secretary of Defense and mandated by Congress in 2008 to provide information, services, referral and proactive outreach programs to Reservists and Guardsmen and their dependents through all phases of deployment cycles. The program's goals are to prepare service members and their families for mobilization, sustain families during mobilization, and reintegrate service members with their families and communities upon return from deployment.

For more information on the YRP, please contact Capt. Lax at 786-415-7258.