Regional Yellow Ribbon Program kicks off in The Big Easy

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anna-Marie Wyant
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
NEW ORLEANS --  Air Force Reserve Command kicked off its first regional Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program this weekend at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel, inviting Reservists going to or returning from deployment to attend with their families.

The Yellow Ribbon Program 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.

Approximately 130 Airmen and family members from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.; Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Patrick, Homestead, Eglin and MacDill Air Force bases, Fla.; and individual mobilization augmentees from various bases attended the premier South Region YRP Oct. 15-17. The program, which had been previously coordinated by bases individually, transitioned to become a regional event to increase participation and relieve some stress from the units, said Mary Hill, chief, AFRC Yellow Ribbon Program. She said contractors now manage the logistics of each program, finding the right venue, food services, vendors and other logistical aspects.

"Having [YRP] as a regional event makes it more consistent and a better program," said Ms. Hill, who has been the program chief since June. "Contractors take some of the workload off the bases, and they have been very efficient in coordinating the events."

Airmen who have deployed for 90 days or more--or are projected to deploy--are eligible to attend Yellow Ribbon events. They are put on orders and are compensated for food and travel expenses for themselves and their families. Free child care is also provided, and attendees sometimes have chances to win free prizes. At no expense to the service member, Airmen should be lining up to participate, right?

Surprisingly, participation AFRC-wide is still relatively low. But the problem is not that Airmen do not want to attend; they simply do not know enough about the program, which is one of the problems Ms. Hill and others involved in YRP are trying to remedy. Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr., commander, AFRC, recently sent an e-note to Reservists, encouraging them to attend an upcoming program in their region.

"Participation in our wing is about 40 percent," said Master Sgt. Harold Starkey, Yellow Ribbon program manager, 917th Wing, Barksdale. "We're trying to get the information out in various ways, like sending e-mails and briefing unit commanders, but the best is by word of mouth. Past attendees talk to their friends and tell them how much they enjoyed the program, and that really helps us out."

Tech. Sgt. Sabrina Parker, a traffic manager in the 917th Wing, said she will definitely help get the word out to about the program to her fellow Airmen.

"It was so surprising to me that it was actually a lot of fun," said Sergeant Parker, a first-time YRP participant who returned from an Iraq deployment in July. "I didn't know what to expect."

She also brought her husband, Elliot, and their children to the conference, which she said they all enjoyed.

"My kids had been really clingy since I got back," she said. "After the first day [at YRP], they wanted to stay in child care with the other kids instead of coming with me. It made me feel good that my kids were having a good time being around other kids who have been through the same thing and feel the same way."

YRP offers a variety of interactive sessions for single and married Airmen, helping them learn about and discuss finances, communication, relationships, veterans' benefits and more. Participants are able to attend three sessions of their choice plus a mandatory deployment-oriented session. Sergeant Parker and her husband said the Foundation of Communication class was the highlight for them because it allowed them to openly discuss problems in a non-threatening environment. They agreed YRP is necessary for deploying or recently deployed Airmen.

"It's a necessity, hands down," Sergeant Parker said of YRP. "It was good to talk to others going through the same things as us; it felt great to be able to share."

Ms. Hill said YRP benefits both Airmen as individuals and the Air Force as a whole.

"The program helps Airmen deal with any issues with deployments and beyond, and it helps them positively deal with changes," Ms. Hill said. "It benefits the Air Force because taking care of our Airmen keeps them on board with a healthy mind, body and spirit."

"Yellow Ribbon helps increase the possibilities of having healthy family relationships last through and after deployments," said Sergeant Starkey added.

In addition to benefitting the Air Force and its Airmen, Ms. Hill said it benefits her because she especially enjoys seeing the positive impacts YRP has on military families.

"Seeing the successes, hearing the stories of families staying together because of how the program helped them--I get emotional just talking about it," Ms. Hill said. "It's absolutely the most rewarding part for me."

The Air Force is not the only service to organize events like Yellow Ribbon; the Army, Navy and Marine Corps also have similar pre/post-deployment programs for servicemembers and their families. Ms. Hill said the four branches work together and share ideas to continually improve their programs.

To learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program and how to become involved, visit www.yellowribbon.mil.