Resource Reminder: Help is always available for Reservists and their families

  • Published
  • By Bo Joyner

In these difficult times, Air Force Reserve leaders remind Reserve Citizen Airmen and their family members that help is always just a phone call or a mouse click away.

“There are a number of helping agencies that are always available to assist Air Force Reservists and their family members deal with life’s problems,” said Lisa Matney, Air Force Reserve Command’s community support coordinator. “These agencies have ramped up their services in response to COVID-19 and are standing by to help members of the Reserve team during these turbulent times.”

For military members, Military OneSource has created a dedicated section on its website, https://www.militaryonesource.mil/coronavirus, for Department of Defense-related coronavirus updates and impacts. The site is updated regularly.

For Reservists and their family members who are feeling stressed, counseling services remain available by phone, video and online. Call 1-800-342-9647 or live chat through the Military OneSource web site.

For civilians, help is available through the Air Force Employee Assistance Program, EAP. The EAP phone number is 1-866-580-9078. The web address is www.AFPC.af.mil/EAP. Once on the website, civilians and their family members will need to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Civilian Employee Assistance tab to access EAP services.

Under the “What’s Trending” tab at the top of the EAP page is a section devoted to COVID-19 information.

At the local level, members of the Air Force Reserve team can call their chaplain’s office, Airman and Family Readiness office, director of psychological health or supervisor if they need help coping in these uncertain times.

For Citizen Airmen or their family members affected financially by the coronavirus, military personal financial counselors are located within the Airman and Family Readiness offices at most installations. Other sites available to help with financial issues include the National Resource directory, https://nrd.gov; the United Way, https://unitedway.org; the Salvation Army, salvationarmy.usa.org; 211.org; and the Department of Labor, https://www.dol.gov.

Military family life counselors are also located at most Airman and Family Readiness offices.

Finally, anyone having suicidal thoughts should seek immediate local help or call the national suicide prevention lifeline, 1-800-273-8255. The lifeline web site is suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

“These aren’t all of the resources that are available to Reserve Citizen Airmen and their family members,” Matney said. “The important thing to remember is that help is available. You just have to reach out for it. Now, more than ever, we need to be good wingmen and be on the lookout for people who might need a helping hand.” #ReserveReady #ReserveResilient