Wing kicks off Yellow Ribbon Program

  • Published
  • By Maj Cynthia Harris
  • 445th Airlift Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  More than 90 445th Airlift Wing reservists and their families attended the first pre-deployment Yellow Ribbon Program Town Hall meeting Nov 18 and 19 at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Fairborn. 

The 445th Deployed Support Team provided information on care plans and family counseling, Tricare, day care, legal matters, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, marriage enrichment, community outreach and other services available to deploying members and their families. 

Hosted by an Air Force Reserve Command unit, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is a congressionally legislated directive that dictates that National Guard and Reserve members and their families receive deployment support and reintegration programs "to minimize to the extent practicable the stresses of military service, particularly the stress of deployment and family separation." 

"The 445th Deployed Support Team worked hard to host a dynamic, highly educational and enjoyable pre-deployment town hall for members and their families," said Chaplain (Capt.) Jonathan Kollmann. 

Col. Stephen Goeman, the 445th Airlift Wing commander, welcomed the group and assured them that the 445th would take care of their families. 

"Air Force Reserve Command has been very effective in deploying our Airmen, but we can do better in the area of caring for our families," he said. "This program will provide Air Force Reserve Command and the 445th Airlift Wing more resources to take care of our military families because we are a family. It will enable us to take care of our families before, during and after deployments." 

The program stipulates that deployment support and reintegration programs are provided in all phases of deployment: pre-deployment, deployment, demobilization and post-deployment and reconstitution. 

One provision of the Department of Defense program requires National Guard and Reserve components to hold reintegration activities at 30-, 60- and 90-day intervals after demobilization or the end of a deployment for all members who were mobilized or deployed for 90 days or more. The law goes on to state that reservists must receive appropriate pay and allowances for attending these deployment support and reintegration activities and that family members also should attend the events. 

Members and their families said they were pleased with the town hall meeting. 

"After going through the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program Pre-deployment Town Hall briefings, my family feels more informed and much at ease about my deployment," said Tech. Sgt. Nathan Lowman, 445th Maintenance Operations Flight. 

His wife, Cynthia, said "the entire experience from start to finish was outstanding."
Christopher Kaus, the husband of Maj. Anna Kaus, 445th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, also expressed his satisfaction with the program. 

"The pre-deployment town hall was a great opportunity to prepare for my wife's deployment," he said. "It improved our knowledge of issues we had considered and brought to light some of the things we hadn't considered." 

The Kauses attended the meeting with their two children and said they were very pleased with the childcare that was provided. 

"The childcare was outstanding and the facility was outstanding," Maj. Kaus said.
Chaplain Kollmann expressed his gratitude for the support the 445th received from the Fairborn church that hosted the event and for the support volunteers there provided. 

"The facility was outstanding for our needs with childcare, food and round table interaction for members and families," he said. "Volunteers at Fairborn's St. Luke United Methodist Church gave tremendous, loving care to our deployed members and their families."      (No federal endorsement intended)