Photo By Paul Hughes | Events like the C.A.R.E. (Community Activities Registration Education) Fair,...... read more read more
When Kaymi Kurfis’s family received orders for a permanent change of station (PCS) move to U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart just over two years ago, she had the usual newcomer questions and took a typical approach.
“I posted on one of the community Facebook pages and said, ‘tell me everything,’” said Kurfis.
It was there that the family’s sponsor found her. “She messaged me saying, ‘I think your husband is my replacement!’ and basically told me everything I needed to do,” said Kurfis.
Despite the unusual initial approach, the Air Force spouse found their sponsor and the overall experience to be “amazing.” The sponsor kept tabs on required tasks and ensured the family was on track, both performing tasks on their behalf—such as setting up a mailbox—and advising them on what to do and when, such as shipping their car or taking the driver’s license exam online before arrival.
“It was the first time we’d ever had a sponsor, and our first overseas PCS, which has so many unknowns,” said Kurfis, who still keeps in touch with their sponsor and continues to thank her for the assistance in getting settled. “I’m actually nervous for our next PCS because I know it’s not going to go as smoothly as this one did.”
Indeed, an effective sponsor can play an important role in reducing stress and easing concerns about such a move.
“99% of our family issues could be resolved before a new community member and their family arrive to the overseas location, had they had a sponsor,” said Michael Martin, USAG Stuttgart Director of Human Resources. “Someone on this side of the pond who can provide information on housing, schools, local customs and courtesies, driving, weather…so when incoming folks arrive, they already know what to expect.”
Knowing what to expect helps both incoming personnel and sponsors.
“We have a tool called the ‘sponsor-ship needs assessment’ which basically allows a sponsor to learn who their newcomer is and what their needs are,” said Jeremy Plumley, Relocation Readiness Program Manager at Army Community Service, who provides the assessment as part of sponsorship training.
It asks, for example, if the incoming family has someone enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program, or if a family member is pregnant or plans to look for a job — in which case they could be connected to the relevant support services at the new duty station. Personal experience is vital to the process, which is why organizations should match sponsors and newcomers very deliberately.
“A sponsor should be someone who has been fully trained, has the same military occupational specialty or background, and the same demo-graphic,” said Plumley. “So if you’ve got a newcomer arriving who’s married and has children, the sponsor should also be married with children because they will have experience with a lot of those questions that the newcomer will have.”
And while having that personal experience can be exceptionally useful, Plumley assures his sponsor trainees that they do not need to know everything about everything to do a great job.
As relocation program manager, he provides a regularly scheduled, approximately hour-long sponsorship training open to all services, as well as civilian employees. The training covers the ins-and-outs of inprocessing, among other relevant information, and aims to teach sponsors what they need to do and how to do it as proactively as possible.
In the days of COVID-19, this includes an overview of the testing and quarantine process newcomers must undergo upon arrival in Stuttgart, and the sponsor’s responsibilities as part of it.
Plumley also provides training on request to “spouse sponsors,” who are volunteers typically associated with unit family readiness groups. They serve as a complement to an official sponsor who, in addition to sponsorship duties, is also working their regular job.
“This gives the spouse someone they can reach out to directly who’s willing and available to answer questions about their specific concerns,” said Plumley.
Younger family members aren’t left out either, with a youth sponsorship program targeting middle and high schoolers.
“Youth sponsors meet new teens at the school, introduce them to their teachers, give them a tour of the facilities, and help them get their class schedules,” said Plumley, who added that, unlike official and spouse sponsors, youth sponsors are trained by the School Liaison Office and Child and Youth Services.
Kurfis, for her part, came out of the sponsorship process with thoughts for both newcomers and potential sponsors.
“Listen to and use the advice your sponsor is giving you,” she said, pointing out that most issues newcomers face can often be prevented with the right guidance, “if they had just done what the sponsor had suggested.”
And for sponsors, she added, “be patient and remember how it was when you PCS’d. Give all the advice you can, even if you think it’s not needed, because it will all be useful one day.”
------
This story originally appeared on page 18 of the February 2021 issue of the "Stuttgart Citizen." It may also be found at https://issuu.com/advantinews/docs/sc_05_feb_2021/18.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2021 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 412144 |
| Location: | STUTTGART, BW, DE |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sponsors hold key to successful PCS moves, by Bardia Khajenoori, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT