Photo By Airman 1st Class Sarah Welch | Airmen assigned to the 124th Fighter Wing attended a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration...... read more read more
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The 124th Fighter Wing hosted a Yellow Ribbon event on Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Feb. 23, 2025. The event provides resources and services to prepare service members and their families for deployment along with successful reintegration on their return home.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is a Department of Defense-wide initiative designed to enhance the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their families, and their communities. The program achieves this by connecting them with vital resources throughout the entire deployment cycle – before, during, and after deployment.
Yellow Ribbon addresses the challenges faced by Air National Guard personnel, including the unique situation guard members face transitioning their civilian and military roles before and after deployments, with fewer deployment resources than the active-duty component. Yellow Ribbon aids in navigating obstacles while far away from their families and support.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Boise and support the 124th Fighter Wing at such a meaningful event for service members attending the Pre and Post Yellow Ribbon events,” said Claudia Padilla, senior event planner with Government Solutions Group who coordinates vendor representation and supports the wing to host these events. “It is an honor to be part of an initiative that plays such a crucial role in the deployment cycle.”
Col. Ryan Richardson, 124 FW commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Lehi Hartwell, command chief master sergeant of the 124 FW, kicked off the event with words of support, sharing their own deployment opportunities throughout their careers, and emphasizing the importance of these resources available when activated for deployment.
“The majority of the people here have a lot of questions and concerns about how their families are going to be taken care of, their finances and what’s going to happen,” said 2nd Lt. Sandra Forsea, wing coordinator who helped to facilitate the event along with Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Bryant. “I think the purpose of Yellow Ribbon is to reassure them that they have a system in place to help take care of their families. We are here to support them through any adversities they face.”
Yellow Ribbon allows Airmen to better prepare their affairs prior to leaving so they can focus on the mission at their deployed location. It also helps them feel more at ease that they left their families equipped with the tools they need.
With a broad range of offerings, participating vendors included health care, education, financial, legal benefits and more available to them through various agencies and organizations within the state and nation-wide.
“I deployed several times during my active duty days,” said Jeff Wire, with First Command Financial Services. “I understand the stress that family members face knowing that their loved ones are deployed overseas. We want to make sure that they understand all the different benefits that one gets from serving in the military, from active duty Survivor Benefit Plan to spousal offerings.”
Events and resources like this help with a smooth transition for our service members and their families by strengthening their support and confidence during deployments, ensuring they are not alone and have the resources and tools needed.
“We love these face-to-face conversations,” said Wire, “because when talking about someone's finances that's very personal, and you have to be personable and empathetic to their situation to be able to help them. These events help service members know there are tons of resources available to them, especially while deployed.”
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2025 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 499553 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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