BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Massachusetts - Airmen from the 104th Fighter Wing attended a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, Post 1 Deployment Event Jan. 12, 2018, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
A number of resource providers were present at the event and Airmen were able to choose from approximately 20 breakout sessions that covered things such as smart investing, educational benefits, things to know after deploying, and nutrition.
The collection of resources at the event gives Airmen and their family members the tools needed to be resilient before, during, and after a deployment.
“The main purpose of Yellow Ribbon is to provide resources and training for resilience and reintegration,” said Penny Cloud, Yellow Ribbon Program manager for the Air National Guard.
Cloud said every Yellow Ribbon event has a degree of training and providers that are universal, as well as a number of resources that are tailored to the needs of the wing.
One of the unique parts of this event was guest speaker Juan Rivera, Primal Platoon founder and CEO, she said. Rivera provides education and training solutions to military and corporate groups.
Rachel Longoria, Yellow Ribbon Program contract manager for the Air National Guard, has been working with family programs for 18 years. She said she thinks Yellow Ribbon events are an effective tool for everyone that attends.
“Every time I go to a Yellow Ribbon event I learn something new,” said Longoria. “There is always some takeaway that you can implement into your daily life.”
Cloud and Longoria said that it is possibly more important for family members to attend the event than it is for the service member. Deployed members are focused on the mission at hand, while family members are ensuring everything is okay back home, they said.
“From the kid being sick, to the car broke down and ‘oh my gosh what am I going to do now,’” said Cloud. “They’re juggling it all as the main support system for that household.”
Longoria said one of the most important benefits for families is the ability to connect at events like this.
“Just the families coming together,” said Longoria. “You might live a couple of blocks from me and I have no idea that you’re a military spouse. Networking and making those connections during a deployment or after a deployment is key.”