Families of our members are important to us. We include you in several of our ongoing programs. Among those that include family members, is our Annual Scholarship Awards Program. Competition for Family Member Scholarships is open to spouses and legal dependents (high school senior and above under the age of 23). Information and an application forms are published in the NEWSLINER, and are available on the Member Services page and USAWOA Scholarship Foundation website. Many of the benefits shown on that page are also available to family members. Examples are: rental car discounts; Classic and Gold VISA cards; services of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union; educational assistance from Capital for Knowledge; our "10-10" Dial Around Service, memorabilia items, USAWOA Job Seek and Career Center which specializes in "Military Friendly" job placement activities for transitioning military, veterans, spouses & families, and much more.

 

We also recognize the support rendered by warrant officer spouses through presentation of the annual award of the Virginia Holcombe Memorial Spouse of the Year. (Criteria and nomination procedures)

 

USAWOA is involved in legislative affairs through our interaction with The Military Coalition (TMC). Within this forum we support the quality of life programs that directly affect the military family. Also, through TMC, we weigh in on matters concerning military schools, commissaries, family health care, and a wide range of other subjects that affect the military family.

 

Other areas in which we strive to assist you are News For Military Families and family related websites.

 

| top |

---

Support Our Troops Stories of Valor  In Memoriam

 

News for Military Families

 

 

 

TSA policy for family members of military personnel departing and returning from deployments. According to Security Directive 1544-01-10w, families of military members may be granted access to sterile concourse areas to escort the military passenger to departure gates or to meet a military passenger at arrival gates. The family member should go to the airline that the military member is flying on, present a copy of the Soldier's orders, and provide proper identification to receive a gate pass.  Family members will still be required to go through the normal security screening checkpoints as other passengers.  Although most airports and airlines have been operating under these guidelines already, the new TSA directive will help ensure that Soldiers and family members are properly afforded access to see Soldiers off to and welcome them back from theater.

 

Sesame Street Releases New DVD for Military Children (Army News Service, April 30, 2008) – Just like approximately 700,000 preschool-age military children in America, the loveable monsters of Sesame Street are undergoing some tough and confusing times. Elmo’s father has come home from a long trip and he and Elmo must overcome a few challenges readjusting and reintegrating before learning he must go away again. Meanwhile, Rosita’s father has been injured at work and is in a wheelchair. She’s upset and confused by all the changes in their lives, but doesn’t want to talk to her parents at first because she doesn’t want to upset them. Eventually she learns new ways to play ball and dance with her father. The new DVDs “Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes,” launched Tuesday by Sesame Workshop, are targeted at military Families with young children. The programming is designed to help those Families communicate better and build understanding about the difficulties of multiple deployments, homecomings and changes related to injury - see more. 5/6/08

 

Defense Commissary Agency Takes Benefits to Guard, Reserve Members - see more. 5/6/08

 

MWR "Fan-tastic Summer" Offers Prizes for Patronizing Branded Restaurants - see more. 4/22/08

 

Department to Phase Out Full Social Security Numbers on IDs - see more. 4/15/08

 

America Supports You: Postal Service Offers Discount - Military families have long used the U.S. Postal Service’s flat-rate shipping boxes to send care packages around the globe. Beginning March 3, they’ll get a price break. The discount applies only to the new “Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box,” which normally carries a $12.95 price tag for shipping. However, when the 12-by-12-by-5.5-inch box is sent to an AFO or FPO address, a $2 discount applies, dropping the cost to $10.95. The new boxes will be available in post offices nationwide on March 3. Those who can’t wait to start packing the boxes, however, can order them from www.usps.com/supplies beginning Feb. 20. They’re also available by calling 1-800-610-8734 - see more. 2/19/08

 

Please help us find our Lost Members - see listing.

 

MyArmyLifeToo (MALT) Web System - the Website of Choice for Army Families - The MyArmyLifeToo.com Web Portal is a Web site that highlights Family Programs services in Army Community Service, the Army National Guard and Army Reserve Family Programs. It is written in easily understood language for Family members versus Army terms, acronyms and program names. It is the face of Family Programs and serves as the Web site of choice for information on programs and services. To date, there are over 66,000 registered users. The Web site is easy to navigate with most information available for the user within four clicks. Users who register on the site receive the monthly newsletter, Family News. The site is publicly accessible thus available to all Soldiers and to immediate and extended Family members. 1/10/08

 

Free Space-A Flights for Families of Deployed - Military families of deployed personnel may be able to save some travel money thanks to a new Space A policy for families. As of Dec. 6, 2007, spouses and children of personnel deployed 120 days or longer now can use military transport in CONUS, to/from CONUS, and within/between theaters, provided they have a verification letter from the military member's commander - see more. 1/3/08

 

Family Readiness Groups and Special Initiative: The vFRG - A new system, the Virtual Family Readiness Group (vFRG) web system, provides all of the functionality of a traditional FRG in an ad-hoc and on-line setting to meet the needs of geographically dispersed units and families. Unlike FRGs that are located with the unit, the vFRG links the deployed Soldier, their family, the FRG leader, the unit commander, the rear detachment, and other family readiness personnel on their own controlled access web portal to facilitate the exchange of information and provide a sense of community, using technology to automate manual processes and provide enhanced services and communications. Over 1,100 vFRGs are established linking Families on the Homefront to those forward deployed. The Army has limited development of vFRG sites to units at the Battalion-level and higher in an effort to serve the most Soldiers and families across the Active, Guard and Reserve. For more information click here.  (Courtesy STAND-TO!, Dec. 27, 2007)  12/27/07

 

Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) Transferability of Benefits to Dependents Pilot Program  - This program provides Soldiers (Active Component only) the ability to transfer up to 18 months of unused Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) benefits to an eligible dependent.  A dependent to whom the entitlement is transferred may not begin using the entitlement until:

(1)  Spouse.  By law, the Soldier has completed at least six years of service in the Armed Forces.

(2)  Child.  By law, the Soldier has completed at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces, and either:

      (A)  The completion by the child of the requirement of a secondary school diploma (or equivalency certificate); or

      (B)  The attainment by the child of 18 years of age.

The Army G1 has provided a brochure on the program , and a list of Q&A's which will help explain the program.

(Courtesy S1 Net 12/18/07)

 

Program to Boosts Army's Employment Aid to Spouses - WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 15, 2007) - The Departments of Defense and Labor announced a joint program Wednesday to provide military spouses with resources to help find jobs, receive training and launch careers. A two-year pilot program that began in January will provide $35 million in resources at 18 installations in eight states. Five of the posts that will participate in test of the "Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative" are Army installations: Fort Carson, Colo, Fort Benning, Ga, Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Lewis, Wash., and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii - see more. 11/27/07

 

Program Builds Strong Army Marriages - As members of the world’s premier fighting force, Army Soldiers sacrifice for our country every day, and so do their loved ones. Military life places extreme hardship on relationships, especially in wartime, so the Army – backed by Congress - has committed unprecedented resources to help Soldiers build stronger relationships with their spouses through the Strong Bonds Program - see Press Release. 11/27/07

 

Program expands services to Families of fallen - As part of ongoing efforts to better assist Families of fallen Soldiers, Army Long Term Family Case Management added 11 new categories to the Support Program section on its Web site. Each category contains brief summaries and contact information for both national and local programs related to careers, children and youth, counseling, finances, emotional support, education, healthcare, legal assistance, military and government, peer support, religion, and substance abuse. The information can be found in the Support Programs section of www.ALTFCM.army.mil. Families of fallen Soldiers are encouraged to contact ALTFCM for personal assistance, or benefit concerns, by calling toll-free 1-866-272-5841; visiting the Web site, or by e-mail to ALTFCM@conus.army.mil. Army Long Term Family Case Management's support coordinators personally provide ongoing support to Families of fallen Soldiers the months and years following their loss. ALTFCM is a service provided by the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center. To date, ALTFCM has served over 3,000 Family members and distributed more than 600 million dollars in retroactive benefits. 10/25/07

 

Military spouse monument proposed - Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA) recently introduced The Military Spouses Memorial Act of 2007 (H.R. 3026) to authorize a monument be erected in the Washington D.C. area. The Military Spouses Legacy Association, Inc., was founded in 2007 by Nicole Alcorn, a military spouse and the daughter of a military widow; and Karie Darga, who lost her husband Paul in Iraq. The association has received its 501(c) 3 non-profit status and is collecting the private donations to fund the construction and maintenance of the monument. To learn more about the Military Spouses Legacy Association, visit www.militaryspousemonument.org/home.html. 10/25/07

 

Integrated Family Support Network Reaches Out to Geographically Dispersed Families - The Army Integrated Family Support Network, is a program to provide assistance to Soldiers and their Families in geographically dispersed areas - see more. 9/20/07

 

Family Assistance Centers, What is it? - The National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Command (JFHQ) within each state, territory, and the District of Columbia coordinates family assistance for all military dependents within each respective location under the guidance of a State Family Support Program Director (SFPD). Family Assistance Centers (FACs) are located in the 54 states and territories. These FACs are strategically placed in each state and territory to overcome the geographic dispersion of both Active and Reserve Component families from centralized, installation-based service providers. Each FAC is staffed with military and civilian personnel, members of the Recruiting and Retention force, Soldiers on Active Duty Special Work orders, contract personnel, temporary technicians, state employees, and volunteers. For more information, please go to www.guardfamily.org .

| See listing of Family Related Web Sites & Downloads |

 

---

 

We continue to look for additional services and benefits for our families. We encourage you to

submit your ideas to the Home Office by mail, fax to 703-742-7728, call 1-800-587-2962, or .

 

---

| Top | Home | Hot Topics | Site Map |

USAWOA Online 5/6/2008