Yellow Ribbon: Wing works to resolve woes stemming from deployment

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kent Kagarise
  • 442nd Fighter Wing
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The 442nd Fighter Wing's chaplains and Airmen and Family Readiness office organized the wing's first-ever, overnight workshop for Citizen Airmen and their families to adapt to civilian life following deployments.

Dubbed "Yellow Ribbon," the workshop was held Valentine's Day for approximately 400 of the wing's Citizen Airmen and their families at the Marriott Hotel in the Power and Light District of Kansas City, Mo.
The workshop allowed Airmen and their spouses an opportunity to bond and share commonalities with other members of the wing, as well as get updated on benefits and attend a job fair while their children participated in Operation Military Kids.

Many of the Airmen who attended the workshop did not know what to expect, but found the experience enriching, which is the purpose of the Yellow Ribbon Program.

"The Yellow Ribbon Program is designed to support Airmen and their loved one's spiritual, financial and emotional needs," said 442nd FW Chaplain (Maj.) James Buckman. "Our goal is to have healthy Airmen who are deployable worldwide and able to focus on the mission while looking forward to a healthy reintegration upon their return.

"It's practical stuff that we are hoping will help our folks succeed," Chaplain Buckman said. "The Department of Defense has devoted 60 million dollars to this program for guard and Reserve members who have been asked to do a lot since 9/11. Deep down inside I'm just glad we're doing this."
Spouses of Airmen who attended gained a lot from the workshop as well.

"It's allowed spouses to connect with other husbands and wives who have endured a deployment or may be pondering a loved one's absence," Chaplain Buckman said. "This weekend has allowed them to build future support groups and learn about Air Force benefits that apply to them.

"In the past it has been tough to get family members to feel involved at an event like this," he said. "It was really neat to talk with the employers here who made it clear they don't only want to talk with airmen, but are really looking forward to speaking with their family members about possible job opportunities."

Months of planning and hard work went into making sure the event happened without a hitch. One of those who ensured the workshop's success was Master Sgt. Vickie Chambers, chief of the wing's Airmen and Family Readiness section.

"When we see the room full tomorrow it'll all be so worth it," Sergeant Chambers said.

"If our people walk away knowing that their deployments were worth it," she said. "And they leave here understanding there are things out there in place to make them and their families stronger then we were a great success."

Based on his experiences with previous deployments, Col. Mark Clemons, wing commander, is encouraged by the program and all it has to offer.

"I deployed in '89 and we didn't have anything like this," he said. "It was on us to explain to our families what we were going to be doing and how they could cope in our absence."

"Sometimes folks can be reluctant to ask for help. This lets our reservists and their families know-- they are not alone."

One of those families in attendance was Staff Sgt. Clarissa Hawkins, 442nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and her husband, Craig, who is prior-service Army.

"This is the first time we attended an event like this," Sergeant Hawkins said. "I was worried it might be awkward to share experiences in the small group setting, but it was a lot of fun."

"It gives people an opportunity to renew closeness with their spouse and it has been really nice to make new friends within the wing," Mr. Hawkins said.

Chaplain (Capt.) Ben Hayden, 442nd FW, worked with singles while the married couples were meeting and was enlightened to some of their struggles.

"Many times we forget about the single during a deployment," he said. "We assume they are doing alright because they don't have the worries a married person may have.

"A lot of singles feel disconnected," Chaplain Hayden said. "People ask them how their family is, but nobody asks them about their dog or aging parents. These are very real issues for a single person who is deployed."

"This weekend has helped us bridge the gap between Airmen who are married and those who are single and has helped us understand that a single person's problems are just as real as a married person's," he said.

Senior Airman Kevin Frye, 442nd Maintenance Squadron, was one single who found the Yellow Ribbon Workshop very beneficial to him during difficult economic times.

"The program was right on time for me, because I just got laid-off. It's really comforting to see the Air Force reaching out to us," he said.

Col. Mary Hill, Air Force Reserve Command, director of deployment cycle support attended the event and was very impressed with the wing's efforts.

"There are so many ways to spend the allotted finances and they've jumped in with both feet," she said. "I'm impressed with their patience, diligence and all that they've done.
"This is a good program and it is important that Airmen and their families understand this is not just a time where you are asked to come and listen to someone speak," she said. "It is about partaking."

For the 442nd FW, Valentine's Day brought love in Air Force fashion. A yellow ribbon drawn tight, united the Wing and her families and shined a light on a deployment landscape, which can sometimes seem filled with darkness.