Family Readiness selected for command award

Published Jan. 30, 2017
By Senior Airman Harrison Withrow
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Grissom’s Airman & Family Readiness Center was recently awarded the 2016 Reserve Family Readiness Award.

The RFRA is a Department of Defense program established in 2000 to recognize the top unit in each reserve component that demonstrated outstanding family and mission readiness.

“Strong family readiness programs contribute to mission readiness and greatly enhance the ability to deploy Guard and Reserve units,” said Matthew P. Dubois, DOD deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve integration. “This is especially true as we continue the readiness state needed to succeed in the current broad range of mission requirements.”

A ceremony will be held March 24 to formally recognize Grissom and other recipients, said Dubois. The ceremony will take place in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon. Following this event, the Military Officers Association of America will host a reception to honor award recipients.

“Our unit is one of many outstanding reserve Airman and Family Readiness offices AFRC has,” said Jill Marconi-Pyclik, director of Airman & Family Readiness. “We all give so much of ourselves in these positions to ensure that we can do all we can to assist those who walk through our door.”

The biggest factor that contributed to receiving the award was a dedicated staff that cared about the mission, said Marconi-Pyclik.

“The reservists who work in this office are outstanding, caring and loyal to the 434th members,” she said. “They bring so much to this office, that I believe it is their time to stand out and be recognized for their work.”

Recognizing units which are outstanding in family readiness is important for the Air Force because the health of individual Airmen and the wing as a whole is greatly affected by support they receive, said Marconi-Pyclik.

“There needs to be a place that members, families and retirees can always feel connected to. A place that’s welcoming, helpful and safe to come to for their entire Air Force career,” she said. “We strive to be the place families can connect with. Our Key Spouse Program is the link for families waiting for their military member to return from deployment. Our mission is to support the overall Air Force mission readiness by assisting with the challenges and demands of the military lifestyle.”

“Airman and Family Readiness was established years ago as a way to take care of our folks,” said Col. Larry Shaw, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander. “Jill and her staff do an incredible job and this award is proof positive of that. Their recognition is richly deserved.”

The award came not as a result of any one individual’s work, but through the combined effort of everyone at Family Readiness, said Marconi-Pyclik.

“This office has continued to give 100 percent of each of us, over many years,” she said. “We are one fantastic team, military, civilians and Key Spouse Program. If there is something to be done, we all do it. If someone needs us, we go. Everyone in this office is all in, no matter what. We believe that we are one team, one fight.”

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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Family Readiness selected for command award

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