Grissom leadership show support at YRRP

Published Feb. 6, 2016
By Staff Sgt. Jami K. Lancette
434th ARW Public Affairs

Grissom Air Reserve Base -- Yellow Ribbon events provide a variety of resources for Airmen but for Grissom Airmen the events also bring support and one-on-one contact with their leadership.

Col. Doug Schwartz, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Carl Hubble, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron chief enlisted manager, attended a Yellow Ribbon reintegration event in Orlando Fla., recently to support Grissom Airmen participating in the program.

"I think the Yellow Ribbon program is a fantastic program that supports our Airmen and their families; and "families" doesn't just include their spouse, it includes parents, sisters, brothers and significant others as well," said Schwartz. "It's also an excellent program for children of our deployed Airmen.

"They have informational topics that will help people before their deployment and also give them information to help manage their lives after their deployment," added Schwartz.

The program promotes the well-being of reservists and their families by connecting them with resources before and after deployments. It began in 2008 following a congressional mandate for the Department of Defense to assist reservists and National Guard members in maintaining resiliency as they transition between their military and civilian roles.

"The event was wonderful," said Hubble. "I spent a lot of time talking to the deployer's from Grissom and every one of them recieved good answers and feedback.

"They appreciated the opportunity to spend time with family in a different area, which was a break for everyone," added Hubble. "I believe all the folks from Grissom took full advantage of it."

Master Sgt. James Hoagland, 434th Air Refueling Wing, YRRP manager, who recently stepped into his new role, hit the ground running to help promote and encourage Grissom Airmen to take advantage of the program.

"As a school teacher on the civilian side I have a passion for helping others achieve their goals and foster good morale," said Hoagland. "That's what drew me to the position; because it's a program that helps the troops and their families as well.

"They provide a wealth of resources; it helped me and my family, so in turn I want to help our troops at Grissom," Hoagland added.

Each year, the Air Force Reserve YRRP trains 7,000 reservists and family members in education benefits, health care, retirement information and more.

Eligible members can attend up to three events. The first event can be attended prior to a scheduled deployment followed by two additional events after returning from an eligible deployment.

For more information on event dates contact Hoagland at 765-688-2476.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.

News Search

Cheers

Leadership

Grissom Airmen

Grissom leadership show support at YRRP

Public Affairs Staff