512th Airman, Family Readiness best in DOD

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFNS) --  Department of Defense Officials announced Jan. 11 that the 512th Airman and Family Readiness is the recipient of the 2011 Reserve Family Readiness Award.

The DOD award recognizes one unit from each of the seven Reserve components that maintain the best family support program.

"Family readiness is vital to mission readiness, especially considering how our nation relies on a significant numbers of reservists to serve in deployed locations throughout the world," said Col. Randal L. Bright, the 512th Air Wing commander. "Our Airman and Family Readiness does an outstanding job assisting our reservists and their families. Their hard work is appreciated by our wing members, and is now recognized by command and the DOD."

The 512th A&FR's mission is to foster personal readiness to make sure service members and their families are ready for a deployment, said Master Sgt. Laura Coseglia, the 512th A&FR director.

"This award recognizes the accomplishments and hard work of our staff as well as the community who supports us and our wing members," Coseglia said.

The A&FR is a vital link in the support networks for Reserve families, Coseglia said. The Reserve shop works with the 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB's active-duty wing, to offer services to more than 1,800 reservists and their families which reside in 29 states.

Wing reservists face a high rate of deployment, and one way the office assists these reservists and their families is through the Yellow Ribbon Integration Program. This program brings together resources like finance, chaplains, legal, Military One Source, the USO, military family life consultants, and counselors and speakers to give reservists and guardsmen one-stop shopping for the deployment needs of Airmen and Soldiers. Yellow Ribbon also offers age appropriate care and counseling for children from infants to teens.

However, one of the biggest challenges for the 512th A&FR has been connecting with the families who are geographically separated from the base, Coseglia said.

"We've been able to connect with those families, thanks to a variety of programs and community partners who now understand our unique challenges in the Reserve," she said.

Regardless of where a reservist and their family are located, the family readiness program has a host of resources available to help, whether the member is deployed or not. If the 512th A&FR can't help, they have access to many community partners who can assist. The office works with 175 military community partners in Delaware, consisting of non-profit organizations, businesses, education institutions and veterans' service organizations.

One of these key partners is the 512th AW Key Spouse Program. The 512th AW Key Spouse Program is a volunteer spouses' organization which provides outreach and support services to family members of deployed reservists. The organization works with Airman and Family Readiness programs to help accomplish their mission by reaching out to spouses.

"Our Airman and Family Readiness office is a benchmark for command," said Maj. Cathy Anderson,the  512th Force Support Squadron commander who oversees the Airman and Family Readiness mission. "They've all done a fantastic job for our wing members during the entire deployment cycle, both in direct support to our deployers and to the families left behind."

In addition to deployment support, the four-person A&FR team offer a variety of programs to include Hearts Apart, which allows deployed family members to call their families for free twice a week, as well as classes dealing with resumes, finances and family issues. The office also works closely with the Delaware 4-H, Delaware National Guard State Family Programs office and with Operation Military Kids. Last year, more than 350 children benefited from these agencies by attending more than 50 free day camps and clubs.

"This office is involved in almost every quality of life initiative on base and works to build partnerships with the community to help our wing members and their families," Anderson said. "They do a great job, and this is recognition well deserved."

The 512th A&FR Office will be recognized in a presentation ceremony, hosted by David L. McGinnis, the acting assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, Feb. 17 at the Pentagon.