Photo By Spc. Mariah Aguilar | Military family walk to the Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk for the Month of the Military...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHBN), 25th Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division and the Transition Center organized a dual-purpose Month of the Military Child event for the students of Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School, on April 25, 2024, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
The event was primarily a static display which gave children the opportunity to interact with a plethora of military gear. The staff and children all wore purple, the official color of the month.
Command Sgt. Maj. David Goins, the senior enlisted advisor of HHBN, 25th DIVARTY, 25th Inf. Div. affectionately referred to the display as the “Super Bowl” event of the month.
“This event allows us to honor the military children and allow the children to come out and see first hand what their Soldier does on a day-to-day basis,” Goins said. “They are able to interact with the equipment and vehicles that we have on display.”
The event also provided the opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with a number of resources they have available to help combat issues unique to military families.
The most prominent of those challenges is the permanent change of station (PCS), which takes time away from their academics, and rips them from the communities they have built, often leading to mental-health or behavioral issues, according to the Child Guidance Center.
22.9% of military adolescents self-reported depressive symptoms and 19.1% of adolescents were treated for mood disorders according to research by the National Institutes of Health.
“We talk about honoring the military children with events like this, but it's also bringing to the forefront the resources, making people aware of the resources that are available for kids that go through challenges with anxiety and depression,” Goins said.
Some of the services made available to these children include in-class and after-school tutoring sessions, a transition center that helps military children adjust to their new environment and foster community engagement, and close collaboration with military medical centers to promote the physical and mental well-being of the students.
Goins, working alongside the transition center, came up with this event for the children last year. Although Goins will inevitably PCS, they hope the event will continue with the support of the 25th Infantry Division.
“To me, this is an important time and opportunity to let them know that they are not forgotten and they are appreciated for the sacrifices that they make,” Goins said.
Army Community Service (ACS) provides various programs to assist military families in dealing with their challenges. The FOCUS Hawaii program helps families to strengthen their bond by identifying and discussing their emotions. The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) offers classes for parenting, stress management, and anger and conflict resolution. Adolescent Support Counseling Services (ASACS) is a program that provides counseling and educational prevention services to adolescents in schools and communities. More information on these programs can be found online, or by contacting the Schofield Barracks ACS office.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2024 20:52 |
| Story ID: | 470499 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Honoring Military Children: 25th ID Hosts Field Trip for Schofield School, by SPC Mariah Aguilar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT