Photo By Master Sgt. Jeffrey Grossi | Capt. Chalcea Murray, a flight nurse, and her husband Capt. Alex Murray, a readiness...... read more read more
For many Airmen, balancing the demands of military service with family responsibilities presents unique challenges, particularly when it comes to finding reliable childcare. The 911th Airlift Wing, recognizing the crucial role of family support in mission readiness, has ramped up efforts to address this concern.
Capt. Chalcea Murray, a flight nurse at the 911th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, is one Steel Airman who navigated the difficulties of balancing dual-military service with family life.
"Joining the Air Force has always been a dream of mine, and it remains one of the best decisions I’ve ever made," said Murray. "The Air Force has provided countless opportunities that have enriched my life in many ways. I’ve always felt incredibly fortunate to serve my country while doing a job I love. One of the greatest blessings the Air Force has given me is my spouse. However, being a military couple serving in the same unit comes with its own set of challenges."
Murray highlighted the struggle she and her spouse faced after more than a decade of service each.
"After 14 years of service for me and over 18 years for my spouse, we faced the difficult possibility that one of us might have to leave the Air Force due to a lack of childcare options at our wing,” said Murray. “Military members should never have to choose between serving their country and caring for their children.”
Childcare is often a significant hurdle for service members, especially when both parents are serving or when deployment and mission requirements overlap with family obligations. This challenge is particularly felt within the Air Force Reserve, where many Airmen have civilian careers alongside their military duties. For parents of young children, ensuring their kids are cared for during Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs) or during short-notice call-ups can lead to stress and uncertainty, potentially affecting their ability to focus on their mission.
“We found through word of mouth and our folks talking to leadership that there was something wrong – that a need wasn’t being met,” said Alex McConnell, 911th AW’s Military and Family Readiness director. “That was our starting point to adjust and make life better for our folks.”
Prior to the Wing’s recent efforts to improve the childcare program, only five families of Steel Airmen were enrolled in the base’s childcare program and only one or two Airmen utilized those services on an irregular basis.
“We had incredibly low numbers there," said McConnell. “Now we have more in the neighborhood of 50 plus families signed up and we had nearly 20 children utilize the program during our last UTA. A significant increase as a result of the changes leadership has made to meet the needs of the folks here. The proof is in the utilization rate and we are looking at more as we grow.”
Col. Christopher Sopko, deputy commander of the 911th AW, and other leaders found that most Airmen were unaware of the program and began raising the overall awareness of the program. The second piece of the puzzle was understanding that the location of the current program providers just wasn’t right for many Airmen.
“We have two fantastic providers within the program, but they were nearly 20 miles away from the base, heading towards the downtown area,” said McConnell.
While that may not sound far in the lens of mid-western states, for those dwelling in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area (hosting a population of more than two million), it’s no quick detour. Pittsburgh’s road systems contend with the topography of mountain foothills, wind around the Monongahela, Ohio, and Allegheny Rivers (not to mention all their tributaries), or funnel traffic into the city’s four tunnels and any number of its 446 bridges. Making a 20-mile, one-way detour an unattractive, nearly hour-long journey.
What Steel Airmen needed was a childcare center minutes away from the front gate. And with the support of their leaders, first sergeants, helping agencies and one local childcare provider, the parents of the 911th AW got just that.
"This new childcare facility has made an incredibly challenging time much more manageable, and I hope it serves as an example for other units in the Air Reserve Component to follow," Murray stated.
Currently, the program offers Steel Airmen and co-located Navy Reserve personnel at Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, 100% free childcare during UTAs and competitive rates on days outside of drill status. A need which extends beyond just dual-military families.
“I’m a first-time mom to an adorable 4-month-old that had quite a rough start in the NICU," said Staff Sgt. Veronica McLaughlin, aerospace medical services technician assigned to the 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron.
At a NICU or neonatal intensive care unit, babies get around-the-clock care from a team of experts. Most of these babies go to the NICU within 24 hours of birth. How long they stay depends on their health. Some babies stay only a few hours or days; others stay weeks or months.
"The UTA weekend that I came back from my maternity leave was the same weekend the base’s new childcare program began," said McLaughlin.
For McLaughlin, the proximity of the childcare center to the base provided immense peace of mind.
“The childcare center doesn’t disrupt my commute to and from UTA, since it’s close to the base," said McLaughlin. "The enrollment process was easy, and the company uses an app where the caretakers log every feeding and diaper change, send pictures, messages, and more. It was very reassuring to know that if something happened, I was only minutes away. The program has taken some stress away from UTA weekends for us, and has made my return from maternity leave an easier process physically and mentally.”
The childcare solution provided at the 911th Airlift Wing is a step forward in supporting Steel Airmen as they balance their professional and personal lives. In stride with the efforts of ARC Athena, an initiative homegrown at Pittsburgh IAP ARS and designed to bring innovative solutions to the challenges faced by Reserve Citizen Airmen and their families, the wing is working to alleviate a significant burden on military families, allowing them to focus on their duties while knowing their children are cared for in a safe and nurturing environment.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2024 12:44 |
| Story ID: | 481961 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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