Photo By Sgt. Crystal Reidy | Children of the soldiers in A Company, 422nd Expeditionary Signal Brigade, participate...... read more read more
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PHOENIX, Ariz. - Most people assume when a service member gets off the plane after a deployment, they unpack their bags and they are done with their mission. The truth is the service member and his/her family begins a transition period to adjust back to civilian life.
To make the adjustment after deployments, the Department of Defense mandates all Armed Service branches attend Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Programs.
Over 9,000 Air and Army National Guard service members have been called to federal active service since Sept 11, 2001. To meet the needs of the returning service members, the Arizona Army National Guard’s YRRP has been hosting six events for returning soldiers and airmen during their deployment cycle.
Arizona is dedicated to ensuring service members know what resources are available to them upon returning home, said Lt. Col. Cosme Lopez, the director of the Total First Team for the Arizona Army National Guard.
The first event is held 30 days before the soldiers leave, then a family event is held 60 days before the soldiers return home. The third event is held two days following the soldiers' homecoming.
The remaining events are post deployment, 30 and 60 days after the soldier comes home. The last event of the program is the post deployment health reassessment after being home for 90 days.
“This program is unique because it is for the soldier and their family and allows them to attend classes together,” Lopez said.
In February, the soldiers of A Company, 422nd Expeditionary Signal Brigade attended their 30-day post deployment event. Classes offered covered how to be resilient, employment search options, resume building, and finance.
“The YRRP is extremely important because soldiers and especially their families can’t use resources unless they are made aware of what is available,” Sergeant First Class Maurice Wells, the YRRP non-commissioned officer-in-charge, said.
The YRRP is one of the best things the Arizona Army National Guard has ever done to reintegrate soldiers back into civilian life, said Sgt. Tim Conrad, with A Co., 422nd ESB.
“I enjoyed the 'Be Resilient' class the most because I feel it took me to the next level of resiliency,” Conrad said. “Communication can be the hardest thing to adjust back home because you can’t talk to your wife and kids the way you talk to your fellow soldiers.”
During the YRRP events, service members are not required to wear their uniform because the classes are meant to help them adjust to civilian life, Wells said.
“The YRRP events are open to everyone the soldiers consider family, and anyone in their circle of support can come out and learn skills to assist the soldier to reintegrate back into civilian life,” Wells said.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2012 18:27 |
| Story ID: | 83752 |
| Location: | PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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