Yellow Ribbon provides service members, families tools for success

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Erin Smith
  • 624th Regional Support Group
TEMPE, Ariz. --  Service members and their families received tools necessary for successful deployments during the western regional Yellow Ribbon event held at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe, Ariz., May 14-15.

The event was referred to as a purple event, as it included Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and Army National Guard members. It was designed for both members who had recently returned from a deployment, as well as those who were getting ready to head out the door on an upcoming deployment.

"We designed the event as a networking opportunity for families," said Jerry Cardinal, Air Force Reserve Command Chief of Services. "With the pre and post-deployment events being joined, members who have returned from deployment can give advice to those who are heading out soon."

In addition to networking opportunities, the event also featured informational sessions on topics ranging from finance to TRICARE.

For some parents who are beginning the deployment process, the event also provided last-minute together time and a beginning for the deployment process. Tom Colley, a retired Air Force member whose wife, Tech. Sgt. Michelle Colley is deploying for six months this summer, will experience the deployment from a different perspective than he is used to. As a flight engineer, he was used to being the one leaving. This time, he will be left at home to take care of their five children, ranging in age from six to 15.

"This helps bring the family together," said Tom Colley, one of the event's 160 attendees. "All they know is that Mom is leaving. This is a starting point that gets us focused on, and talking more about the deployment. It's a great program. Overall, it's a really good thing."

Reactions similar to Mr. Colley's are a large part of what drives organizers to host the event.
"It's all about taking care of people," said Mr. Charles Wade, Arizona National Guard Yellow Ribbon Integration Support Specialist. "If you take care of your people, they will take care of the mission. That's the bottom line. If you let them know you are taking care of their families while they are deployed, then they can take care of the mission without worry."

In addition to informational briefings, attendees received leadership and problem-solving advice. Their children were also learning problem-solving skills in a separate room, working with interns from Project Youth Extension Services. They were playing what on the surface looked like fun games, but all ended with a reflection period and a deeper lesson about leadership and effective communication. The games started out simple, like a name game to get the youth acquainted with each other, explained Theresa Mejia, a Project Y.E.S. intern who is also a student at University of California, San Diego.

"What the youth are learning, we have to learn too," she said. "Patience is key. They have to have patience with each other but I have to have patience with them too. It's not just a one-way street."

Travel, lodging and meals are provided for service members at the Yellow Ribbon event, but Mr. Cardinal believes investing in care of service members and their families has immediate and immense returns.

"I've heard feedback ranging from, 'you saved me from going through bankruptcy' to 'you've saved my marriage,' to 'you saved me from suicide,'" he said. "You can't put a dollar value on that."