ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Whether it is the first or the fifth time, deployments are not easy for military families. But with the help of the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Hearts Apart program, the time away from loved ones can be much easier.
"We offer a variety of programs to help the family members left behind because of military deployments," said Master Sgt. Glynis Fresia, A&FRC superintendent. "It's our way of reaching out to the base community, letting them know we're here. We are here to serve you and your families."
One such program is the Hearts Apart barbecue from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Freedom Park Base Lake. Families will receive free food, children can play on a bouncy castle, and the program will have giveaways, as well.
"We had an event like this held at the base lake about a year ago, and it was very successful. The families had a great time. It's something we wanted to offer our families again," Sergeant Fresia said.
These events are important because they give families information about base services and the opportunity to network with other families with deployed members.
"During one of our Hearts Apart events, I had a family come to me for help because one of its children was acting out while dad was deployed. I was able to direct her to the Military and Family Life Consultant program, and we were able to get her family the help they needed," Sergeant Fresia said.
The MFLC program offers free, short-term, non-medical counseling to military service members and their families. In this program, licensed clinical providers assist families with issues they may face through the cycle of deployment - from leaving their loved ones and possibly living and working in harm's way to reintegrating with their community and family. The program provides support for a range of issues, including relationship problems, crisis intervention, stress management, grief support, occupational assistance and other individual and family issues.
The Hearts Apart program also allows families to make morale calls; each family is allowed one morale call per week to its military or Department of Defense civilian member serving a remote tour, deployed or temporary duty for more than 14 days. Families can call from their homes to the base operator and then be connected to the member's location via a DSN number.
The AFRC also offers an e-mail bulletin to the Hearts Apart distribution list, a service that keeps families up-to-date on base and local activities. The program also gives free car care to spouses of Active Duty Air Force members deployed for more than 30 days, as well as a voucher for one free oil and filter change, lubrication and safety check. Service is limited to one oil change per deployment.
To RSVP for the Hearts Apart barbeque or for more information on their services, call 301-981-7087.