Fall 2012 • Vol. 5 No. 3 • www.arfp.org

Community Focused

wild about military kids!

arEC Camp silvEr bEaCh

baCkpaCk Journalism

& military intErstatE ChildrEn’s CompaCt Commission

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Fall 2012.indd 1 12
iN tHiS iSSuE

army rESErVE CommaND tEam

lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. talley

Chief, Army Reserve

Chief Warrant officer 5 phyllis Wilson

Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve

Command Sgt. maj. michael D. Schultz

Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve

Family StroNG StaFF

Sonia i. Wriglesworth

Director, Army Reserve Family Programs

melissa russell

Editor-in-Chief, Family Strong

Hatch Creative

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SUBMISSIONS • Family Strong invites articles, 

story ideas, photographs, and other material of 

interest to the members of the U.S. Army Reserve. 

Manuscripts and other correspondence for the 

editor should be addressed to Commander, U.S. 

Army Reserve Command, Attn: Public Affairs 

(Family Strong), 4710 Knox Street, Fort Bragg, 

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submitted electronically, on disk or CD; unsolicited 

manuscripts and photographs will not be returned. 

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magazine. TTPU Soldiers should notify their Unit 

Administrator or Unit Clerk. Members of the IRR and 

IMA should contact their Personnel Management 

Team at U.S. Army Human Resources Command, 

ATTN: IRR/IMA Personnel Management, 1600 

Spearhead Division Avenue, Fort Knox, KY 

40122. AGRs should contact their PMO/PMNCO. 

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Fall 2012 • Vol. 5 No. 3

Fall 2012 áVol. 5 No. 3 á www.arfp.org

Community Focused

WILD ABOUT MILITARY KIDS!

AREC CAMP SILVER BEACH

BACKPACK JOURNALISM

& MILITARY INTERSTATE CHILDRENíS COMPACT COMMISSION

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FORT FAMILY

Contents

FEaturEd

Message from the Top: Linda Talley ............................................................3

in this issuE

Chaplain’s Corner: God and Money .............................................................5

TASS Soldiers Get “Wild About Military Kids!” at 

AREC Camp Silver Beach ...........................................................................6

Finding Your Voice: Military Kids Learn to Express Emotion 

Through Journalism ...................................................................................8

Strengthening Bonds ................................................................................10

Fort Family ...............................................................................................11

MIC3 Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission .........................12

Fort Awesome ..........................................................................................13

buzzworthy

Keeping Your Child Engaged .....................................................................14

U.S. Army Reserve Family Program Directors ...........................................15

oN tHE CoVEr 

At the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior 

Competition ceremony, Sgt. 1st Class Francisco 

Gonzalez, a retention noncommisioned officer 

assigned to Army Reserve Career Division, holds 

his daughter during the dinner at Fort McCoy, 

Wis., July 20. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class 

Mark Burrell/USARC PAO

Portraits from a March 2012 A Backpack Journalist workshop at Fort George G. Meade, Md., 

are displayed for program participants. Photography is one of the key modules in the program, 

teaching a variety of photography techniques, from simple portraiture to elements of digital 

storytelling. (Photo courtesy of Linda Dennis) 

Fall 2012.indd 2 12
Message from the Top

Getting Involved

Linda Talley

i

t has been six month since my husband took command of 

the Army Reserve and we packed up our household and two 

dogs from Arizona to Virginia to start on another unexpected 

adventure with his Army career.

Jeff and I married our senior year in college. I knew he was 

going to be commissioned into the Army the day he graduated 

and our future was already set. Within the ¿rst eight years our 

family size grew to six. With three sons, one daughter and an 

active duty Soldier, life held many challenges. Our children are 

now moving forward to ful¿ll their own dreams, including one 

who is an active duty Soldier. Thirty-one years later and we are 

continuing to meet the challenges.

Although I have never served in uniform, I can›t imagine or 

remember any other way of life. When you are born a «Military 

Brat» - there is a connection to the service that you will never 

lose. My father was a Marine who served in both the Korean & 

Vietnam Wars. My mother taught me that you must keep your life 

centered on your faith and family. Both my parents encouraged 

service to our country.

Being a military spouse has many opportunities but we must 

also be honest with ourselves and know our limitations. Communication is key - to assure we discuss each other›s expectations 

because if we are all heading toward the same goal, the road will 

be a smoother ride. Being a part of the Army Reserve Family can 

mean extensive travel, lots of family separation and long duty 

hours, but in the end I know it has developed both resiliency and 

strength in my family.

I realize that every family’s circumstances and challenges 

are unique. But my experience is that when you take whatever 

time you can spare in your life to work with and for others - th

satisfaction and sense of community that result is immeasurab

There are numerous ways to contribute or become a volunte

check with your local unit representative to ¿nd where your talen

and strengths can be best utilized. As military spouses, I believ

we need to take every opportunity to tell the story of our Soldie

families and how we have made a difference in the past eleve

years with our country at war. At the same time, it is importa

that we talk to each other - ¿nd a battle buddy that you can depen

on and offer support to for the road ahead.

An important priority for Jeff and I is bringing awareness to th

loss of life by suicide. We want all of our Army Reserve Fami

to know that seeking help for behavioral health issues is a sign 

strength and maturity. No one is immune to ¿nding him or herse

in this situation and if you ever ¿nd a loved one or yourself nearin

hopelessness, Military OneSource has immediate resources ava

able. Call or log on to the website, (www.militaryonesource.com

to ¿nd out what resources are there to help you learn to identi

signs that you should be aware of. In the case of an emergenc

the national suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (825

Through the service of my father, my husband and son, I hav

gotten to know so many amazing service members their an

families - all making such great sacri¿ces and asking for so litt

in return - please know that I will do my very best to advocate f

you to see that the programs and services you receive are co

mensurate with your family’s service to our nation. I don’t preten

to know all the answers, but I plan to take every opportunity 

make a difference in whatever way I can. I welcome your su

gestions and look forward to serving with you!

FEaturE

www.arfp.org | Fall 201

Linda Talley, wife of Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, Chief, U.S. Army 

Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve 

Command. Photo by Monica King

Linda Talley receives roses during the U.S. Army Reserve Command 

promotion ceremony and change of command ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C.

June 9, 2012. Lt. Gen. Talley became the 32nd Chief, U.S. Army Reserve and 

the seventh commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. 

Photo by Timothy Hale, U.S. Army Reserve Command Public Affairs

Fall 2012.indd 3 12
FEaturED

H

aving spent a good deal of my time 

in the military as an Army Special 

Forces (Green Beret) Soldier, I had 

grown used to conducting our nations business around the world under circumstances 

that were unpredictable at best - sometimes 

friendly, sometimes not so much ... 

Looking back, I can honestly say my 

scariest deployments were the ones I spent 

at home - waiting for my wife to return.

That Soldier who deployed to Iraq on 

two occasions is now the Command Chief 

Warrant Of¿cer of the Army Reserve. I am 

her husband Brian, a retired Special Forces 

Warrant Of¿cer who deployed countless 

times across the globe to little known places. 

I remained focused on the mission, isolated 

for days on end. In retrospect, mine was the 

easier end of the arrangement. 

As intelligence support to Special Operations, much of what my wife, Command 

Chief Warrant Of¿cer Phyllis Wilson, did 

while deployed was off limits conversation 

during the limited time we were able to 

connect. 

I found myself working more and doing 

anything to keep my mind busy with the 

intent of not having time to dwell on that 

source of anxiety. I was pretty successful... 

most of the time. 

When there was a casualty the unclassi¿ed communications were locked down 

until the family was informed of their loved 

one’s fate. Those hours or days could feel 

like an eternity. 

These hardships are common to us 

all. We share this life of service. Even 

as many Soldiers return home, thousands 

are still serving, and in many capacities. 

Deployments, Theater Security Cooperation Missions and assignments here in the 

states –Families are the glue that give 

Soldiers the strength to make a difference 

wherever they go.

When my wife was asked to join the com

mand group, we both made a commitme

to a 3 year assignment. Our newest cha

lenge now is adapting to time apart. It’s is 

struggle to maintain a balance between wo

and time together. It’s dif¿cult to schedu

visits since she works so many weekend

but we work to make time for each othe

We e-mail, text and talk every other d

for a few minutes. We have a good netwo

of close friends, built a house in Tampa 

July and we talk about the progress as w

pull together the ¿nishing touches.

So I have seen “Both Sides Now” from u

and down from inside and out. The truth 

that it is easier to be the “deployer” rath

than staying on the home front. But in t

end, I am so proud of my wife and w

do whatever it takes to support her. And 

consider it a privilege to now call myse

part of the Army Reserve Family. 

 

Both SideS Now

4 Family Strong

Story by Brian Wilson

Photo Illustration

Fall 2012.indd 4 12
iN tHiS iSS

Chaplain’s Corner

God &

www.arfp.org | Fall 201

“You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do 

not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you 

will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. . . . Bu

seek ¿rst the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and al

these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:24b-25a, 33

i

cannot do everything. At work I have to 

prioritize my time and work with others 

in determining our section’s priorities. 

At home I have to decide: do my children 

take music lessons or join the basketball 

team? In our private lives, we also have to 

determine what is most important, what 

will each of us focus on.

In today’s economy it’s easy to focus 

on ¿nancial concerns. Wondering if unemployment insurance will run out, or if I 

will ¿nd a job to support my Family are real 

issues. Yet these are actually distractions 

from the more important issue of one’s 

relationship with God. If a mother ¿rst 

tended to her crying child’s dirty diaper 

while her house was on ¿re, we’d say she 

had her priorities confused. While a clean 

diaper is important, the burning house is 

even more important.

It is similar with money. We “cannot 

serve God and money.” We cannot focus 

on our ¿nancial problems and also focus 

on our relationship with God. God wants 

us to trust him with our entire lives and 

sometimes he allows ¿nancial dif¿culties 

into our lives to show us that he can be 

trusted with this as well. But God’s promise 

is that “all these things will be added to 

you” only when we “seek ¿rst the kingdom 

of God and his righteousness.”

Financial problems can really stress Fam

ily relationships. Couples often argue abo

how the other is spending money. This is 

sign that we are focusing on serving mon

instead of serving God. God wants us 

love and honor our Family members. Ho

we use money should reÀect that love. I

tell my wife I care for her and then gamb

away my paycheck, my words to my wi

are empty and meaningless. I am servin

myself and not God.

Our credit card statements and checkin

accounts really reÀect our priorities. I pr

that God provides for your needs as y

trust him with your ¿nances. 

 Money Story by Col. Charles Lynde, USARC Chaplain

Fall 2012.indd 5 12
S

oldiers and Family Programs staff from the 80th Training 

Command in Richmond, Virginia recently joined Army 

Reserve Child, Youth and School Services staff in an unforgettable camping experience attended by 63 ¿rst-time campers 

and 37 returning campers. The Army Reserve Enrichment Camp 

was offered to Army Reserve youth with 

a deployed or recently deployed parent. 

The youths came from Virginia and as 

far away as Delaware, Florida, and Ohio. 

Camp Silver Beach in Exmore, Virginia 

was the destination and is only one of 11 

week-long residential camps sponsored 

annually at locations across the country 

by the Army Reserve Family Programs 

Child, Youth and School Services.

AREC provides Army Reserve youth 

with the opportunity to interact and discuss the similar challenges and victories associated with being 

a part of a military Family. The highlight of AREC is often 

Military Day, set aside to give youths a chance to meet and talk 

with Soldiers, learn multiple aspects of Army culture, explore 

coping mechanisms for deployment-related issues and access 

local community resources, all while celebrating themselve

Held on opening day this year, Military Day was themed, “Wi

About Military Kids!”. . . and due, primarily, to the support an

participation of the 80th Training Command, it left a powerf

imprint on the lives of the 100 Army Reserve youth participan

aged 6 -17 years. 

Command Sgt. Maj. James Wills, Chief E

ecutive Of¿cer Mike Bland, Family Program

Director, Joseph DeBoer, Family Program

Coordinator Nydia Negron, Sgt. First Cla

Elizabeth Breckenkamp and 108th Trainin

Command’s Family Programs Director Deni

Wallace arrived in a Black Hawk helicopter an

spent the day reminding the campers just ho

much they are appreciated. Youth explored th

Black Hawk and asked questions about batt

aircraft. Safety Specialist Sgt. Virgilio Mun

coordinated a safety obstacle course for the campers to enjoy an

North Hampton County 4-H Agent, Christina Ruszczyk-Murr

shared community resource information and character-buildin

insights. A military Family life consultant addressed copin

mechanisms relevant to each age group and introduced jou

Article and Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Breckenkamp, 80th Training Command Headquarters Public Affairs Office and 

Caprichia S. Moses, Odyssey, TCI Army Reserve Child, Youth and School Services

arEC provides army 

reserve youth with the 

opportunity to interact 

and discuss the similar 

challenges and victories 

associated with being part 

of a military Family.

6 Family Strong

iN tHiS iSSuE

TASS Soldiers Get “Wild about Military Kids” 

at AREC Camp Silver Beach

Soldiers from the 80th Training Command visit campers, staff at AREC Camp Silver Beach in Exmore, Va., on Military Day, June 24, 

2012. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Breckenkamp, 80th Training Command Headquarters Public Affairs Office.

Fall 2012.indd 6 12
www.arfp.org | Fall 201

iN tHiS iSS

naling techniques for healthy expressions. Once youth tasted 

Meals-Ready-To-Eat and played games led by Wills, the day 

was concluded with a dramatic take-off by an “awesomely cool” 

helicopter, according to a nine-year-old camper. 

YMCA Camp Silver Beach, located on the Eastern Shore of 

Virginia is set on 151 acres of forest, ¿eld and wetlands, including 1,200 feet of Chesapeake Bay beach front. Youth enjoyed a 

wide variety of fun activities, including swimming, water skiing, 

banana boating, kayaking, archery, riÀery, environmental di

covery, performing, visual and martial arts, skating, a climbin

tower and much more. 

To learn more about Army Reserve Child, Youth and Scho

Services or other events and activities, please visit www.arf

org/cyss or www.cyssevents.com.

Soldiers from the 80th Training Command visit campers, staff at AREC Camp Silver 

Beach in Exmore, Va., on Military Day, June 24, 2012. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth 

Breckenkamp, 80th Training Command Headquarters Public Affairs Office.

Fall 2012.indd 7 12
8 Family Strong

iN tHiS iSSuE

a

sk any military kid and 

they’ll tell you: Having 

a parent in the military 

can be hard. They must cope with 

deployments of one or both parents, frequent moves, making new 

friends, changing schools and the 

fear that comes from having a 

parent in harm’s way. Often times, 

kids with parents in the military are 

asked to do a little more than their 

non-military counterparts, to grow 

up just a little faster.

Military kids also have to 

deal with their peers, and 

occasionally adults, misunderstanding the military lifestyle or even 

insulting it. Sometimes, it’s dif¿cult 

to explain to outsiders what having 

a parent in the military is like.

That’s why programs developed 

with military children in mind – 

programs that encourage them to 

express themselves creatively, and 

in turn, become better communicators – are important.

A Backpack Journalist is one such 

program. It was pilot tested in 2008 

with 12 young people attending basic 

writing and journalism classes on a 

university campus, Linda Dennis, 

program manager, explained. During 

the pilot, program administrators 

discovered that while younger children expressed themselves easily, 

older children — speci¿cally middle 

and high-schooled aged — were 

struggling.

Hosting the classes on campus 

became cost prohibitive, so Dennis and the other administrative 

members made the program mobile.

“We built a digital lab and teachers got together and decided that we 

would go out and offer it at events,” 

VOICE

FINDING YOUR

Military Kids Learn to Express 

Emotion Through Journalism

Story by Jacqueline M. Hames, Soldiers magazine

Evan Clark, center, and another workshop participant help 

Linda Dennis, A Backpack Journalist program manager, 

set up a green screen for a filmmaking module. The 

module includes a “one-minute claim to fame” clip for each 

student. Clark’s film, describing the life of a military child as 

“unpredictable,” will be presented to Congress. 

(Photo courtesy of Linda Dennis)

Fall 2012.indd 8 12
www.arfp.org | Fall 201

iN tHiS iSS

Dennis said. The Texas National Guard 

Family Support Foundation funded the 

development of the lab. After the successful pilot test in San Antonio, the 

program was presented to the Of¿ce of 

the Secretary of Defense for Reserve 

Affairs. From there, it took off.

A Backpack Journalist, which works 

mainly with Army Reserve and National 

Guard Families, has three central goals: 

to help children learn how to express 

themselves creatively, communicate 

honestly and build self esteem through 

a journalistic curriculum.

“The key (goal) that we really strive for 

is to help a young person build resilience 

through creative expression,” Dennis 

emphasized. The program offers writing, song writing, digital storytelling, 

¿lmmaking, poetry and photography 

modules that help teach youth different 

forms of expression.

In March, the program held a camp 

at Fort Meade, Md., on writing and 

filmmaking, with children from the 

Army Reserve’s 200th Military Police 

Command. One of the central themes of 

the weekend camp focused on what it is 

like to be a military child.

As a surprise, and in an effort to 

enhance his son’s homeschooling experience, Capt. Tobias Clark enrolled his 

12-year-old son Evan in the Fort Meade 

Backpack Journalist camp.

Evan found the program helpful on 

both academic and personal levels. He 

said he believes that it helps military 

children understand that it’s all right 

to share their experiences, and it gives 

them the tools to express themselves.

“Even if you don’t feel like doing it, it 

can really help you in the long run,” he 

said. “If you don’t feel like it may help 

you right off the bat, it may help you 

later on during a move, or when your 

mom or dad deploys. It’s just good to 

do. It prepares you.”

Dennis has received positive feedback 

from participants’ parents, who said that 

children who didn’t communicate much 

before are now talking more.

“Once a young person get comfortable 

and learns how to express themselves, 

whether it’s music, or writing, or picking 

a camera up — whatever it is that they 

learn how to do that’s not traditional 

school — you will ¿nd that they will 

be less troubled, less anxious,” Dennis 

said. “There is something to ¿nding 

one’s voice that’s very powerful within 

the human spirit.”

For more information about A Backpack Journalist, and a schedule of the 

program’s upcoming camps and events, 

visit www.abackpackjournalist.com

Youth from the Army Reserve’s 200th Military Police Command pose with A Backpack Journalist program director during a workshop 

at Fort George G. Meade, Md., in March of 2012. Kiara Jackson is pictured top, second from left; Evan Clark bottom, second from right. 

(Photo courtesy of Linda Dennis)

Fall 2012.indd 9 12
Strengthening Bonds

Story and Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephen Crofoot, First Army Division East Public Affairs

10

iN tHiS iSSuE

Family Strong

l

eaders and Soldiers of First Army 

Division East recently put time and 

energy into making the Army’s message a reality during a Strong Bonds retreat 

in Gettysburg, Pa. Soldiers and spouses 

learned and practiced different techniques 

to handle stressors and resolve conÀicts in 

their marriages and relationships. 

“The best thing about this program is 

that it is very concrete,” said Army Reserve 

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Harry Huey Jr., First 

Army Division East Chaplain. “Strong 

Bonds includes communication and conÀict 

resolution techniques that are skills-based 

and clear, time-tested ‘habits’ that are 

successful approaches inside and outside 

of the military.”

“It is about strength and discipline, both 

in the military and at home,” said Master 

Sgt. Michael Bair, First Army Division East 

Chaplain Noncommissioned Of¿cer. “It’s 

this kind of training that allows you the ability to develop discipline to develop strong 

bonds and long term lasting relationships. 

Where the Soldier and their Families are 

given the tools they need to ¿x problems 

at home.”

Throughout the training, couples discussed conflict resolution techniques, 

relationship dangers, crisis management, 

and even different communication strategies 

to help strengthen a marriage. They then 

applied the techniques to real life scenarios.

The training reinforces that Families are 

important, said Bair’s wife April. “This 

training shows the Army does care. As a 

Family member, now I know the Army is 

giving me tools to help better support my 

Soldier and Family.”

While Huey led the retreat, Bair and 

April, who has a degree in psychology, 

oversaw the training. They both completed 

the Strong Bonds instructor course and see 

applications for the training in Soldiers’ 

personal and professional lives. 

Huey has been associated with the Strong 

Bonds program since 2005. “I believe Strong 

Bonds helps the force by enhancing Soldier 

and Family member resilience,” said Huey. 

“I think Strong Bonds is “back to the basics” 

in the sense that the program seeks to build 

strong Families and individuals - those are 

the basic building blocks of a healthy society 

and a healthy Army.” 

In 2011, there were 30,000 divorces 

in the Army, according to Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. There 

were also 154 suicides within the Army 

in the ¿rst ¿ve months of 2012, according to the Department of Defense. 

Bair believes this training can help comb

both of those numbers. “Resilient Famili

who can better handle stress will transla

into less divorces and lower suicide rates

said Bair. “People know how to deal wi

the good times, but this training teach

you how to handle the bad times.”

The training carries over into the wor

place as well, said Bair. “If a Soldier c

communicate at home and deal with pe

sonal stress, then they can communicate 

work and handle the stress; so morale an

productivity will rise as well.” 

First Sergeant Joseph Smith, Headqua

ters and Headquarters Detachment’s seni

noncommissioned of¿cer, said the trainin

provided the opportunity to address tw

issues at once. “With the amount of tim

we spend away from our Families, this n

only gave some free time to spend with o

spouse and Family, but also gave us sever

techniques to help get through issues.” 

“The strength of the Army is the Soldiers. The strength of the Soldiers is the Family.” 

-General Raymond T. Odierno – Chief of Staff of the Army

Master Sgt. Sean Allen, First Army Division East Plans 

and Operations non-commissioned officer in charge, 

takes notes on ways to strengthen relationships, while 

wife Tami reflects on the advice being shared by the 

Strong Bonds event leaders.

Fall 2012.indd 10 12
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – When catastrophic 

Àooding hit Tennessee in 2010, help for affected 

Soldiers and Families came in the form of a phone 

call – to a staff located hundreds of miles away.

Through Fort Family – AR call center staff, the 

U.S. Army Reserve Command Family Programs 

Directorate leveraged state resources to assist the 

Soldiers until the danger had passed.

“We had nine Soldiers identified from the 

Army Reserve that we were able to assist,” said 

Sonia Wriglesworth, USARC Family Programs 

director. She said her staff coordinated with a 

U.S. Navy activity in the area to ¿nd temporary 

housing, and faith-based organizations to provide 

clothing and food.

“This is us building a community capacity and 

leveraging what we have so we can connect the 

Soldiers and Families with resources closest to 

where they are,” she said.

Wriglesworth said the key to the success of 

Fort Family is that “we connect people to people.”

Born out of necessity

When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 

2005, Soldiers redeploying to Fort Polk from 

overseas combat tours had a tough time ¿nding 

their Families amid the chaos and widespread 

destruction, Wriglesworth said, who at the time 

was working at Headquarters, Department of 

the Army Family Programs at the Installation 

Management Command.

“Very quickly the active component, (Army) 

Reserve, and (National) Guard came together to 

develop a strategy,” she said. “We learned from that 

experience that we had no accountability system; 

we had no way to connect the Families.”

When Wriglesworth became the USARC Family 

Programs director in 2009, she learned that the 

108th Training Command had developed a program 

called “Fort Family.” 

“It didn’t take me but a minute to realize that 

we needed that for the Army Reserve,” she said.

After speaking with Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory, III, then the 108th commanding general, 

Wriglesworth said he “graciously agreed” to let 

USARC Family Programs implement Fort Family 

across the entire Army Reserve.

Building connections and resources

Fort Family is a delivery model designed to 

provide resources to Soldiers and their Families 

ranging from help ¿nding jobs to housing and 

¿nancial resources or just simple information and 

referral services, Wriglesworth said.

With the majority of Army Reserve Soldiers 

geographically dispersed across the country, having 

the ability to reach out to someone for assistance 

is vitally important, she said. One of the key 

components of this is the ability to map resources.

“So when we build a community database, we 

can map that,” she said. “At the same time, we 

have the database of Soldiers. So putting those 

together, now we have where the Soldier lives and 

what’s around them in terms of resources. That’s 

the beauty of Fort Family.”

Getting information into the hands of Soldiers 

and Families rests on the shoulders of nine telephone call center operators. Working in shifts, they 

man the phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

365 days a year.

But they don’t just sit by and wait for the phone 

to ring. The program serves as a commander’s tool, 

providing proactive outreach services to Soldie

and Families.

“I think the majority of service members a

preciate the call,” said Marie Obiekwe, the Fo

Family Outreach & Support program manag

“It’s a quality of life or well-being call. We a

not telemarketers.”

Obiekwe said the outreach calls are made 

behalf of the USARC leadership to make conta

with Soldiers and Families to ¿nd out what th

needs are – if there are any.

“If anything comes up, they know our operati

is available to assist,” Obiekwe said.

Toundred Bond, a Fort Family Outreach 

Support specialist, has worked the night shift f

three years. “I think it’s important (to) be 24/

Toundred said “to be here for some of the peop

that do call in the wee hours of the morning

said who has 

“For example, I got a call last night from a you

man who was looking for a job,” Bond said. S

said she sent him some resources in his area a

about an hour later, he called back and thank

her for the information

“It makes me feel good,” Bond said. “I

also a rewarding thing when whatever inform

tion you pass on to them they decide to ta

advantage of it. I’m not saying they all d

but I hope they all do. But the ones that d

they will call you back and say, ‘thank you

To reach the reach Fort Family information, c

1-866-345-8248 or visit the Army Reserve Fam

Programs website at www.arfp.org.

Toundred Bond, an Army Reserve Fort Family 

Outreach & Support specialist at Fort Bragg, 

N.C., inputs information in a database during 

her overnight shift, Aug. 8, 2012. The Fort Family 

telephone call center is manned 24 hours a day, 

seven days a week, 365 days year to answer 

questions from soldiers and Family members 

or to make outreach calls to find out what their 

needs are - if any.

Fort Family, 24

Story and Photo by Timothy Hale, U.S. Army Reserve Com

www.arfp.org | Fall 201

Fall 2012.indd 11 12
12 Family Strong

iN tHiS iSSuE

C

hildren in military Families often face major transition 

issues. Their school records may not arrive in a timely 

manner and the students miss out on advanced classes or 

classes that may serve their special needs. They may have to retake 

courses because the state they moved to has different requirements for graduation. On top of that, the children must deal with 

the emotional challenges of making new friends and becoming 

accustomed to a new school, all the while dealing with seeing a 

parent head off to another and possibly dangerous assignment.

As a result, the Council of State Governments, the Department 

of Defense, national associations, federal and state of¿cials, departments of education, school administrators, and military Families 

began the steps a number of years ago to implement an interstate 

compact to ensure cooperative action among states. Of¿cially 

called the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for 

Military Children (MIC3), the goal of MIC3 is to replace the 

widely varying treatment of transitioning military students with 

a comprehensive approach that provides a uniform policy in every 

school district in every state that joins the compact. 

Member states participate in MIC3 voluntarily through a legislative process. By 1 July 2012, forty-one states will be MIC3 

members. Children of active duty members of the uniformed 

services, National Guard and Reserve on active duty orders, and 

members or veterans who are medically discharged or retired for 

one year are eligible for assistance under MIC3. 

Parents play an important role in ensuring that their children 

bene¿t from MIC3. Parents should understand the MIC3 provisions 

and the process for addressing their children’s school transition 

issues. More information can be found by visiting www.MIC3.net.

MIC3, however, does have limitations. Its design is to resolve 

primarily procedural and policy concerns and does not directly 

impact the quality of education nor require a state to waive any 

of its state standards or exit exams. Further, its provisions speci¿cally provide for Àexibility and local discretion in course and 

program placement and on-time graduation within the criteria 

established by the state. Finally, because MIC3 is so new in some 

states, school of¿cials may not be aware of it yet. Given these 

circumstances, parents are encouraged to approach schools as a 

source of information rather than as an adversary when advocating 

for the bene¿ts of MIC3.

Editor’s note: Although the legislation speci¿cally identi¿es 

children of Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers “on active 

duty orders”, as criteria for eligibility under MIC3, the legislation 

ultimately bene¿ts all military Families by bringing greater awareness to some of the challenges military children face.

WASH

KY

MONT

ORE

IDAHO

WYO

CALIF

NEV

UTAH

COLO

ARIZ NM

ALASKA

 HAWAII

ND

SD

NEB

KAN

OKLA

TEXAS

MINN

IOWA

MO

ARK

LA

MISS

ALA

TENN

ILL

WIS 

MICH

IND

OHIO

W.VA

VA

NC

SC

GA

FLA 

MD

DELA

NJ

PA

NY

VT

MAINE 

NH

MASS

CONN

RI

MEMBER STATE

NON MEMBER STATE

MEMBER 1 JUL, 2012

MAP DISPLAYING MEMBER AND NON MEMBER STATES AS OF MAR 20th, 2012

MIC3

Military interstate Children’s compact commission

Speci¿cally, MIC3 addresses key educational transition 

issues encountered by military Families including:

Enrollment

• Educational Records 

• Immunizations 

• Kindergarten & First Grade Entrance Age

• Placement & Attendance 

• Course & Educational Program Placement 

• Special Education Services 

• Placement Flexibility 

• Absence Related to Deployment Activities

Eligibility

• Eligibility for Student Enrollment 

• Eligibility for Extracurricular Participation

Graduation

• Waiving courses required for graduation if similar 

course work has been completed

• Flexibility in accepting state exit or end-of-course 

exams, national achievement tests, or alternative 

testing in lieu of testing requirements for graduation in the receiving state

• Allowing a student to receive a diploma from the 

sending school instead of the receiving school

Fall 2012.indd 12 12
www.arfp.org | Fall 201

Fall 2012.indd 13 12
14 Family Strong

buZZWortHy

on The WeB:

Sur¿ng the web for educational activities can be overwhelmin

Here are websites that are geared for weekend breaks and offer 

wealth of educational activities for children of all ages.

Discovery Kids is an educational site that encourages discoverin

all the world has to offer! This site offers activities on interacti

ideas for recipes, making crafts, designing clothes, and exper

menting with science. Discovery Kids is for children up to a

10. http://kids.discovery.com/

Fun Brain offers online activities for children from kindergart

to eighth grade. Fun Brain allows youth to reinforce education

principles in a fun way. http://www.funbrain.com/

Fun Family Education.com - Family Education website offe

suggestions on outdoor activities for children between the ag

of six and ten. http://fun.Familyeducation.com/play/outdoo

activities/33394.html

Kids’ Turn Central – Where Kids Laugh, Kids learn and Ki

play online in a safe environment. Kids’ Turn is for children u

to age 10. http://www.kidsturncentral.com

PBS KIDS- Play educational games, watch PBS KIDS show

and ¿nd activities like coloring and music. PBS KIDS games an

shows are research-based and vetted by educators. PBS Kids 

for children up to age 12. http://www.pbskids.org

TraDiTional aCTiViTies

Visiting the local library, museums, and city parks!

Libraries- Have you been to the local library? Did you know that 

most libraries have story time, children’s activities, and the latest 

books and good old fashioned classics!

Museum- Get the Family together and head out to your local 

museums. Many communities offer free or low-cost admission 

to art, history and science museums where children can increase 

their school book knowledge.

Park and Recreation Centers- Check out your city parks and 

recreation centers. Many parks and recreation centers offer free 

movie nights, music concerts, Farmers Markets, and much more! 

For more city park activities in your area go to http://www.nps.

gov/¿ndapark/feefreeparks.htm 

Compiled by: Flora M. Sherman and Donna L. Rhan

Child, Youth & School Servic

Keeping your child ENGAGED

whether it’s raining or sunny outside, here are some wonderful educational ideas to 

keep your child mentally stimulated via website activities and local community venues.

Fall 2012.indd 14 12
U.S. Army Reserve Family Program Directors

We’re available 

24 hours a day, 

7 days a week! 

Army Reserve Joint & Special Troops 

Support Command

Vacant

SADAFRC, Bldg. 103

Salt Lake City, Utah 84113-5007

Army Reserve Medical Command 

Bernard Goss 

2801 Grand Ave.

Pinellas Park, Fla. 33782-6140

727.563.3798

bernard.goss@usar.army.mil 

Military Intelligence 

Readiness Command

AneƩe Ellis

8831 John J. Kingman Rd.

Fort Belvoir, Va. 22060-6208

703.806.6934

aneƩe.ellis@usar.army.mil

U.S. Army Civil Aīairs & Psychological 

OperaƟons Command (Airborne)

Sherree’ Jones

2175 Reilly Rd, Stop A

Fort Bragg, NC 28310-5200

910-432-3766

Sherree.jones@usar.army.mil

63d Regional Support Command

W.K. Jones

153 Dailey Rd.

MoīeƩ Field, Calif. 94035-1000

650.625.9623

william.k.jones@usar.army.mil

81st Regional Support Command

Christa Burns

1525 Marion Ave.

Fort Jackson, S.C. 29207-6070

803.751.9914

christa.burns1@usar.army.mil

88th Regional Support Command

Rochelle Wheeler

60 S. O St.

Fort McCoy, Wis. 54656-5137

608.388.0447

rochelle.wheeler1@usar.army.mil

99th Regional Support Command

Cheryl Davis

5522 Nashville St.

Fort Dix, N.J. 08640-5730

609.562.7507

cheryl.e.davis@usar.army.mil 

108th Training Command

ChrisƟna Daily

1330 Westover St.

CharloƩe, N.C. 28205-5122

704.342.4237

chrisƟna.I.daily@usar.army.mil

11th Theater AviaƟon Command

Brenda Andreoƫ

1160 Brandenburg StaƟon Rd., Bldg. 237 

Fort Knox, Ky. 40121-5000

502.626.5741

brenda.andreoƫ@usar.army.mil

1st Mission Support Command

Elsa Cortes

218 Brook St., Bldg. 1021

Fort Buchanan, P.R. 00934-4602

787.707.4082

elsa.f.cortes@usar.army.mil

200th Military Police Command

Patricia Williamson

1250 Annapolis Rd.

Fort Meade, Md. 20755-5610

301.677.1221

pat.a.williamson@usar.army.mil

335th Signal Command (Theater)

Rejoice Bolware

2323 Dauphine St.

East Point, Ga. 30344-2503

404.559.3790

rejoice.bolware@usar.army.mil

377th Theater Sustainment Command

Fay Ferran

400 Russell Ave., Bldg. 492

Belle Chase, La. 70143-5077

504.552.5833

fay.ferran@usar.army.mil

3d Medical Deployment 

Support Command

Patricia Jordan

5015 N. 34th St., Bldg. 900

Forest Park, Ga. 30297-5122

404.469.4119

patricia.a.jordan@usar.army.mil

412th Theater Engineer Command

Brenda McWilliams

1265 Porters Chapel Rd.

Vicksburg, Miss. 39180-5790

601.631.6160

brenda.sue.mcwilliams@usar.army.mil

416th Theater Engineer Command

Tamra DeBenedeƩo

10 S. 100 South Frontage Rd.

Darien, Ill. 60561-1780

630.910.3213, ext. 303

tamra.debenedeƩo@usar.army.mil

75th BaƩle Command Staī 

Training Division

Scheyda Stasik

14555 Scholl St

Houston, TX 77034-5617

832-380-7207

Scheyda.stasik3@usar.army.mil

7th Civil Support Command

James Mandley

Unit 23152

APO AE 09227

DSN 314.483.4750

james.mandley@eur.army.mil

807th Medical Deployment 

Support Command

Kathryn Stetson

SADAFRC, Bldg. 106

Salt Lake City, Utah 84113-5007

801.656.4046

kathryn.stetson@usar.army.mil

80th Training Command

Joseph Deboer

6700 Strathmore Rd.

Richmond, Va. 23237-1100

804.377.6428

joseph.deboer@usar.army.mil

84th Training Command 

Kim Franklin

230 Brandenburg StaƟon Rd.

Fort Knox, KY 40121-4132

502-624-7636

Kimberly.a.franklin@usar.army.mil

9th Mission Support Command

Kevin Gilbert

1557 Pass St.

Honolulu, Hawaii 96819-2135

808.438.1600, ext. 3191

kevin.gilbert5@us.army.mil

Our Army Reserve Family 

Programs Outreach and 

Support Oĸce is available to 

Soldiers, civilian employees 

and their Families...

www.arfp.org | Fall 201

24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us at 866-345-8248

Fall 2012.indd 15 12
Office of the Chief, Army Reserve

ATTN: Family Programs Directorate

6075 Goethals Road

Building 1901, Office 100-32

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5231

 PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID

LEBANON JUNCTION, KY

PERMIT #12

Family Strong is published quarterly. The contents are informative and not regulatory or directive. Viewpoints expressed are those of the authors an

do not necessarily reflect the policy of the Army Reserve.

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