Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Deployment specialists reach out to Florida troops, families By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa
                Florida National Guard
 ORLANDO - Pre-deployment experts from the Florida Army National Guard’s Yellow Ribbon Program reached out to more than 1,200 Soldiers and family members this weekend, helping them mentally and fiscally prepare for an upcoming deployment to Iraq. The Yellow Ribbon Program is congressionally mandated to provide informational events and activities for the reserve components and their Families, and support them throughout the deployment cycle. Florida’s Yellow Ribbon specialists held events in Orlando on Sept. 12 and Mt. Dora on Sept. 13 for Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, who will be deploying to Iraq early next year. A smaller contingent of Florida Army National Guard Soldiers from Special Operations Detachment – Central, who are deploying to Europe next week, were also in attendance for the Orlando Yellow Ribbon event. "We bring together resources and vendors to educate the Soldiers and their Families about the benefits that will be available to them before, during and after the deployment,” explained Yellow Ribbon Coordinator for the Florida Army National Guard Maj. Sarah McLevy. The Soldiers and their families learned about the numerous benefits and entitlements provided by the Department of Defense to deploying Guard members, including legal and financial counseling, TRICARE services, and education services. McLevy, who was deployed with the Florida National Guard to Iraq in 2007-2008, said she knows first-hand how important these briefing are to Soldiers and families. "Because we are National Guard Soldiers we don’t have an active duty base right next door to our families,” she explained. "Our families live in Plant City. They live in Palatka. They live in small towns that don’t have an active duty base close by. We give them the resources that they can just call, and it’s at their fingertips.” The Florida National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program is also becoming an innovator among other Yellow Ribbon Programs throughout the nation: according to McLevy Florida is the first state to have a separate briefing for parents of deploying Soldiers. "We’ve learned that a lot of these single Soldiers have parents who are taking care of their stuff while they’re gone,” she explained. "We’ve actually gotten with the military family life consultants and they come in and give a briefing to the parents of the Soldiers to help them cope. When we bring parents in to this event we pay their travel just like we pay the travel for a spouse.” She noted that nearly 60 parents of deploying Soldiers attended a recent Yellow Ribbon briefing in Panama City, Fla. But just getting the information to the Families isn’t enough, McLevy said. She stressed that the Soldiers and Families need to know how and when to ask for assistance during a deployment cycle. McLevy estimated that Florida’s Yellow Ribbon Program would reach out to more than 7,000 Soldiers and Family members throughout the state by the end of the year.
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course
 By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith,
  38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise
 By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry,
  Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska
 By 156th Wing
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 5 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 12 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 13 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil