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 Family Care is common bond for South Carolina National Guard and Colombian military By Lt. Col. Cindi King
                South Carolina National Guard
 COLUMBIA, S.C. - Although a primary focus for visits between the South Carolina National Guard and state partners from the Republic of Colombia have included maintenance and disaster response, a recent engagement showcased a common bond among all military members - an unbridled commitment to family. Claudia Patricia Novoa, spouse of Colombian Air Force Maj. Gen. Ramses Rueda, chief of education for the Colombian Air Force, joined Durley Rocio Torrado Ortiz, spouse of Lt. Col. Alcaro Enrique Gomez Franco, during a visit to Columbia, South Carolina, Sept. 6-11, 2015. Barbara Livingston, wife of U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr, the adjutant general of South Carolina, and Susan McCarty, wife of U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Roy V. McCarty, the deputy adjutant general for the South Carolina National Guard, welcomed the Colombian spouses to not only share the history of the Palmetto state with them, but also to discuss their unique roles as spouses of military leaders who lead troops in combat. “When my husband deployed to Afghanistan years ago, we thought we’d be fine, but soon discovered we were falling apart,” said Mrs. Livingston. “Even with older children, no one can predict the emotional turmoil and how they are going to deal with the stress of having a mom or dad in combat.” Maj. Gen. Livingston led troops for a year in Afghanistan in 2007, leaving behind his four children, who at that time were in college. Mrs. Livingston vividly recalls the sense of uncertainty and worry when he was deployed. “My husband was the commander of thousands of troops, where his Soldiers looked to him for leadership and support,” said Mrs. Livingston. “I quickly realized if our family was struggling during his deployment, how is this affecting our younger families who don’t know where to turn for resources and are caring for children and babies?” She added that because of the enormity of her husband’s responsibilities, she did not want to burden him and decided not to tell him of the struggles happening at home until he returned. “We worry so much about our loved ones overseas and don’t want to add to their stress,” said Mrs. Livingston. “We just want them to come home safely.” When Maj. Gen. Livingston was elected to serve as the adjutant general of South Carolina in 2011, he and Barbara made it their top priority to establish programs to support Guard members and their families before, during and after a deployment. At an informal gathering hosted at the Livingston’s home, Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Rueda and Lt. Col. and Mrs. Gomez discussed with the Livingstons and several other members of the South Carolina National Guard about the importance of communicating to families and ensuring they have access to resources when their military loved ones are far from home. “Family is strength to our military,” said Maj. Gen. Rueda. “As we transition from war in our country and focus our efforts to help the people of Colombia, we must be sure our families know how important they are and provide them with what they need for support.” The group talked about the U.S. military’s establishment of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) program, a Department of Defense (DoD) effort helping National Guard and Reserve service members and their families connect with local resources before, during, and after deployments. U.S. service members and their families attend Yellow Ribbon events, where they access information on health care, education and training opportunities, jobs programs, financial services, and legal benefits. “We can never do enough for our families and we would be very grateful to share these ideas in Colombia,” said Rueda. “We would greatly benefit from having some additional programs to support our spouses and children.” The Livingstons talked about the South Carolina National Guard’s establishment of the Service Member and Family Care directorate, which focuses on localized support with services being established by regions to reach the entire state. “We have had tremendous success with the employment services part of service member and family care,” said Maj. Gen. Livingston. “Prior to this program, our unemployment rate for our Guard force was around 18 percent. Now with the employment initiatives, we have been able to keep it at around 3 percent. This success speaks volumes for ensuring our returning Soldiers and Airmen know their service is appreciated and that they bring tremendous value to our state’s workforce.” Before the Colombian visitors wrapped up their visit to the Palmetto state, they were introduced to South Carolina hospitality and culture, which included a tour of the South Carolina governor’s mansion, the State House, as well as the Memorial to the South Carolina National Guard’s 16 fallen Soldiers that stands at the adjutant general’s building in Columbia, South Carolina. “It meant so much to share our experiences as military spouses with our state partners from Colombia,” said Mrs. Livingston. “Anyone who serves or has served in the military is part of our military family and we have to look out for one another.”
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