A&FRC, USO strive to ease deployment stressors

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  It is a frigid winter evening as Airmen gather with their families and closest friends. An Air Force-blue colored bus makes its way into the parking lot and stops. Air rushes from its breaks. With a whooshing sound, its doors open wide.

One by one, the Airmen board the bus. Suddenly, one young Airman lowers his window and reaches toward his wife, but only his head and arm can fit through the opening. She responds and they lock hands. It's the last time they will touch for quite some time, as these Airmen are leaving on four-, six- and 12-month deployments.

The Dover Air Force Base's Airman and Family Readiness Center and United Service Organization provide coping tools that help ease the stress couples deal with during deployments.

"(A&FRC) programs help members and families deal with deployments, extended (temporary duty) and remote assignments," said Master Sgt. Sean Kelly, 436th Mission Support Squadron A&FRC superintendent. "We provide deployment and reunion briefings, a morale-call program, issuance of phone cards and videophone capabilities, which all aid in the communication process by linking the member with loved ones left behind."

The scene of a young Airman embracing a loving wife or husband prior to boarding a bus if all too familiar, said Sergeant Kelly. For that, he and his dedicated A&FRC staff do whatever they can to help families at home and to ease the minds of those deployed, knowing their loved ones are cared for while they're away.

"Other readiness programs we offer allow a certain peace of mind and reassurance to members and families," said Sergeant Kelly. "Many extra programs provide services such as oil changes and safety checks on their primary vehicle through the 436th (Services Squadron) Auto Skills Center, basic home safety and first aid, and (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) instruction. Also, we sign out cameras and video recording equipment so family members can send pictures and home movies to their deployed members."

"All A&FRC programs support anyone who enters our facility," said Sergeant Kelly. "We are here for (all servicemembers). However, we mainly serve military, their dependents and retirees, and even some civilian employees on a limited basis."

Luckily the men and women of the A&FRC do not have to tackle everything alone. The USO also provides several support avenues for deploying servicemembers and their families.

The USO's volunteer staff provides deployment-related services to 436th Airlift Wing members, 512th AW members, Airmen and Soldiers of Delaware's National Guard and any servicemember of any branch who is either a tenant here or just passing through.

"We just finished six deployments with the (Air) National Guard up in New Castle with more deployments coming," said Joan Cote, USO Delaware director. "We pack the entire USO van full of items to bring to their deployment line and also pack up the entire 'United Through Reading' program so they can record themselves reading to their loved ones."

United Through Reading allows servicemembers to be recorded while reading books to their children. A video recording is then provided to the family so the children can continue to see and hear their deployed mom or dad read to them while he or she is away.

"(Last week, two) members of the 436th (Operations Support Squadron), participated in United Through Reading prior to their deployments," said Ms. Cote. "They read and recorded a video for their young families to enjoy while they are deployed. Their packages will be mailed out (soon)."