Glossary

American Red Cross - The American Red Cross provides emergency communications to deployed service members on behalf of their family, access to financial assistance from the military aid societies, counseling, referral to community resources, and assistance to veterans.

Child and Youth Behavioral Military Family Life Counselors (CYB-MFLC) -  Counselors that provide parenting and child development information and education, conduct outreach, provide referral services to community resources, and provide direct, short-term, solution-focused counseling to children, youth, and young families.

Demobilization phase - The phase of the deployment cycle beginning with the arrival of the National Guard or Reserve unit at the demobilization station and ending with its departure for its home station.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - The VA is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their families and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance, and burial benefits.

Deployment phase - The phase of the deployment cycle beginning with the debarkation of the mobilized unit and ending when the unit arrives at a demobilization station inside the continental United States.

Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) - A Department of Defense organization that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers, and assists in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment.

Family assistance centers - The family assistance centers provide support and assistance to service members and their families by making it easier for them and their families to access needed services and support.

Family readiness groups (FRG) - An FRG is an organization made up of service members, civilians, and family member volunteers formed by the unit commander at the unit level.  The purpose of the FRG is to allow service members and their families to offer one another mutual social and emotional support, outreach services, and information.

Inter Service Family Assistance Committee (ISFAC) Coordinator - The IFSAC Coordinator organizes the IFSAC, develops systems to leverage resources throughout a given state for service members and their families, and utilizes the strength of combined supportive resources and networks to serve military families.

Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP) - JFSAP is a DoD-level program that provides support to service members and their families during all phases of the deployment cycle.  The JFSAP provides financial and material assistance, mobile support services, sponsorship of volunteers and family support professionals, and coordination of family assistance programs and activities and helps develop initiatives between and among supporting organizations, agencies, and entities.

Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC) - MFLCs are Masters or PhD level, licensed, and credentialed counselors. They provide up to twelve sessions of non-medical, short-term counseling per person, per issue for every day issues, such as anger management, stress, parenting, communication, family relationships, deployment, and other military-related topics. They also provide group training and can help identify appropriate resources and services.

Military Health System (MHS) - The MHS is a partnership of medical educators, medical researchers, and healthcare providers and their support personnel worldwide. This DoD enterprise consists of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; the medical departments of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Combatant Command surgeons; and TRICARE providers (including private sector healthcare providers, hospitals, and pharmacies).

Military OneSource (MOS) - MOS provides information and resources to help balance work and family life. Consultants are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by phone, online, or via email offering personalized support to any service or family member. Counseling services (up to twelve sessions) are also available through MOS (in person, via telephone, or online).  These sessions are short-term, problem focused, and address a variety of issues, such as improving relationships at home and at work, marital issues, grief and loss issues (normal reactions that would benefit from short-term support), adjusting to a change in situation (such as a return from deployment or permanent change of duty station), and other issues that are non-medical in nature.

National Guard Family Program Office (FPO) - The FPO serves as the National Guard's communication link with families throughout the deployment of a service member.  The FPO supports the needs of families by connecting directly with the family, friends, and employers of National Guard service members.

Operation Military Kids specialist  - These specialists connect military children and youth with appropriate youth programs where they live, and assist in the delivery of a wide range of recreational, social, and educational programs for military youth. 

Personal financial readiness counselor - These consultants provide information, counseling, and solution-based referral services related to personal finances, benefits, and transitions throughout a service member's military career and into civilian employment.

Post deployment phase (reconstitution phase) - The phase in the deployment cycle beginning with the arrival at the home station and ending at least 180 days following demobilization. 

Pre-deployment phase - The phase of the deployment cycle beginning with the first notification of mobilization and ending at the deployment of the mobilized National Guard or Reserve unit.

State child and youth coordinator - These coordinators support military children and youth emotionally, socially, and academically through events for children and youth, resources and trainings for military families, and networking with community schools and organizations.

Transition assistance advisors (TAA) - TAAs are the first line of support for returning veterans to help troubleshoot concerns surrounding their benefits, education assistance, employment, and any other issues they may encounter when they return from a deployment.

TRICARE - TRICARE administers the health plans for active duty members and provides health care insurance for eligible family members, retirees, and National Guard and Reserve service members.

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program - National Guard and Reserve Component service members face challenges that are inherently different from their counterparts in the active component in terms of readjusting to civilian life and returning to families, hometowns, and civilian employment.  The FY08 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 582 requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a national combat veteran reintegration program, known as the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, to administer and coordinate all reintegration programs for the National Guard and Reserve Components.  The national-level program is based on the Minnesota National Guard's Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program.  Read the latest program newsletter.