Airman & Family Readiness

Airman & Family Readiness Center
(307) 773-2241
7601 Randall Ave.
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The Airman & Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) serves as a one-stop education and referral center for single, married, active duty, Guard, Reserves, retired members, spouses and families.

From Air Force Aid Society to Transition Assistance, the A&FRC offers activities and services through classes and group activities to units and individuals on a wide variety of topics that include the following:

Activities and services and are offered throughout the year.  View the weekly column located in the base newspaper (The Sentinel), or Visit the A&FRC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FEW.AFRC for listings of our current programs and activities, as well as helpful information for you and your family.

F.E. Warren Retiree Activities Office

Also located in the A&FRC at 7601 Randall Ave., is the Retiree Activities Office. Hours on station are: Wed., 9 a.m. – noon, Thu., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Fri., 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Contact Mike Archer, RAO Director, at (307) 773-2309. Email: mikearcher@bresnan.net. Visit www.retirees.af.mil.

Events

PLAYpass
The PLAYpass card is available to single airmen returning from deployments, families of deployed Airmen and families of members at dependent-restricted assignments. The cards are valued at more than $500 and feature discounts  on Services activities such as child care and recreation programs.  PLAYpass will continue through calendar year 2012!  To see if you qualify and to get a PLAYpass visit the Airman and Family Readiness Center.

Operation Purple Family Retreat
The next National Military Family Association (NMFA) Operation Purple Family Retreat in Jackson, WY at the Teton Science School, is Oct. 26 – 30. To be eligible, service members must have returned from deployment no less than 3 months and no more than 15 months prior to the start date of each retreat. Although travel expenses are not included, families who attend will receive a $200 stipend per family to offset the cost of their travel before departing from the retreat site. To apply, go to http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple/family-retreats/how-do-i-apply.html.

Military Spouse Tour (HeartLink)
This tour is open to ALL spouses of all ranks, and is a great opportunity to receive valuable information about services on base and connect with other spouses in the F. E. Warren community! The next tour is Nov. 8, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Meet at the Airman & Family Readiness Center for a light breakfast at 0830. The bus tour will begin at 9 a.m. For more information on how to obtain free childcare and to sign up, please call 773-5945/5946.

Transition Assistance Workshop
Plan to attend a workshop to prepare military members, guard and reserve, military retirees, families and DoD civilians with skills and knowledge to successfully market for a second career. Workshop includes valuable VA benefits, interviewing skills, and much more. Seminar is Nov. 13 – 16, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Last day will end at 3 p.m. Call 773-5940/5941 to sign-up. Must complete Pre-Sep briefing prior to sign up. Briefings are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 2 p.m. at the A&FRC.

Military Parent Advisory Committee
Meet at the A&FRC Nov. 14, 1 p.m.

Brown Bag Financial Seminar
We’ll talk about “Tax Prep” on Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Call 773-5941 to RSVP.

Bundles For Babies
Air Force Aid Society sponsors an educational briefing Dec. 13, 1 – 3 p.m. for soon-to-be parents. Educational briefings provided by Personal Financial Manager, Family Advocacy, Health and Wellness Clinic, and the Women Infant and Children program. Attendees will be provided a “bundle” of supplies compliments of Air Force Aid Society.

Check out the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at www.militaryfamilies.psu.edu

We have a new tool: “The Airman’s Guide For Assisting Personnel in Distress” at www.airforcemedicine.afms.mil

Military Teen Adventure Camps 2012-2013
Nearly 1600 military teens (14-18 years old) will have an opportunity to participate (at little to no cost) in adventure camps April 2012 – March 2013. Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/Adventure_camps/ or contact Brittany Johnson, Laramie County 4-H/Military Educator at 633-4383.

Air Force Aid Society

90fss.fsfr.afas@warren.af.mil
(307) 773-2216

Air Force Aid emergencies after duty hours: Call the Command Post at 773-3921 to reach the on-call Air Force Aid Officer.

Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is the official charity of the U.S. Air Force.  The basic philosophy of AFAS assistance is to meet immediate needs of an emergency situation as a step towards a lasting solution to a problem.  AFAS also administers a robust array of education and community enhancement programs.

Emergency Assistance: Offers interest-free loans and grants on a case-by-case basis to assist with a financial emergency.

Bundles for Babies: Financial planning for expectant parents.  Open to all ranks and services, but only active duty Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps families may receive an AFAS bundle valued at more than $75. Held quarterly.

Car Care Because We Care: This program is for deployed families and provides a cash-equivalent voucher for a primary vehicle covering basic maintenance services.  Includes an oil/filter change and may include lubrication and a vehicle safety check on a modest grant basis.

Give Parents a Break: On base program provided through the Child Development Center (CDC) to help families during stressful times.  Circumstances include separation due to deployment, remote tours, extended training TDY, and family stress. The A&FRC offers vouchers to eligible active duty Air Force parents in order to give a few hours break from the stresses of parenting by providing AFAS funded child care for active duty Air Force families.

Heart Link: This is a bus tour of base facilities for spouses that desire a greater understanding of services available to them and their families, and want a better understanding of the military lifestyle and mission.  Held quarterly.

Child Care for PCS: This program helps relieve some of the stress felt by families during a PCS move.  AFAS pays for up to 20 hours of child care per child in certified Family Child Care homes.  Open to all ranks.

Community Resources

(307) 773-5945

Resource Rooms: A&FRC Resource Rooms offer a wide variety of self-study resources on a variety of topics.  Books and printed materials are available for client use.  Computers may be used for writing resumes, and Internet access is available for relocation, employment, research topics and scholarship information.

WIC Office:  The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office, located within the A&FRC, provides nutrition information, counseling and referrals to other health services.  Supplemental food packages are provided to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and children under age five healthy and strong.  Call the WIC office on base at (307) 773-3963 for eligibility requirements or stop by Building 207, Tuesday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Retiree Activities Office: Provides information and referral activities for retirees and their families.  Located in the A&FRC.  Call (307) 773-5944 for more information.

Emergency Preparedness – www.disasterprepped.com: Focuses on emergency preparedness tools and disaster solutions for organizations, families, municipalities, companies, etc.

Great Schools for Your Kids – www.greatschools.com and www.schoolquest.org: Online resources for finding schools for your children.

Military Child – www.militarychild.org/military-parent/checklist-for-transferring-students: The Military Child Education Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, world-wide organization.  Its work is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition.

School Liaison Officer: The School Liaison Officer provides information on local school districts, acts as the liaison between the military community and school administrators, provides consultation services regarding school education, and provides transition information on other school districts for military members who are PCSing. For information, call (307) 773-5943.

Military HOMEFRONT – www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil: Department of Defense website for official Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) program information, policy and guidance designed to help troops and their families, leaders, and service providers.

Military One Source – www.militaryonesource.com: A resource library for military spouse employment, education, and relocation information, with links to employment related information and other resources for military spouses and military families.

Military Spouse – www.milspouse.org:  A resource for military members, spouses and families with a toll free telephone number to call 24/7.

Employment Assistance

90fss.fsfr.cfp@warren.af.mil
(307) 773-5942

The Airman & Family Readiness Center supports customers in achieving short- and long-term employment, education and training, and career goals through employment skills counseling, resources for self-employment, small business and entrepreneurial efforts.

We offer labor market information, employment trend tracking, skills and interest identification, skills development workshops, job referrals, alternatives to paid employment (volunteerism, for example), networks to local employers, and on- and off-base resources.

Current programs help with developing a career plan, establishing community network contacts and utilizing employment listings.  Open to family members and civilian employees.

Personal Life Skills Development

90fss.fsfr.fle@warren.af.mil
(307) 773-5941

There exists a strong correlation between a military member’s ability to accomplish the mission successfully and the quality of his/her family experience.  Because of this, A&FRC offers activities to promote a healthy family life.  We also have informational books and printed material on a variety of topics regarding family life issues.

Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) – Need to talk?  The Military and Family Life Consultant (MFLC) provides short term, situational, problem-solving counseling to Service Members and their families.  The MFLC can help with communication, relationship issues, coping skills relating to deployment stress and relocation adjustment and much more!   Services are free, confidential and private.  Reach the F. E. Warren MFLC directly at 307-256-4973 to set up an appointment.

Training: Training is available on a variety of topics for organizational or individual needs.

Key Spouse Program:  The Key Spouse Program is the official family readiness program that supports Airmen and their families during deployments, separations, and emergencies, as well as enhancing and encouraging regular communication between units and families.  The program helps leadership, commanders and First Sergeants, connect with the unit families through a system of volunteers who work to keep families informed, provide information and resources, and up channel any concerns back to leadership.  A&FRC provides oversight for this important program by offering training and resources, and in helping the Key Spouse unit volunteers make connections with other helping agencies.

Wyoming Healthy Marriage Initiative Partnership:  The Wyoming Healthy Marriage Initiative (WHMI) is a partnership with the local community to provide referral sources for education and resources.  A&FRC partners with WHMI to increase the services available for both single and involved Airmen on everything from parenting to strengthening marriages.

Family Readiness and Deployment Planning and Support

The Readiness NCO assists military members and their families by providing tools, resources and activities essential for a successful military deployment across the three stages of deployment: pre-deployment, deployment and reunion.

Support includes Car Care Because We Care, Hearts Apart Morale Calls (two 15-minute morale calls a week to deployed location), Give Parents a Break childcare, Hearts Apart social activities, and quarterly and weekly informational emails to families.

Personal Financial Readiness

Provides information, education, and personal financial counseling to help individuals and their families maintain financial stability and reach financial goals.  Seminars, classes and individualized guidance are offered in the areas of budgeting, credit and debt management, home buying, car buying, saving, investing, consumer protection, and general money management.

Subject-matter experts work closely with leadership to provide proactive classes and individual counseling in areas of specific need.

Bundles for Babies: Addresses budgeting for baby, investing for the future, calming the baby, and shaken baby syndrome.  Open to all ranks and services, but only active duty Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps families may receive an Air Force Aid Society bundle valued at more than $75. Held quarterly.

First Term Airman Center (FTAC): Mandatory for all first duty station Airmen E4 and below.  Topics include checkbook management, budgeting, saving and investing, debt and credit management, and local area consumer issues.

Personal Financial Management:  Provides education, information and counseling to DoD personnel and their families on a wide range of personal finance topics.

Thrift Savings Plan: Get information on the investing options, retirement plan, and process to get started.

Relocation Assistance

Relocation services offer base and local community information.

Relocation Assistance: Provides a variety of services designed to assist personnel and their families through the process of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves to help ease the physical and emotional impact of relocation.

Sponsorship Training: Focuses on sponsor responsibilities, local resources on and off base, and the impact sponsorship has on the mission. Training is required for all active duty members and is offered 24/7 online.

Information Fair: Base agencies and private organizations provide information, answer your questions and provide freebies to attendees. Held during the Right Start Program. Family members are encouraged to attend.

Military HOMEFRONT – www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil: Department of Defense website that offers a vast array of information for those in a PCS status. Obtain moving calendars and base installation guides for all military installations world-wide.

Heart Link: This is a bus tour of base facilities for spouses that desire a greater understanding of services available to them and their families and that want a better understanding of the military lifestyle and mission.

Loan Closet: The Loan Closet loans free-of-charge household items for those members in a PCS status or for permanent party households. Loans range from 7 to 30 days. Hours of operation are 1000-1400 Monday through Friday.

Airman’s Attic: For E-4s and below and their family members. This is similar to a free thrift shop and donations are accepted. Hours of operation are Saturdays from 0800-1200 and the facility is located at 6900 Diamond Creek Way.

For more information on Relocation call (307) 773-5945/5946.

School Liaison Officer

(307) 773-5943

The School Liaison Officer informs base leadership and command of key parent & school concerns, disseminates school information on topics of concern to military families and educates school personnel on military lifestyle and educational issues (including transition and deployment).

Military Child Education Resources: Below are several helpful websites for military families looking for good schools, for a checklist when their children transfer schools, and for those who have children with disabilities.

Great Schools – www.greatschools.com: An online resource for finding great schools.  Looks at parenting, academics, learning with disabilities, and more.

School Quest – www.schoolquest.org: An online resource for finding future schools for your child.

Military Child Education Coalition – www.militarychild.org/military-parent/checklist-for-transferring-students:  This link offers a great checklist for students who are transferring to and from schools.

IDEA – http://idea.ed.gov:  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation.  This site, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, offers information for parents of infants and toddlers (birth -2) and children and youth (ages 3-21) with disabilities.

Casualty Assistance and Survivor Benefits

(307) 773-3529

The Survivor Benefits and Casualty Assistance Office is available to family members in navigating the military benefits system due to the loss of a loved one.

Survivor Benefits: The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Counselor briefs all AF members (and their spouses), scheduled for retirement, on the benefits of participating in the SBP program.  Each member must make an election PRIOR to their actual retirement date.  This program provides a monthly annuity to the surviving spouse and/or eligible dependent children (if applicable) in the event the retiree passes away.  The amount of the annuity is determined by the retired member’s retired pay or base amount elected by the spouse.

Casualty Assistance: The Casualty Assistance Representative (CAR) provides casualty assistance to survivors of all AD and retired deceased members.  The CAR processes claims for benefits/entitlements to Next Of Kin (NOK) and other members identified by the AF member.

Transition Assistance Program

90fss.fsfr.tap@warren.af.mil
(307) 773-5940

Pre-Separation Counseling: This is the congressionally-mandated Pre-Separation Counseling which must be accomplished by all separating/retiring members NLT 90 days prior to DOS/DOR.  Service members can receive this counseling up to 24 months prior to retirement date or 12 months prior to separation date.

Transition Assistance Program Seminar: A 3-day collaborative program between Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Labor, and the Department of Veteran Affairs.  The Seminar is held 10 times a year, and covers topics such as: career exploration and self assessment, resume writing, interview skills, VA benefits, job search tools and much more.  Open to active duty military and their spouses, and DoD civilians who are retiring or separating from service.

Scholarships

Click on the links below to find out more about available scholarships.
200 Plus Scholarships

Return to Top | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy & Security
Copyright © 2012 Warren Air Force Base - 90th Force Support Squadron. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by 720MEDIA