The Air Force Reserve Command's Yellow Ribbon Program is a result of a congressional directive in the 2007 Defense Appropriations Act that mandated reserve components provide additional deployment support and reintegration to reservists and their families.
Its purpose is to ensure support and outreach services are readily available to unit members, their families and communities throughout a deployment cycle. Not only does the program focus on pre-deployment activities, but also reintegration activities after the end of any deployment or mobilization lasting 90 days or longer. Members will receive appropriate pay and allowances for attending these deployment support and reintegration activities.
The three main stages of the Yellow Ribbon Program are:
Pre-Deployment: From time of alert to deployment. At this stage, the focus is to provide education and ensure the readiness of reservists, their families, employers, and affected communities for the rigors of combat deployment and family separation
Deployment: During this time period, the focus is on the challenges and stress associated with separation and combat. Keeping in touch with family members to ensure they have a local support network and employers, to make sure they have current information on any federal programs affecting deployed reservists, is an important part of this stage.
Post-Deployment/Reconstitution: From arrival at home station and the next 180 days. Initial reintegration activities will provide information about resources available to help a reservist transition back to civilian life as well as connecting them with service providers who can assist in overcoming challenges of reintegration.
Activities will be conducted at 30, 60 and 90-day intervals. For the Yellow Ribbon Program, families and family members are defined as spouse, children, parents, grandparents and siblings The Yellow Ribbon Program is a combined team effort that includes a host of base organizations. |
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Yellow Ribbon Program Purpose 
