JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Active-duty members who receive orders to deploy or go on temporary duty face one of the toughest parts of military life.
If they have families, these situations can be even more challenging for their spouses and children who stay behind.
For these family members at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, resources are available to make life a little easier.
Hearts Apart, which is a support group program for spouses and children experiencing separation due to deployment, remote assignment or extended TDY, is offered by the Military & Family Readiness Center and organizes monthly social events geared toward having fun and building relationships with others, Master Sgt. Joe Ugarte, JBSA-Randolph M&FRC readiness NCO, said.
Past activities have included pool parties, fashion shows, spa nights and dinners. The next event is bowling, tentatively scheduled for July.
Give Parents a Break, another M&FRC program, allows parents to drop off their children for a few hours on a Friday or Saturday of each month at the child development center or youth center. The next date for this service is 6-11 p.m. Aug. 15.
Family members with a deployed, TDY or remotely assigned spouse are also entitled to the Car Care Because We Care program, which offers a free oil change and complete maintenance check every six months at the base service station, and discounted meals from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5:30-6:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays at the JBSA-Randolph Rendezvous Dining Facility.
"These programs help relieve some of the stressors families face when their loved ones are deployed and keep them resilient," Ugarte said. "Sustaining our families at home keeps our Airmen in harm's way focused on their missions at their deployed locations."
A voucher is required to receive the benefits of these programs. Dependents must stop by the JBSA-Randolph M&FRC, building 693, with a copy of their spouse's orders to get one.
Self-help classes by the JBSA-Randolph Family Advocacy Program and Mental Health Flight are additional resources family members experiencing separation can tap into.
"Master Your Emotions," which helps people learn to cope with anger in healthy and productive ways, is from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday at the JBSA-Randolph HAWC.
"Effective Communication in Conflict Resolution" is a class that helps participants recognize different personality types and communication styles held from 11 a.m. to noon Monday and Wednesday at the JBSA-Randolph HAWC.
The Mental Health Flight also offers counseling to dependents.
"Occasionally, the need for a more personalized individual plan is requested and we're happy to see our military families," Gina Ramirez, 359th Medical Operations Squadron psychology technician, said. "It's a difficult transition when a family member is deployed and the household shifts to accommodate the change. It's also difficult when the member returns and is reintegrated into the family dynamic. Counseling can be a valuable tool in these situations."
To register for self-help classes and counseling, call the JBSA-Randolph Family Advocacy office at 652-2448.
Spouses seeking another way to network can contact the Yellow Ribbon Spouses, a three-year-old group funded by the JBSA-Randolph Chapel and operated by local spouses who meet twice a month and volunteer for the Hearts Apart program.
"We are spouses supporting spouses, helping them connect with others going through separation," Carol Glover, Yellow Ribbon Spouses coordinator, said.
Glover said the group changes every six months due to many of its members relocating, so new faces are always welcome.
To contact the Yellow Ribbon Spouses, email yellowribbonspouses@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
"Spouses and children can share each other's experience, and they soon realize they're not the only ones in these particular situations," Ugarte said.
For more details, call the JBSA-Randolph M&FRC at 652-5321.