The YRRP Center for Excellence (CfE) provides National Guard and Reserve support staff, program managers and event planners with tools, briefings and documents to help them deliver tailored, dynamic and relevant information to Guard and Reserve members and those who support them at Yellow Ribbon events nationwide. Currently, the CfE contains Policy & Guidance, Event Curriculum, Event Planning Tools, Videos and other useful YRRP resources.

Over the coming months, the CfE will undergo of series of enhancements, including new and expanded content and an improved user interface for more intuitive navigation. Stay tuned for more details about these upcoming enhancements.



In December 2011, DoD Reserve Affairs introduced its Hero2Hired (H2H) website (www.H2H.jobs) to connect job-seeking Reserve Component Service members and veterans with employers. Established in conjunction with YRRP, H2H.jobs is a free online search engine and community that enables job seekers to search for jobs using military specialties and other criteria, take a career assessment to match skills and interests with careers, learn about different industries, and find a wealth of training and informational resources to assist in seeking a job.

"Hero2Hired is a powerful, comprehensive employment program designed to serve the unique and specific needs of the Reserve Component. It's unlike any other Service member or veteran employment assistance program currently out there" says David L. McGinnis, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.

H2H.jobs includes a mobile application for smartphones and tablets, and a search tool for military units to use inside their own Facebook and Twitter sites. H2H will also conduct numerous in-person and virtual H2H job fairs and will use its H2H mobile job resource center and trained representatives to support 200 event days around the country in areas with high RC unemployment. Visit H2H.jobs today!



  

In May 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama joined the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) to announce a new fitness industry effort to support our military families, particularly National Guard and Reserve families, to further the goals of both of the First Lady's initiatives, "Let's Move!" and "Joining Forces." PCFSN is collaborating with the Department of Defense's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to distribute free fitness benefits to National Guard and Reserve families at Yellow Ribbon reintegration events throughout the country.

The American Council on Exercise ® (ACE ®), through its vast network of fitness professionals, is committing to a goal of providing at least 1 million hours of personal training and fitness instruction to family members of deployed reservists and National Guard members. Service members and their families can learn more about this effort and find participating fitness instruction in their area online at (www.acefitness.org/joiningforces).

Members of the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) offer free memberships to immediate family members (ages 13 and older, where applicable) of deployed reservists and National Guard members. Clubs may also provide additional benefits such as childcare, children's programming, group classes, discounts for veterans, and discounts for active duty families. Spouses and teen-age children can find participating clubs in their area online at www.healthclubs.com. The website also offers a free digital subscription to Get Active! Magazine, a publication dedicated to promoting healthy living through exercise.

For more information about Joining Forces and how military families can lead healthier and more active lifestyles, visit www.fitness.gov/about-us/key-initiatives/joining-forces/.

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently published the 2011 DoD Compensation and Benefits Handbook, a comprehensive resource guide describing compensation and other benefits service members and their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a result of serious injury or illness.

“The intent of the Handbook is to give seriously ill and injured service members and their families a quick reference guide to information, covering everything they may need during recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration,” said Mr. John R. Campbell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy (WWCTP).

The Handbook was designed to answer questions in the order in which they are most likely to arise, including chapters on:

• Recovery resources
• Medical care
• DoD pay and allowances
• Disability Evaluation System
• Compensation and benefits
• Reintegration into civilian life

The Handbook was compiled in cooperation with the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and the Social Security Administration, along with the military services. It also provides references to assistance provided by other governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations.

Many of the answers to specific questions will depend on the Service member's personal circumstances. Service members should take advantage of the assistance of their Recovery Care Coordinator (RCC), Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Advocate, Navy Safe Harbor Non-Medical Care Manager (NMCM) or Federal Recovery Coordinator (FRC) to help find the answers to questions or contact the appropriate experts.

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from Office Of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is DoD’s highest award for civilian employers supporting Guard and Reserve members.

The DoD encourages all Guard and Reserve members to nominate employers who have provided exceptional support of their military service. Nominations may be submitted by service members, or a family member acting on their behalf, at www.FreedomAward.mil through January 16, 2012.



The tear-streaked face of a child buried in the uniformed shoulder of his or her parent as the parent returns from war. That's the image, which, to many, says "the end." The parent made it home safely, so that's it... right? As far as Congress was concerned, it wasn't.

As part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, Congress mandated implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP). The Secretary of Defense was directed to establish the program and provide Reserve members and their families with sufficient information, services, referrals and proactive outreach opportunities throughout an entire deployment cycle.

In 2010, the Coast Guard established the YRRP to ensure deploying Coast Guard members, families and others connect with local resources before, during, and after deployments.





National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and their family members can now receive online tutoring and homework assistance from Tutor.com at no charge.

The free service is now available to all Guardsmen and Guard and reserve members' families, regardless of duty status, said the assistant secretary of defense David McGinnis earlier this week. Prior to the program's enhancement, Guard and reserve families could only access the service while on Title 10 duty.

The availability of the program is the result of a collaborative effort between the Department of Defense Morale, Welfare and Recreation Library Program and the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

The program allows kindergarten through high school students as well as adult students the opportunity to interact with a live tutor online anytime for help with homework, exam preparation, and other academic assistance.

Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Snedden of the 1/221st Cavalry, who is also an algebra and geometry teacher at Wooster High School in Reno, perused the web site with his seventh-grade son and wife, who is also a teacher.

"The program was great," Snedden said. "I tried the site with questions I give in my geometry class. I was worried that the tutors would just do the problem for you and not really teach you how to do it, but they didn't. The tutor would guide you with questions to the answer."

Students using Tutor.com are matched with an expert in their respective field. These experts include certified teachers, college professors, graduate students and other professionals.

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from 152nd Airlift Wing.

More than 750 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guard members and their families made history when they attended the country's first multi-Service Yellow Ribbon Reintegration event in Dallas-Ft Worth on August 26 to 28.

The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program was initiated by Congress in 2008, and offers access to information, resources and benefits to National Guard and Reserve service members and their families before, during and after deployments.

"Less than one percent of the American population wears a military uniform, so you are among heroes," said Army Maj. Gen. Charles Luckey, assistant to the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve matters, during opening ceremonies. "The wars we've been fighting have been on the shoulders of our armed forces and their families. This Yellow Ribbon event is how we take care of each other and prepare for the future because we don't know what is in store."

More than 800,000 Guard and Reserve members have been activated since 2001, and more than 92,000 are currently activated in support of military operations. The impact of ten years of war has leaders at all levels concerned about the effects on service members and their families, particularly when it comes to topics like combat stress, financial management, employment and health care. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program addresses these issues.

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from 301st Fighter Wing

At the 2011 Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, Dr. Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs said a key to preventing suicide is reducing the stigma associated with mental health care. "We have to change the attitudes that all too often keep people from getting the right care at the right time," Woodson said. He stressed that seeking mental health care is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness adding that, "Getting help is what real warriors do."

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from Military Health System

Geographic transitions are an integral part of military life. They afford an opportunity for growth and reward. Yet they can complicate difficult health care issues by breaking continuity between providers. When transitions include deployment or return to civilian life, it’s important to ensure our nation’s warriors have the right support systems in place. For guardsmen and reservists who are receiving treatment for psychological health concerns, the inTransition program offers coaching support as they move between health care systems or providers. “For some individuals, behavioral health care may be a life-long process, following them from their Department of Defense service through transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),” says Capt. Paul S. Hammer, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Director. “Psychological health and well-being are key components of a healthy, fit force. For this reason, the Military Health System is committed to providing continuous care to service members, veterans and their families – anytime, anywhere.”

How Does inTransition Provide Coaching and Support?
inTransition Transitional Support Coaches (TSCs) are specially trained volunteers that support warriors who are concerned about continuity of their mental health treatment during relocation or return to civilian life. TSCs have access to numerous community resources to provide location specific information and support individuals as they move between health care systems or providers throughout the transition period.

A friendship that began 33 years ago at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii culminated in the sharing of career milestones this summer. On June 8, 2011, P-3 senior crewmen of the Active and Reserve Components, Naval Aircrewman Master Chief Steven Yarosh of the U.S. Navy and Naval Aircrewman Master Chief Glenn F. Welling, Jr. of the Navy Reserve, achieved 8,000 and 5,000 flight hours in the P-3 Aircraft, respectively, on a training and proficiency flight from Naval Air Station in Patuxent, MD.

Yarosh and Welling became close friends more than 30 years ago in 1979. As young Naval Aircrewmen, flying on P-3 aircraft was the second choice for both Welling and Yarosh, but it turned out to be a major aspect of both of their careers. They both were assigned to Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4) in Hawaii, whose members of that time became a brotherhood that remains close to this day. “The collective experience of being part of VP-4 was special. We all have a bond that has lasted decades as a result of those shared experiences,” Welling said.

While Yarosh has recently retired, Welling remains a drilling reservist and credits Yarosh with helping him begin his career in the Navy Reserve. “I wouldn’t have known about the Navy Reserve had it not been for Steve. And I owe everything I am today to my decision to join the Navy; my education, my wife and family, my current career, all made possible because of that decision, and being a member of the Navy Reserve has allowed me to continue to serve well beyond my active duty experience.” Welling added, “Reaching 5,000 flight hours and being able to do so with Steve as he reached his 8,000th is something I never would have imagined when I joined the Navy.”

Yarosh remembers dreaming of becoming a part of Naval Aviation as a kid. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” Yarosh said of his career. “I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to do it for 33 years.” The milestone flight marked the end of Yarosh’s Navy career, but he won’t be far from the job he loved for so long after he retires. “Military careers have to come to an end sometime. My service isn’t done though. Now I’ll just have to work naval aviation in the private sector,” Yarosh said with a laugh.

The milestone flight was made possible by the efforts of several people at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VX-1). “They were integral in coordinating the flight so we could reach our milestones together,” said Welling. The flight had more people in the crew than usual because of the monumental occasion. “People were jumping at the chance to be on board and be a part of this occasion. There was a clear respect and admiration for what we were about to accomplish,” added Yarosh. It is not common for Naval Aircrewmen to reach those milestones anymore, and certainly not by two aviators that began their careers together in the same squadron.

From their first deployment to the Western Pacific to the ceremonial dousing by the fire hose after their milestone reaching flight, the P-3 senior crewmen have overcome challenges and enjoyed shared experiences that created a bond that will last forever. “The opportunity to come full circle and close a chapter with one of my closest friends is an experience that I will always treasure,” Welling said. It is also an experience few others will ever have.

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from Naval Enlisted Reserve Association

This video was a joint venture with the L.A. Film School and the 63rd RSC Yellow Ribbon Program to showcase the depth and real value of the Yellow Ribbon Program.

There are many challenges facing service members when they deploy, but female service members may face different challenges than those of their male counterparts. To address those challenges, the Navy Reserve has taken the initiative to now provide separate sessions to address women warrior issues and concerns at Pre-Deployment Family Readiness Conferences and Returning Warrior Workshops.

Women Warrior breakout sessions are facilitated by women veterans and supported by counselors from the Navy Psychological Health Outreach Program, Veterans Affairs, and Vet Centers. The sessions are held in a comfortable environment where women can openly discuss their concerns and issues that typically are not addressed in other sessions. Facilitators encourage the women participating to drive the discussion and offer techniques to cope with common stressors of deployment. The Navy Reserve also hosts sessions for family and loved ones of deploying female service members. These sessions provide a venue to share concerns, learn about resources, and build a support network while their service member is deployed.