The President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) is collaborating with YRRP to encourage National Guard and Reserve families to reduce deployment stress by leading healthier lifestyles. In support of this effort, PCFSN is providing engaging council members to speak at YRRP events across the country about ways to adopt regular physical activity and good nutrition. Additionally, PCFSN and its partners are distributing free fitness benefits for National Guard and Reserve families, including free personal training hours and free six month gym memberships.

To request a council member to speak at one of your upcoming YRRP events, complete a PCFSN speaking engagement request form today.

In its Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report to Congress, the YRRP takes a look back at the efforts and accomplishments of the last year and lays the groundwork for the future. The Report covers a multitude of topics, including YRRP's event support efforts, funding, and the Center for Excellence's work on event measurement and analysis, promising practices and outreach.

The success of the YRRP is attributed to the individuals at the local level who work the program every day. National Guard and Reserve, federal and state employees, volunteers and non-profits work tirelessly to ensure our Service members and those who support them have access to resources as they transition back into their communities. View the YRRP FY 2011 Annual Report.

Military OneSource is a free non-medical DoD counseling program for Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve Service members and their families. The counseling is designed to empower participants to anticipate and resolve a broad range of challenges associated with the military lifestyle, such as: stress management; decision making; financial management; communication; grief; family issues; and parenting-skills issues. Counseling services are conducted in-person, over the phone, or online via instant messaging.

Military OneSource counseling services may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (800) 342-9647 or by visiting www.militaryonesource.com.

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center

801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C.

January 13, 2012

8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m

As part of the "Hiring our Heroes" program, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its partners are hosting the nation's largest career forum and hiring fair dedicated exclusively to military spouses. For more information or to register for this free event, job seekers and employers can go to hoh.greatjob.net. Registration closes January 10, 2012.

About "Hiring our Heroes": In March of 2011, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched its Hiring our Heroes program, a year-long nationwide effort to help veterans and their spouses find meaningful employment. The Chamber started the program in partnership with the Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS), to improve public-private sector coordination in local communities, where veterans and their families are returning every day. Working with an extensive network of state and local chambers, DOL VETS, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), and other strategic partners, Hiring our Heroes matches veteran talent with career opportunities in the private sector.



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.