News

Uniting Through Reading

Program Overview - Uniting Through Reading, an underway quality-of-life program for military families, helps keep parents and children connected while separated during long deployments, through the medium of reading aloud on videotape. This program can be utilized by all deployed personnel as they may choose to read aloud to a younger brother or sister, grandchild, or even a child they are mentoring.

Program Features - Allows deployed parents and children to communicate in a meaningful way during separations; Trains parents in techniques to make the videotaped reading personal and interactive; Boosts family morale and reinforces parental support felt by spouse at home; Eases children's fears about parent's absence and reduces anziety upon reunion; Trains volunteer Deployment and Homefront Coordinators to manage the program.

"I loved the interaction with the video and child the most. It was incredible to watch their eyes light up, they start smiling and before I knew it, my son was talking back to the video as if his Daddy was in the room with him. It was great!" Homefront Coordinator, USS Anchorage.

Reading aloud with children has been shown to be the single best predictor of a child's future academic success. It also strengthens the bond between adult and child and provides a bridge for communication and sharing. A General Accounting Office survey revealed that after pay issues the most frequently mentioned reason for leaving the military is the frequency of deployments and subsequent effect on time spent with family. The Uniting Through Reading program is one tool in the tool box of possible solutions by positively impacting quality of life during deployement.

Thousands of children and parents are feeling much closer than they have in the past. Children have less fear about Mom or Dad's absence. Reunions are easier, and morale is higher for all involved. Spouse at home enjoys the support of the deployed parent. Individuals who are separated from their families due to military obligations read stories on videotape and send the tape home to the child. Family Literacy Foundation trains deploying personnel and homefront volunteers to manage the program while the ship is underway.

Deployed volunteers promote the program, schedule videotaping sessions, and provide coaching tips to participants. Homefront volunteers initially assist with creating an onsite library of children's books and then promote the program during deployment. In order to gain full benefits from the program, we encourage families that receive videotapes to provide feedbak to the deployed member; in the form of letters, email, photographs or even videotape of the child watching the parent's tape.

November 24, 2004

Deployed Airmen Record Storybook Videos for Children

by Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor, 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs

Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Camp Sather here are making storybook videos for their children back home. The "read to your child/video greeting program" is operated by the 447th Air Expeditionary Group services flight.

The program, which began Nov. 19, lets troops record a video of them reading a book to their child or children or of a holiday greeting for their family. Capt. Tim Sites, the services flight commander, came up with the idea initially.

"The captain asked me one day if I'd like to read a book to my child on camera. I said, 'yes,'" said Sergeant Gomes. "Then he asked if I thought others in the camp would like to do the same. I said, 'yes.'" From that point on, she said, the captain put her in charge of making it happen. Sergeant Gomes said it took a little while to get it approved, but it is already a hit with the camp.

"I love it," said Staff Sgt. Todd Duquette Sr., a military working dog trainer for the 447th Expeditionary Forces Squadron. "I could kick myself in the butt for not doing this sort of thing before I left home." Sergeant Duquette was the frist person to use the program. He read "Tod and Copper from the 'Fox and the Hound'" to his five children, who range in age from 19 months to 11 years old. He said he has seen the movie and reads the book to his children often; it is a family favorite.

The book is one of 13 books donated by the library staff at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Staff Sgt. Tanya Evans, a supply specialist from the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, was the second in line and read "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car" to her 3-year-old daughter, Tierra.

When the camp-wide email went out, 18 people responded immediately, (and) a steady stream of folks (are) making appointments every day," Sergeant Gomes said.

Army-wide concerns addressed at 2004 HQDA AFAP Conference
The Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is the Army’s forum to address issues critical to the well-being of soldiers and their families. The AFAP process gives soldiers, family members, retirees and DA civilians the opportunity to let Army Leadership know what isn’t working and make recommendations for change.
Throughout the year, AFAP issues are submitted, reviewed and prioritized at local/installation level AFAP forums. Issues that can be worked at the local level remain there, while issues that must be addressed at a higher level are forwarded to the major command (MACOM). Issues with Army-wide impact are forwarded to the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) AFAP, where they are reviewed annually.
The 2004 HQDA AFAP Conference was held from November 15-19, 2004 in Arlington, Virginia. About 120 delegates from across the entire Army – including soldiers and family members from Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard – were present.
Delegates were divided into eight work groups that reviewed the 94 critical well-being issues that had been submitted from MACOMs throughout the Army. During the conference, delegates prioritized 16 of the 94 issues. At the end of the conference, these 16 issues were briefed to Army Leadership, including General Richard Cody, Army Vice Chief of Staff, several senior leaders, spouses and officials from the Department of Defense.
According to a vote taken by delegates, the top five issues presented at the conference were:
1) Family Member Eyeglass Coverage Recommended that eyeglasses for family members of active duty and retired service members be covered either through partial funding under TRICARE or through discounted prices through contract vendors or the military eyeglass lab.
2) Expiration of TRICARE Referral Authorizations
Recommended eliminating the automatic expiration of the initial TRICARE referral authorization code if the beneficiary was unable to obtain an appointment within the 28-day window.
3) Childcare Fee Category
Recommended increasing the number of income categories used to determine fees in military child development facilities in order to reduce the financial variance within each category.
4) Calculation of CONUS Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA)
Recommended eliminating Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from income calculations when determining military families’ legibility for the FSSA.
5) Leave Accrual
Recommended increasing the amount of leave service members can accrue from 60 to 90 days and allow them to accumulate this leave until termination of their service.
These issues have been added to the action list for Army leadership and will be worked until completion, unless they are deemed unattainable. For a complete list of the16 issues and recommendations that were presented at the conference, or for additional information about AFAP, including how to submit an issue or become involved as a volunteer or a delegate, please contact the USACAPOC(A) AFAP Program Manager.
Christina Overstreet
RCI Contractor, Program Manager
Army Family Action Plan
US Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command
910.432.7954
1.800.525.6846, ext 27954
[email protected]

DFAS Announces New MyPay Features To Help Family Members of Deployed Soldiers
Restricted Access Personal Identification Number (RAPIN). The RAPIN allows the member to provide a spouse or trusted individual with a view-only PIN. This is a great tool for deployed members.
- The member can set the RAPIN by signing into myPay and from the main menu and clicking on the "Personal Settings" page.
- Then click on the "Restricted Access PIN".
- Input the RAPIN and provide it to your spouse/trusted individual.
- For the spouse/family member to use the RAPIN, they simply sign into myPay with the member's SSN under "LoginID" and then enter the provided RAPIN.
With the RAPIN the spouse or family member can view and print the LES and W2 but CANNOT make pay changes.
myPay now allows you to provide a personal email address for future correspondence. The email address will be used to keep you apprised of future events and capabilities, such as, email notification of pay changes and other items of interest. Provide your email address by setting up your "Personal Preference" page.
Don't have a myPay PIN? Go to https://mypay.dfas.mil. Click on "Need a New PIN". Request the PIN, and a temporary PIN will be sent directly to your email account.

Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association (ASYMCA) Annual Art Contest
The deadlines are in February and March. The applications and flyers can be obtained on the ASYMCA website at www.asymca.org.
This is to announce the 10th Annual Armed Services Art Contest in support of Military Family Month, November 2004. The art contest, co-sponsored by GEICO Direct, is open to students of military families, kindergarten through sixth grade. A contest winner will be selected from each service (e.g., Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Reserve/National Guard, and Coast Guard). The military parent must be Active duty or retired. First place winners will receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and be featured on the 2005 Military Family Month poster. Second place winners will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. Children of Department of Defense civilians are eligible for the honorary category.
Information and copies of the forms can be found on the ASYMCA website: www.asymca.org. The entry form at Enclosure 1 must be included with each submission. Enclosure 2 is a poster explaining entry criteria and Enclosure 3 is a template for artwork. Contest entries should be mailed to ASYMCA and must be postmarked not later than 14 February 2005. The point of contact is Ms. Susan Jenkins, (910) 432-4040 or [email protected].

Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association (ASYMCA) Annual Essay Contest
This is to announce the 10th Annual Armed Services Essay Contest in support of Military Family Month, November 2004. The contest is sponsored by Lockheed Martin and promotes reading among dependents of Active duty or retired military personnel.
The essay contest is open to students of military families in first through twelfth grade. Dependents of Active duty or retired military personnel (e.g., Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Reserve/National Guard, and Coast Guard) are eligible to enter. First and second place winners in each grade category will receive a U.S. Savings Bond. Children of Department of Defense civilians are eligible for the honorary category.
Information and additional copies of these forms can be found on the ASYMCA website www.asymca.org. The entry form at Enclosure 1 must be included with each submission. Enclosure 2 is a poster explaining entry criteria. Contest entries should be mailed to ASYMCA and must be postmarked not later than 17 March 2005. The point of contact is Ms. Susan Jenkins, (910) 432-4040 or [email protected].

How To Create a Army Knowledge Online Account (AKO):
~Open your Internet Browser, for example AOL, Internet Explorer, Netscape.
~Type http://www.us.army.mil into the address box, then Press the “Enter” button.
~“Under New User?” See “Register for AKO”.
~Choose “Create Guest Account”
~Complete the user information and click “Next”.
~Don’t forget to enter an E-mail account where you can receive your password should you forget it.
~ Choose a username and password for your account. Print out and save your username and confirmation page for your records. You will need your username if you ever forget your password

Postal Service Offers Free Shipping Materials for Military Families

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2004 -- With so many military families scrambling to ship holiday care packages to their loved ones deployed around the world, the U.S. Postal Service is stepping in to make things a bit easier.

It's offering a package of free packing materials, including 10 boxes, 10 customs forms with envelopes, 10 "Mili-Pac" shipping envelopes, which are specially printed to reflect the complexities of military mailing addresses, and a roll of Priority Mail tape.

Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan said USPS started the service Oct. 25 as an extension of an offer the Postal Service provides all mailers. By calling a toll-free number, anyone can request free shipping materials.

Brennan said the Postal Service was getting deluged with requests from military families -- about 1,000 calls a day since late September. In response, it came up with a special kit of the most-popular items ordered to send care packages to the troops, she said.

To order the special kit, call (800) 610-8734 and request Care Kit 4. Brennan said the Postal Service will ship it by Priority Mail, with delivery generally within a couple of days.

Although the packing materials are free, shippers must still pay normal postage costs, Brennan said.

The U.S. Postal Service and Military Postal Service work hand in hand to support troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Brennan said mail centers in New York, San Francisco and Miami have processed more than 100 million pounds of mail for deployed troops since early 2003. At its high point, mail volume to the Persian Gulf region reached 400,000 pounds a day, she said.

Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, more than 650 dedicated contract flights have carried mail to the region, and the Postal Service continues to send a 747-series freighter of military mail to Southwest Asia every day, Brennan said.

The number of contract flights carrying mail to the region more than doubled in mid-November, Brennan said, and is expected to remain at that level through late December.