Team Liberty takes care of its own Published Dec. 16, 2009 By Col. Jay Silveria 48th Fighter Wing Commander ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- We're entering a busy time at RAF Lakenheath. We're approaching a time when a large number of our Liberty Warriors are preparing to head downrange to take part in our nation's contingency operations. To each of you who are deploying, please allow me the opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for working so diligently to protect our nation and its partners. Thank you for sacrificing time with your families during this important time of year. With that being said, I want to take this opportunity to stress how important those of you staying behind, family members and Airmen alike, are to the Liberty Wing. Those of you who are not deploying will be able to enjoy the holidays with your friends and families. However, you'll also feel the stress involved with the increased ops tempo as your coworkers depart for different areas. Please do not think for one second your added efforts go unnoticed. Picking up the workloads for our departed teammates is often said to be more stressful than actually being the one in the deployed location. Those stresses hit our family members just as hard. Every day that goes by when a spouse has dinner and there's an empty seat at the table, every day that goes by when a spouse has to wait for an Airman here to finish work or sits at home while an Airman is ensuring the mission continues is a burden felt throughout our RAF Lakenheath family. For those of you who don't know, we're currently in the year of the military family. At the 48th Fighter Wing, we like to treat every day of every year as the day and year of the military family. I urge you to take advantage of the programs we have available to help you deal with the stresses you'll feel while you're husband or wife is at a deployed location. I urge you to continue to support your husband or wife as they work more hours than normal here at home so we continue to fly, fight and win. The following list contains some of the programs we have available here to help with the stresses you'll face while your loved ones are away. It seems long, and I'm happy it does. It means we're working hard to take care of our own. Spouse Deployment Briefings Deployment briefings have been developed to maximize community resources and ensure spouses are aware of the agencies and services on base available to assist. These briefings have been specifically designed for spouses and cover a wide variety of topics which inform spouses what they should expect while their spouses are deployed. One-on-One Spouse Pre-Deployment Sessions The sessions are utilized to discuss how deployments affect stress and how children react to deployments so parents have the ability to actively help children throughout the deployment. In addition, sessions are utilized to address individual concerns and to provide helpful solutions when necessary. Morale Call Program This program enables military families to make phone calls to loved ones who are deployed. It allows three 15-minute phone calls each week to the deployed member at local dial rates. Call the RAF Lakenheath base operator for a connection. Key Spouse Program The Key Spouses Program consists of volunteers from units who provide assistance to family members during times of family separation, difficulty or high stress. They provide assistance through information referral and family support. Deployed Family Member Meals The community supports those who serve. This program is sponsored by various agencies throughout the community. It offers a free family meal and/or activity once a month. A dinner is served while participants have an opportunity for fellowship, peer support and playtime for the children. Give Parents A Break This program provides free childcare once a month in hopes of providing parents an opportunity to take care of business or to enjoy some free time while the children are being cared for. Give Parents A Break is sponsored by the Air Force Aid Society and is available for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years. Car Care Because We Care This program, sponsored by the Air Force Aid Society, provides an oil change (up to $50) for spouses of deployed personnel to maintain the primary family vehicle. It includes a free 14-point inspection on the car to highlight any areas that may need attention or repair so the safety of family members of deployed personnel is better ensured. Deployed Spouse Coupon Program This program gives coupons and discounts which can be utilized with a wide variety of programs and services on base. Some examples are bowling, pizza, ice cream, carpet cleaning, balloon bouquets, discounted trips and workshops. Digital Photographs E-mailed to Deployed Location Family members can come in to the A&FRC and have photos taken to send to deployed personnel. School Support In-school support is provided to students with family members who are deployed. Reunion Briefing/Relationship Enhancement Workshop This program was created so spouses could discuss expectations of homecomings and providers could offer suggestions for successful homecomings. One such program is Prevention & Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP). Parenting/Discipline Classes Classes are offered to help spouses with parenting. Such classes are Common Sense Parenting, Active Parenting, and Parents and Stress. In addition, one-on-one sessions are offered. Family Care Plan Workshops Family Care Plan workshops stress the importance of having a family care plan and provide aid in making a family care plan. They also discuss emergency planning and the importance of home security. American Red Cross Emergency Assistance The American Red Cross gives verified notifications of emergencies. Air Force Aid Society Emergency Assistance The Air Force Aid Society provides a wide variety of emergency services, including emergency loans. Write from the Heart Writing Kits The kits are provided as a way for our deploying family members to keep in touch with their loved one down range. Volunteer Opportunities A volunteer resource advisor is available to place personnel in volunteer positions or to refer them to volunteer opportunities. Employment Assistance The Airman and Family Readiness Center has a career focus team to help spouses find employment on and off base.