Make every year the 'Year of the Air Force Family'

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La., May 14, 2010 — The Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force named July 2009 - July 2010 the Year of the Air Force Family. Throughout this time frame, Barksdale has offered numerous YoAFF events to recognize the important role Air Force families play in mission success and to disseminate information about local support agencies, programs and resources geared to assist Airmen and families.

The base has brought in highly regarded guest speakers to assist families with finances, raising children, helping children succeed during a parent's deployment and expert advice on handling challenges and change.

In addition, the Airman and Family Readiness Center and the 2d Medical Group have continued to promote and offer first-class education and training to strengthen families. Furthermore, the AFRC, Youth Center and the 2d MDG have provided fun for the family through events like: movie night at Hoban Hall, "Family First" outings to a local gymnastics center and local pizza eatery, Family Talent Show and "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" seminar. The overarching goal of these events is to offer Airmen and families resources to succeed.

Approximately 40 percent of the active-duty force is not married, so it's not uncommon to hear, "I'm single and I don't have a family, so YoAFF is not for me." Additionally, on occasion I am asked, "What is the Air Force family?" The Air Force family is more than the traditional family unit of a husband, wife and children. The Air Force family extends beyond our immediate family and well into our squadron, base, local community and to all parts of the Air Force. Upon entry into the Air Force, you are "born" into one big Air Force family that consists of more than one million Airmen, civilians and family members.

YoAFF raised my awareness of just how much the Air Force, its members and this local community collectively function like a family. It also made me realize how difficult it is to sum up Air Force family in just a few words. I've found it easier to explain what an Air Force family is by providing examples of family-style behaviors I've witnessed over the years:

- Supervisors and coworkers at the airport to see you off on a deployment and to welcome you home upon return

- First sergeants sacrificing numerous evenings and weekends to care for unit personnel and their families

- Airmen that deploy or go remote and leave their spouses, children, mom, dad, relatives and friends in order to make the world a safer place

- Spouses, parents and children that serve this nation through their tireless support of the military member they call "daddy, mommy, husband, wife, son, or daughter"

- ABUs and flight suits filling up the local hospital following the hospitalization of a member in your unit

- Supervisors that possess an overall concern for their Airmen's well-being and provide them with mentorship, training and the resources to succeed

- Conducting a daily roll call so supervisors can get their eyes on their Airmen that impart guidance and to ensure they are ready for the day's mission and answer any questions

- Supervisors and coworkers that know your spouse's and children's' names

- Celebrating promotions and birthdays together

- Sharing in a coworker's grief following a death in the family

- Sharing a Thanksgiving meal as a unit

- Flightline personnel that volunteer their time so that your children can see the inside of an aircraft and then talk about it for weeks

- Local dry cleaners offering their services at no cost after they learned the uniform they are cleaning will be worn by a fallen Airman as he is laid to rest

- Wing Commander taking the time to ensure family members have the opportunity to be photographed with their honoree during graduations, awards ceremonies and other milestone events in a career

- Local businesses and AAFES that faithfully support and financially sponsor numerous base events

- Local gymnastics center that opens their doors at no charge to families of deployed Airmen for an evening of fun

- Hundreds of base personnel responding to local community's call for help in the midst of threatening floods

- Caring for new moms through the Medical Group's OB Orientation Course and the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Bundles for Babies class providing expectant parents with a wealth of information for responsible parenting and a bundle of baby items

- Care packages from home station

- Unit picnics and intramural sporting events

- AFRC working with Air Force Aid Society to arrange for funds for an Airman's trip back home to attend his mother's funeral at no cost to the Airman

- The Child Development Center and Youth Center staffs that know their children and babies by name

- The Child Development Center and Youth Center staffs working countless hours towards successful, rigorous accreditation standards so that our children have a positive experience at these facilities

- Base memorial service attended by hundreds to celebrate the life of a fallen Airman

- Friday night at the Club or Stripes

- Honor Guard rendering final honors for a fallen active duty Airman or an 88- year old World War II veteran

- Casualty assistance representative that prepares a notification team to drive long distances in the middle of the night to compassionately tell a mom and dad that their child is deceased

- Supervisors and coworkers delivering meals to military families during times of need

I'm confident you can add examples to this list. Better still, create an example through your actions and show your appreciation to all of our "family" by thanking our Air Force "brothers" or "sisters" for their continuous support and encouraging them to keep our family ties strong. In doing so, you'll make every year "The Year of the Air Force Family."