Deployment Support by your spouses units

Ty - posted on 02/01/2011

It all depends on ur husband. He made sure they had my cell number and my email. Some wives weren't getting mail they didnt know about frg meetings. They had no way of gettin in touch with wives. So reach out yourself. I was friends with our frg leader. I made sure i knew everything. I would tell other wives too. When it was time for redeployment some wives didnt have flight information. Frg had the wrong number or no number. It was sad! :)

Marissa - posted on 01/28/2011

I would get an occasional email about programs available to us while my husband was deployed. I had a few times where I wanted to know stuff or felt I needed more than I was getting and contacted the FRG leader through email and facebook and got everything I needed as far as info. As for support I knew a few of the wives and would text them every once in a while just to check up on them and see if they needed anything they were more helpful in the bad times the the support group.

Susie - posted on 01/07/2011

Hi...I too am an AF wife. My husband is currently on his first deployment after many years of service. Have you tried calling the Airman & Family Readiness Center on base. They can often link you up to several support system in your local area. Also, your husband's squadron should have a Key Spouse. This is an AF wide program. As a key spouse of a small detachment I personally don't have much to do but I check in with the wives I know need it. I am lucky though that the ones I am not close with work in the building that my husband works in so they are taken care of. I can honestly say that a part of it is that you too need to reach out to them and let them know what you need. I have been at bases (here included) where spouses of deployed members don't want to be bothered and some commanders just wait to see what happens. Not saying that this is good but just a fact. Hope that things get better.

Sandy - posted on 01/07/2011

My husband is currently deployed. I attended one deployed spouses dinner. The unit did a good job of making sure I was secured for typhoons and patch calls through without issue. However, we have a couple close friends in the office who really looked out for me more so than the group. I invited these people to holiday dinners with my family.

Typically, unless you have a problem, the office/unit/squadron isn't going to bother (with) you. If you have friends there, it helps when you need help.

Rebecca - posted on 01/06/2011

When you say 'unit' do you mean their actual unit ...? I'd never expect the people my husband is deployed with or the rear-d to contact me. Or do you mean the FRG and the like? Each wife is different, so she should communicate with her FRG how often she'd like to have contact. I know, for myself, I get monthy emails (newsletter type) from my husband's company commander (this is a new thing), and varied emails from the FRG. I think they schedule monthly social events and a monthly kids activity. As someone who has the 'job' of contacting wives in re: unit, I can assure you that if you aren't getting calls it's either b/c you aren't on the roster or because your husband's workforce doesn't have an FRG. You could ask another wife, or call the staff duty line and ask for the FRG contact info.

Even though I am active in the FRG I don't use that as my normal day-to-day socialization. Like I said, each wife is different. I don't think living on base has anything to do with it. Anyway... do you have any friends who are wives, in your area?

Lorie - posted on 01/06/2011

Robyn,
We actually had a wife of someone in the Reserves going through training for the Ombudsman training. It is hard to believe that the Air Force doesn't have anything in place to support the spouses. We have Fleet and Family to assist us. I looked up and found Armed Forces Crossroads perhaps they can help here is the web site http://www.afcrossroads.com/

Robyn - posted on 01/05/2011

We shouldn't have to figure it out on our own though. Everyone has our information and everyone knows how to get in touch with us. There needs to be a system, one in place. Somewhere that the kids can talk to each other, that the spouses can talk to each other and that the individuals pay attention to us.

This format is great but what about on base? We aren't Navy, we are Air Force and we are Reserve on top of that. I guess they figure we have our own support group outside of base. We don't live on base so they probably don't realize that we do exist. However we support the mission just live everyone else and the reserve component is supporting this war just like every active duty unit is.

Again, as of today only one person has contacted us. And that is our friend. No one else. Not a single soul.

Brandi - posted on 01/05/2011

Thanks Lori..I figured it out on my own this time. Now I know better who to talk to..

Lorie - posted on 01/05/2011

I am an Ombudsman often the rosters are not updated and we are unaware of spouses that may need support. Contact the ombudsman with your unit and let them know your wanting information. The FRG also is a good but they do not have access to the ships roster so it is you that need to make contact with them. You can contact the Fleet & Family support to find out additional information on you is attached to your command to help you.

Brandi - posted on 01/04/2011

My husband just returned from a 6 month deployment. It took his 1st Sgt 5 months to contact me, I found out shortly before that that the Key Spouse here lives 2 doors down from me on base. I had figured everything out before they even noticed me. Not a good 1st impression at our first station.

Cassie - posted on 01/02/2011

Has your husband given the FRG your information? I know for our boat my husband to update all of his info and then in turn give my info to the boat so they would know to contact me. They even had to know when we went out of town for any reason.

Robyn - posted on 01/02/2011

As of today there has been one person from his unit who has contacted us. That would be a fellow military member who is also a friend of the family. That is it. Other than an email from another asking for my husbands contact information. We have not been invited to a deployed spouses event for the holiday nor have we heard from the FRG at all.

I ask because it is incredibly sad that our spouses go over and support our country and everything that we stand for. Freedom, Integrity, Honor, Loyalty etc... and our squadrons, units, commands cannot support their loved ones back home with a phone call, an email a gathering of any sort.
My friend's husband recently retired and is going back over as a civilian contractor. She has no support either, except for those of us who are friends. She has been there and been the friend I need. That is where the military should be. They talk a good talk, but they don't walk a very good walk for the spouses and children left behind.

Cassie - posted on 01/01/2011

Our last sea going command was awesome. We had a great FRG and did a lot of things. If there were any problems I had people I could contact. At this command we don't have any groups because it's shore duty so he doesn't travel as much but there are people at the office I could call if I needed something. I'm sorry your not getting what you need. Just try to make a few contacts and go from there. Wives who are in the same division or unit usually help each other.

LauraBeth - posted on 12/24/2010

LOL What support I have never heard or seen them, I do not even think the unit we are with has one, We cant wait till we change duty stations!! if anyone gets any support I would be amazed, I send boxes each week full of stuff for my hubby's troops (some of them havent even gotten a letter from anyone) I have called the unit to see about starting a group to get togethr and pack boxes for the unit but they acted like i was crazy so my wonderful family and a few friends(all non miltary) pack boxes from the troops