A Call for Support of our National Guard and Reserve Forces Families - September 2001
The feeling of horror from the events of September 11 lead all of us to the forlorn
question of "What can I do?" I am writing this plea for help as one answer to that
ache. We have neighbors in need of our help. They are the families of or Reserve and
National Guard forces. In response to the attacks in New York and Washington, DC, our
reserve forces are being called up to defend our lives and land. The most troubling
question on the minds of citizen soldiers facing activation has historically been "How
will my family do without me?" We have an opportunity to help these families through
the family support groups of each Armory.
Situation:
Most Guard and Reserve unit family support groups are not well established. In
peacetime it has been very difficult for the units to organize their formal family
support groups. The documentation to establish government services and benefits in the
case of unit activation is typically far from complete.
Most of the unit personnel are very well trained and prepared for activation. However,
a small fraction of our military reserve soldiers are ill prepared to ensure care for
their families in the event of unit activation. A significant portion of scarce unit
resources (especially time) could potentially be consumed in efforts to address issues
related to service member and family readiness.
The stress level for all service members and their families is especially high at this
time. A bit of assistance, along with a face, name, and phone number for getting help
in the absence of the service member will give some relief.
How you can help:
Gather a volunteer force. You will be amazed at the response of people when
you give them an answer to "What can I do?" Sunday I stood in front of my local United
Methodist church congregation to ask for help. During my plea, I saw tears (after
wiping away my own) come to their eyes. Following both early and late services I
received enough volunteer offers so that I am now trying to figure out how to place
them all.
Contact your local Reserve or Guard unit and arrange for some training in
preparing the documentation for state and federal family benefits. It's usually
straightforward but is time consuming. Families will need rides to the armories,
people to entertain kids during the process and other related assistance.
Coordinate with the unit to establish contact between your volunteers and the
families who would most likely need your help. Have the volunteers give some
assistance (clean gutters, fix a broken window etc.) now, before a call up. The small
assistance you give at this meeting is not as important as is giving them an answer to
the question "Who can I turn to?"
These are small but real steps you can take to help your community and country.
Reach out, touch lives, and make a difference.
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