Dear Delaware Family and Friends, We are starting a newsletter each month to let you know what is going on within the unit, the post and in the commu- nity. We encourage you to send your recommendations or ideas to make this as helpful as possible. This will be a growing experience so please be patient with us as we learn what works and what doesn’t. We will not be having an offi- cial meeting for the month of August; however we are look- ing to have one in September after our Soldiers come home from training. We are still looking for key positions within our FRG so if you are interested in volunteering please let us know. With all the new changes in the platoons being attached to other companies there has been a bit of confusion. You will always be welcome to attend any Dco FRG meetings. How- ever it is important that you stay in contact with the Com- pany you are attached to as you will find out important in- formation such as training schedules, mailing addresses and other items of interest. Sincerely, Andrea Young, Delaware Company FRG Leader August 2011 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 Family Readiness Group Delaware Company 1/501BN To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush 907-440-4117
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Dear Delaware Family and Friends,
We are starting a newsletter each month to let you know
what is going on within the unit, the post and in the commu-
nity. We encourage you to send your recommendations or
ideas to make this as helpful as possible. This will be a
growing experience so please be patient with us as we learn
what works and what doesn’t. We will not be having an offi-
cial meeting for the month of August; however we are look-
ing to have one in September after our Soldiers come home
from training.
We are still looking for key positions within our FRG so if
you are interested in volunteering please let us know.
With all the new changes in the platoons being attached to
other companies there has been a bit of confusion. You will
always be welcome to attend any Dco FRG meetings. How-
ever it is important that you stay in contact with the Com-
pany you are attached to as you will find out important in-
formation such as training schedules, mailing addresses and
other items of interest.
Sincerely,
Andrea Young, Delaware Company FRG Leader
August 2011 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1
Family Readiness Group Delaware Company 1/501BN
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being
there. ~Barbara Bush
907-440-4117
―Yard of the Month‖ Winners: SPC Dustin Miller, 98th Maintenance Co- Cottonwood
COL George Bond, MDA- Birch Hill
SGT John Edmonston, 545th MP Co- Moose Haven
637d JBER Safety Office:
Hunter Safety: 4 Basic Rules
Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
Be certain of your target and what’s beyond it.
Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until
ready to shoot.
Tree Stand Rules:
Find a tree that supports your weight.
Do not alter equipment.
Wear a full body harness.
Use 3 points of contact while climbing.
Use a haul line to raise or lower unloaded weapon.
Let people know of your hunting location.
Walking & Biking Safety for Back to School:
Must wear a helmet when riding a bike.
Choose a school route & practice walking it with
your child.
Wear reflector tape/belts on coats or backpacks.
Encourage students to walk together in groups.
Teach children to recognize traffic signals & pave-
ment markings.
Follow instructions provided by school crossing
guards.
School Bus Safety:
Be at the bus stop 5 minutes early.
Stay clear of the road by 10 feet.
Cross the road in FRONT of the bus, not behind.
Students may only carry items on the bus that fit in
their laps.
Pay special attention to snow piles along the street.
Anchorage School District: 94th largest district in US.
49,196 students projected for this school year.
For grades 2-12 school begins 16 August.
For grades K-1 school begins 22 August.
Military partnership very successful last year, encour-
age units & parents to participate in volunteering.
Reminder: children will play outdoors until -10 de-
grees F. Please dress children appropriately.
JBER School Boundaries could change with all hous-
ing construction going on in the spring. If school
boundaries change in the middle of the school
year children will be bused to their current school
to finish out the school year. Then they will start
school in their new boundary for school year
2012-2013.
Zangle: teachers put grades online for parents to view
24/7. Must get password from school, given at
time of registration.
For questions or information you can visit the Anchor-
age School District website at www.asdk12.org or
call 907-742-4000.
Security Forces Squadron: There are 6 school zone areas on JBER.
JBER-Elmendorf: 20 MPH between 0840-0920 hrs
and 1445-1530 hrs.
JBER-Richardson: 15 MPH between 0800-0930 hrs
and 1500-1630 hrs.
If you are caught speeding or conducting unsafe vehicular
maneuvers in school zones you will be giving a citation.
First time citation is a 30 day driving suspension. Multiple
times is a 6 month driving suspension.
673d Medical Group: Emergency room sees about 100 patients per day.
Higher priority patients are seen first!
If you have a common cold or something else that is
not severe it is preferred that you make an ap-
pointment through the appointment desk 907-580-
2778.
Physical Therapy clinic is open to Active Duty, De-
chorage! - Aug 20, 2011 Noon Anchorage Town Square
KEY CALLER TRAINING—Aug 25th @ 6pm , More
information contact ACS
Alaska State Fair— Aug 25th – Sept. 5th military dis-
counts. Member of the military? Get your discounted
admission tickets at Information Tickets and Travel
on Elmendorf Air Force Base – they’re just $8 for
adults and $5 for youth or seniors. And they’re good
any day of the Fair!
Fort Richardson Spouses Club—September 15th
6:30pm– 8:30 pm @ Building 56th. All are welcome.
Annual fee is $20 more information check out the face-
book fanpage @ http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/
Richardson-Spouses-Club/146825218728460?sk=info
PRE DEPLOYMENT BREIFINGS—Oct 11th & 12th
@ 6pm in the Richardson Theater. Please mark your
calendars! This is one of the most important briefing for
all Spouses. Childcare will be available and the Agenda
will be posted soon.
Battalion 1st /501st BALL– Oct. 15th Details are to
come soon. Dress is formal.
Ongoing Events
Sing-a-long at the Zoo Jan 4, 2011 - Jan 2,
2012, 10:30 a.m. Mondays, The Alaska Zoo
Storytime at the Zoo Jan 6, 2011 - Jan 4,
2012 , 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays The Alaska
Zoo
Scared Scriptless Improv Jan 8, 2011 - Dec
17, 2011 , 8 p.m. second and fourth Satur-
days , Snow Goose Theater
Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice
Age Mar 4, 2011 - Oct 9, 2011 , 10 a.m. - 6
p.m. Anchorage Museum
South Anchorage Farmers Market - Old
Seward location May 7, 2011 - Oct 1, 2011
9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturdays , Subway Sports
Centre, O'Malley and Old Seward
Anchorage Farmers Market May 7, 2011 -
Oct 15, 2011 , 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturdays, 15th
and Cordova
Daily planetarium shows May 9, 2011 - Sep
11, 2011
Several shows a day, various times , Anchor-
age Museum
Anchorage Market & Festival May 14, 2011
- Sep 11, 2011 , Sat. - Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Third Avenue & E Street Parking Lot
Music in the Park Jun 1, 2011 - Aug 31,
2011 , noon - 1 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays
& Fridays Peratrovich Park, 4th Ave & E St.
Music for Little Ones Jun 1, 2011 - Aug 31,
2011 , noon - 1 p.m. Mondays , Peratrovich
Park, 4th Ave & E St
CALENDAR Battalion, Company & Local Events
The deployment of a family member can be a very emotional and difficult time for many families. But by doing everything you can to get yourself and your fam-ily ready, you may find that you are better able to cope throughout this challenging time. Families who know when a loved one is scheduled to be deployed should prepare as soon as possible by talking to children and extended family members about what will happen dur-ing deployment, adjusting their routines, and reviewing financial and legal details.
Emotional preparations Separation from a spouse or partner is hard, whether it's for six weeks or six months. If you know what to expect and come up with a plan for taking care of your household and yourself, you can be better prepared to handle the strong emotions that often come with a deployment. Everyone reacts to the news of a deployment differ-ently. You may feel
angry sad
confused nervous
a strong sense of denial Some people may also start to withdraw from their spouse or partner to try and make the transition easier. All of these are normal reactions to a deployment. But there are things you can do to feel better and get ready. You can:
Find out as much as you can about the deploy-
ment. Where will your spouse be? How long will the deployment last? By learning as much as you can about where your partner will be and what he or she will be doing, you may be able cope better with feelings of uncertainty. Try to remember that in some cases, you may not be able to get as
much information as you'd like because of security is-sues.
Agree on a plan for communicating. Find out how you'll
be able to communicate. Talk about whether you'll stay in touch by telephone, email, or letters, and how often or at what times you'll communicate. Will you be able to send a letter or email each day, or will it be once a week? How soon can you expect to get a response?
Make a plan for being alone. Family members who are at
home while a loved one is serving in the military may be able to deal with anxiety and fear if they make plans to take classes, pick up new hobbies, or spend time doing things they wouldn't normally do. Set some personal goals to work toward during the deployment.
Talk about your feelings with your partner and encourage
him or her to do the same. Share your fears and con-cerns about the deployment and work together to come up with a plan for handling them.
Find support for yourself. Many branches of the service
offer support in the form of social groups, counseling, or advice. Look into what's available for you as a military family member.
Reach out to other people who are going through or have
already gone through a deployment. Participate in any predeployment activities offered by your unit. Military families who have already experienced a deployment may have valuable tips and advice about handling the separation. By reaching out to other people who are pre-paring for a deployment, you may be able to build a sup-port system for the coming weeks or months.
Spend special time together as a couple and as a family.
Take the time to be alone with your spouse or partner before they leave. It's also important for children to have individual time with a parent in the days leading up to a deployment. Make time to be together as a family even if it's just for an ordinary activity like taking a bike ride or playing a game.
Preparing for Deployment Article from Militaryonesource.com
Military http://ice.disa.mil Customer evaluation
system
www.aafes.com Gifts from the Homefront
www.aw2.army.mil Army Wounded Warrior Program
www.freedomquilts.net Quilts for injured or fallen soldiers