Military Family Forums focus on ‘reintegration,’ ‘resilience’
Military Family Forums focus on ‘reintegration,’ ‘resilience’
"Reintegration" and "Resilience" are the terms resonating through Army family program support in 2012.With the end of operations in Iraq and the reduced number of troops in Afghanistan, many Army families are happily reuniting with their soldiers without the burden of redeployment hanging over their heads.However, reintegration does not come without its own amount of stress.Changes in the soldier and spouse and children, false expectations, behavioral health concerns, and isolation can all play a role during this period of time.It is with this focus that the AUSA will conduct its Military Family Forums at the AUSA 2012 Annual Meeting and Exposition held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Oct. 22 – 24.Military Family Forum I, "Army Families: Our Leaders Speak," will be held on Monday, Oct. 22, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.Army senior leaders from both the active and reserve components will offer their views on the status of the Army family and Army family programs, as well as provide an opportunity for an interactive dialogue with the audience.Presenters will include John McHugh, secretary of the Army; Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Army chief of staff; Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler III; Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., director, Army National Guard; Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Burch, Army National Guard; Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command; and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz, Army Reserve.Also speaking will be Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, commanding general, Installation Management Command and assistant chief of staff, installation management, and Command Sgt. Maj. Earl Rice, Installation Management Command and senior enlisted adviser, assistant chief of staff installation management.Military Family Forum II, "Army Families: Behavioral Health Challenges and Triumphs," will convene on Tuesday morning, Oct, 23, from 8 a.m. to 11a.m.This forum will focus on the challenges and success of various behavioral health initiatives recently created for military families.Special attention will be placed on the experiences of family members and their efforts to increase strength and resilience within the family unit.Panels made up of family members and behavioral health programs and initiatives experts will share their experiences and best practices.Military Family Forum III, "Army Families: Transitions and New Beginnings," is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 23, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.The voices of families of the wounded and survivors will be the focus of this three hour forum that will be divided into two segments: "Wounded Warrior Families: Strength through Transitions," and "Gold Star Families: New Beginnings –New Strengths."Panelists will discuss the difficult transition and reintegration experiences faced by these experiences, and share best practices and programs that have been especially helpful.The fourth and final forum, "Army Families – Military Children – Our Nation’s Future," examines reintegration issues affecting military children.These experiences will be discussed from both an educational and developmental perspective.Speakers will focus on the impacts on healthy child development and best practices that are resonating with military kids in today’s military family environment.Scheduled to speak is Marilee Fitzgerald, director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, as well as a panel of experts in child development and programs.This panel will consist of representatives from ZERO TO THREE, Sesame Workshop, National Fatherhood Initiative, and the University of Minnesota.For those individuals not able to attend the Family Forums, AUSA is providing a LIVESTREAM option for each of the forum dates and times.Interested persons should go to www.ausa.org/family for information on how to join us online.Those attending the AUSA Annual Meeting are invited to attend the Military Family Forums.Seating is limited therefore pre-registration is highly encouraged. Register at: www.udreg.com/ausa/In addition to the forums, AUSA Family Programs will also host the AUSA Family Programs Pavilion in the Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall C.This pavilion features a variety of organizations currently supporting military families. Exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 22, 23 and 24.For questions or help with registration, contact the Family Programs staff at 1-(800) 336-4570, Ext. 2684, or by e-mailing familyprograms@ausa.org.