http://www.health.mil/blog/10-06-24/Family_Resiliency_Webinar.aspx.

Providing policy, tools, and resources to further enhance the quality of life of service members and their families.

This Week in MC&FP November 19, 2010

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At the time it was delivered, the 271-word speech at the dedication of the Soldiers‟

National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was noted for its brevity. Since then, Lincoln‟s

presentation on November 19, 1863, has been regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American

history. The world continues to note and long remember the events that led and followed that day and

the unfinished work that remains for us today.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded of the many things for which we are

grateful – our service members, their families, service providers, volunteers, our military and civilian

communities – the many hands that contribute to a positive quality of life for those who protect our

nation and the freedoms we so dearly treasure. Please accept our best wishes for a safe and memorable

holiday!

Our next edition of „This Week‟ will return on Friday, December 3rd

. Until then, have a good two

weeks and take care.

Your MC&FP Team

Please note: Some hyperlinks in this text are lengthy, sometimes extending more than one line. For best results,

cut and past the entire link into your Web browser.

From DoDEA

DoDEA to Honor Teachers of the Year, Conduct Teacher Forum

The Teachers of the Year for each of the 14 DoDEA districts will be coming to DoDEA

Headquarters the week of December 3rd

to participate in a teacher forum. Among them will be the

new DoDEA Teacher of the year, Angelica L. Jordan, a partial Spanish immersion and Spanish

foreign language elementary school teacher to second and third grade students at Mannheim

Elementary School in Mannheim, Germany. During the week, these teachers will meet with DoD

and DoDEA leaders, collaborate on a teacher to teacher initiative, and tour the Pentagon.

DoDEA Announces Selection of New Georgia/Alabama District Superintendent

DoDEA recently announced the selection of Ms. Lois J. Rapp, Ed. S. as the new superintendent for

the Georgia/Alabama District for DoDEA‟s stateside schools. Ms. Rapp, is currently the Assistant

Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the South-Western City School District in

Columbus, Ohio. She will begin her new assignment on January 2, 2011.

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From the Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth

Military OneSource to Offer Family-Focused Webinars

In support of Military Family Month, Military OneSource will offer four Webinars. Webinars are

Web-based training sessions using teleconference audio and the Internet to deliver an interactive

seminar. All times listed are Eastern Time. For more information, see

http://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx

- Managing Holiday Stress

Nov. 29, 7 p.m.

- The Sibling Battle

Monday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 11 a.m.

College Grants Up For Grabs

The Air Force Aid Society plans to award up to 3,000 grants to dependents of Air Force members

for their college education through the General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program.

Applications for these $2,000 need-based grants are now available from the Society‟s Web site.

Completed forms must be received by AFAS no later than March 11, 2011.

The grant program is open to dependent children of active duty, Title 10 Reservists on extended

active duty, Title 32 AGR performing full-time active duty, retired, retired reservists and deceased

Air Force members. Spouses of active duty members and surviving spouses of deceased personnel

are also eligible. All applicants must be enrolled as full-time undergraduates at an accredited college

or university during the 2011-2012 academic year, and are required to maintain a minimum 2.0

Grade Point Average. For more information, see http://www.afas.org

“Forging the Partnership” Conference Planning Continues

If you haven‟t done so yet, mark your calendars to be in Chicago April 27- 29, 2011, at the

Hyatt Regency for the interagency family readiness conference, “Forging the Partnership.”

The conference will bring together professionals from DoD and USDA and will build

connections, competency and the capacity of our agencies and programs.

Proposals for workshops, computer labs, research posters, and program showcase exhibits were due

Friday, November 12, 2010.

The conference will feature keynote speakers, current youth and family research presenters,

interactive workshops and computer labs. For more information, see

http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/service/conferenceandworkshops/fy2011

From the Office of Morale, Welfare and Recreation

North Carolina Contributes to Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Activities

The State of North Carolina has provided $500,000 as a gift to the Armed Forces to be used for

morale, welfare and recreation activities for 2010. The funds are distributed on a per capita basis to

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P a g e 3

all military installations located in North Carolina, including the Reserve Components and the U.S.

Coast Guard. The funds are deposited in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fund for each named

installation and may only be used for morale, welfare and recreation programs and events to improve

quality of life programs for military members and their families in North Carolina.

From the Office of Communications

The Defense Centers of Excellence Webinar Features Family Support Strategies

The November 18th

Webinar for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury hosted by the

Defense Centers of Excellence explored the resources available to families pre-, during and post-

deployment. Information on this presentation and past webinars is available online at

http://www.dcoe.health.mil/Events/MonthlyWebinars.aspx.

The webinars are open to the public. To register, be added to the distribution list, or get more

information, see DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil

From Resale

Exchange Recognized as Top 100 Military Friendly Employer

With more than 4,000 veterans on staff, some 900 of which were hired just this year, it should come

as no surprise that the Army & Air Force Exchange Service has been included in G.I. Jobs Top 100

Military Friendly Employers for 2011. The magazine considered 5,000 companies with a minimum

of $500 million in annual revenues before naming its top picks.

Criteria used to compile the list include assets dedicated to hiring military members, Reserve/Guard

policies; percentage of new veteran hires; internal military and veteran recruiting, training;

promotional programs; as well as veteran community outreach programs. For more information on

AAFES, see http://www.shopmyexchange.com. To see the full list of military friendly employers,

see http://www.gijobs.com/Top100.aspx.

Gift Vouchers Extend Holiday Cheer to Commissary Shoppers

During November and December, the Defense Commissary Agency reminds anyone who wants to

send some holiday cheer to authorized military shoppers that they can do so with gift vouchers. Gift

vouchers are available in $25 denominations. Anyone – civilian or military – can purchase them, but

only authorized shoppers can redeem them in a commissary. Vouchers are available at commissary

customer service areas, cash offices, and from cashiers at full-service checkout lanes.

Commissary On-Site Sale Events.

There are no on-site sales scheduled for this week at Guard and Reserve locations. For more

information, visit http://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfm. In December, DeCA will

deliver the benefit:

Dec. 3-4 National Guard Joint Forces Bismarck, N. D.

Dec. 3-4 Headquarters, 238th

Regiment Greenville, Ky.

Dec. 10-12 Guard and Reserve Chattanooga, Tenn.

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In the News

From Oceanside High School – Partnership School Celebrates Marine Corps Birthday, Families

Through the DoDEA Educational Partnership grant program, Oceanside High School – serving

Camp Pendleton – celebrated the Marine Corps birthday -- with some very positive outcomes for the

students of military families attending the school. The grant is a consortium between seven schools

serving military families and the University of Southern California. To read the story: Birthday bash

with a message http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/12/birthday-bash-message

From the Army and Air Force Exchange Service – Gift Cards Send Holiday Cheer

A favorite time of year for thousands of military members serving overseas is just around the corner.

Exchange gift cards can be used at stores, ranging in size from 900 to 24,000 sq. ft., that have all the

candy bars, protein shakes and magazines a service member could desire. The Exchange has also

partnered with food vendors such as Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut to ensure troops get a taste

of home. See https://shop.aafes.com/gcs/default.aspx

From the Family Matters Blog – Handbook Helps Troops Families, Friends

A new one-of-a-kind resource handbook and video is being made available to servicemembers‟

families and friends, courtesy of an independent film production company, Vulcan

Productions, owned by philanthropist Paul G. Allen. The handbook and video aim to help families

and friends prepare for the emotional challenges encountered before, during and after deployment.

See http://afps.dodlive.mil/

From American Forces Press Service – Children of Deployed More Likely to Seek Mental HealthCare

Young children from military families are more likely to seek mental and behavioral health care

when a parent is deployed than when a parent is at home, a military study has concluded.

Findings also show that children of married couples – with the father as the servicemember – are

more likely to seek care than children with a married military mother or with a single servicemember

parent, said lead researcher Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Gregory H. Gorman, a staff pediatrician with the

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

See http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=61710

Tips of the Week

Nutrition Tip of the Week – Use Fat –Free Milk and lose up to 10 pounds a year!

Use fat–free milk instead of whole cream in your coffee to save calories every day and lose up to 10

pounds a year. For more information on making healthy and nutritious food choices, check out the

commissary‟s Web site at http://www.commissaries.com/

Parenting Tip of the Week – Communicating with Children about Deployment

Parents need to communicate with children in ways that are developmentally appropriate. Timing

and what is being shared are important factors. At home parents also help their children

communicate with the deployed parent in age appropriate ways. Here are some simple explanations

of what children can grasp at certain ages:

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Three to four year olds: No concept of time. A three year old thinks that three months is next week.

Parents need to use markers, such as, “Dad or mom will be home right before your birthday or

before this holiday.”

Early elementary school: Better understanding of time. They understand that three months is a long

time. Calendars are helpful. You can mark the calendar and say, “This is the day that Dad or mom is

supposed to come home.”

Seven and eight year olds: Understand time and bigger concepts. They will be able to look at

calendar and mark it. You can say, “This is the day dad or mom is supposed to come home.” This

age group understands concepts like good and bad. You can say dad or mom is going away to take

care of the bad guys or bad things.

Nine, ten, eleven and twelve year olds: Abstract thinking has begun. They are aware of the news and

can understand concepts like the “national good.” You can put out a return date, and they will

understand the timeframe. Reinforce this age group‟s skills by providing them with pre-stamped

envelopes, as well as private email accounts for communicating.

Older adolescents: Challenging age group. This is an emotional period of time under the best of

circumstances. It is an age when children need to identify with their same sex parent. If that parent is

deployed, it is especially difficult for the child.

Used by permission from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

For more information about helping children cope during deployment, visit

http://www.usuhs.mil/psy/CTChildrenCopeDuringDeployment.pdf or Military OneSource at

http://www.militaryonesource.com

Let’s Move/Childhood Obesity Tip of the Week – Getting and keeping children active

What can I do to get – and keep – my child active? As a parent, you can help shape your child's

attitudes and behaviors toward physical activity, and knowing these guidelines is a great place to

start. Throughout their lives, encourage young people to be physically active for one hour or more

each day, with activities ranging from informal, active play to organized sports. Here are some ways

you can do this:

Set a positive example by leading an active lifestyle yourself.

Make physical activity part of your family's daily routine by taking family walks or playing active

games together.

Give your children equipment that encourages physical activity.

Take young people to places where they can be active, such as public parks, community baseball

fields or basketball courts.

Be positive about the physical activities in which your child participates and encourage them to be

interested in new activities.

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Make physical activity fun. Fun activities can be anything your child enjoys, either structured or

non-structured. Activities can range from team sports or individual sports to recreational activities

such as walking, running, skating, bicycling, swimming, playground activities or free-time play.

Find an alternative to television. Instead of watching television after dinner, encourage your child to

find fun activities to do on their own or with friends and family, such as walking, playing chase or

riding bikes.

Be safe! Stay safe! Always provide protective equipment such as helmets, wrist pads or knee pads

and ensure that activity is age-appropriate.

For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/getactive/children.html

Financial Tip of the Week – Sales Pitches to Resist

Merchants have always used marketing tricks and rotating sales to encourage consumers to open

their wallets – all in an effort to entice them into spending more than they‟d planned. That means

adding worry-inducing purchase limits to indicate scarcity, promising free gifts to shoppers who

spend just a little more and offering reward today to redeem later just so people will come back to

the store. This holiday season, they‟re rolling out more tricky marketing strategies to encourage

recession-scarred shoppers to spend.

Get to know these hidden triggers, and next time you go shopping you can look at retailers‟ pitches

with a more critical eye – and maybe avoid blowing your budget:

We have a great deal on the accessories for that, too. Aimed at: Your long-term investor.

Why you fall for it: Once the consumer has already made a decision to buy and to pay, it‟s easier to

convince them to add related, but maybe unnecessary items to their purchase. This is particularly

common with products that would be expensive to replace, like smartphones or tablet computers.

Save $250! (New price: $500.) Aimed at: Your price-sensitive side.

Why you fall for it: Touting big savings or using a gigantic font in an ad puts the deal at the center

and makes the actual price an afterthought. What‟s more, your brain often perceives the actual price

as more reasonable because of that big price drop. Stores have used this tactic more during the

recession to sell higher-priced items, hoping that you‟ll take a closer look at the washer that has the

splashy discount, even if it is more expensive than other models.

Get a free gift with your $50 purchase. Aimed at: Your inner child (who wants a present, too).

Why you fall for it: You were already planning to buy one sweater, but you‟re one additional belt

purchase away from getting to get a free scarf. At the store, you don‟t think about the $20 price tag

or about how rarely you actually wear a scarf. Instead, your mind sees the free gift as an additional

reason to buy the primary product in the first place. That mindset is why stores have brought back

the gift-with-purchase this year, as an alternative to big discounts.

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Limit five per person. Aimed at: Your competitive spirit.

Why you fall for it: Limits trigger a feeling that the deal is so great that, if not for that limit-four-

per-customer rule, shoppers would be filling their carts to the brim, leaving none for you. Setting a

limit increases the likelihood you‟ll buy at least one, and it‟s even more effective if you were already

planning to buy one of the items. This year, limits are showing up on anything a store wants to get

rid of.

Military OneSource Tip of the Week -- Quick Tips for Families at Homecoming

When your spouse returns home from a deployment, it can be a time of happiness and relief for you

and your family. But a homecoming can also bring on challenges. These tips can help:

Plan a special homecoming. Help your children make a welcome-home banner or plan a special

meal. Try to keep it low-key so you have time to get reacquainted with your loved one.

Make a back-up plan, just in case. Your service member may be exhausted from travel, so be ready

to adjust your plans if you need to.

Understand that it’s normal to feel out of sync with your spouse at first. You‟ve both had new

experiences that may have changed your priorities and your ideas about roles in the marriage and in

the family. It‟s important to take the time to talk and reconnect.

Be patient with yourself and your loved one. Fatigue, confusion, and worry can lead to short tempers.

As your family adjusts to having your service member part of your daily routine again, try to be

patient and understanding.

Don’t overschedule during the first few days. Service members often crave unscheduled time as a

relief from the responsibilities of deployment. Put off a big trip or a visit with extended family for a

couple of weeks.

Spend time together as a family. Sometimes it‟s easier to reconnect if you talk while doing

something else, like taking a walk or enjoying the park with your children.

Expect your children to test the rules now that both parents are home. As a single parent, you may

have taken the leading role in caring for your children. It can be difficult to give up some of those

responsibilities once your spouse is home from deployment. Set aside time with your spouse to come

up with an approach you both agree on.

Know when to seek help. If you, your spouse, or other family members are feeling signs of stress,

physical or emotional, it‟s important to seek expert help -- the earlier the better. Contact your

installation‟s Family Center, the VA online at http://www.vetcenter.va.gov, toll-free by phone at

(800) 827-1000; or Military OneSource online at http://www.MilitaryOneSource.com, or by phone

at (800) 342-9647.

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Your Family Center can give you information and support on many issues that affect service

members and their families. And Military OneSource, a free 24/7 service from DoD, available to all

active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families, provides information and referrals plus

face-to-face counseling. Call (800) 342-9647 or access http://www.MilitaryOneSource.com.

Spouse Tip -- Spouse Education and Career Opportunities

The Department of Defense offers Spouse Education and Career Opportunities through Military

OneSource to include one-on-one in-depth education and career planning assistance including:

MyCareer Exploration

MyEducation and Training

MyCareer Readiness

MyCareer Connections

These services are available to all military spouses married to service members, regardless of

eligibility for MyCAA financial assistance. Military OneSource also offers a Spouse Employment

and Education Newsletter with helpful tips, resources and online tools to assist spouses who are

pursuing licenses, credentials and Associates degrees leading to portable careers. To subscribe, go

to http://www.militaryonesource.com/mycaa .

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