Personal and Family Readiness

What is Readiness?

Readiness is the ability to deploy and employ without delay and is fundamental to the successful accomplishment of the Air Force mission. Deployments and short tours are parts of military life for which service members and families need to prepare. Your AFRC has a variety of information and resources to include briefings, classes, publications, and outreach services to ensure readiness and enhance quality of life. The Readiness Program provides information so deploying individuals can ensure a valid plan for the care of loved ones is established during their absence. The program, which is mobile in nature, can be personalized to accommodate your organization or spouse groups needs. Please contact the AFRC to arrange dates and times.

Brief Overview

Briefings:
Provide information to both single and married military members and families. Readiness br iefings emphasize the need for preparing and reviewing personal and family documents, and family-care plans. Deployment, separation and reunion issues are discussed as well as AFRC and community resources that are available to members and families during deployments. Attending a readiness briefing helps ensure that personal and family affairs are in order and assists in minimizing the stress of deployment and family separation.


Classes:
Enhance families' awareness of issues and coping strategies for deployment and separation. Classes may include topics such as helping children to cope, checkbook management, budgeting, emotional stages of separation, stress management, and a variety of other subjects.


Publications:
Brochures and pamphlets are available to assist single and married active duty members, their spouses, and their children with issues of deployment and separation. The AFRC may be able to print a personalized SITES booklet about the destination.

Outreach Services:
The AFRC stands ready to assist by following-up with all family members and families with special needs, such as a spouse that does not speak English, or a newlywed that is unfamiliar with Air Force policy, procedures, customs, and acronyms. Outreach includes information and referral when where to go or what to do is unclear.

Readiness is the first step in making the Air Force an effective fighting force. The AFRC plays a role in ensuring our troops and families are ready to accomplish the mission.

Special Programs


Morale Call Program:
The Airman & Family Readiness Center enrolls individuals with an active duty military spouse or DAF civilian spouse in an unaccompanied status at an overseas/remote location, or performing extended temporary duty of more than 14 days and those providing care for the minor children of a military member or a DAF civilian. After you are enrolled, the Airman & Family Readiness Center gives your calling information to the base telephone operator. Calls are placed to DSN numbers only and limited to 15 minutes in duration. The length of the separation determines the number of calls allowed. For families who will be elsewhere during the deployment, our staff will coordinate with other Airman & Family Readiness Centers to support you with morale calls from that area, if possible. Contact your Airman & Family Readiness Center for more information.


Videophone Systems
See and talk with deployed persons. Phone system is located at the Airman & Family Readiness Center. All U.S. Air Force sites, Korean bases and Prince Sultan Air Base have phones available. These calls are free of charge. Please contact the Airman & Family Readiness Center to sign up and for more information.


Families Apart
Is an organized support group that is designed to assist spouses who are temporarily separated due to military assignments, such as temporary duty (TDY), remotes, or a permanent change of station (PCS). It's always a very relaxed and informal dinner/get together. The group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Holloman Chapel Annex. Your children are welcome to attend.


Readiness Bags/Pictures on Pillowcases (POP)
These two programs help kids deal with family separations due to deployments/remote tours. Readiness bags are put together to provide kids with a Teddy Bear, coloring books, crayons, stickers, while Pictures on Pillowcases give kids and adults a way to put their favorite picture on a pillowcase so mom or dad is always there.


Give Parents a Break
The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) and the Air Force child care community, recognizes that Air Force families are subject to unique stresses due to the nature of military life. Together they provide free child care once a month on the first Saturday under a program called "Give Parents a Break". For more information on this program, contact the Airman & Family Readiness Center at 572-7754.


Car Care Because We Care
Under this program a spouse whose sponsor will be deployed over 30 days, on a remote tour (provided the spouses are actively participating in the "Families Apart" or participating in one of our "Readiness for Spouses classes), has the opportunity to receive preventive maintenance (to include an oil/filter change and lubrication) on the family's primary vehicle in cooperation with the Holloman AFB Auto Hobby Shop. A special voucher from the AFAS Office and a scheduled appointment with the Auto Hobby Shop is all you need to obtain this "free" service. Why not stop by the AFAS Office at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, Building 40, today to sign up for this great program. Call 572-7754 for more information.


Readiness for Spouses
Workshops are offered monthly on deployment topics at the Airman & Family Readiness Center to include: Pre-deployment, Deployment and Reunion. Coping With Family Separation, Stress Management, and Communication Skills are also covered. The monthly calendar of events published by the Holloman Airman & Family Readiness Center, is an excellent resource for information on these and other community classes.

Outreach Program (Key Spouse)
A partnership between squadrons and the Airman & Family Readiness Center designed to maximize support to families. Key volunteer spouses, appointed by participating squadrons, are trained at the Airman & Family Readiness Center on many of the needs families may have, how to respond effectively, and the resources available.