Fort Carson Supports Families of Deployed Soldiers
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2003 - When Bree Anderson's husband deployed to Iraq in
April, much of her family assumed she would come home to Arizona to await his
return.
But Anderson, wife of Army 1st Lt. Andrew Anderson from the 3rd
Armored Cavalry Regiment, chose to remain at Fort Carson, Colo., with other
spouses of deployed troops.
"It's much better for me to stay in the Army community with other people who are
going through the same thing," she said. "This is where the information is,
where the support is, and where I don't have to explain to everyone what it's
like (to have him gone)."
Maj. Sue Sliman, mobilization and deployment officer at Fort Carson, said
Anderson is among 75 to 80 percent of military spouses who chose to remain at
the post after their husbands or wives deployed.
"We encourage families to stay at Fort Carson, because this is where they can be
the best informed," Sliman said. "And experience shows that an informed family
is a happy family."
Fort Carson, like other U.S. military posts worldwide, recognizes the importance
of supporting families, particularly during deployments.
"A well-informed, taken-care-of and provided-for family has a direct impact on
the mission," said Sliman. "When soldiers know that their families are getting
the support they need back home, then they can go off and focus on their
mission."
Fort Carson has a multi-tiered support network for the families of more than
11,500 active-duty soldiers and 6,200 Guardsmen and reservists who have
processed through the post during the past year en route to Southwest Asia.
Before deployments, the Army Community Services staff offers briefings to
prepare families for what's ahead. The staff ensures that every deploying
soldier has taken care of personal business that affects the family - getting
military identification cards, assigning power of attorney, drawing up a will
and other matters - before leaving home. And perhaps most importantly, Sliman
said, they explain to families what services are available to them, and how to
tap into those resources.
For families who choose to leave Fort Carson during the deployment, Sliman said
Army Community Services provides information about the closest post to their
temporary home and contact numbers they might need. The staff then follows up by
notifying that installation to ask that its staff contact the family during the
deployment.
Sliman said younger spouses who are new to the military often have the most
difficult time coping with a deployment. "So many of them don't know what's out
there or what programs are in place," she said. "Some may be terribly
overwhelmed by the deployment. They don't know where to turn."
Fort Carson's extensive support network ensures there's no question about where
to turn for help. A full-service Army Community Service sponsors workshops, town
hall meetings and even a deployment support group. In addition, each deployed
unit leaves behind a rear detachment staff that keeps families informed about
the unit and intervenes as necessary to help resolve family issues. Family
readiness groups, run by family member volunteers who provide a vital link
between unit families and the rear detachment staff, back up those resources.
"There are plenty of resources," said Anderson, who co-leads a family readiness
group. "It's a question of whether or not you will speak up and use them when
you need them."
Sliman said this network goes a long way in providing the support many spouses
need during a deployment. "They can't call their husbands, so we're the next
best thing if they have a question or need," she said. "When they call us, we're
going to do whatever we can to help them."
But Anderson acknowledged that what some spouses need most is simply "having
someone to talk to." For these people, she said the best way she can help is to
lend a sympathetic ear "to let them know that there's someone they can turn to
who understands what they're going through and cares about them."
AFRTS Radio Report:
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld,
at Town Hall meeting, praises and thanks Fort Carson troops and
families for sacrifice in War on Terror
AFRTS Video Report:
Secretary Rumsfeld
tells troops at Fort Carson, Colorado their efforts are
historic
Defense Secretary
Rumsfeld, at Town Hall meeting, praises and thanks Fort Carson troops
and families for sacrifice in War on Terror
|