USAFE kicks off Year of the Air Force Family

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Davis
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Taking care of the Air Force family has always been a priority for senior leadership, and the focus on quality-of-life initiatives is being emphasized with a whole year dedicated to recognizing the sacrifices made by those who encompass that family.

"The Year of the Air Force Family is about ensuring we meet the needs of our families during these times of high operations tempo," said Gen. Roger Brady, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander. "During this year-long initiative, we have the opportunity to raise awareness of our quality-of-life programs and, more importantly, to assess our quality of service. The Air Force has a long tradition of taking care of its people, and this year we'll highlight those efforts."

The Air Force Family includes active duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen, single Airmen, civilians, spouses, children, extended family members, retirees and community partners. 

The Year of the Air Force Family is a Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force initiative stemming from a "Caring for People" forum earlier this year that included more than 200 helping agency professionals, said Ms. Julie Mason, USAFE Airman and Family Services Branch Chief.

"This initiative provides the opportunity to showcase our many existing programs and to look for areas where we can improve care for our Airmen and their families," she said.

The program's main focus areas are built around four pillars encompassing health and wellness; Airman and family support; education, development and employment; and Airman and family housing.

"Typically, we work within our individual pillars, but this initiative encourages us to come together as a collective entity to share ideas," Ms. Mason said. "The initiative allows us to strengthen our own partnerships across the helping agencies, creating more venues to educate the community."

Each base has a variety of resources in place to inform families about ongoing support programs such as base newspapers, Web sites and online bulletin boards, according to Ms. Mason. 

The Air Force already has several existing support activities within these pillars, but there are a few that will receive particular attention, added Ms. Mason.

"Under the Airman and family support pillar, increased focus will be given to the deployed, special needs and single Airmen populations," Ms. Mason said. "It is paramount that we recognize the incredible sacrifices our military families make on a daily basis, especially in time of war. 

"USAFE is a great place to work, live and play, and the focus is to make it even better. Our ultimate goal is to provide the best facilities and support programs possible." 

For more information visit www.usafeyoaff.org or contact your local YoAFF representative.