Comments on: Army Spouse Bemoans Poor Support for Families http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/ A Blog for Military Members and Families Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:42:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Chaplain Campbell http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Chaplain Campbell Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:01:07 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-28 Thanks for commenting. I'll contact you. Chaplain Campbell Thanks for commenting. I’ll contact you.

Chaplain Campbell

]]> By: Michele Brown http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Michele Brown Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:32:35 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-25 Yes, I have looked into continuing my education. I have a BA and many years of training and exprience which I think is a problem. I am over qualified for many jobs in this area. I have looked into the $6,000 Spouse Career Advancement and I'm waiting to enroll in a Master's program. However, the financial cut of 50% in our income has created a huge hardship. The nest egg is slowly becoming extinct. I wouldn't mind sharing more about my situation with you. Please contact me at my email address. Thanks! Yes, I have looked into continuing my education. I have a BA and many years of training and exprience which I think is a problem. I am over qualified for many jobs in this area. I have looked into the $6,000 Spouse Career Advancement and I’m waiting to enroll in a Master’s program. However, the financial cut of 50% in our income has created a huge hardship. The nest egg is slowly becoming extinct. I wouldn’t mind sharing more about my situation with you. Please contact me at my email address.

Thanks!

]]> By: Chaplain Campbell http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Chaplain Campbell Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:02:23 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-20 This is heart breaking! Unfortunately, I think you are right that many people are not getting the help that is being promised and the help that is already there. Have you tried checking with Militaryonesource.com to find information and get contacts? Believe me, many are working yard through this organization to provide help to those in your situation. Are you in a position to go for further education or certification/licensure? If so, there is a new Spouse Career Advancement Account that can offer up to $6,000 to military spouses to continue education or certification/licensure. Militaryonesource.com tells about it. I would like to know more about your situation, if you are interested in sharing it. You can contact me through this blog or at chaplain.blog@moscenter.us to send a direct e-mail. Chaplain Campbell This is heart breaking!

Unfortunately, I think you are right that many people are not getting the help that is being promised and the help that is already there.

Have you tried checking with Militaryonesource.com to find information and get contacts? Believe me, many are working yard through this organization to provide help to those in your situation.

Are you in a position to go for further education or certification/licensure? If so, there is a new Spouse Career Advancement Account that can offer up to $6,000 to military spouses to continue education or certification/licensure. Militaryonesource.com tells about it.

I would like to know more about your situation, if you are interested in sharing it. You can contact me through this blog or at chaplain.blog@moscenter.us to send a direct e-mail.

Chaplain Campbell

]]> By: Michele Brown http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Michele Brown Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:04:58 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-18 I just recently stumbled across this site and specifically this blog. It deeply saddens me that I too have had no support. I am new to the military. We were recently relocated and the experience has been disheartening. The family support systems that are promoted do not function well. We were in our new unit over a month and no one from the FRG contacted me. At the first FRG meeting that I went to, not one person introduced themselves or welcomed us. I was provided no information about our new unit/area. When I would go to various departments for information (housing, ACS, etc.) I was greeted with irritation and rudeness. About 90% of the time when I asked about programs they provided, I was told "I don't know about that." As a result of our move I had to leave behind a very rewarding career. This reduced our income drastically and has created a hardship. It has been virtually impossible to find a job with my qualifications. The employment center on base has not been helpful. I had read the military spouses should receive preference. However, at the employment center I have been told that they are still developing the plan to implement that. It has been so frustrating and depressing that I go onto base as little as possible and do not utilize many of the services. Anyway I could go on and on. I guess what is so disturbing is that the lack of support is so widespread. There are so many families with these kind of stories. Yet the Army talks about how important the families are and their mission to support them. They wonder why there are so many problems, suicide, divorce, abuse, addiction. The so called support does not exist. I just recently stumbled across this site and specifically this blog. It deeply saddens me that I too have had no support. I am new to the military. We were recently relocated and the experience has been disheartening. The family support systems that are promoted do not function well. We were in our new unit over a month and no one from the FRG contacted me. At the first FRG meeting that I went to, not one person introduced themselves or welcomed us. I was provided no information about our new unit/area. When I would go to various departments for information (housing, ACS, etc.) I was greeted with irritation and rudeness. About 90% of the time when I asked about programs they provided, I was told “I don’t know about that.” As a result of our move I had to leave behind a very rewarding career. This reduced our income drastically and has created a hardship. It has been virtually impossible to find a job with my qualifications. The employment center on base has not been helpful. I had read the military spouses should receive preference. However, at the employment center I have been told that they are still developing the plan to implement that. It has been so frustrating and depressing that I go onto base as little as possible and do not utilize many of the services. Anyway I could go on and on. I guess what is so disturbing is that the lack of support is so widespread. There are so many families with these kind of stories. Yet the Army talks about how important the families are and their mission to support them. They wonder why there are so many problems, suicide, divorce, abuse, addiction. The so called support does not exist.

]]> By: Chaplain Campbell http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Chaplain Campbell Thu, 21 May 2009 13:16:21 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-7 Jessica, it looks like things aren't working too well in your husband's unit (assuming that your friends' husbands are in the same unit and they are getting the calls and e-mails). I suggest you contact your Family Center on the installation ... if your husband is in the Army, this is called the Army Community Services and ask them to find the information you need, such as when you can expect to be contacted, how the contact will be made, what type of information will be shared, etc. If this doesn't work out, call the Chaplain's Office and work through that avenue. I'm interested to see that you get some answers! Chaplain Campbell Jessica, it looks like things aren’t working too well in your husband’s unit (assuming that your friends’ husbands are in the same unit and they are getting the calls and e-mails).

I suggest you contact your Family Center on the installation … if your husband is in the Army, this is called the Army Community Services and ask them to find the information you need, such as when you can expect to be contacted, how the contact will be made, what type of information will be shared, etc.

If this doesn’t work out, call the Chaplain’s Office and work through that avenue.

I’m interested to see that you get some answers!

Chaplain Campbell

]]> By: Jessica http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Jessica Tue, 19 May 2009 14:12:53 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-6 My husband is thankfully not deployed again....yet, but we have been married for about 7 months and while all the wives that I am friends with are recieving calls and emails to get them ready for deployment in November, I have yet to recieve anything. Family Readiness sure isn't doing their job. How am I gonna get the information that I need when my husband deploys? How are they gonna know where I'm at? How am I gonna find out if somethings wrong with him? These are all things that scare me, but the sad thing is that I don't know how to take care of this problem.....I can handle myself, I did it on the last deployment, but again my concern is that I am my husbands only family besides his dad and if they don't know where I am, then how are they going to get a hold of me if something were to happen? I don't need anything other than the feeling that I know that I will be contacted if anything were to happen. And this is sad because I'm sure that I'm not the only one. My husband is thankfully not deployed again….yet, but we have been married for about 7 months and while all the wives that I am friends with are recieving calls and emails to get them ready for deployment in November, I have yet to recieve anything. Family Readiness sure isn’t doing their job. How am I gonna get the information that I need when my husband deploys? How are they gonna know where I’m at? How am I gonna find out if somethings wrong with him? These are all things that scare me, but the sad thing is that I don’t know how to take care of this problem…..I can handle myself, I did it on the last deployment, but again my concern is that I am my husbands only family besides his dad and if they don’t know where I am, then how are they going to get a hold of me if something were to happen? I don’t need anything other than the feeling that I know that I will be contacted if anything were to happen. And this is sad because I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

]]> By: Chaplain Campbell http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Chaplain Campbell Mon, 18 May 2009 20:19:25 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-5 Lesley, First of all let me say that I am very deeply saddened by your state of affairs, your husband's support team not connecting with you. That is not right and should not be tolerated. I am very happy that you have received helpful support from Military OneSource. We are here to serve. Please call. 800-342-9647, anytime, day or night, 24/7 ... or go on-line anytime. There is help! Allow me to make a couple of suggestions ... get in touch with your husband's "Rear Detachment," that is, the soldiers who stay behind when the bulk of the unit deploys, and let them know what has happened. Please don't feel that this calls too much attention to yourself ... if I were in the shoes of the "Rear D" I would want to know about problems in the system. Another idea is to contact the chaplain's office at your husband's installation ... even a phone call can be helpful and more should be available very quickly if needed, that is a real live chaplain to talk to in private. Even if your husband's unit chaplain is deployed ask for a different one if you would like to speak to a chaplain. That's our job! You are a brave person to be holding up so well! May the Lord strengthen and support you during this difficult time! Chaplain Campbell Lesley,

First of all let me say that I am very deeply saddened by your state of affairs, your husband’s support team not connecting with you. That is not right and should not be tolerated.

I am very happy that you have received helpful support from Military OneSource. We are here to serve. Please call. 800-342-9647, anytime, day or night, 24/7 … or go on-line anytime. There is help!

Allow me to make a couple of suggestions … get in touch with your husband’s “Rear Detachment,” that is, the soldiers who stay behind when the bulk of the unit deploys, and let them know what has happened. Please don’t feel that this calls too much attention to yourself … if I were in the shoes of the “Rear D” I would want to know about problems in the system.

Another idea is to contact the chaplain’s office at your husband’s installation … even a phone call can be helpful and more should be available very quickly if needed, that is a real live chaplain to talk to in private. Even if your husband’s unit chaplain is deployed ask for a different one if you would like to speak to a chaplain. That’s our job!

You are a brave person to be holding up so well!

May the Lord strengthen and support you during this difficult time!

Chaplain Campbell

]]> By: Lesley http://www.warriors-sanctuary.org/2009/05/army-spouse-bemoans-poor-support-for-families/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Lesley Sun, 17 May 2009 19:47:27 +0000 http://localhost:8080/wordpress/?p=200#comment-4 I am the wife of a deployed soldier. He has been in Iraq since November and I have never been contacted once by Family Readiness Groups. I have used the One Source Support line on a couple of occasions and they were very helpful. I am pretty independent and we don't have children so I am lucky that I do okay without the support that some families need during this tough time. However, it would be nice to have a friendly voice on the other end check in with me. My family and friends mean very well but no one really understands what it is like running the house, supporting your soldier and waiting... My mother-in-law has been called several times and has given FRG my phone number but for some reason they still don't call. By this point I have no expectations I just think it is a little disappointing because at the meetings before his deployment there was such a loud and strong message of the support for families. I am the wife of a deployed soldier. He has been in Iraq since November and I have never been contacted once by Family Readiness Groups. I have used the One Source Support line on a couple of occasions and they were very helpful. I am pretty independent and we don’t have children so I am lucky that I do okay without the support that some families need during this tough time. However, it would be nice to have a friendly voice on the other end check in with me. My family and friends mean very well but no one really understands what it is like running the house, supporting your soldier and waiting… My mother-in-law has been called several times and has given FRG my phone number but for some reason they still don’t call. By this point I have no expectations I just think it is a little disappointing because at the meetings before his deployment there was such a loud and strong message of the support for families.

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