Yellow Ribbon experience benefits military families Published April 16, 2010 By Master Sgt. Steve Staedler 440th Airlift Wing Pope AFB, N.C. -- While recently deployed to Iraq for six months, Tech. Sgt. Tracy Miller probably wasn't thinking much about health insurance costs. But after attending the Yellow Ribbon program earlier this year - he is now. "This was a very good use of our time," the 440th Airlift Wing Security Forces Airman said. "The information on health insurance was very interesting. It's now got me considering dropping my current carrier in exchange for TRICARE Prime. That would almost cut my costs in half." Sergeant Miller's experience is exactly what organizers hope that Airmen receive by attending Yellow Ribbon, a program aimed at sharing information and support opportunities to National Guardsmen and Reservists and their families throughout the deployment cycle. The Air Force defines the deployment cycle as the time Airmen begin preparations at home station to deploy until about 45 days after they return home. Held Feb. 5 - 7 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Yellow Ribbon attracted about 160 Airmen and their families from North Carolina's Seymour Johnson and Pope Air Force Bases. The three-year-old program provides Airmen who are deploying or have recently returned from a deployment onsite one-on-one visits with various family-support agencies and briefings on key topics such as health care, finance and education. "Our goal for Yellow Ribbon is to assist in family reintegration before and after deployment," said Capt. Joshua Parsons, Yellow Ribbon program coordinator. "The program has grown quite a bit from when it started just last year. Yellow Ribbon truly is for the benefit of the entire family." Although the 440th Airlift Wing and the 916th Airlift Wing are attached to active-duty bases, Elizabeth Smothers believes some family members of Reservists aren't fully aware of the wide range of services available to them while their spouses are deployed. "I don't think a lot of Reservists know that we are here," said Smothers, civilian community readiness consultant at Pope AFB. "We want families to know that we are here for them and there are support services available to help during the deployment." Another Yellow Ribbon program is already planned for May 7-9 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte. Helpful links: Veterans Affairs: www.va.gov Military OneSource: www.militaryonesource.com Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve: www.esgr.org Department of Labor: www.dol.gov U.S. Armed Forces Legal Assistance: www.legalassistance.law.af.mil Military HOMEFRONT: www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil USA.GOV: www.usa.gov American Red Cross: www.redcross.org Yellow Ribbon: www.yellowribbon.mil