This document provides a weekly newsletter from the Military Community and Family Policy team covering various topics relevant to military families such as Constitution Day celebrations, Hispanic Heritage Month, health coaching webinars, moderated chats on homework help, and more. It also includes announcements about family advocacy programs, community partnerships, nutrition tips, and Let's Move initiatives to address childhood obesity.

1. http://www.health.mil/blog/10-06-24/Family_Resiliency_Webinar.aspx.
This Week in MC&FP
September 17, 2010
___________________________________________________________
Happy Birthday USA and the U.S. Air Force! This week, we celebrate the
anniversary of the Constitution, ratified September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia 213 years ago. In
commemoration of the historic day, at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, U.S schools across the globe participated in a
synchronized recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. We‟d like to wish the Air Force family a hearty
„Happy Birthday,‟ too! At 63 years young – we salute you and your families and thank you for all you
do to keep our nation safe.
September 17th is also National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Earlier this week, Defense Department
officials dedicated a portion of the Pentagon to military prisoners of war and troops missing in action,
honoring one of the military‟s guiding principles: Never leave a comrade behind.
Take care and have a good week!
Your MC&FP Team
Please note: Some hyperlinks in this text are lengthy, sometimes extending more than one line. For best results,
cut and past the entire link into your Web browser.
Constitution Day Celebrated in DoDEA Schools and Across the Nation
DoDEA joins schools and federal agencies across the nation in celebrating Constitution Day and week,
to commemorate the signing of the Constitution by engaging in programs and instruction that bring
awareness of the document to all our constituents. Numerous resources are available at:
http://www.dodea.edu/. Most Americans know that July 4th is our nation's birthday. Far fewer know
that September 17 is the birthday of our government, the date in 1787 on which delegates to the
Philadelphia Convention completed and signed the U.S. Constitution. Congress, by joint resolution of
August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C 106), designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,"
and requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23
each year as "Constitution Week." See: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-
office/2010/09/16/presidential-proclamation-constitution-day-citizenship-day-constitution.
DoDEA Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
DoDEA will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with the rest of the nation from September 15
through October 15. September 15 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the independence of five
Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The theme
Providing policy, tools, and resources to further enhance the quality of life of service members and their families.

2. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
for National Hispanic Heritage Month is “Heritage, Diversity, Integrity and Honor: the Renewed Hope
of America" or "Herencia, Diversidad, Integridad y Honor: La Renovada Esperanza de América." For
more information about Hispanic/Latino culture, see the Defense Equal Opportunity Management
Institute‟s Web site at: http://www.deomi.org/SpecialObservance.
Military OneSource Health Coaching Webinar Scheduled
Health Coaching: What's it all about? Find out Tuesday, September 21, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Sometimes, making changes isn‟t easy, but when you find your own motivation and take change one
step at a time, it‟s more manageable. Our lifestyle programs can help you make the positive changes
you want to – and stick with them!
The Healthy Habits Coaching Program has three areas of focus:
iCanChange uses a personalized, flexible, and supportive approach to help you reach your weight
and health goals.
iCanThrive can help you learn how to fuel your body with healthy foods, begin a program of
enjoyable physical movement, and relax more.
iCanRelax can help you become aware of stress and how it affects you, and gain skills for handling
your reactions to stressful demands and changes.
The programs feature an optional telephonic or online personal health coach, a personal homepage with
a tracker, interactive tools, and much more! For more information visit:
http://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx.
Military OneSource Moderated Chat Scheduled -- Helping Your Child with Homework
Want tips for helping your child with homework? Join the moderated chat Wednesday, September
22, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Developing good study skills is an important part of every child's education. While your involvement as
a parent is crucial, you may be wondering:
How much should I really be helping my child?
How can I help my child focus when there are so many distractions at home?
Where can I get additional homework help for my child?
If you have questions like these, you‟re not alone. Join us as we discuss tips on these and other
homework issues. Come to share tips that have worked for your child and/or gather some fresh ideas
from other parents. For more information visit:
http://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/ModeratedChat.aspx.
Military Families Learning Community Master Speaker Series
• FOCUS Family-Centered Prevention – September 23, 2010 (10:00 p.m. PDT)
Presenter: Patricia Lester, MD, Director, FOCUS, Associate Professor-in-Residence, UCLA
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Dr. Patricia Lester will present on FOCUS for Military Families, a trauma-informed, evidence-
based, family-centered, and resiliency building and prevention program providing services to US
Military families stationed in the US and Japan. Dr. Lester will describe the program and present
data on the program‟s effectiveness. See: http://learn.nctsn.org/course/category.php?id=10 .
Page 2

3. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
• Combat Operational Stress Model/COSFA – October 19, 2010 (10:00 a.m. PDT)
Presenter: William Nash, MD, Captain, Medical Corps, US Navy (Ret.)
William P. Nash, MD, has completed nearly thirty years of active military service, including as
Captain in the US Navy Medical Corps. Dr. Nash will discuss the combat/operational stress
continuum (COSC) and Combat/Operational Stress First Aid (COSFA) in the US Navy and US
Marine Corps.
Family Advocacy Program Managers Meet
The Family Advocacy Program Directorate hosted the final Family Advocacy Program manager‟s
quarterly meeting for FY 2010 this week. Program managers from each of the four Services attended.
A primary focus of the meeting was the final implementation of joint basing. Plans for October's
National Domestic Violence Awareness month were also discussed. Representatives from OSD Health
Affairs‟ Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) presented on suicide prevention, while the DoD‟s
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) was on hand to discuss cooperative efforts
with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
Community Partnerships: Improving the Response to Child Maltreatment
This manual offers guidance on how diverse community agencies, organizations, and individuals can
work together to form a web of support for families and create safe, healthy environments where
children can thrive. The manual describes the benefits of community partnerships, outlines the steps for
establishing and sustaining partnerships, and demonstrates how to measure results. In the appendices are
valuable resources such as checklists, sample forms, and success stories. See
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/partners . The entire User Manual Series is available at
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanual.cfm.
Let’s Move!! Not Just for the Kids
The President‟s Council on Fitness, sports and Nutrition is a committee of up to 25 volunteer citizens
appointed by the President to serve in an advisory capacity through the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to promote healthy lifestyles. The council promotes initiatives that educate, empower and
engage Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities in achieving a healthy lifestyle. Their Web site
includes a wealth of information such as physical activities guidelines, federal dietary guidelines and a
host of other tips and resources to help all of us maintain an active lifestyle. For more information log
on to: http://www.fitness.gov/ .
DeCA Delivers
DeCA is delivering the benefit at the following Guard & Reserve locations. See:
http://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfm.
Sep 24-25 Hartford Armory Hartford, Conn.
Sep 24-26 National Guard Armory Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sep 24-26 Yakima Training Center Yakima, Wash.
Sep 25 Camp Grafton Training Center Devil's Lake, N.D.
Contract Awarded for Air Force Food Transformation Initiative
The look and feel of Air Force dining will change effective October 1, 2010, at six pilot bases for the Air
Force Food Transformation Initiative. Air Force Services Agency officials recently awarded a contract
Page 3

4. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
for ARAMARK to operate mission-essential feeding facilities at Elmendorf AFB, Fairchild AFB, Little
Rock AFB, MacDill AFB, Patrick AFB, and Travis AFB. The Food Transformation Initiative is
designed to improve the quality, variety and availability of food operations for Airmen and their
families, moving away from the traditional „dining hall‟ model to a more contemporary operation
mirroring a college „community commons.‟ House and Senate Armed Services Committee Reports on
the NDAA for FY11 requested that GAO conduct a review of the contract implementation; the entrance
meeting is scheduled for Sep 23rd.
Social Security Administration Final Rules to Help Members of the Military and Veterans
The Social Security Administration (http://ssa.gov) has published final rules about the Heroes Earnings
Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act. The Act changes the SSA‟s treatment of certain cash
payments to uniformed service members and their families and veterans under the Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) (http://ssa.gov/pgm/links_ssi.htm) program. The new policy change enables them
to continue to receive government benefits and in some cases to receive a higher amount. In many states
the receipt of SSI also provides military families and veterans with access to Medicaid
(http://www.cms.gov/default.asp) .
Consumer Product Safety Commission Announces Voluntary Recall of Toys, Cribs
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Fun Stuff, announced the
voluntary recall of Click Armband Bracelets, Klick Klick Balls and BoBo Balls, toys that pose a
choking hazard. See: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10341.html.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Albee Baby, also announced the
voluntary recall of C&T International/Sorelle Brand "Prescott" Cribs due to entrapment, suffocation and
fall hazards. See: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10344.html.
In the News
• From the American Forces Press Service – New School Signals Commitment to Families,
Alliance -- The Land of the Morning Calm isn‟t quite so calm these days here at one of the
northernmost U.S. bases on the Korean peninsula. Once the domain of single soldiers or married
ones here on one-year, unaccompanied tours, it‟s now reverberating with domestic activity, and – for
the first time since the U.S. military arrived here six decades ago – the sound of school bells.
Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness… See:
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=60879.
• From the Family Matters blog – Officials Extend MyCAA Enrollment Deadline
I wanted to pass on the latest information about the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts
program, known to most of us as MyCAA. Military spouses currently enrolled in the popular spouse
employment program can now request financial assistance for classes with a start date that is on or
before Jan. 31. Previously, the start-date cutoff was Jan. 15. See:
http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=60847.
• From the American Forces Press Service – Families at Pentagon Memorial Reflect on Lost Loved
Ones – Rebecca Dolan is a busy 24-year-old, a recent college graduate pursuing a journalism career
Page 4

5. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
here in the nation‟s capital. But on this day, as she has each year on Sept. 11, Dolan paused to return
to the site at the Pentagon where terrorists stole the lives of her father and 183 others. “It‟s easy to
get occupied in your everyday life,” said Dolan, whose father…. See:
http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=60815.
• From the Fort Hood Sentinel – Fort Hood opens first-of-a-kind outreach center HARKER
HEIGHTS - In a continuing effort to reach out to the Soldiers, family members and retirees off-post,
Fort Hood opened the Harker Heights Community Outreach Center here Sept. 9. The center is the
first of its kind in the Army. See: http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=4827.
• From DoD Live blog – Family Focus: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
Are you a Guardsmen or Reservist who was recently activated and you have debt? Did you enlist
with high-interest credit card debt? Your situation is not unusual. See:
http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/09/family-focus-the-servicemembers-civil-relief-act/ .
Nutrition Tip of the Week
Why are whole grains good for you?
Whole grain products contain all the nutrients and fiber of the entire kernel of grain, while refined grain
products are missing most of the fiber and some of the nutrients. Make half your grain choices whole.
For more information on making healthy and nutritious food choices, check out the Commissary's Web
site at: http://www.commissaries.com.
Parenting Tip of the Week
Developing a Family Care Plan
A Family Care Plan outlines the logistical, financial, medical, educational, and legal documentation
necessary to ensure that dependent children will be cared for during the Service member's absence due
to deployment or training.
The Department of Defense policy on Family Care Plans (DoDI 1342.19) was updated in May 2010 and
requires a family care plan of all service members who are single parents, dual-member couples with
dependents, married with custody or joint custody of a child whose non-biological or adoptive parent is
not the current spouse of the service ember, or primarily responsible for dependent family members.
The completed Family Care Plan shall include, at a minimum:
Names and contact information of the caregiver and alternate caregiver.
Provisions for short-term absences (e.g., temporary duty for schooling or training, or, in the case
of Reserve Component members, active duty for training) and long-term absences (for example,
deployment or call to active duty), to include the period (beginning and end date) of time covered by
the family care plan.
Financial arrangements, allotment(s), and other appropriate documentation, to include power(s) of
attorney, to ensure the self-sufficiency and financial security of dependent family members.
Logistical arrangements for the transportation of dependent family members and/or caregivers to a
new location, including arrangements for a non-military escort for family members requiring
assistance (for example, infants and children, elderly and disabled adults) if the situation or personal
circumstances so dictate, and arrangements for the medical, legal, educational, and financial support
necessary to ensure continuity of care during the transport.
Page 5

6. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
The name of any non-custodial biological or adoptive parent not named as the caregiver, along
with that person's consent to the family care plan. If this individual does not consent, the Member
should explain the absence of such consent in writing and acknowledge the availability of legal
counsel to discuss the associated risks and the best possible courses of action (including the
possibility of incorporating the family care plan into a temporary order by a court of competent
jurisdiction).
The name of the person the service member designates, in the event of his or her death or
incapacity, to assume temporary responsibility for dependent family members until a natural or
adoptive parent or legal guardian assumes custody either by order of a court of competent
jurisdiction or operation of law.
For additional information on developing a Family Care Plan, contact your installation Family Center or
Military OneSource at (800) 342-9647 or visit: http://militaryonesource.com.
Let’s Move! Childhood Obesity Tip of the Week
In the past 30 years, the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled among children ages
2–5, tripled among youth ages 6–11, and more than tripled among adolescents ages 12–19.
In recognition of this issue, September has been designated National Childhood Obesity Awareness
Month. Visit NIH‟s We Can!® – Ways to Enhance Children‟s Activity & Nutrition – program Web site
this month to learn more about childhood obesity and how to combat it. The site has a number of
resources and tips for helping kids and families stay active, eat right, and reduce screen time. In
addition, We Can! community sites recently submitted videos promoting a healthy lifestyle for the
We Can! program‟s first video contest. Stay tuned to find out who wins. To see the We Can! Web site,
visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/index.htm. To view the videos , see
http://www.youtube.com/nihwecan and connect with others at http://www.facebook.com/nihwecan.
Financial Tip of the Week
Budgets can be a great tool to help you achieve your financial goals. But if you approach budgeting the
wrong way, it can lead to frustration, stress, and even more spending. Visit your Installation Personal
Finance Manager or call Military One Source (1-800-342-9647) and request to speak to financial
counselor. Below are seven costly mistakes people make when trying to manage their monthly budget:
Picking the wrong tools: Start with the right budgeting tools. There are no one-size-fits-all
solutions. For some, the best tools may be a pad of paper and a pencil. For others it could be a
spreadsheet, personal finance software, or online alternatives. The key is to find what works best for
you and stick with it.
Trying to track everything: The key is to ask this question-how will tracking my spending in this
area help me better manage my money? If you can‟t answer that question for a certain category of
expense, there is probably no need to track it. Pick the areas that cause you the most trouble, and
track just those categories. It will make budgeting a lot easier and less time-consuming.
Setting unreasonable goals: Setting an unreasonable goal you are much more likely to give up
when we don‟t reach them. Need to allow room in your budget for fun and for unforeseen expenses.
If part of your budget is paying down debt, make sure you are realistic about how much you can pay
on the debt each month.
Failing to plan for periodic expenses: Annual or semi-annual bills can wreck a budget. Whether its
life or car insurance, taxes, or gifts, it‟s best to plan for these expenses on a monthly basis. One easy
Page 6

7. This Week in MC&FP September 17, 2010
way to do this is add up the annual cost of these periodic expenses, divide by 12, and save that
amount each month.
Failing to plan for emergencies: An unexpected expense can bring down a budget quickly.
Whether it‟s a car or home repair, or perhaps a medical expense, emergencies can throw us deep into
debt if we are not prepared. On a monthly basis, set aside money in a high interest savings account,
to build your emergency fund.
Failing to Automate: Automating your finances can go a long way to helping you plan and budget.
Whether it‟s paying bills automatically from your checking account or automating your retirement
investments, automation makes life easier.
Giving up: If you are trying to budget and manage your money, you will make mistakes. Mistakes
happen. The key is to persevere. By expecting them from the start, you‟ll be more prepared to deal
with them when they arise.
Military OneSource Tip of the Week
Keeping a Strong Relationship during Deployment
Some ways to nurture your love through the ups and downs of deployment:
Talk about your upcoming separation. Set aside some quiet time to talk about your feelings and
plan how each of you will manage during your time apart.
Discuss how you will stay in touch. Explore the available options, such as e-mail, phone calls, and
regular mail.
Keep busy and stay active if you are the at-home spouse. The more fulfilled you feel, the better
you will handle separations and difficult times. (Of course, if you have children you won't have
concerns about not being busy.)
Share daily happenings from home. Hearing about your life (even the everyday routine) will help
your deployed spouse feel closer to you.
Learn about your spouse's job and other interests. Learning what your spouse's life is like will
help you better understand his or her experiences while you are apart.
Send care packages. Be sure to include special treats, funny notes, and items that have special
meaning for the two of you.
Record your thoughts in a journal to share with your spouse. You may want to keep an online
journal with pictures for your spouse to access over the Internet.
Record a tape or CD with songs that remind you of your spouse. Make a copy for each of you.
Send handmade coupons to your deployed spouse. Your coupons might be for a special dinner or
hour-long backrub when your partner returns home.
Be realistic about communication. Keep in mind that your deployed spouse may be in an area with
limited mail or e-mail service, or too busy to respond right away.
Your Family Support Center can give you information and support on many issues that affect service
members and their families. And Military OneSource, a free 24/7 service from DoD, available to all
active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families, provides information and referrals plus
face-to-face counseling. Call (800) 342-9647 or visit: http://www.militaryonesource.com.
####
Page 7