The document summarizes the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense's visits to military bases in Washington state where he met with families and received feedback on issues. Some of the most common issues brought up were access to affordable childcare, concerns about future benefits, certification for spouse employment, education support, and consistency of family programs between branches. The Secretary said leadership is taking these issues seriously and working to address them while supporting military families.

1. Image description. MC&FP banner image End of image description.
Blog post of Robert L. Gordon III, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family
Policy)
Image description. Robert L. Gordon III, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (MC&FP) End of image description.
Families Speak Out at Fairchild AFB and Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Last week, I returned from an outstanding trip to the Pacific Northwest where I had the opportunity to
meet with families and spouses at Fairchild AFB and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), both in
Washington State. If you’ve ever heard me speak in the past, you probably already know that I strongly
believe that policy makers can’t make effective policies and programs from an office with three white
walls and a picture window in the Pentagon; it is important to get out of the office and meet with Service
members and families to make sure those policies and programs are hitting the mark. This is why I
value my travel periods so much – they allow me to hear first-hand the issues and challenges that are
confronting our families. In addition, these periods are also wonderful opportunities to hear about all the
great things going on with our families that are keeping them strong, resilient, and mission-ready.
At Fairchild AFB, I received a very informative tour of the base from both wing leadership and family
support helping professionals. The tour included a visit to the Airmen and Family Readiness Center and
Michael Anderson Elementary School, a public school onboard Fairchild AFB where many of our
military children go to school. I also participated in the first-ever Military Family Summit which
included Congressional Military Family Caucus’ co-chairs Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers
(R-5 WA) and Congressman Sanford D. Bishop (D-2 GA). The Caucus afforded military families and
veterans in the Spokane area the opportunity to hear the latest news on military family support programs
and allowed them to ask questions of me, the two Caucus co-chairs, and representatives from the
Washington National Guard. The Caucus also featured breakout sessions on the topics of employment,
health care, military housing, Guard and Reserve issues, the Exceptional Family Member Program, and
education. The Congressional Military Family Caucus has their own Facebook page which you can
access here to learn more about the Caucus and what your elected leaders are doing to help military
families.
My time at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was equally informative and insightful. My two-day visit
included meetings with base and local school district leaders and many, many helping professionals who
are serving the Joint Base Lewis-McChord military and local communities, to include our wounded
warriors. While I had countless meaningful discussions and learned about many programs making a
significant impact on our military children and families, the highlight of my visit was meeting with
Army and Air Force spouses and Family Readiness Group leaders on my final day. As with my time
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2. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
with the families at Fairchild AFB, this meeting with spouses at JBLM was an opportunity to discuss the
latest family support initiatives at the DoD level and to have a dialogue about their issues and concerns.
The discussions were candid and fruitful, and I as always, I learned a great deal.
So what issues did I hear most about? Between the two installations, the issues of most concern were
almost universal: increased access to affordable child care, concerns about the future of military
retirement and other benefits, licensure and certification for military spouse employment, education of
our military children, consistency of family support program delivery between military Services,
Exceptional Family Member Support, concerns with Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves, and
many others. I will tell you what I told the groups of military families and spouses over the course of
my visit: we are taking these issues and concerns very seriously, and your leadership in DoD and the
military Services are being tenacious in both addressing these issues and ensuring that all our military
families continue to receive the support they need to remain resilient and empowered.
Do you have the above concerns as well? Are there others you need to share? If so, please share them
on our discussion. Perhaps there are solutions that other military families may have found that can help
you through these challenges while we look at them from a policy level.
I hope to make more visits in the future to meet with more of our military members and families.
Perhaps I’ll be coming to your neck of the woods soon! Until next time, be well!
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Joining Forces
Joining Forces
Tom Hanks Joins Forces with the White House for Public Service Announcement
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are collaborating for the national Joining Forces
campaign to support military families and acknowledge their sacrifices and dedication to their country.
The campaign encourages all sectors of society to show gratitude for the sacrifices of our service
members and their families in the areas of education, employment, and wellness.
Tom Hanks, an American actor and producer, is joining forces with the First Lady and Dr. Biden in a
public service announcement (PSA) campaign supporting military families. To view Tom Hank's PSA,
click here.
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4. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
Weekly Tips
Military Community and Family Policy Weekly Tips
Nutrition Tip of the Week - Be a Healthy Role Model for Children (Part I)
You are the most important influence on your child and can do many things to help them develop
healthy eating habits for life. Offering a variety of foods helps children get the nutrients they need from
every food group. They will also be more likely to try new foods and to like more foods. When children
develop a taste for many types of foods, it's even easier to plan family meals. Cook together, eat
together, talk together, and make meal time a family time. To help you out with this, take a look at the
following tips:
• Show by example. Eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains with meals or as snacks. Let your
child see that you like to munch on raw vegetables.
• Go food shopping together. Grocery shopping can teach your child about food and nutrition.
Discuss where vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods come from. Let your children
make healthy choices.
• Offer the same foods for everyone. Stop being a "short-order cook" by making different dishes to
please children. It's easier to plan family meals when everyone eats the same foods.
• Limit screen time. Allow no more than two hours a day of screen time in front of TV and
computer games. Get up and move during commercials to get some physical activity.
• Reward with attention, not food. Show your love with hugs and kisses. Comfort with hugs and
talks. Choose not to offer sweets as rewards. It lets your child think sweets or dessert foods are
better than other foods. When meals are not eaten, kids do not need "extras"—such as candy or
cookies—as replacement foods
Parenting Tip of the Week - Helping Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure
Children often seek a sense of belonging at school and will engage in certain behaviors to fit in among
their peers. Even in preschool they are becoming concerned with what their friends think and do.
Children want to be well liked and included in a group, which makes them susceptible to peer pressure.
Peer pressure has been shown to affect children as early as preschool age and becomes an even greater
risk as they transition into middle and high school. Start building the foundation to help children deal
with those who might try to pressure them into doing something risky. Here are tips to help your child
deal with negative peer pressure:
• Choose good friends. Know who your children’s friends are and remind them that a good friend
would not try to force them to do something they should not do.
• Make good decisions. It is not too early to help children think carefully about the outcome and
consequences of an act before they do it. Think aloud and let your child listen to your decision-
making processes, as you weigh options and potential outcomes.
• Value themselves. Praise your children for something they do well, encourage them in positive,
healthy pursuits, and surround them with people who value them. These actions increase their
self-confidence and make it difficult for someone else’s opinion of them to be more important
than their own.
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Let’s Move/Childhood Obesity Tip of the Week - Fruit Tips for Children
Fruit tips for children:
• Set a good example for children by eating fruit every day with meals or as snacks.
• Offer children a choice of fruits for lunch.
• Depending on their age, children can help shop for, clean, peel, or cut up fruits.
• While shopping, allow children to pick out a new fruit to try later at home.
• Decorate plates or serving dishes with fruit slices.
• Top off a bowl of cereal with some berries, or make a smiley face with sliced bananas for eyes,
raisins for a nose, and an orange slice for a mouth.
• Offer raisins or other dried fruits instead of candy.
• Make fruit kabobs using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, and berries.
• Pack a juice box (100 percent juice) in children’s lunches instead of soda or other sugar-
sweetened beverages.
• Look for and choose fruit options, such as sliced apples, mixed fruit cups, or 100 percent fruit
juice in fast food restaurants.
• Offer fruit pieces and 100 percent fruit juice to children. There is often little fruit in "fruit-
flavored" beverages or chewy fruit snacks.
Military OneSource Tip of the Week - Maintaining a Strong Relationship Through Deployments
and Separations: Trusting one another while apart
Mutual trust is fundamental to a loving relationship. You will trust one another more deeply and fully
while you are apart if you work at establishing a trusting relationship while you're together. You may
feel uneasy being away from one another and worry that the other is being unfaithful or acting in ways
you would disapprove of. Here are some ways to maintain trust while apart:
• Respect one another. Talk with your spouse about what respect means to each of you. In what
ways does your spouse make you feel respected? What makes your spouse feel respected?
Talking about these issues and about how the other person feels will help you better understand
one another. Provide specific examples of ways that he or she has made you feel respected and
supported.
• Be honest. Sidestepping questions or being less than truthful with your spouse is likely to raise
suspicions. Demonstrate how important honesty is to you by always being forthcoming yourself.
Tell your spouse about your friends and how you are spending your time while he or she is away.
• Remind your spouse of your love. Don't take your spouse for granted. Tell your spouse about
those qualities you admire in him or her. This will help your spouse feel more secure – and
trusting – in your relationship. If expressing these kinds of feelings is difficult for you, you might
do so in a letter. Or look for a card that conveys what you want to say.
• Look at your own behavior. Are you spending lots of time with members of the opposite sex? Do
you go to nightclubs and bars? Ask yourself if you would engage in these activities if your
spouse were not deployed. What needs are you trying to meet through these behaviors? Even if
your actions are innocent, your spouse may suspect that you are being unfaithful.
• Discuss your concerns with one another. If mistrust is causing anxiety for you or your spouse,
talk honestly with each other about your feelings.
Spouse Tip of the Week - Tough Interview Questions for Military Spouses
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6. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
Today’s employers are looking for talented, knowledgeable job applicants who can bring them business
success. For each new hire, they will make training, pay and benefit package investments in exchange
for the work experience, skill sets, and personal attributes they seek.
But even if you are the "perfect" match for their job opening, they may have serious concerns about your
mobile military lifestyle and the impact it will have on their business. So, be ready to address their
concerns honestly, with forethought, and respond in the most positive terms possible. What will your
answers be to these touch interview questions?
Relocaton Concerns
“How often does your family move?” "How long do you expect to be in the local area?"
Did You Know:
• As military family members and civilians move up their career ladders, they often change jobs
every two to three years. This is the same length of time that a third of the military population
receives a new duty assignment which can be within the same geographic region. Will you be in
your current location at least this long? Will you be loyal to your employer and stay in your job
this long to avoid another job search? Are you willing to be transferred into another job with
career potential within their corporate structure if they have a job opening or allow
telecommuting when it's time for you to relocate?
• Military spouses who live in large military concentration areas frequently have the opportunity to
stay in one geographic location for multiple tours of military duty. Is it possible you will be in
your current location for five to ten years because of follow-on military duty assignments in the
same region (e.g., sea/field; shore/garrison, HQ/admin/program management, and school)? Most
military families can do this.
• Military spouses whose service members are deployed overseas frequently remain within the
United States for education, employment, housing, safety, and security reasons. Are you
planning to stay in your current location during times of deployment and long separations?
Many military families do this.
• Today's duty rotation schedules are designed to give military members and spouses "dwell time"
at home which provides geographic stability and facilitates career development and advancement
opportunities for both military spouses and their military sponsor. What is your anticipated duty
rotation schedule?
Child Care Concerns
"How many children do you have and what are their ages?" "What are your plans for child care
and after school care, especially if your military sponsor is deployed?"
Did You Know:
• Military spouses have access to the best child care resources in America through the Department
of Defense (DoD) Child Development Program, which includes Child Care, Development and
Youth Services for children of all ages, Respite Care for high stress situations, and Home Care
Networks that are ideal for meeting the needs of infants, children with special needs, sick
children, and after-hour care requirements.
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7. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
• Military spouses also have access to DoD Child Care partnerships in local communities across
America and around the world. Referrals for child care services that meet DoD’s high quality
standards are made 24/7/365 through Military OneSource, (800) 342-9647.
• Military spouses are very resourceful. They build and maintain close personal relationships at
each new duty station so they have friends standing at the ready to help out in emergencies.
These "extended family" relationships are strong and life-long. They wrap around the globe.
Education Concerns
"What special training and education do you have that will help you do your job?" "Has it been
hard for you to complete your education since you move so much?"
Did You Know:
• Research shows that military spouses have higher levels of education than their civilian
counterparts despite the fact that they move 14 percent more frequently than non-military
families. They also have an accelerated ability to learn that is a direct result of their mobile
military lifestyle. Because they are determined to have career success and employment
continuity, military spouses actively seek out higher education and technical training that
provides them with the licenses and credentials needed to practice their professions regardless of
geographic location. DoD’s MyCAA program provides them with up to $4,000 of financial
assistance to pursue portable career related licenses, credentials and Associate’s degrees.
• Military spouses adjust quickly and well to new surroundings and cultures. That is because they
have lived in different regions across the United States and have worked successfully with
various socio-economic groups in local communities. Military spouses have also gained
valuable experience overseas and have learned or taught other languages. Additionally, many
teach English to foreign speakers.
• Military spouses bring the richness of their work experience with them each time they relocate to
a new duty location and continue their careers. Many have gained valuable experience with
industry “best practices” implemented by some of the highest performing public and private
sector organizations in the world. They have helped state of the art business practices produce
global success.
Concerns About Core Values and Personal Attributes
"What are your strongest characteristics and your greatest weaknesses?"
Did You Know:
• Military spouses are patriotic, hard-working, loyal, honest, trustworthy, mature, responsible, and
respectful. They are excellent communicators, strong leaders and team players. They are
flexible and resilient. These attributes are the keys to their success as they endure the stress of
having a loved one in a combat zone or on a long deployment; separations from family and
friends; and career disruptions. Their endurance and commitment to achieving personal and
professional success carries over into their work-life – which is a great source of pride and
professional satisfaction.
• Is your greatest weakness the fact that you often have to step out of your comfort zone to
perform tasks for which you have little training and experience because of military deployments
and separations? Do you realize this has made you are stronger and more capable, by choice
AND by necessity?
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8. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
Relocation Tip of the Week - Travel By Air or Automobile
Before planning your travel, check with your transportation/travel office on your installation regarding
procedures for obtaining official travel tickets. You can find these offices on the
MilitaryINSTALLATIONS website. Making airline reservations, plotting a route and finding temporary
lodging are among the myriad of details necessary to your move. Here are some resources: CWTSato
Travel has special sections for Military official and personal travel, and Omega Travel has special
sections for Military official and personal travel. Safety and security are vital for everyone traveling
overseas. The State Department has up-to-date information and travel warnings. You can connect to
information on embassies and consulates, health advisories, citizenship and immigration, passports and
visas, customs, homeland security, and many other topics of interest from this website. Another
overseas travel issue that can be frustrating is currency conversion. The OANDA currency converter
website has up-to-date exchange rates for all worldwide currencies.
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9. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
In the News
We've captured the latest Quality of Life (QOL) information, as well as recent additions to the Military
Community & Family Policy (MC&FP) collection of websites, including MilitaryHOMEFRONT. All
in one location! For a complete listing of QoL topic areas and information, please return to the
MilitaryHOMEFRONT homepage.
In the News
Notable Quality of Life developments and Department of Defense announcements and alerts.
Keeping Military Marriages Strong
Marriage is tough enough without tossing in the additional stressors of military life. But even the
toughest military challenges can be weathered with some advance planning and healthy communication
skills.
Military Post Offices in Iraq to Close Nov. 17
Because U.S. forces are coming home from Iraq by the end of the year, the U.S. Postal Service will stop
accepting mail addressed to military post offices in Iraq starting Nov. 17.
Consolidation Streamlines Household Moves, Saves Money
Military members and civilian Defense Department employees aren’t expected to notice it, but changes
that start next year at U.S. Transportation Command will help to make their household goods shipments
more efficient and cost-effective.
November Begins Commissary’s Holiday Savings
Throughout the month of November, DeCA's industry partners will be hosting many in-store promotions
– everything from shopping-spree giveaways to super-discounted holiday turkey coupons – in honor of
Military Family Appreciation Month, Veterans Day (Nov. 11), and extra savings focusing on the holiday
season.
Fashion Guru to Share Style Tips
After a decade or two of camouflage and boots, Karen is happy to offer these service members some
advice on building a budget-friendly and appropriate wardrobe for today's workplace, courtesy of her
home business called "Work It!"
Supporting Our Military This Holiday Season
Care packages are always a welcome treat for our deployed service members, especially during the
holidays when they are away from home defending our freedoms. Thoughts and acts of kindness from
others for our military families at home are also appreciated.
Know the Facts – The Safety Plan
Safety plans help victims think through their situations in terms of physical and emotional safety, and
provide easily accessible information on how to obtain emergency assistance, shelter, financial
assistance, and childcare, and includes a checklist of items to take upon leaving.
The Coming Home Series, Presented by Walmart
American Red Cross and Walmart Foundation Partner to assist those impacted by military deployment
through workshops and group discussions.
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10. MC&FP Weekly (October 28,2011) 10/31/2011
Guard and Reserve
Image description. Two National Guard service members End of image description.
Oct. 28-29 - Guard and Reserve - Ft. McClellan, AL
Oct. 29 - Guard and Reserve - Green Bay, WI
Nov. 1-3 - Guard and Reserve - Pago-Pago, American Samoa
Nov. 3 - Guard and Reserve - Alameda, CA
Nov. 3-5 - Guard and Reserve - Cape Cod, MA
Nov. 4-5 - Guard and Reserve - Jackson, MS
Nov. 4-6 - Guard and Reserve - Helena, MN
Nov. 5 - Guard and Reserve - Carson City, NV
Nov. 5 - Guard and Reserve - Terre Haute, IN
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