SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
Air Mobility Command placed a special emphasis on the value and importance of family during Air Force Family Week.
The purpose of this special week, which began Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 7, is to recognize and celebrate the many members of the Air Force family while providing education and awareness on how Air Force programs and community partners support them, according to the Year of the Air Force Family Web site.
AMC leadership encouraged installations to use this week to mark a month-long campaign in conjunction with Year of the Air Force Family goals, said Ms. Ivera Harris, chief of AMC Airman and Family Services.
"The bases are doing a ton of things for Air Force Family Week," Ms. Harris said.
At Charleston AFB the Airmen and Family Readiness Center is paying special attention to families with children in grade school during Air Force family week.
Its staff created a display in the lobby, full of free educational materials for children of all ages. The educational books and other materials are available to active-duty parents. Developed by the Military Child Education Coalition, the materials are age-specific and focus on military-connected children and their educational needs.
The Charleston AFB library also made its own special plans for Air Force Family Week. Nov. 3, from 10 to 11 a.m., a story hour was held. The event was open all members of Team Charleston. Parents and children gathered together for an hour of quality time listening to the stories, "Me and My Family" and "Clifford's Family," said Angela Bevins, circulation technician with the base library. Children also participated in a craft activity making family trees.
"We recognize in order for Airmen to be successful in their careers and accomplish their mission, it's important for them to have a family support system in place to deal with frequent moves and family separations," Ms. Harris said. "Military families are resourceful and resilient, but the demands of military life - frequent moves and school transitions; long-distance parenting; parents reentering family life after the trauma of combat, not to mention the stress of knowing that Mom or Dad is in harm's way - present unique difficulties for Airmen and their families.
With the recent proclamation by President Barack Obama naming November as Military Family Month, Ms. Harris said November is a particularly good time to say thanks to those who are serving or who have served and to the care-givers and family members of those warriors.
Around AMC, bases are conducting programs to commemorate Air Force Family Week as well. For example, Fairchild AFB offered a free dinner, games and a movie to those who visited a list of agencies to learn about their services, according to AMC Airman and Family Services.
MacDill AFB's scheduled events included an open discussion, led by Military and Family Life Consultants, for single parents, blended families and others on "the wonders of family dynamics and other matters."
A parent workshop was also held at Scott AFB to help parents navigate the challenges of effectively transitioning students from one school district to another.
Free educational materials through the Charleston AFB AAFRC are only available while supplies last. Visit the AAFRC between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. by Nov. 6. For more information about Air Force family events, contact the AAFRC at 963-4406.
For more information about Year of the Air Force Family, visit the Web site http://www.af.mil/yoaff/index.asp.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Bowles, 437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.