CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
In our expeditionary Air Force today, many Airmen are deployed on a daily basis supporting combat operations and humanitarian relief efforts in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
It is important to point out that the Air Force mission is not complete without the efforts of everyone, including our families. This is why taking care of our people holds an even higher significance than ever before. In particular, we need to understand our families are, and always will be, a very important part of the Air Force.
Without strong family support, we are not typically focused on the important aspects of the mission, which introduces a subject very near and dear to my heart that helps keep us all in a proper state of mind: family care plans.
According to Air Force Instruction 36-2908, Family Care Plans, all Air Force members with families will have family care arrangements that reasonably cover all situations, both long and short term. All Airmen will be counseled by their commander or first sergeant on their family care responsibilities during in-processing and on an annual basis.
Making sure loved ones are taken care of is a basic need for all human beings. If this need is not taken care of properly, we will fail as an Air Force. Individuals with families should ensure all requirements are taken care of if they must leave for a deployment, assignment or if the mission requires extra duty hours.
Having powers of attorney and contact numbers of loved ones and caregivers is a must. This helps ensure our family members are taken care of, so we can keep our minds at ease and complete the mission.
Single parents, dual military couples with dependents and service members with civilian spouses who have unique family situations, as determined by the commander or first sergeant, will complete a documented family care plan on an Air Force Form 357. In addition, all applicable powers of attorney and other information determined necessary by the commander or first sergeant are provided. This information should be maintained by the unit's first sergeant.
Once notified by their commander or first sergeant, individuals will have 60 days to complete all applicable actions. Individuals are required to notify either the commander or first sergeant within 30 days if changes in personal or family circumstances require completion of an Air Force Form 357. If individuals do not complete these forms in a timely manner, disciplinary action can be taken by the commander.
As Airmen, we need to ensure our families and ourselves are taken care of. If you have a family or you are a supervisor, understanding this process will help ensure our people are taken care of, so we can do what we're best at - taking the fight to the enemy.