Wisconsin National Guard leaders honor families at annual conference

By Sgt. Andy Poquette
Wisconsin National Guard

April 14, 2010 - As nearly 4,000 Soldiers and Airmen of the Wisconsin National Guard undergo reintegration back to civilian live after overseas deployments, hundreds more are preparing for deployment and the Wisconsin National Guard Family Program and its volunteers are certainly keeping busy.

Nearly 100 Soldiers, Airmen, and family volunteers met with senior leaders of the Wisconsin National Guard this weekend in Wausau to discuss the 2010 Wisconsin National Guard Family Program and ways to fulfill its new motto: "Full sTEAM Ahead."

"The purpose of the conference was really two-fold," said Lt. Col. Tammy Gross, the Service Member Support Division chief. "First, it gives volunteers the opportunity to interact with all levels of leadership in the Wisconsin Guard, and second, it gives us the chance to recognize our volunteers for all the great work that they do."

To kick-start the conference, Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, spoke about resiliency, empowering service members and their families with tools that will help them transition between military and civilian life.

Other workshops offered at the conference focused on dealing with legal issues while a service member is deployed, how to take care of yourself while taking care of others, and resources to help understand Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These workshops assist both service members and families to focus on their mission, whether that is taking care of the family at home, or doing their jobs overseas.

"If you're focused on the mission, there is no finer force in the world than the Wisconsin National Guard," said Brig. Gen. John McCoy, commander of the Wisconsin Air National Guard. "But if service members or families are worried about finances, or their employer, they can't do their jobs effectively."

"The TEAM of our 'Full sTEAM Ahead' motto refers to the team of service members, leaders, and volunteers, and how they all must work together to be successful," Gross explained. "This is really the only time we have members of the Air and Army Guard in one place to share ideas and resources."

Volunteers and family members were also given the opportunity to pose questions to a panel of general officers, the highest ranking members of the Wisconsin National Guard leadership. The questions covered topics ranging from the effects of continuous mobilization on service members and families, to how to get better interaction with families and service members through technologies like Facebook. Other issues discussed at the panel were how to increase attendance of Badger Yellow Ribbon events throughout the state, how to increase interaction of Family Readiness Groups from different units, and the vast resources and services available to service members and their families; resources including financial planning, spiritual guidance, and marriage counseling, and many more services.

"I look forward to the Family Program conference every year, but I most look forward to the general officer panel," said Brig. Gen. Mark E. Anderson, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. "I think the leadership gets just as much out of it as the families do because we get to have an honest dialog with family members."

More information on programs offered by the Service Member Support Division and Wisconsin National Guard Family Program are online at http://www.wisconsinmilitary.org/.