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DePLAYment program offers big benefits

  • Published
  • By Charlotte Lewis
  • Airman and Family Readiness Center Caring for People Coordinator
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Some Tinker military members are missing out on valuable benefits available to their families. And time to take advantage of those benefits is quickly running out.

Anyone officially assigned to Tinker who has returned from a deployment, is currently deployed or is projected to deploy anytime from July 2009 to July 2010 is qualified for the DePLAYment program.

This program is part of the year-long Year of the Air Force Family initiative which recognizes and celebrates the contribution of Airmen and their families by highlighting programs and services that support the Air Force family. This portion of the initiative is designed to provide respite and support to the families of deployed members.

To sign up for the program, either the military member or their spouse brings a copy of the deployment orders to the Airman and Family Readiness Center in Bldg. 6001. Each member of the family will receive a DePLAYment tag, a dog tag. The family then goes online to www.myairforcelife.com and registers. Once registered, the holder can use the tags to qualify for free or reduced fee programs.

The overall deployment support program concept is to provide families of deployed members free child or youth classes, sports programs and hourly child care during the parent's deployment. It also provides for free family programs for either the family left at home during deployment or upon return of the member.

Despite these benefits, eligible members are not taking advantage of the program. Currently, only 20 percent of eligible military members have signed up. Tinker has only used $4,500 of the total money allotted to the base -- that's not even 1 percent.

Some of the military members who have signed up for the program said they are amazed at everything they have been able to receive for free.

One family that has taken advantage of the program is the Moreno family.

"My family consists of four members -- my husband and I are dual military, my 18-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter," said Master Sgt. Nickie Jay Moreno, 72nd Force Support Squadron. "Since February, I have participated in Tinker's DePLAYment program, which has saved us $125 so far."

Sergeant Moreno's husband deployed from July through November 2009. When she discovered they were eligible for the program, her husband verified his eligibility with his deployment orders with the Airman and Family Readiness Center personnel.

"Currently we're taking advantage of Parent's Night Out, Smart Start Baseball and my son and his friends plan to take one of the dance classes offered --all free of charge," Sergeant Moreno said. "Through July, we do plan to use the benefit as much as possible by taking the framing class, participating in bowling activities during spring break, massages and the Information, Tickets and Travel trips."

Whatever money Tinker was allotted for the program that is not used by July 30 will be taken away. Tinker officials don't want to return any money. In fact, the goal is to spend all of the allotted funds and then use some from another base that could not spend all of theirs. Do your part and sign up for the program today.

For more information, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 739-2747.


DePLAYment services available at Tinker:

· Hourly child care

· Youth Center membership

· Instructional classes at the Arts and Crafts and Youth Centers

· Baseball registration at the Youth Center

· Massages at the Bldg. 3705 Fitness Center

· Frame making classes at the Arts and Crafts Center

· Local trips through Information, Tickets and Travel

· Rental items from Outdoor Recreation and Equipment Checkout

· Services at the Auto Hobby Shop

· Free bowling and shoe rental at the Tinker Bowling Center

· Rounds of golf and golf cart rental at the Tinker Golf Course

· Parents Night Out -- six hours of child care on a Saturday night at the Child Development Center