Here to help: AFMC vice directs personnel to learn about helping agencies

Published Jan. 23, 2008
By Lt. Col Dave Parr
Integrated Delivery System Chairman

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Commanders, supervisors and First Sergeants across Air Force Material Command are getting a chance to speak with their unit personnel, sometimes in large groups and sometimes during one-on-one sessions, about the many helping agencies and resources available to all military and civilian personnel through the Military One Source and the Employee Assistance Programs.
   Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski, Vice Commander, AFMC, wrote in a recent letter to all commanders that, "data from the most Wingman Wellness Survey indicated we continue to struggle in the area of making all personnel, military and Air Force Civilians, aware of the counseling resources available for their use.
   The survey showed a slightly downward trend with just under 80 percent of respondents answering they were aware of available recourses.
   Of those not aware of resources, nearly 50 percent of Active Duty personnel could not describe the services offered through Military One Source and nearly 68 percent of Air Force civilians could not describe the services offered via the Employee Assistance Program."
   The memo from Lt. Gen. Gabreski goes on to state, "to familiarize all personnel with these valuable programs, commanders and directors at all levels must ensure both Employee Assistance Programs and Military One Source are briefed at Commander's calls by 15 Feb."
   Compact disks with briefing and video material were distributed base wide here at Tinker and also loaded on to the Tinker Homepage under the Wingman Page for all personnel to reference in the future.
   As the Integrated Delivery System chair here at Tinker, I personally feel the key to successfully implementing this media campaign is two-fold: first; teach folks where this information is located and how to ask for help and secondly, getting folks comfortable with using MOS and EAP as a primary resource to assist fellow airmen in dealing with many of life's many stresses.
   People at all levels to spend a little time browsing these two key Web sites -- www.militaryonesource.com and www.foh4you.com.
   I was personally very impressed when I browsed these two Web site a few weeks back and I realized you can get everything from financial counseling to hints on how much car you can afford to marriage counseling from both of these Web sites.
Both also have operators standing by 24-hours-a-day to answer anonymous questions and get you the help you desire. I was truly amazed how much this info could help every one of us if we just spend a little time reviewing the information.
   Please feel free to contact any member of the IDS if you have questions on either the Military One Source or the Employee Assistance Program, but perhaps the best source of info is the EAP office here on Tinker at 1-800-222-0364 or the Family Support Center at 739-2747.
   Please continue to support your fellow wingman and thanks for making Tinker such a great place to live and work.