ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- With nearly 800 Ellsworth Airmen executing the 28th Bomb Wing mission from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, family and loved ones of those airmen may need extra support during their absence.
Below are some of the 28th Bomb Wing resources and programs that are available to our airmen and their families to consider:
- Military & Family Readiness Center
- Deployment & Readiness Program
- Personal Financial Readiness Program
- Commander’s Key Support Program
- Child Development Center & Family Child Care
- School Liaison Services
- Child & Youth Behavioral Military Family Life Counseling Program
- Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) Program
- Resilient Raiders Program
- United Through Reading Program
These agencies provide various resources for service members, spouses, retirees, and other beneficiaries. Their resources are free and available to any beneficiaries looking for support.
MILITARY & FAMILY READINESS CENTER
The M&FRC offers many services, resources, and personnel who can assist with deployments, financial planning, employment, family counseling, and more. The Deployment and Readiness Program is one tool offered and assists with the transition and reintegration aspects of service members and their families affected by deployment.
“It gives [participants] insight on what they can expect before deployment, why you’re on deployment, during deployment, and what you can expect when you come back,” said Master Sgt. Veneta White, 28th Force Support Squadron, M&FRC Readiness non-commissioned officer in charge.
M&FRC also offers employment services, which Joe Wagner, 28th FSS employment coordinator, supports. Wagner can help with civilian and federal resumes and interview techniques and connect people with the South Dakota Department of Labor or Rapid City Small Business Development Center for more individually tailored assistance. “He has connections with a lot of agencies in town. He knows who has jobs available,” said Eric Amaral, 28th FSS community readiness consultant at the M&FRC.
There’s an extensive personal and professional development curriculum available to service members and their families. “Stress management, time management. We do a communications class. We have ties in coordination with family advocacy for their new parent support programs,” said Amaral. "We [also] offer Elevate, a marriage enrichment class.” M&FRC encourages feedback and input on what classes and information customers would like to see added to the program.
Airmen who arrive at Ellsworth directly from their technical school often have little or no experience managing a budget. M&FRC’s Personal Financial Readiness Program offers free advice from certified financial counselors to help with budgeting, building and recovering credit, navigating financial troubles, retirement planning, and more. The program is designed to enhance service members’ financial readiness and financial literacy.
Another program M&FRC says makes a big difference is the Air Force Aid Society’s (AFAS) Falcon Assistance program, which offers interest-free loans and grants to help Air Force and Space Force members with emergencies. “[They have] access to Air Force grants that will also cover child care for educational classes, like the Elevate marriage class,” said Desiree Garwick, 28th FSS Community Readiness Specialist.
The Commander’s Key Support Program attempts to bridge the gap between military leadership and military spouses through commander-appointed liaisons. Key Support Liaisons assist in communicating command information and provide advocacy for military families with questions or concerns. “[If] you don’t know where something is, you’re new to base, reach out to . They’re more than willing to help you... and make sure that you’re feeling welcome,” explained Garwick. Garwick is the Commander’s Key Support Program Manager at the M&FRC.
The M&FRC is located in the Rushmore Center, 1000 Ellsworth Street, Suite 1500, Ellsworth AFB, SD 57706. The first step toward accessing the resources provided by the M&FRC is visiting their office or calling them at 605-385-4663.
CHILD & FAMILY CARE SERVICES
The Child Development Center and Family Care Center provide a program called Give-Parents-a-Break. It offers four hours of free childcare to active-duty military families one Saturday each month. The FCC also provides an additional 16 hours of free childcare for service members during periods of pre-deployment, deployment, reintegration, extended temporary duty assignments, and permanent changes of station.
More information is available on the Ellsworth AFB 28th Force Support Squadron website or by calling the Youth Center at 605-385-2277 or the CDC at 605-385-2488.
SCHOOL LIAISON SERVICES
Each Air Force Base has a program that connects families to schools and school resources, whether public, private, or homeschooled. At Ellsworth, those resources are available through the School Liaison Program Manager. The SLPM also offers Child & Youth Behavioral Military Family Life Counseling programs. “[These programs] are in place at our local school districts to help our families [and] to help our children as they are navigating the stresses that are coming from those long separations,” explained Joanne Mulholland, 28th FSS School Liaison Program Manager.
Another program offered by the SLPM is the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission or MIC3. It offers family support for retiring service members up to a year after their retirement. It also allows for excused absences for children as their families navigate the time before, during, and after deployments.
Resilient Raiders is another SLPM-run program offering space for military families to connect and learn about Ellsworth and the 28th Bomb Wing mission. The program is held twice a month to facilitate meetups and discussions about military life among those with shared experiences.
The SLPM also offers “United Through Reading programs that are available to our families. That is especially for military families who can share story time with free programs. That’s great for our family members who are deployed or on extended TDYs,” stated Mulholland, “We can help with whatever the educational journey looks like for our families, whether it be homeschool, private school, charter schools, whatever our families are doing to help their families be successful.”
The School Liaison Office is located in the Rushmore Center, Suite 2000. The first step in using these resources is to visit the office or call 605-385-5385.
ADDITIONAL AGENCIES
There are a wide variety of other agencies that are standing by to help service members and their families, and they’re contactable at the following numbers:
Legal (605-385-2329)
Religious Affairs/Chapel (605-385-1598)
28th Medical Group (605-385-6700)
Integrated Resilience Office (605-385-4663)
Military OneSource (605-385-4663)
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention & Treatment (ADAPT) Program (605-385-3656)
Privatized Housing Resident Advocate (605-385-7925)
American Red Cross (605-646-8820)
Whether you’re a service member, dependent, retiree, or other beneficiary, resources are available to help you navigate military service. There are specialists available to help you navigate the stressors and the demands that come with serving.