1. Reintegration Processing
Langley AFB
Reintegration Processing

2. First and Foremost
WELCOME
HOME !!!!

3. AGENDA 0900-0930 Health and Wellness Briefings
Finance/Medical Briefings
In-Process (Medical, Finance)

4. BRIEFINGS Chaplain Safety Family Advocacy Program/Life Skills
Family Support Center
Force Health Management
Finance

5. Mission Specific, Redeployment Brief
Chaplain, Captain, Christian Biscotti
1 FW/HC
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6. INTRODUCTION 3 illustrations, integration of meaning, and application.
My story, Your story, Our story…
A. Worldview, Faith, Belief, & Idealism
Purpose & Hope from Tragedy & Chaos
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7. THE HUMAN SHAPE Spirituality Heart (passion, call) Abilities
Personality
Experiences
What is your SHAPE? Experiences? How has this deployment changed you, the way you see the world, and maybe your beliefs?
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8. MY STORY Abbeygale and Bailey A. Worldview, PTSD, deeper faith
Klaus Kujawa
A. 17 July, years, flashbacks…
B. Today- a deeper faith, a deeper love.
16th Engineer Battalion, Bosnia
A. Mass grave uncovered
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9. YOUR STORY 5 senses: see, smell, touch, taste, hear.
1. What did you see?
2. What did you smell?
3. What did you touch?
4. What did you taste?
5. What did you hear?
Iraq is now a part of your experience and who you are!
Iraq may affect you for the next few months, years or decades!
Where do we go from here?
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10. OUR STORY You are not alone. We need to talk about it.
Grief is a process…
Life is a journey, run like a marathon, not a 100 yard dash.
Sacramento airport, baggage sculpture and YOU!
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11. APPLICATION Caring for one another. Telling your story.
Listening to someone else’s story.
Worldview, belief, and faith.
Grand Canyon clip.
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12. QUESTIONS
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13. GROUND SAFETY WELCOME HOME 1 FW/SEG
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14. GROUND SAFETY OVERVIEW SURVIVED THE DEPLOYMENT…NOW WHAT?
APPLYING RISK MANAGEMENT ON & OFF DUTY
LOCAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
CHOOSING TO BE SAFE
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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15. YOU’VE SURVIVED THE DEPLOYMENT
NOW STAY ALIVE HERE!
- DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE
- DON’T DRIVE FATIGUED
- USE SPORTS AND RECREATION SAFETY
- LINE OF DUTY DETERMINATION
MOTORCYCLE REQUIREMENTS
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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16. GROUND SAFETY APPLY RISK MANAGEMENT 3 RULES TO REMEMBER…. - PLAN AHEAD
- KNOW THE RISK INVOLVED
- CHOOSE TO BE SAFE!
- MYRTLE BEACH EXAMPLE
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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17. LOCAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
ON BASE
- WEST GATE CONSTRUCTION
OFF BASE
- SAME BIG MESS AT MERCURY & I-64
- SCHOOL BUS AWARENESS (ON & OFF)
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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18. GROUND SAFETY CHOOSING TO BE SAFE LAFB FORM 29B (MANDATORY)
- USED FOR MEMBERS UNDER AGE 26
- LET YOUR LAST DECISION BE TO CHOOSE TO BE SAFE!
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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19. GROUND SAFETY SUMMARY SURVIVE HERE! APPLY RISK MANAGEMENT
LOCAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
IT’S YOUR CHOICE TO BE SAFE
1 FW/SEG
GROUND SAFETY
1 FW/SEG
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20. Family Advocacy Program Life Skills Support Center
And
Life Skills Support Center

21. FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM
Part of MDG
Provide counseling for AD families to prevent and treat family violence
No administrative or legal action
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22. REINTEGRATION TIPS Apologizing Normalcy of stress Listen
You both changed
New balance
Interests
Pace yourselves
Finances
Feeling unwanted
Apologizing
STRESS - Recognize that stress is common.
LISTEN - Everyone has a story to tell about what the time apart was like for them. Listen to each others’ stories.
CHANGES - Recognize that your experiences have changed you both more than you realized.
NEW BALANCE - Recognize a shift in roles/responsibilities has occurred. Slowly negotiate a new balance.
INTERESTS - Build common interests again, go on dates.
PACE - Pace yourselves, the many different emotions you are experiencing can be exhausting.
FINANCES - A new system for handling finances developed while apart, slowly renegotiate how money will be handled.
UNWANTED - Both spouses may feel unneeded or unwanted.
-Active duty member: The family developed a routine in your absence and spouses are frequently very proud of the many responsibilities they assumed during the deployment. Contributions you made to the family are now being made by someone else and you may feel like they don’t need you-they do.
-Spouse: The active duty member may have spent a great deal of time alone or with co-workers. When they are suddenly thrust back into a family the active duty member may withdraw for privacy in a way they didn’t prior to the deployment-don’t take this a rejection, they just need space until they get used to the system.
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23. REINTEGRATION TIPS Readjustment Period Previous problems Patience
Respect
Schedules
Time together
Future
Children
GRIEF
Active duty member - As strange as it sounds, you may miss the deployment and its camaraderie, significant responsibilities, predictable routine, focus on the mission without distractions, and the foreignness of the deployment site.
Spouse - Your spouse may miss the undisputed control over the household and kids, and the ability to focus on his/her own personal growth.
OLD PROBLEMS - Realize problems that were there before you deployed may still be there.
PATIENCE - Practice flexibility and patience.
RESPECT - Communicate respect.
SCHEDULES - Don’t try to pack too much in. The active duty member may feel overwhelmed by the every day noise and confusion of home life.
TIME TOGETHER - Make time for one another. Be aware that interruptions by family and friends will reduce the amount of time you have together.
FUTURE – Together plan for your combined future in military. Your worldviews may have changed. Previous priorities may seem much less important now.
CHILDREN - Expect changes in your children. They may have residual feelings of anger/abandonment about your absence. Younger children may be shy and reluctant to hug you. Teenagers may act like they don’t care-they do, reach out to them. Children frequently have a sense of loyalty to the parent left behind, if you criticize that parent the kids may feel compelled to take their side and defend them. They may test the limits with you-it does not mean they are out of control or dislike you. Take it slow in re-building relationships with them. Make time for each individual child. Focus on things your child did well in your absence and limit criticism.
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24. FAST Couples counseling for those who may be at-risk Voluntary
Short term
No documentation in OPR
Community referral
Deployments: considered a risk factor for family violence

25. NEW PARENT SUPPORT PROGRAM
Eligibility: Pregnancy - age 3 years old
Voluntary
Home Visitation
Child Development Info
Welcome Bag
Classes
Video, books, tapes, CDs

26. Combat Stress Management
LIFE SKILLS SUPPORT CENTER
Combat Stress Management

27. OVERVIEW Definition of Stress Definition of Combat Stress
Signs of Stress/Combat Stress
Prevention

28. DEFINITION OF STRESS
A state of disequilibrium that occurs when there is a disharmony between demands occurring within an individual’s internal or external environment and his or her ability to cope with these demands

29. DEFINITION OF COMBAT STRESS
Combination of physiological and psychological reactions manifested by a variety of symptoms during or immediately following combat

30. COMBAT STRESS Very common for people returning from deployments
May have thoughts or dreams about the events
May experience difficulty sleeping, eating, or concentrating
Witnessed or experienced an event that involved actual or possible death or serious injury, with a response that involves fear, helplessness, or horror
*Sense of numbing, detachment, or lack of emotional response
*reduction in awareness of surroundings (e.g. being in a daze)
*Inability to recall certain parts of the event
*derealization
*depersonalization
Experience the traumatic events in one of the following ways: recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, illusions, flashback episodes, or a sense of reliving the experience; or distress on exposure of reminders to incident
Marked avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma (thoughts, feelings, conservations, activities, people, places)
Marked symptoms of anxiety or increased arousal (difficulty sleeping, irritability, poor concentration, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, motor restlessness)
Causes distress in various aspects of person’s life (work, family)
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31. PREVENTION Maintain Exercise Program Practice Relaxation Techniques
Sleep Schedule
Eat Healthy
Plan for Recreation Activities
Limit Alcohol Use (Drink Responsibly)
Utilize Support System (Family, Friends, Unit)
…even when you don’t want to

32. CONTACT INFORMATION
Life Skills Support Center and Family Advocacy:
/2427
After Hrs (via UCC):
Located in Bldg 74 (Aerospace Medicine Bldg)

33. QUESTIONS

34. PERSONAL & FAMILY READINESS
ACHIEVING MISSION READINESS …
THROUGH PERSONAL AND FAMILY READINESS

35. EFFECTIVE REUNIONS Overview What is an effective reunion?
What is the best time to address reunion?
What can we do to help the process?
What are some points of emphasis?

36. EFFECTIVE REUNIONS What is an effective reunion?
The process of reintegrating the service member and family back into a stable and “normal” period of one’s life.
Notice that a reunion is a PROCESS … not a specific act !! Sure reunion consists of a specific act but it is much more in-depth than that.
Why is this important?
- How well the reunion goes can often result in how well the
member readjusts back into a valuable member of the Air
Force.
Why is reunion such a tough phase of the deployment cycle?
- Lots of reasons which will be discussed later but one of the
big reasons is that it is probably the most overlooked.
The Bottom Line ….
- Family separation is a way of life for military families. Being
able to successfully conduct missions is paramount. That’s
why we’re here! It always ties back into READINESS !!

37. EFFECTIVE REUNIONS Reunions effect people ... Military Member Spouses
Children
Single Airmen
Co-workers
Brief overview of the different players.

38. MILITARY MEMBER & REUNION
Possible thoughts and feelings ...
Sense of relief
Proud of accomplishment
How spouse may have changed
How will the children react
Financial worries
Loss of importance to the family
Loss of freedom
Work reunion
Plus many more!
Sometimes member underestimates the effects of change. Often, the member believes things will be exactly the same as before they left.

39. SPOUSES & REUNION Possible thoughts and feelings … Relieved!
Proud of accomplishment
How they are perceived by returning spouse
Loss of freedom
How will children react
Stability of relationship
Possible resentment
Plus many more !
Lots of pressure …
They take over the family leader role without help from the spouse.
Single Parent, Money Manager, House custodian, etc.

40. Remember kids are still developing !
CHILDREN & REUNION
Possible thoughts and feelings ...
Happy!
Possibly resentful
Wonder if Dad/Mom will leave again
Clinging
Will want to “talk your ear off”
Worry about how things will change
Remember kids are still developing !
This reunion process with kids can be greatly enhanced by talking with them throughout the deployment cycle.
Often thought that kids just “roll with the punches”

41. SINGLE AIRMEN & REUNION
Possible thoughts and feelings …
Proud of accomplishment
Wanting to reestablish living situation
Financial Concerns
Social Life / Significant other
Work Reunion
Changes in friends
Often overlooked !
Married folks come home to their families …
Single folks come home to their dorm room …
BIG DIFFERENCE !!!

42. Possible thoughts and feelings …
CO-WORKERS & REUNIONS
Possible thoughts and feelings …
Happy … friend returns
Relieved due to more help
Possibly resentful
Feel under appreciated
Change in work roles
Personnel changes
Be aware of these !
People who remained behind felt a little left out of the glory. Long hours to make up for manning shortages contributed to stress.

43. Communication and Patience are the Key !
EFFECTIVE REUNIONS
Some things to consider …
Be Realistic !
Show appreciation
Respect changes
Allow for couple / children time
Reestablishing intimacy
Avoid the “Who had it worse” game
Communication and Patience are the Key !
Field of Lillies Analogy
Lawn Mowing Story
Checkbook Squabble
Everyone goes through the separation in their own way
Who had it worse … always good for an argument!

44. QUESTIONS

45. Force Health Management

46. POST-DEPLOYMENT HEALTH ASSESSMENT
PURPOSE:
Assesses any changes to your health that may have occurred while you were deployed
Determines the need for follow-up action

47. FINANCE

48. BLOOD DRAW