GALESBURG, IL (06/06/2011)(readMedia)--
WHO:• Illinois National Guard and the Yellow Ribbon program
WHAT:
• Yellow Ribbon Reintegration event for servicemembers targets veterans of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, but is open to all branches and all conflicts/wars.
• Event offers resources for servicemembers and their families following deployment.
WHEN/WHERE:
• June 11 Carl Sandburg College; 2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd. Galesburg 8 a.m.-9 a.m. registration; 9 a.m-4:30 p.m. event
WHY:
• Approximately 450 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers recently returned from a one-year deployment to Sinai, Egypt helping enforce a 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
• The Illinois National Guard's goal is to ensure every returning Soldier and Airman receives the training and care they need for a successful reintegration to citizen-Soldier.
• Representatives from several different agencies will be available. Some agencies attending include TRICARE (medical and dental insurance), Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Internal Revenue Service and Veteran's Health Administration. There will also be several workshops providing guidance and information on issues like marriage after deployment, finances, challenges Soldiers face reuniting with their children and using college education benefits. Counselors will also be available for private consultations.
• Recent statistics indicate only half of veterans that need help actually seek help.
• Approximately 35% of Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are married.
• Department of Defense (DoD) statistics reveal a 3.5% divorce rate for Army Soldiers following deployment, a statistic that has risen each of the last three years.
• Reintegration is a process that does not happen overnight. It can take several months for a servicemember to feel whole again following a deployment. This is why the Illinois National Guard is dedicated to helping its troops when they return from overseas.
• The Illinois National Guard was one of the first states in the country to start a reintegration program for their servicemembers, with the program growing exponentially since 2007.
• Reintegration events are held in all parts of Illinois so servicemembers do not have to travel far to get valuable information.
• Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are required to go to two events after they return from overseas.
• Events are open to any servicemember of any branch who recently returned from deployment or veterans that served in previous conflicts/wars and still need assistance.
Become our Facebook Fan!
www.facebook.com/
-30-
