Air National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program

Photos Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer Reecy, South Dakota Air National Guard Headquarters personnel superintendent, talks with unit members and their spouses during the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event at the Sioux Falls Convention Center April 11. The event came prior to deployment of Airmen from the South Dakota Air National Guard and was designed to prepare Airmen and their families for needs that can arise during a deployment. (National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Stewart/Released)
Yellow Ribbon Program provides information

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by Senior Airman Duane Duimstra
114th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

4/15/2015 - SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The 114th Fighter Wing Airmen and their families began preparation for the upcoming Pacific Command Theatre Security Package deployment by attending the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event held April 11, 2015 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

The YRRP was created in 2008 to provide service members and their families support and information during all phases of a deployment. During this event, the YRRP focused on information for the pre-deployment phase. Airmen and their families listened to briefings about specific topics such as finance, health care, and they learned about resources they can utilize if any problems arise during the deployment.

To help make it easier for parents, the YRRP provided a daycare during the event for parents who were bringing kids along. Parents dropped of their kids at daycare after registering for the event.

"Parents didn't have to bring the kids somewhere else, " said Michael Haugen, the 114th Fighter Wing air wing integrator. "If there was a problem, they were just across the hall."

Airmen and their family also participated in the Four Lenses class. Four Lenses uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality survey as foundation to learn a person's personality in a classroom setting.

"The Four Lenses class was to help Airmen and their families understand each other and have better communication, " said Haugen.

Approximately 240 Airmen and their families attended the event making it a success. It was the biggest YRRP event hosted by the 114th FW Yellow Ribbon staff to date.