FRG Meeting

Dear Spouses and Family Members,

Please join us for a Family Readiness Group meeting at the Battalion Classroom on Monday, August 6 at 1800 (6pm).

This time together will give you a chance to meet your service member's coworkers and family members as well as the command team!  We will also have a Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) available to share special resources available to you as the loved one of a soldier.

 On the agenda for this meeting:

Introduction of Command Team and FRG Leaders
Unit Training Calendar
MFLC Presentation
Fundraising
Event Planning 
...and last but not least....PIE IN THE FACE!  (Please bring a couple dollars for a chance to put a whipped cream pie in the face of your favorite member of command or FRG leader!!!  Proceeds will be deposited into the FRG account for future activities.)

We want your ideas and input.  This is your FRG.  We are here to serve you and our paratroopers!  If we all work together, we will grow into a strong network of support.

We will also have potluck dinner.  Please feel free to bring your favorite dish to share!  Beverages and table service will be provided.

After the meeting, you are welcome to stay and help put together care packages for our deployed service members. :)

Hope to see you Monday!

Truly,
Michelle Davidson and Savoy King

Care Package for Our Service Members

Dear B Co Families,

We have approximately 20 service members from our company (as well as a few who do not have their own FRG support) currently deployed to Afghanistan.  Deployed soldiers deeply appreciate knowing that their sacrifices matter to us, and that we care about them and want their time away from loved ones and the comfort of America to be as pleasant as possible. 

Will you help?  :)

Our FRG would love to show support to them by sending packages filled with notes or children's pictures of thanks, snacks, games, puzzle books, magazines, other literature (check prohibited list to make sure what you are sending is allowed), toiletries that smell good (such as travel size Bath and Body works), etc.. We have male and female service members who will be receiving these packages.

Let's "spoil" these paratroopers who have answered the call of duty and would selflessly give their lives for any one of us and for their fellow service members.  Please do not feel that you must spend a lot of money on this.  If each person gives just a little, we will have more than enough!

Donations can be dropped off at the company through Monday, August 6. 

Below is a list of items that are not allowed.

Thank you so much for everything you do!  It takes courage and strength to live this military lifestyle.  It is also an honor.

Very respectfully,

Michelle Davidson and Savoy King

Prohibited Items:

A. Securities, currency, or precious metals in their raw, unmanufactured
state are prohibited. Official shipments are exempt from this restriction.
A1. Mail addressed to 'Any Servicemember' or similar wording such as 'Any
Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine', 'Military Mail', etc., is prohibited.
Mail must be addressed to an individual or job title, such as 'Commander',
'Commanding Officer', etc.
A2. APO/FPO/DPO addresses shall not include a city and/or country name.
B. Regardless of mail class, a customs declaration form is required for all
items weighing 16 ounces or more, or any item (regardless of weight)
containing potentially dutiable mail contents (e.g., merchandise) addressed
to an APO, FPO, or DPO ZIP Code. PS Form 2976 is required for items weighing
less than 16 ounces, and PS Form 2976-A is required for items weighing 16
ounces or more. No customs form is required for items weighing less than 16
ounces when the contents are not potentially dutiable (e.g., documents).
When the surface area of the address side of the mailpiece is not large
enough to contain a PS Form 2976-A, the smaller PS Form 2976 may be
substituted (e.g., the Priority Mail small flat-rate box). The following
exceptions apply:
a. Known mailers are exempt from providing customs documentation on
non-dutiable letters or printed matter. (A known mailer is a business mailer
who enters volume mailings through a business mail entry unit (BMEU) or
other bulk mail acceptance location, pays postage through an advance deposit
account, uses a permit imprint for postage payment, and submits a completed
postage statement at the time of entry that certifies that the mailpieces
contain no dangerous materials that are prohibited by postal regulations.)
b. All federal, state, and local government agencies whose mailings are
regarded as 'Official Mail' are exempt from providing customs documentation
on any item addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO except for those APOs/FPOs/DPOs
to which restriction 'B2' applies.
c. Prepaid mail from military contractors is exempt, providing the mailpiece
is endorsed 'Contents for Official Use - Exempt from Customs Requirements.'
C1. Obscene articles, prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc., and
horror comics and matrices are prohibited.
E2. Any matter depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual
items, or nonauthorized political materials is prohibited. Although
religious materials contrary to Islamic faith are prohibited in bulk
quantities, items for personal use of addressee are permissible.
F. Firearms of any type are prohibited in all classes of mail. See
definitions of firearms in DMM 601.12.1.1. This restriction does not apply
to firearms mailed to or by official U.S. government agencies. The
restriction for mail to this ZIP Code does not apply to firearms mailed from
this ZIP Code, provided ATF and USPS regulations are met. Antique firearms
are a separate category defined in DMM 601.12.1.1.h and ATF regulations;
they do not require an ATF form.
H1. Pork or pork by-products are prohibited.
M. Fruits, vegetables, animals, and living plants are prohibited.
R. All alcoholic beverages, including those mailable under DMM 601.12.7, are
prohibited.
V. Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) not available.

3BCT T-Shirts for Sale

                     Help support our Family Readiness Group!

                                                    

We are selling 3BCT tshirts, available in gray and navy blue, that can be personalized on the sleeve for an additional $5 per shirt. We appreciate your support!!

New event for our unit newcomers!  If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Ken Mehus (FRSA) at 432-7137 or at kenneth.w.mehus.civ@mail.mil

Please check out our new facebook page!  https://www.facebook.com/BCo3Bstb3Bct82ndAbnDivFamilyReadinessGroup?ref=tn_tnmn

Take Your Child To Work Day, Employment Assistance Seminar

Ft Bragg is providing FREE Developmental screenings for Family Members from birth to 5 years. 

Tuesday, April 17 -Nijmegen Neighborhood Center 9:00-3:00

Thursday, April 19-The Clubhouse at Linden Oaks, Cameron, NC 9:00-3:00

Screenings are done by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call the EDIS clinic at 907-7048 or 907-3347

26 April is the annual Take Your Daughter or Son to Work Day!  Please see attached flyer for more information!

This  month is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. FORSCOM is doing a "Pledge Commitment" to Eliminate Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault.  Attached is the flyer for the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Campaign.  10-13 April and 23-27 April from 0730-0900 and 1500-1700. The booth is located at the rear of the FORSCOM HQ building.  Please see attachment.

Employee Assistance Program Training Seminars

See below for information concerning the next two Employee Assistance Program work/life health training seminars, "The Three C's of Communication" & "Coping with Job Uncertainty."  Seminar flyers are attached for your convenience.
Date/Time:     12 April 2012, 0900-1030.
Location: Leader & Workforce Development Center, Building 2-2020,Woodruff Street, Fort Bragg, NC 28310.    
Audience:  ALL members of the Fort Bragg/Pope communities.
Seminar Focus:  This presentation titled, "The Three C's of Communication," will elaborate on the three "C's" of communication - to communicate, to collaborate, and to commit. Participants will also learn about the different aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication. 
Registration:  ALL interested personnel may register on a first come, first serve basis by calling 910-396-5784 or emailing lisa.m.taylor36.civ@mail.mil (seats are limited).

Date/Time:     26 April 2012, 0900-1030.

Location: Leader & Workforce Development Center, Building 2-2020,Woodruff Street, Fort Bragg, NC 28310.    

Audience:  ALL members of the Fort Bragg/Pope communities.

Seminar Focus:  This presentation titled, "Coping with Job Uncertainty," will teach participants ways to deal with potential organizational restructuring and job loss; how to handle the emotional challenges that can accompany these uncertainties and how to manage change.           
Registration:  ALL interested personnel may register on a first come, first serve basis by calling 910-396-5784 or emailing lisa.m.taylor36.civ@mail.mil (seats are limited).

FORT BRAGG OPPORTUNITIES

Sat - Apr 14
Ryder Spring Shoot Out -8:30 am shot gun. Ryder Golf Course. (910) 907-4653.

Fort Bragg 5 K Walk/Run -9 am. Hedrick Stadium. (910) 396-1217.

Doggie Daze -0900-1300. Please visit the Doggie Daze webpage for more information!

Sun - Apr 15
Sunday Buffet -10 am - 1:30 pm. Fort Bragg Club. Open to everyone. (910) 907-CLUB.

Mon - Apr 16

Dollar Days at Dragon Lanes Every Monday. Dragon Lanes. (910) 907-BOWL.

Mon - Apr 16

Family Advocacy Program - Parenting 1-4 year olds 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Feb April 16, 23, 30 SSC

Walking for Wellness -Mondays & Wednesdays, 1 - 2 pm. 5 Mar - 28 Mar: Engineer Trail. 2 Apr - 2 May: Son Tay Trail. 7 May - 30 May: Pope Airfield. For more information and/or to register, contact Teresa at (910) 916-9923. View flyer.
NPSP - Pope Play April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Tue - Apr 17

NPSP - 0-1 Baby Fun April 3, 10, 17, 24 Corregidor/Bougainville Community Center

Financial Readiness Program - Budget and Debt Management Class- 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  SSC

NPSP - Babies on the Home Front -Pope Family Center

Relocation Readiness Program - NEWCOMERS ORIENTATION AND BUS TOUR
Ardennes Community Center

When: April 17 Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

For more information call (910) 396-8682/8683

Attitude Adjustment -Tuesday Nights. 5 - 7 pm. McKellar's Lodge. 907-5253.

Employment Readiness Program - Sharpen your interview skills , SSC. Registration required for all workshops. To Register, call (910) 396-1425/2390.

Wed - Apr 18

Dollar Days at Pope Lanes - Every Wednesday.

Child Abuse Awareness Month Breakfast -0800-0900, LaFayette Room, Fort Bragg Club, with Dr. Thomas Phelan, bestselling author of 123 Magic parenting technique. Cost 9.25 for breakfast, free copy of author’s book to all attendees. Call (910) 396-5521 for information. View flyer for details.

Walking for Wellness -Mondays & Wednesdays, 1 - 2 pm. 5 Mar - 28 Mar: Engineer Trail. 2 Apr - 2 May: Son Tay Trail. 7 May - 30 May: Pope Airfield. For more information and/or to register, contact Teresa at (910) 916-9923. View flyer.

1-2-3 Magic Workshop by author, Dr. Phelan. 1800-1930, Memorial Hall, Soldier Support Center. Call 396-5521 for more information. View flyer for additional details.

NPSP - Best Start Breast Feeding Support Group April 4, 18, Main Post Chapel Annex located at Bldg 1-1309
Family Advocacy Program - Stress Management -9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. April 18

Wed - Apr 18 -- Thu - Apr 19

Employment Readiness Program - Federal Workshop I & II -SSC Registration required for all workshops. To Register, call (910) 396-1425/2390.
NPSP - Play Morning -Heritage Village April 4, 18

Local Events:

Pirate Fun Week -Tuesday April 10, 2012 - Saturday April 14, 2012 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
Spend your spring break at the museum having some fun with pirate activities. Until May 31st, the museum is hosting a small exhibit of artifacts from Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. Participants can make a pirate hat and a pirate flag to take home. On Wednesday March 11 there will be a costume contest. Voting will be done by visitors, and museum staff, and volunteers. A miniature Blackbeard will be hidden in a different place each day for visitors to find. This is our version of “Where’s Waldo.” Visitors can also win prizes for answering trivia questions and taking a scavenger hunt. Best of all, it’s all free.

Nature Tales at Cape Fear Botanical Garden -Saturday April 14, 2012 | Cape Fear Botanical Garden 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM

"Where the Green Grass Grows” - a story and craft time for Little Bloomers (ages 2-6), siblings are welcome. FREE activity in partnership with Cumberland County Library. Limit of fifteen (15) children per session. Call (910) 486-0221 x 27 to reserve your child’s spot for either the 10:30 am or 11:30 am session. Reservation is required PRIOR to attendance. www.capefearbg.org

March of Dimes at Methodist University-Saturday, Apr 14 9:00am at Methodist University,Fayetteville,NC

March of Dimes Walk-Reeves Auditorium, Apr. 14 Registration at 9 a.m. Race begins at 10 a.m.

LEGO Free Play!-Saturday, Apr 14 7:00pm at North Regional Branch Library, Fayetteville, NC

Children in grades K-5, let your imagination run wild with LEGO free play, as part of the NC Science Festival. Registration is required by calling 822-1998.

Cape Fear Heroes vs. Carolina Force-Saturday April 14, 2012 | 7:30 PM | Crown Coliseum

Don't miss the American Indoor Football League team action as the Cape Fear Heroes take on the CarolinaForce.

Fayetteville Farmers Market-Saturday April 14, 2012 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Fayetteville Area Transportation & Local History Museum

At the Fayetteville Farmers Market, you'll find fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, eggs, cut flowers, herbs, honey, crafts and more. So grab your family, friends or pets and come get some fresh local food!
3

Not Alone, Sittercity, Children's Fest, Purple Camps, AUSA Family Updates

 Children's Fest

The 20th Annual Children's Fest celebrating the Month of the Military Child is April 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds. The festival is open to the public and admission is $8, which includes all carnival rides and prize drawings.

Not Alone

My name is Keli Lowman and I am the Regional Director for Not Alone. Our organization provides free online, over the phone, and in person mental health care to military servicemembers, and their families. Along with family support we also encompass girl/boy friend, domestic partners, as well as parents.  Our referral service is very similar to Military One Source however our mental health providers are screened and must comply with training in the specialty areas of combat stress, PTSD, and PTSD with TBI.

 

We have created a clinician led spouse support group that will meet weekly on Fort Bragg, and I would be very appreciative if you could help me pass the word about Not Alone, as well as the spouse support group. If you have any questions or would like to talk further please do not hesitate to email or call me!

 

Attached is a quick snap shot of our services as well as the spouse group information sheet.  Thank you for your support of the fabulous men and women of Fort Bragg!!

 

Keli Lowman

910-728-5577

 

Not Alone  

 

Find Not Alone on Facebook   

The Operation Purple program is open to Service members from any military service branch (active or reserve component), the Coast Guard, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and their families. Summer Camps are open to military children ages 7-17, with priority given to children whose parent or guardian is or will be in a deployment.

2012 Operation Purple Camps

www.militaryfamily.org

The National Parks Service is offering an exciting opportunity for military families to spend time together and explore any of America’s nearly 400 national parks for free during National Parks Week, April 21-29, 2012. Access the “Find a Park” search tool to locate the park area closest to you.

U.S. National Park Service Find A Park

www.nps.gov

Need help finding a sitter?  Look no further!

Sittercity Childcare Program For All Service Members

www.sittercity.com

Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force Families - You now have a paid membership to Sittercity to help you find local babysitters and nannies.

AUSA Family Updates

Army Launches 12 New Apps 

The newly launched Army Software Marketplace prototype now delivers 12 mobile training applications for Soldiers to use on personal phones or tablets.  The publicly-facing apps, now approved for Army-wide use, are available online via www.marketplace.army.mil.  When fully implemented, the Marketplace will deliver web-based and downloadable applications to all devices approved for use within the Army’s Common Operating Environment on the Army network. 

Army Offers Summer School Option

 Registration is open for the U.S. Army Educational outreach Program’s ‘Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) program; which prepares middle and high school students in the studies of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  Each summer, students participate in week-long internships at Hood College or Hagerstown Community College while working within state-of-the-art science laboratories.  For more information and to register, visit the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program website at http://www.usaeop.com.

Military and Spouse Career Fair in D.C. 

All ranks of active duty, retired, former, and Reserve/National guard Servicemembers and their spouses, as well as government employees, are encouraged to attend a free career fair, hosted by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) with approximately 100 employers, career-development seminars, and onsite resume critiques in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.  The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (seminars begin at 8 a.m.) at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Hall D.  The center is at 801 Mt. Vernon Place, N.W.  For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org.  For more on this article please go to: http://www.military.com/military-report/military-and-spouse-career-fair-in-dc