KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Tech. Sgt. Dishau JeanJacques, a member of the 403rd Force Support Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, became the 403rd Wing’s newest Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program coordinator Aug.15, 2018.
The program assists members and their families in preparing for deployments and adjusting to life in the civilian workforce post-deployment.
JeanJacques said she has a people-person attitude that makes her a good fit for the job. She partially attributes her sociability to being the child of a military parent and said she is excited for this new, rewarding position and the opportunity to help members and families of the 403rd Wing.
“I was really excited about this role because my background is in clinical psychology and counseling, so I am definitely a people person and enjoy helping people,” said JeanJacques. “As far as the reservists, being here to help them, and to help their families as well, is very rewarding.”
Established in 2008 by the National Defense Authorization Act, YRRP supplements Reserve and National Guard members with resources and programs to address challenges the two communities face, such as having less access to deployment resources than those on active duty.
The Yellow Ribbon program works with the Airman Family Readiness Center, Chaplain, Financial Management, mental health, FSS, Judge Advocate office and a host of other organizations to make sure Airmen and their families have what they need for a successful deployment and reintegration into civilian life.
“The Yellow Ribbon program is an outstanding program for giving members and their spouses the information that they need about all of the things that are available to them that can provide them support during their time of deployment as well as before and after,” said Col. Robert J. Stanton, 403rd Wing vice commander. “We had a pretty stringent selection program to make sure that we had the right person that could provide that support, and we think we’ve got it in Tech Sgt. JeanJacques.”
In addition to providing resources and information, JeanJacques said she is also in charge of tasks like getting care packages put together to send to members overseas to make their deployments less stressful.
The program also holds events such as the one that took place Sept. 15 and 16 at the Omni Resort in Orlando, said JeanJacques. They provide a comfortable, fun atmosphere for members and their families, while also taking care of business with two days of briefings.
Beyond the job description-like responsibilities, JeanJacques said caring is a major requirement for the job, and that she is willing to go the extra mile to make sure Airmen and their families get what they need.