KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Service members of Reserve and National Guard components face the unique military experience of reporting to their units once a month and two weeks out of the year to train to deploy and spending the rest of their time outside of the confines of a military base as civilians.
With that part-time service comes the challenges of not being fully immersed in the military community or surrounded by the resources the military provides before and after deployments.
To combat this accessibility gap, the Department of Defense’s Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program exists to promote the well-being of reservists, guardsmen, and their families throughout the deployment cycle by connecting them with resources at no cost to the service member or their family.
Tech. Sgt. Brooke Abusoud serves as the Yellow Ribbon representative for the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing and is responsible for ensuring deployers and their families know about and can attend YRRP events as well as working with other YRRP representatives to coordinate events.
“As the Yellow Ribbon representative, here, I am a liaison between deployed or deploying members and the program,” said Abusoud. “I also help other representatives from the other reserve wings plan the events. We do everything from coordinate resource representatives and speakers, to site surveys, to securing the catering for the events.”
Air Force Reserve Yellow Ribbon events take place all over the United States, from San Diego to Orlando, and are planned with family-oriented fun in mind.
“Each event is unique,” said Abusoud. “We try to plan them in places that have a lot of attractions, especially free or discounted for military members, for members and their families to enjoy outside of event hours and be able to destress.”
During event hours, members and their families have access to a host of classes and resources that not only cover deployment necessities such as legal actions, military pay, and medical benefits, but also resiliency-related resources to promote strong relationships and connections while a member is away or upon their return.
Abusoud said she took on this role because she worked near a former 403rd Wing YRRP representative, then-Tech. Sgt. Dishau JeanJacques, and was able to hear about all the places she was able to travel and the people she was able to help.
“I love people, I like helping people, and I like traveling to cool places, so I figured this would be a great job for me,” she said.
In addition to those reasons, Abusoud experienced the benefits of the program firsthand when she attended an event in Chicago in 2019 after a deployment. That experience made her realize just how valuable the program is and how much more it could have helped her and her family had they attended a pre-deployment event.
One reservist from the 403rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Master Sgt. Jeremy Nash, said he tries to attend as many events as he can, pre- and post-deployment, each time he deploys.
“Deployments come with a lot of unknowns,” Nash said. “What the Yellow Ribbon events provide for me is consistency and stability going into a deployment and then again, stability and decompression after a deployment.”
Nash’s third deployment is coming up soon, and he said he encourages his Airmen to sign up for the events, if not for the resources and education, then for the opportunity to go somewhere and spend time with their loved ones for a relatively low cost.
The next available event on the Yellow Ribbon calendar is scheduled for Dec. 13-15 in Orlando, and members can sign up here: Event Registration | DoD Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program – Official Site.
To be eligible, members must have been called to active duty in support of deployments for 90 days or more during a 24-month period, resulting in 50% separation from their support systems. Members can bring two guests, and any dependents count as one guest regardless of how many there are.
“Since I’ve started this position, I’ve received feedback from deployers who attended the post-deployment events saying they wished they had gone to an event beforehand,” said Abusoud. “When it comes to deploying and being away from your family for long periods of time, you don’t know what you don’t know. I encourage anyone eligible to sign up for pre- and post-deployment events.”
For more information on the program, eligibility, or to sign up for an event, visit the YRRP website, https://www.yellowribbon.mil. Members can also reach out to Abusoud via phone at 228-377-1276, in her office in the 403rd Wing Headquarters building in room 202, or via email at 403wg.yellowribbon.403wgyellowribbon@us.af.mil.