Are you up for a challenge? Most all of us are Patriots at Heart as demonstrated by the num-ber of Service Members and military families that we have across the Nation. But did you know that there is more that you can do to help those that serve and their families here locally? The Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation, Inc, a nonprofit 501{c}(3) corporation, has been providing emergency relief assistance via grants or interest free loans to our Georgia Guardsmen and their Families since 2004. According to Ms. Harriet Morgan, so far in 2013 the Foundation has approved 276 applications in total amount of $ 262,007.00 with 9 applications in process! The current limit is $1200 for each loan or grant for one time emergency assistance. While other agencies are cutting support services due to budget cuts, there is a simple way that YOU can help! You can pick an amount and make it count! When you file your Georgia Income Taxforms,

Pick an Amount and Make it Count!

Directors Corner

I would like to thank everyone who works in J9 - Joint Family Ser-vices for your hard work, dedication, and kind hearts. Your work has not gone unnoticed by the chain of command and especially those you provide assistance to. As we enter the Christmas sea-son, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We will continue to strive for excellence in all we do to assist our Georgia Department of Defense family.

16 December 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1 Special points of

interest:

First Choice Veterans

Training Program p3

FRSA now apart of the

G1 p4

Youth Challenge Com-mencement Ceremony

p6

Inside this issue:

Happy Holidays! 2

Youth Programs 3

E.A.T. 3

FRSA 4

Making things

better...

4

Guess who’s re-

tiring?

5

Yellow Ribbon

Dates

6

~ COL Mark London

Focal Point

A Newsletter Production of the

J-9 Joint and Family Services Directorate

By: Melisa Dalton

...continued on page 5.

I love the little Christmas song, "It's

the Most Wonderful Time of the

Year." It reminds me of all the

things that make me happy during

the holiday season. Things like

"kids jingle-belling and everyone

telling you be of good cheer!" I just

want to burst into song! But I am

also keenly aware that it is the most

stressful season of all. Problems

like not enough sleep, not enough

exercise, too many commitments,

too much family, too many ex-

penses, and too much food, topped

with a big helping of unrealistic ex-

pectations about how perfect every-

thing should be can lead to despair!

However, even with the added

stressors, this can still be the most

wonderful time of the year. While

it is never easy, it is always impor-

tant to simplify. Try these small

adjustments and enjoy the beauty of

the season:

1). Look at your life and identify

the factors that cause your stress,

then brainstorm ways to eliminate

or at least minimize those things;

2). Reconsider your holiday decora-

tions. They are lovely, but they are

also a lot of work;

3). Make a realistic list of the goals

you need to accomplish...and stick

to it;

4). Get some help...friends and fam-

ily are often willing to help if we

are willing to ask;

5). Talk to someone. There are

times when we just need to slow

down for a moment and share our

feelings...it is a great stress reliever;

6). Don't forget to exercise, even for

just a few minutes each day;

7). REST!! I started with a song, so

I'll also end with one...God Rest Ye

Merry Gentlemen and Gentlewomen

alike! Rest is a gift that we have to

accept. No one can force us to do it,

we just have to embrace it.

I love what David said in the Psalms,

"I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you, O Lord, make me dwell in

safety." David said those words

when he was in fear for his life, and

he embraced the rest and the peace

that went with the declaration. This

holiday season I wish for you the

gifts of peace and rest and abundant

joy.

May God Richly Bless You!

CH Nelson

Happy Holidays Everyone!

“...the

most

wonderful

time of the

year.”

Page 2

“Rest is a gift that we

have to accept.”

of North Georgia (GING) who will implement this pro-gram and assess a candi-date’s skills and work experi-ence and place them with an employer in a 2 to 6 week, paid trial period with the anticipation of being hired long term. This is a great opportunity for Guardsmen To find out more about the First Choice Veterans Pro-gram and other resources, visit a Goodwill of North Georgia career center or at-tend an information session. Remember, to register with J9 Employment Services, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/gangjob and "Like" us on facebook (www.facebook.com/GeorgiaNationalGuard-

The Georgia National Guard J9 Employment Assistance Team in conjunction with the State Education Office is assisting service members and their spouses in their efforts to obtain employ-ment. Service members and spouses are provided with resume assistance like trans-lating military training and skills into civilian lingo, con-nected to employment op-portunities and job fairs, and much more. In an effort to provide more employment opportunities, First Choice Veterans is a training program that pro-vides intern-to-hire opportu-nities for veterans and ser-vice members. The J9 Em-ployment Assistance Team has partnered with Goodwill

JobAssistanceCenter) for the most recent listings of jobs and events! For more infor-mation, contact Lacy Turner at lacy.p.turner.nfg@mail.mil or 678-569-5781.

Employment Assistance Team

“...youth

leadership

team ...kicked

off our

program year

with a big

bang!”

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1

The Georgia Guard State Youth Council held its first quarter State Youth Council meeting on November 8, 2013 at Rock Eagle 4H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. We are excited about our youth leadership team as they kicked off our program year with a big bang! This year we are also pleased to an-nounce that we have college students who comprise our State Youth Council Alumni Chapter who were also present during the weekend’s meeting. Kirsten Morris and Austin Worden are former State Youth Council members who attended this year’s first quarter meeting. They provided training for our current State Youth Council members and have been active members of our youth program. Both college students regularly support Yellow Ribbon Events as well as other areas of our youth pro-gram. We are also proud to announce our newly elected officers; Tori Socia, State Youth Council President, Arial Jenkins, Vice President , McKenzie Kimball, Secretary, & Jayla Blakemore, Journalist. Our youth leadership team has already completed their first Youth Program Newsletter which

includes messages of encouragement and advice to other military children. The Georgia Na-

tional Guard State Youth Council has also made plans to actively support this year’s Yellow

Ribbon programming as well as campaigning to conduct community service that benefits our

Guard Family. We love and appreciate our Guard youth because they serve too!

YOUTH PROGRAMS By: Kara Coleman

Though Federal missions are

ramping down it is important for

the Commanders Unit Family

Program to maintain a function-

ing Family Readiness Group fo-

cused on the Steady State phase

of the AFORGEN Model through

FRG Meetings, Newsletters, Spe-

cial Events as well as clear and

concise Command communica-

tions.

Below are areas the Command

Team and the FRG volunteer

leadership, in conjunction with

the Family Readiness Support

Assistant can focus on to encour-

age Family Member participa-

tion and Service Member morale

while maintaining the Com-

mands Family Readiness mission

and goals.

Building interpersonal relationship skills

Financial skills

Maintaining a personal budget

Planning for the future

Reducing debt

Health

Getting and staying in shape

Annual check-ups

General knowledge of benefits that will be available if the Service Member is activated

Family Care Plans

Red Cross Notifica-tion Form and Process

Emergency Evacua-tion Plan (natural dis-asters)

“My Life in a Box”

Meet your FAS “Get to Know us, Before you Need us”

Information on

Benefits and entitle-ments

Military ID Cards

Military discounts

Military One Source

Chaplains Programs (Strong Bonds)

AFTB

J9, Joint and Family Ser-vices

Community Programs and

Initiatives for Military

Families

The FRSA Programs intent is to

foster continuity for the Com-

mander‘s Family Readiness Pro-

gram, operations, and initia-

tives. FRSAs primary objective

is to provide support for Family

Readiness Programs within

their assigned command by en-

suring an effective interface be-

tween the Command, FRG vol-

unteers, Family Assistance and

Joint and Family Services Direc-

torate. For more information on

maintaining a Unit Family Pro-

gram and building a functioning

FRG please contact your FRSA.

FRSA Contact information can be ob-tained via the Georgia Guard Family Program Website. http://www.georgiaguardfamilyprogram.org/common/custom.asp?PAGE=407

Sharon Coleman Senior Family Readiness Support Assis-tant Sharon.l.coleman.nfg@mail.mil BB) 404-309-6573

Family Readiness Support Assistants:

Steady State Unit Family Programs

Page 4

Our newest FRSA’s, Carla Boggs (FRSA, 201st HRF) and

Veronica Waters (FRSA, 78th AVN) participated in Wel-

coming Home the 201st RSG on Saturday 23NOV13.

By: Sharon Coleman

Attention: Effective December 9, 2014 the FRSA Team has been moved under the G1. FRSA phone & email information has not changed.

check the box to add your donation to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation, Inc (GANGFSF) to help. In 2005, Legislature approved adding a check box to the State of Georgia Income Tax forms. This continues to be a major funding source for the Foundation. In 2012, the Foundation received more than $66,000 from the tax returns. We challenge each of you to not only check the box for yourself, but see if you can get at least 9 people that you know to check the box as well on their Georgia In-come Tax Form 500. Even if it is only one dollar, $10 would translate to roughly

$100,000 with just 10,000 people mak-ing the commitment to help. Let’s see if we can make a difference in more peo-ple’s lives this year! So we ask, What are you going to do with your $1?

Many of you may not know it but our Deputy J9 Director COL

Dan Zachman will be retiring in January. He will have served over

33 years in the United States Air Force as an officer. We are so

excited for the new journey that he will embark upon yet saddened

that he has to go. The information for his retirement ceremony is

Pick an Amount and Make it Count! ...continued from front page.

Guess Who’s Retiring?

New Bullet Points for the NCOER and OER!

nating sexual harassment and assault and to foster climates of dignity and re-spect in their units, “said Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh. The October 22 MILPER titled “Changes to the Evaluation Reporting System in Response to Army Direc-tive 2013-20 give guidance to the assessment of Sol-diers. Previously, leaders had the option of counseling or not counseling Soldiers’ commitment or lack of com-mitment to preventing sex-ual harassment and assault. Now, that kind of counseling is a requirement, says David

Griffee, chief of the Evalua-tions Branch at Army HRC. He also says “that leaders at every level will be assessed on how they’re meeting the goals and objective to further improve the command cli-mate.” The point that is to be made is that the Army has always held Soldiers accountable when they fail to uphold a standard however; the new evaluation process is to hold them accountable for doing the right thing to ensure that they help to foster a climate of dignity and respect.

The goal of the Army’s SAPR Program is to eliminate sex-ual assault from the Army and its reserve components. To that end within the OER and NCOER, Soldiers are now evaluated on the com-mitment to ending sexual harassment and sexual as-sault. The Army News Service, Nov 7, 2013 reports that a Sol-dier’s performance in regard to fostering a climate free of sexual assault and sexual harassment will now be re-corded on their OER or NCOER. “Officers and non-commissioned officers must commit themselves to elimi-

Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 1

GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD

FAMILY SUPPORT FOUNDATION, INC. 1000 HALSEY AVE, BLDG 447

MARIETTA, GA 30060

678-569-5704 www.georgiaguardfamily.org

By: CW3 Valerie Thomas

Col Dan Zachman Retirement ceremony

Clay NGC Drill Hall

Friday, 10 Jan 2014, 1400

LTG (ret) David Poythress presiding

Reception/Party to follow at 1600

Cosmopolitan Restaurant (Former Spaghetti Warehouse)

Delk Road, Marietta.

Many of us make those money resolutions…”get out of debt”…”start a savings ac-count”…”buy a home”…”develop a sound fi-

nancial plan”…etc. How we approach and manage our household income, does, in fact, impact our quality of life. It deter-mines where we live, what we drive, where we vacation, what schools our children at-

tend, and so much more. It also has a significant impact on our family rela-tionships. Financial discord is one of the leading reasons for divorce – and one that can be prevented or elimi-nated if addressed early in the relation-ship.

Solid, well thought out, financial reso-lutions and action plans can make a difference in your life and family in 2014. Resolutions must be easy to un-derstand, attainable and measurable to have any hope of success. They must

be something for which we will be willing to endure the pain of change in order to attain. They must be personally important to us. Otherwise, the process of making New Year’s resolutions, is merely an annual celebratory exercise we do to bring in the new year – and little more. Financial New Year’s Resolutions that can change your financial direction:

1. Define your financial goals and ob-jectives

2. Develop a monthly spending plan to provide funds for your financial goals.

3. Pull and review your credit report on a quarterly basis to seek to improve your credit score and credit worthi-ness.

4. Develop a debt reduction plan that is built into your new spending plan.

5. Start a savings account – no matter how small it may be.

6. Commit to a financial education pro-gram that will provide a broad base for your personal money manage-ment.

7. For one month, write down every dollar you spend – it will provide a starting point for improved spend-ing and savings.

8. Enroll in TSP – either traditional

The Joint Family Support Assistance Pro-gram provides to you and your family, free and confidential financial management counseling to help you not only define your New Year’s financial resolutions, but, to help keep you on the path to financial suc-cess. Call today to schedule your appoint-ment with Lynda Smith – your personal financial counselor -- 770-500-7471 or lsmith1@mflc.zeiders.com.

Two things make money – people make

money; and, money makes money. Sched-

ule your appointment to learn how to put

your money to work for you in 2014.

Financial New Year!

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University

classes starting in January – contact

callie.e.leaver.mil@mail.mil if interested in

attending.

1000 Halsey Ave Building 447

Dobbins ARB, GA 30069,

The Georgia Challenge twenty-week program is a community-based institu-tion that aspires to reduce the number of high school dropouts, increase the quantity of productive citizens, and boost the perceived magnitude of educa-tion and life skills training among “at risk” youth. The program will have its Class 2013-04 Commencement Exercise on December 21, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Location: Macon City Auditorium

415 First Street Macon, Georgia. Attire:

Military Class A Uniform Civilian Appropriate Attire

GANG FAMILY PROGRAMS

PRODUCED BY 1LT EBONI WALKER

Youth Challenge Academy

Families First!

January 11-12, 2014 PreMOB January 18-19, 2014 30 Day & During

January 25-26 30 Day February 8, 2014 60 Day February 22, 2014 60 Day

Yellow Ribbon Program Upcoming Events

Serving the Georgia DoD, The U.S. Military, and our Veterans,

One Family at a Time.

We are on the web:

www.georgiaguardfamilyprogram.org

J-9 JOINT AND FAMILY SERVICES DIRECTORATE

“Military Personnel, Families, and Veterans First!”

The J-9 Joint and Family Services Directorate and The Georgia Guard Family Program:

Our directorate services the military community of Georgia, providing those services, support

and information that are vital to their care. Our staff is committed to providing the best care, in

a timely manner, and followed-thru to a successful conclusion so that Military Personnel, their

families, and Veterans in Georgia will have the resources, help, and information they need to

thrive.