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Reserve command wins family award

Members of the Army Reserve’s 108th Training Command (IET) have made it their mission to help soldiers and their families get what they need in their local area.

Every soldier and family has been plotted into a Geographical Information System (GIS), which shows their location in relation to other families as well as to services such as Reserve centers, Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System sites, and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

With 6,400 soldiers under its wing as the command expanded nationwide in October and an additional 4,000 to be transferred at a later date, the command launched a number of programs aimed at promoting family wellness and readiness.

For example, it has established “Fort Family,” a Web site that links families with local military and civilian resources as well as a virtual volunteer program that allows people to help local soldiers and families. These volunteers are also incorporated into the unit’s GIS.

For its efforts, the 108th is the Army Reserve component winner of the Defense Department’s 2007 Reserve Family Readiness Awards, which recognize the importance of National Guard and Reserve families.

The awards honor the Guard and Reserve unit from each reserve component that is judged to have the best family support programs.

In addition to the Army Reserve’s winner, the other 2007 winners are:

• Air Force Reserve: 944th Mission Support Flight, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

• Air National Guard: 144th Fighter Wing, Fresno, Calif.

• Army National Guard: 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Milwaukee.

• Coast Guard Reserve: Port Security Unit 308, Gulfport, Miss.

• Marine Corps Reserve: 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division, Chicago.

• Navy Reserve: Naval Air Systems Command (NASC-6066), Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

The awards were established in 2000.