Army Strong centers help families far from post - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Army Strong centers help families far from post

Laura Stultz felt “out of the loop” living far from Army posts during her husband’s Reserve deployments.

That feeling helped motivate Stultz, wife of Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, commander of the Reserve, to champion a network of facilities across the country that brings resources for Army programs closer to remote military families.

The Reserve officially opened its fourth Army Strong Community Center in Oregon City, Ore., on May 14 with a ceremony attended by the Stultzes and more than 600 soldiers, family members and community activists.

“Many Army Reserve families live far away from installations and don’t have access to available resources, services and benefits,” Laura Stultz said in an email to Army Times. “Studies have shown that face-to-face contact is often the desired choice, and most families don’t want to disclose personal information over the phone or online.”

The new facility on the campus of Clackamas Community College is nearly 150 miles from Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Tacoma, Wash., and expects to support roughly 4,000 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers living within the greater Portland area, home of the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade.

By the end of this year, the Reserve plans to unveil two more centers as part of the pilot program at sites not yet chosen.

Laura Stultz, an Army spouse for more than 35 years, said the centers should dot the nation like post offices.

Soldiers and families have most often visited the centers to gather details and ask questions about Tricare and dental coverage, education and veterans benefits, and the military legal system, said Lt. Col. Paula Jones, a Reserve spokeswoman.

Though services may vary by center, staffs are trained to quickly provide information to visitors and, when it’s needed, coordinate “prompt and appropriate intervention” for grieving families of fallen soldiers or soldiers reeling from post-combat stress, Jones said.

“We can very quickly connect them, refer them to the community, like social workers or behavioral health providers that are ready and standing by to support soldiers,” added Sonia Wriglesworth, director of the Reserve’s family programs.

No specific programs have been launched at the centers to reduce suicides, which increased in the Reserve and National Guard from 80 in 2009 to 145 in 2010. But, Jones said, “We know when soldiers receive support, those numbers go down.”

Efficiently connecting soldiers and family members to Army services by nature lessens stress for them and promotes stability, said Lt. Col. Maria Quon, a Reserve spokeswoman.

In less serious situations, staffs focus on in-person customer service, which is what Wriglesworth said families want.

“Families are telling us ‘don’t give me an 800 number, don’t give me a website until you provide that personal touch ... I need a person to teach me to navigate through these very complex military systems,’ ” she said.

The first center opened in Rochester, N.Y., in late 2009, followed by offices in Brevard, N.C., and Coraopolis, Pa., in 2010.

When choosing locations, the Reserve considers the concentration of soldiers and former troops in an area, an area’s proximity to a major military post and existing community initiatives for soldiers. A high number of retirees living near Oregon City played a role in its selection.

The centers don’t turn away troops or their families, even if they are sailors, airmen or Marines, said Stultz.

“Surprisingly, many members of our sister services are using our centers, as well as active-duty soldiers, veterans, retirees and families, and we are happy to accommodate their needs, as well,” she said.

Last year, the three open centers assisted about 27,000 visitors, an estimated half of whom were reservists and their families. The rest were associated with the active-duty Army, National Guard or other services.

“We are part of a network in the community to ensure we do our best that no soldiers or families fall through the cracks,” Wriglesworth said.