AFMC Command News

Military OneSource: Additional help with everyday challenges now available

  • Published
  • By Darren D. Heusel
  • 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Service members are faced with the daunting challenge of balancing military life with family responsibilities every day. The good news is they're not alone in this endeavor.

Whether they're preparing for a new baby, looking for child care, experiencing the stress of deployment, changing of duty station, or simply looking for a good plumber, help with these everyday challenges and more are now just a mouse click away.

Military OneSource, available at www.militaryonesource.com , is the newest member of the military community support team that helps service members with everything from parenting and child care to addiction and recovery issues.

"We became familiar with Military OneSource because we attend conferences on the Family Advocacy Program and Behavioral Health every year," said Capt. Alexsa Billups, Family Advocacy Officer with the 72nd Medical Operations Squadron.

"Because this is an additional service to military members, we got notice on the program before everyone else did," she added.

The service, provided free of charge by the Department of Defense, is available to all active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel and their families, as well as retirees up to 90 days past their effective retirement date.

It is also available to parents of service members, who might have concerns about their son or daughter. There's no question too small, no issue too big.

The service, which Captain Billups referred to as "a gap filler," offers free advice on personal and family readiness, education, retirement, older adults, disability, financial, legal, everyday issues, work, international, managing people, health and emotional well-being.

Face-to-face counseling services by licensed providers are also available at no charge by calling 1-800-342-9647.
"With Military OneSource, there's no diagnosing and people can receive six free sessions no matter what their issues are."

All calls are answered immediately by a professional and, with Military One Source's multicultural staff, translation services are available in more than 150 languages.

"They'll talk to people about anything," Captain Billups said. "It doesn't matter. They don't make a diagnosis and all conversations are confidential except for those on PRP, the Personnel Reliability Program, which is a security issue affecting a lot of our Navy counterparts on base.

"Commanders of PRP personnel must receive notification when one of their members is receiving services," she said. "PRP folks should be aware of this already, so they shouldn't be too shocked."

Captain Billups said it's also important for service members to remember that regular services offered through the Family Advocacy Program are still available.