Airman and Family Readiness Center begins move to Bldg. 3000

  • Published
  • By Gary Hatch
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Airman and Family Readiness Center and all its community readiness consultants will be moving from their current location in Bldg. 7020 to Bldg. 3000 over the next several weeks.

The move helps Edwards consolidate services in Bldg. 3000 and also helps the base meet its Air Force goal of reducing the base footprint. It will also save money by avoiding the costs of heating, cooling, maintaining and operating the current aging structure in favor of modern efficient space in Bldg. 3000.

Additionally, the office will be located in the hub of main base and closer to the Airmen's Dorms, which will provide easier access to airmen who don't own a car.

The move will be carried out in phases with Phase I under way this week.

"We will do everything we can to ensure that services and programs are not disrupted," said Claudia Stover, chief, Airman and Family Readiness Center. "However, locations for services may change as we make this transition so people should call our main number, 661-277-0723 to verify the location until the move is complete."

Stover's office will move with the first phase, as will the Casualty Office and the Disabled American Veterans Office.

Newcomers Orientation will be held Jan. 19 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Galaxy Room of the Conference Center.

The Spouses Newcomers Orientation will be Jan. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Raptor Room of the Conference Center.

There will be no Newcomers Orientation in February, but will resume in March.

Along with the move there will be some reassignment of duties among staff members. Services and points of contact follow.

Pre-Deployment briefings are Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Post-Deployment sessions are Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11 am.

Both will be held in the 95th Mission Support Group Conference Room in Bldg. 3000, second floor and people can sign up by calling the center at 661-277-0723.

Pre-Separation Counseling - which is required by law to be completed before military members separate from the service - is provided for through the Transition Assistance Program and will be held Wednesdays 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the 95th MSG Conference Room on the second floor in Bldg. 3000. The point of contact for those meetings is Glenn Arola at 661-277-8451

People can sign up or get more information on TAP - including the 3-day Department of Labor employment workshop - by calling Arola.

The military Family Life Consultant, which is handled via a 90-day rotating contract through the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is available by cell phone at 661-316-8401.Those interested in this service may self-refer. No records are kept of the counseling sessions, and the consultants are qualified to offer counsel in all areas of military and family life issues - relationships, deployments, marital, personal and more, Stover said.

After the move the center will set up an Exceptional Family Member Program resource area for family members with special needs. The area will feature information about resources and referral for assistance. For more information about this, call Tonya Eckles at 661-277-4709.

The lending library will not be available until after the move is complete, but he computers in the Discovery Center in Bldg. 7020 are still available for use from weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The center is closed the first Monday of each Month for staff training.

For Financial Readiness issues - budget development or budget analysis - and Air Force Aid or Falcon Loan Assistance people may call Linda Crump at 661-277-4662.

Key Spouse training will continue at a location outside the center. For more information, call Eckles. The Key Spouse program is used by commanders. Key Spouses serve as a liaison between the unit's leadership and the unit's spouses and family members. The A&FRC provides both initial and continuous training for the Key Spouses.

Spouse employment information and volunteer resource coordination are being provided by Crump, who maintains a distribution list for jobs and one for volunteers. As she receives information on a job or volunteer opportunity, she sends it out to all those on her list, Stover said.

Crump is also the point of contact for any organization that would like to have their volunteers recognized through base or A&FRC volunteer recognition.

The Women's, Infants' and Children's supplemental nutrition program will conduct a mobile clinic out of an RV in the parking lot of the old A&FRC, Bldg. 7020 Jan. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. WIC appointments are also available in the surrounding communities. Call WIC toll free at 1-866-327-3074.

The new Personal and Family Readiness NCO, Tech Sgt. Russell Villaflor, will be joining the A&FRC team Jan. 31.