Holiday Greetings Recording session

Team Osan,




An Army and Air Force Hometown News Service holiday greetings team will

setup here Oct 14-15 from 0800 to 1700 behind Turumi Lodge at the Lodge

pavilion.



The team will record individual 10 to 20-second greetings for the

holiday season aimed at family and friends back home. Anyone with a

family tie within the U.S. and its territories are eligible.



There are a few guidelines to make sure greetings are seen by family and

friends during the holidays:



1. Service members need to wear their duty uniform



2. Family members need to be with their sponsor, unless their sponsor is

deployed. If that is the case, the family member should mention that

fact in her or his greeting.



3. Family information is vital. Names of family members, their

relationship to you, their street address, city, state and ZIP Code, as

well as phone number needs to be included. Stations often let family

members know when the video will be aired, and in some cases, will

interview the family for

extended coverage. If you have family in a different area, you can fill

out a second card and send a greeting to that area as well.



4. Try to break away during off-peak times during the day to conduct

your interview. The team will normally be in an area throughout the day,

so try to avoid the "rush" times of lunch and after work.



5. When in front of the camera, reading a script is not necessary, but

it may be helpful to take a moment to plan out what you'd like to say.

The main points to get across include your name, your family members'

names, where you are stationed and who you'd like to send the greeting

to:



"I'm Staff Sergeant John Williams with my wife Kathy and sons Kevin and

David stationed at Osan AB, Republic of Korea. We'd like to say seasons'

greetings to our family and friends in St. Louis. Hi Mom, Hi Dad. We

love you, miss you and hope to see you soon."



The video and audio greetings are packaged according to geographic

areas, normally by state. In large states like California, Texas,

Florida and New York, stations will get greetings based upon region.

Stations normally air the greetings throughout the holiday season, from

Thanksgiving through New Year's.



Each greeting will normally play more than once throughout the holidays,

and usually on more than one station.



All servicemembers, their families and DOD civilians who will be outside

of the U.S. during the holiday season are encouraged to participate.



Reminders will be sent out as the event draws closer, but mark your

calendars now. For more information, please contact TSgt Stacy Foster or

Capt Matthew Stines at 784-4044.



V/R



Capt Stines



//SIGNED//

MATTHEW STINES, Capt, USAF

Chief, Public Affairs

51st Fighter Wing

DSN: 315-784-4044 COMM: 031-661-4044

COMM (From U.S.): 011-82-31-661-4044

Matthew.Stines@osan.af.mil

http://www.osan.af.mil/

Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol develops youth through self-paced study of the art of leadership. Cadets learn how to lead through formal classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Through a graduated curriculum, cadets first learn to follow, then to lead small groups, and ultimately experience command and executive-level leadership, earning cadet grade and honors along the way. Topics include how to think critically, communicate effectively, make decisions, motivate and manage conflict. Self discipline and teamwork are emphasized.  You must be at least 12 but not yet 19 to join as a cadet.  Questions?  Email: NHQ127@gmail.com

Online Courses: FREE!

It's a new year! Interested in taking some classes? Learning some new skills? As military members or spouses, it's not always easy. Click here to see free online courses available on education-portal.com. Osan is a great place to take some classes and put some of that time spent shopping online to better (and cheaper!) use. You can take everything from business to music classes, and everything in between, from many different schools.

Temporary Duty: Why Me?

It must be the holiday season because it's TDY time again. And this time, well, it's the same as usual. The house looks like a laundry bomb hit it as my husband "packed" for the trip. The kitchen shows signs of "going away" meals and the last bits of Thanksgiving clean-up. The kids are zooming around on the typical sugar-high and I'm on my own!

Sometimes I complain that I'm a single-parent at times like this, but this offends my husband. I suppose he has every right to be offended because it makes him sound like he's run off on an adventure without any care of what happens back at home. I understand that this literal fact is not true, but on the other hand, when the kids start throwing up, the homework needs to be done, the dinner needs to be cooked, professional responsibilties need to be tended to, the house needs cleaning, and the clothes are all dirty and need washing, for all intense purposes, it is true. I've got no back-up and, for some reason, TDY is often the time when the car starts falling apart or the kids need a middle-of-the-night ER trip. The main difference is that it is, thankfully, temporary.

As military spouses and parents, I think we do live a double-life. We have the life when our spouses are home and the life when they are gone. And, I think, they are two very different lives. Complete and incomplete. I stress out over upcoming TDYs and then stress out about settling back in when they are over. Just when you get the hang of things being one way, it's time for a chance.

While I'm amazingly blessed that Osan provides a unique support system unlike I've ever seen in my many years as a military spouse, the best support system in the world doesn't really change the fact that someone has to get up at three in the morning to change the sheets or if I'm having a spectacularly bad day, there's no relief and that can be a lonely place to be.

On the other hand, TDY time is also when we really find out what it means to be a support system. While we can't always fix every problem and be there for each other in the middle of the night, I know that, if I asked, someone would come and that helps. When I was talking to a new Osanite recently, she was concerned about what would happen if a medical emergency happened while she was so far from her family and I was able to say, without a second of doubt, that there would be help.

Sometimes I wonder how I can be so weak and dependant, then other times I'm amazed at how much strength I have at just "getting through". And, surprisingly, I do always "get through". Sometimes better than others, but always with new lessons learned and a new appreciation for the love and support around me.

Recommended reading: Military Life

If you're looking for books to add to your Christmas wish list this year, here are some great ones on military life that related to spouses and children in particular:

Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress by Mary Edwards Wertsch

I Love a Man in Uniform by Lily Burana

Standing By: The Making of an American Military Family in a Time of War by Alison Buckholtz

Or, put them on your wish list at Paperbackswap.com (PBS)! What? You don't have a PBS account? You are missing out! It's a great site for swapping books and the only cost is the media mailing rate, around $2 for an average-sized book. Go sign up and then post any 10 books you have lying around your house that you're willing to part with, or pick some up for a quarter at the thrift store, or for free at the swap shelf at the library. When you list ten books you're willing to mail to someone else, you get two free credits to order new-to-you books for FREE! Then, for each book you mail out, you get a credit for another one. It can take a while for books to get here, but when they do, it's such a treat! Check out PBS for links to CD and DVD swap sites too, and Bookmooch.com is a similar site you might also like.

Add your book recommendations to the comments!

Breastfeeding: Getting off to a good start

There's no question that breastfeeding can be a little bit tricky, especially in the beginning, but the bottom line is that almost everyone can be successful at it. You might have to look around a little, but there are plenty of helpful resources available right here at Osan. Here's how to get off to a good start before the baby is even born, and how to find help if you need it.

First, get a good breastfeeding book and read it before the baby is born so you have some idea of what to expect. There are some at the OPN parenting library at the community center available for checkout, and the Osan Breastfeeding Support Group has a bunch of great books to share, too. Email osanbfsupport@gmail.com to ask about their library. If you want to buy a book, 'So That's What They're For', 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding', and 'The Breastfeeding Book' are excellent choices. These books have everything you need to know to get started and address all the common problems new moms face. If you are having a problem, you can be sure that many moms before you have had them too, and almost any nursing problem can be solved. Most moms find that their problems are pretty much resolved and breastfeeding is going smoothly by about six weeks, so give it a little time!

When you get to the hospital, tell the staff you will be breastfeeding and that you don't want your baby to have any artificial nipples, formula, or glucose water. The 121 is pretty good about helping new parents out, and you can read a firsthand account of one new mom's experience here. If you are looking for alternatives to the 121, check out the 'resources' tab at Birthing In Korea.

Once the baby is born, try nursing as soon as possible. Newborns tend to have an alert period for an hour or two right after birth, and this is the best time to get started. Some babies will latch right on and never look back, but don't expect a lot right at first; some babies will just nuzzle or lick on the first try. To start, gently guide his or her head to the nipple while supporting the breast. The baby's mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip in the pouty position. If it hurts, don't be afraid to ask for help right away; problems are easily corrected if you address them immediately, but the longer they go on, the harder they are to fix. Probably the biggest worry most new moms have is whether the baby is getting enough milk. In most cases, the answer is yes. Click here and here for some things to look for to make sure.

Nurse on demand for the first few months. This means whenever the baby wants, for however long they want, day or night. Don't waste your valuable energy trying to get on a schedule. Babies often will drift into some sort of predictable schedule with little or no effort on your par, and if yours isn't one of them, you can tackle it a little later when you're getting more sleep. Avoid introducing a bottle or pacifier until nursing is well established, and skip them entirely if it suits you. Some babies will quickly develop a preference for an artificial nipple, because the flow is faster and takes less effort. If this happens, it can be difficult to reestablish nursing.

Korea is a great place for breastfeeding; you may have noticed nursing rooms at the shopping malls and rest stops, and you won't be made to feel uncomfortable nursing in public. If you're on any military base (or any U.S. Government facility of any kind) you are expressly permitted to nurse anyplace you are otherwise authorized to be, so nurse away! At Osan, moms often use the BX dressing rooms or the furniture department to nurse if they prefer a private area.

Contact osanbfsupport@gmail.com or join the yahoo group to find out about meetings and other resources. Here are some good online resources:

La Leche League

Kelly Mom

Breastfeeding in Combat Boots (especially for active duty moms)

Happy nursing!

Open letter to an Osan family

The military is a hard life. For the active duty member, for the spouse, and especially for the kids, who didn't choose this life. There are ton of generalizations you can make about military kids- some of them are positive, some are negative. On the positive side, they are great at making friends and adapting to change. You can drop them off in a foreign country and they'll fit in in a flash. On the negative side, military kids are often troubled by constant moves, loss of friends, absence of a parent, and fear of loss. To make matters worse, military parents may resist getting help for their kids, because they think it appears weak, because they don't realize there's a problem, because they don't trust military assistance, or maybe even because they're worried they might not get an overseas clearance for their next assignment. These attitudes are understandable, but potentially very harmful to our children and our families.

This afternoon, I chanced upon a kid peeing in the stairwell in Hallasan Tower. I was so shocked that he was able to take off before I could even figure out what to say. I didn't recognize him, and my efforts to identify him have apparently failed. I know he's not unique, because a friend of mine saw a kid relieving himself on a slide at the Hallasan playground a few weeks ago. Lest you think I'm overreacting, this kid was at least eight, and likely ten; not a toddler or pre-schooler who couldn't make it to the bathroom, as was the one my friend saw. Because I am concerned about these kids (and because I don't care to live in a place where I have to wade through human waste to get to the playground or mailbox), I'd like to share an open letter to the parents of this kid and other kids who are like him, who are showing signs that they are seriously troubled. If you think you might know who the kid is and just don't want to say, please at least reach out to the family and offer your help.

Dear Parents,

I'm worried about your kid. I saw him peeing in the stairwell, and that tells me he likely has a serious emotional problem. Maybe things have been slowly getting worse at your house for a long time, and now they've been so bad for so long that this seems normal. Sure, kids of all ages do all kinds of ridiculous, thoughtless and messy things, but acting out in this way is NOT normal behavior. Click here to see some of the characteristics of troubled children. They include inappropriate aggression, and peeing in the common areas of our community definitely belongs in this category.

If some of the signs look familiar (aggression, age-inappropriate behavior, deteriorating performance/behavior, attention issues), please seek help for your family right away. While it can be difficult to get the help you need here, there are things you can do. Family Advocacy has resources that can help, or look for some online assistance at Military One Source, or other online communities such as MilitarySOS.com. Talk to his teacher to see how he acts in school; maybe a counselor or school nurse could provide some help. Try the chapel or a pastor at one of our local off-base churches. Google for information, or order some books, or ask a trusted friend or family member to assist you. Don't be afraid to break the silence; the stakes are high, and your kid is depending on you to help him. Nothing is more important.

I'm not just a community member disgusted and annoyed by pee outside my door; I'm someone who is worried about your child. He is crying out for help. Please listen.

Anna, guest blogger

Osan AB loves comments!

Here at Osan, Services and the facilities love to get your comments, and there are online forms to make it super easy. Here's a list:

Click here to comment on Services facilities (Clubs, recreation, gym, dining, CDC, etc).

Click here to comment on the commissary.

Click here to comment on the BX or other AAFES facilities. Just click the little envelope icon on the upper left that reads 'email the gm'.

Click here to email (or call) the Commander's Action line. You can even be anonymous if necessary.

Click here to comment on the elementary school.

Click here to email the Principal at the high school. Just click on the link near the bottom of the page.

Help them out; let them know what you think!

Money Matters for Military Spouses

Many of us are military spouses and moms and lots of us stay at home, especially here at Osan where there are fewer options for paid employment. And that's a great choice for lots of reasons, but unemployed spouses can be at a financial disadvantage, particularly when the employed spouse is military.

Often the spouse of an active duty service member knows little about pay, entitlements, life insurance and other benefits or obligations, and these things can be challenging to figure out. We all know that decoding an LES or information provided by the military can be difficult, and sometimes it's not even accurate. Click here for military.com's guide to military pay. https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx is the military's myPay site. The site can be accessed with the active duty member's login ID and a six-digit PIN. The semi-monthly LES can be found here, as can the W-2 and other tax forms. Pay changes can be made through the site also: TSP contributions, exemptions, payroll deductions, direct deposit, savings bonds and etc.

Another potential disadvantage to the military spouse is the lack of a personal retirement plan. If you move from base to base, sometimes working, sometimes not, it can be difficult to amass significant retirement benefits. A Roth IRA can be an excellent choice for a retirement vehicle for a spouse. T Rowe Price and Fidelity both offer low cost Roth IRAs with a variety of investment choices. You can invest up to $5,000 per year (this year; limits will likely change over time) and many investment companies let you contribute automatically every month. Just sign up, pick a fund or fund(s) and forget about it. Or check into some other options, but do something for your future- Osan is a great place to sock away some money!

If you're interested in going back to school, the active duty spouse can now transfer his or her post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or (child)ren, or any combination. The total benefit is 36 months (4 9-month school years) of tuition, housing at the E-5 rate for the locality, plus $1,000 per year for books. The benefit can be split up however you choose, and active duty members can do it from work with their CAC- it just takes a few minutes. You can read more the details and rules here.

And that brings us to three D's we don't want to talk or think about: Divorce, Deployment and Death.

As military spouses, we are possibly more knowledgeable than our counterparts married to civilians, because almost everyone has been through at least one deployment, probably requiring us to handle the family finances whether we usually do it or not. Both spouses should be up to date on bank accounts, debts, investments and other financial information and have access to important documents and data. If you or your spouse is a little behind the curve, sit down together and make up a cheat sheet, just in case.

And what about divorce? It may not surprise you to hear that if you and your active duty spouse separate, the military will be of no assistance to you until a divorce settlement is finalized. If you are separated and your spouse won't give you any money, guess what? The military doesn't care. If you think you might be in this position in the future, make your financial preparations now: get a credit card in your own name, and start stashing away some cash. You may or may not be entitled to a portion of the military member's retirement, so if you are facing this possibility, get a good lawyer with experience in military finances.

You probably know that the active duty service member has life insurance coverage through SGLI. If your active duty spouse elects a beneficiary other than you, your permission is required and a notification is sent to you. Is the SGLI enough? Check out your other benefits and entitlements in this situation and look at your family's finances to decide if you would need more. What about the stay at home spouse? If something happened to you, would your spouse be able to afford to pay someone to do all the work you do every day? Chances are, if you have kids, coverage for you makes a lot of sense.

The bottom line is that a little bit of time and effort now will pay big dividends in the future- keep up on your family and personal finances!