Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report

CONTENTSMESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

OVERVIEW: ABOUT THE YELLOW RIBBON REINTEGRATION PROGRAM

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

EVENTPLUS

BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON SERVICE MEMBER AND FAMILY READINESS

PROJECT Y.E.S! CADRE OF SPEAKERS

EVENT PLANNER TRAINING

IMPACT POST-EVENT SURVEY RESULTS AND UPDATE

YRRP LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WAY AHEAD

YRRP BY THE NUMBERS

FY 2017 YRRP EVENTS

2

3

5

5

5

7

10

11

11

12

12

13

14

20

21

22

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In establishing the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) 10 years ago, Congress recognized that National Guard and Reserve Service members face challenges throughout the deployment cycle that are uniquely different than those confronting their active duty counterparts. Most notably, National Guard and Reserve Component (RC) Service members often live far from military installations and other members of their units, diminishing their opportunities for support from military bases and personnel during each stage of deployment.

RC members are the backbone of our Nation’s military, comprising nearly half of our total force. We have relied on them to offset strains within the active duty force in support of combat missions abroad and will continue to rely on them in the years to come. Nearly one million Guard members and Reservists have deployed since September 11, 2001, with nearly 33,000 mobilized as of January 1, 2018.

RC members not only support combat operations, security, and humanitarian missions around the world, they also ensure our safety when unforeseen disasters and emergencies occur. Just this past fiscal year, RC members have responded to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, providing relief and emergency services to hundreds of thousands of affected Americans. Their compassion, professionalism, and courage continually

An Enduring Missionsafeguards our way of life abroad and at home.

YRRP addresses the challenges facing RC members and their families by connecting them with resources where they live and providing a network to support their unique circumstances. Through the program, they gain access to relevant information and resources, including family and marriage counseling, financial planning and education, small business planning, legal benefits, healthcare information, employment training opportunities, and veteran’s benefits education.

Between January 28, 2008 and October 1, 2017, YRRP pre-, during, and post-deployment events have supported more than 1.7 million RC members and their families. The Post-Event Survey data indicates that attendees overwhelmingly report the events as being helpful. In fact, YRRP events have received an 82 percent or higher satisfaction rate through fiscal years (FY) 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In addition, YRRP is continually evolving to address the changing needs of a dynamic and diverse military community.

These 10 years demonstrate the critical and enduring nature of the YRRP. This program remains committed to maintaining the readiness of National Guard and Reserve Service members, their families, and their communities to enhance the capacity and lethality of our nation’s military force.

Col. Donna McDermott, Director of the Office for Reintegration Programs

The Yel low Ribbon Rein tegra t ion Program (YRRP) i s a jo in t -Serv ice e ffor t l ed by the Off ice of the Ass is tan t Secre ta ry of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affa i r s and adminis te red by the Defense Personnel and Fami ly Suppor t Center ’s Off ice for Rein tegra t ion Programs (ORP) . In 2008, Congress d i rec ted the Secre ta ry of Defense to es tab l i sh YRRP in Sec t ion 582 of Publ ic Law (PL) 110-181 in d i rec t response to the Nat ion’s recogni t ion of the unique cha l lenges fac ing the Reserve Component (RC) communi ty. These cha l lenges inc lude :

• Unders tanding and access ing benef i t s earned as a resu l t o f ac t iva t ion

• Geographic i so la t ion• Dispara te or sparse access to mi l i ta ry fami ly

suppor t g roups in loca l communi t ies• Cont inued and repea ted deployments (as of Oct .

17 , 2017, 32 ,654 RC members were ac t iva ted , and near ly 960 ,000 had been ac t iva ted s ince Sept . 11 , 2001)

• Unemployment and underemployment of re turn ing RC members

Sec t ion 582 of PL 110-181 a l so d i rec ts YRRP to :• Provide educa t ion and ensure the readiness of

Serv ice members , the i r fami l ies , and affec ted communi t ies for the r igors of deployment

• Implement re in tegra t ion cur r icu lum throughout the deployment cyc le tha t bu i lds res i l ience for cur ren t and fu ture deployments

• Educate Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies about the resources ava i lab le , and connec t members to serv ice providers who can ass i s t them in overcoming the cha l lenges of re in tegra t ion

In FY 2017, RCs conducted more than 800 YRRP

Overviewevents , d i rec t ly a ffec t ing 91 ,232 Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies . YRRP has suppor ted more than 1 .7 mi l l ion Serv ice members and fami l ies s ince the program’s incept ion in 2008. YRRP’s cont inued dedica t ion to shar ing and eva lua t ing resources , too ls , and bes t p rac t ices in coord ina t ion wi th each of the seven RCs has led to an event sa t i s fac t ion of 82 percent in FY 2017 (see F igure 1) . YRRP in i t ia t ives cont inue to be deve loped and implemented through coord ina t ion wi th each of the RCs as they suppor t RC members and the i r loved ones throughout and beyond the deployment cyc le .

Figure 1: FY 2017 YRRP Event Satisfaction

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Air Force Reserve Service members and their families participate in a group exercise during a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event. (DoD photo)

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As emerging technologies cont inue to change the way people l ive , l earn , and work , YRRP is focused on improving program tools to enhance i t s o ffe r ings and capabi l i t i es . From onl ine reg is t ra t ion and au tomated agenda crea t ion to l ive-pol l ing and d ig i ta l in format ion and resources , YRRP is leveraging new and innovat ive technologica l so lu t ions to increase e ff ic iency and enhance event de l ivery, impact , and feedback .

Throughout FY 2017, YRRP worked hand- in-hand wi th the RCs to deve lop new tools suppor t ing EventPLUS, YRRP’s onl ine event management so lu t ion . Some of the key EventPLUS updates inc lude :

• SMS Live-Pol l ing: SMS Pol l ing i s an in te rac t ive pol l ing too l us ing tex t messaging technology to gauge the audience’s knowledge on key top ics jus t before and af te r the event . This too l a l lows YRRP and the RCs to be t te r unders tand needs , and subsequent ly de l iver re levant conten t to address tha t need . SMS l ive-pol l ing promotes in te rac t iv i ty among RC members and the i r fami ly whi le provid ing rea l - t ime feedback to event p lanners dur ing an event .

• SMS Breakout Evaluat ions: SMS Breakout Evalua t ions use two-way SMS technologies to so l ic i t quant i ta t ive and qua l i ta t ive feedback quick ly f rom event a t tendees . This reduces the t ime i t t akes the par t ic ipants to comple te paper-

EventPLUS

based surveys and reduces pr in t ing requi rements .• Agenda Bui lder: This too l provides YRRP s ta ff wi th the

ab i l i ty to publ i sh and pr in t a s tandard ized event agenda bookle t for par t ic ipants , t a i lo red spec i f ica l ly for each event and RC. The pr in ted agenda bookle t wi l l soon have a companion onl ine vers ion for anyt ime, anywhere access by RC members and the i r gues ts before or dur ing an event .

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Beyond the Yel low Ribbon (BYR) suppor ts programs tha t a re in tended to provide c r i t i ca l ou t reach and re in tegra t ion serv ices to RC members and the i r fami l ies . BYR funding i s provided through a year- to-year appropr ia t ion approved by Congress . BYR is essent ia l for bu i ld ing and main ta in ing a myr iad of loca l ly-based programs tha t bu i ld sus ta inable communi ty suppor t ne tworks and connec t and coord ina te organiza t ions , agencies , and companies to provide resources and suppor t to RC Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies .

In FY 2017, these programs suppor ted RC members re turn ing f rom deployment through a var ie ty of much-needed serv ices , such as employment counse l ing , behaviora l hea l th counse l ing , and su ic ide prevent ion . These serv ices were deve loped and used across 15 s ta tes , Cal i forn ia , Colorado , F lor ida , Georg ia , Ind iana , Kansas , Nevada , New Hampshi re , Nor th Caro l ina , Ohio , Oregon, South Caro l ina , Tennessee , Vermont , and Washington .

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

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Members of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs supports a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event. (DoD photo)

A Reserve Service member interacts with a resource provider during a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event. (DoD photo)

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Service Member and Fami ly Readiness (SMFR) i s an ac t iv i ty wi th in ORP tha t promotes and synthes izes mi l i ta ry fami ly readiness , communi ty capac i ty bui ld ing , and psychologica l hea l th programs tha t prepare and enable RC members and the i r fami l ies to e ffec t ive ly naviga te the cha l lenges of mi l i ta ry serv ice .

In FY 2017, SMFR advanced severa l in i t ia t ives enhancing the readiness and res i l iency of RC Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies th rough out reach , advocacy, awareness , and access to needed serv ices :

• Fac i l i t a ted the f ina l year of the Counci l on Accredi ta t ion (COA) Fami ly Programs cont rac t . COA is a na t iona l accredi t ing “ th i rd-par ty” body tha t formal ly eva lua tes , ver i f ies , and va l ida tes mi l i ta ry and fami ly serv ice programs and providers aga ins t r ig id Depar tment of Defense (DoD) and serv ices accredi ta t ion s tandards . To da te , 62 Nat iona l Guard and Army Reserve programs represent ing 641 s i tes have been accredi ted , wi th e ight Nat iona l Guard programs and 55 s i tes remain ing to be accredi ted before the program ends in September, 2018

• P lanned , organized , and implemented the 2016 Reserve Fami ly Readiness Awards Ceremony, recogniz ing the top uni t in each of the seven RCs for innovat ive fami ly readiness e ffor t s suppor t ing uni t miss ion readiness . The award program, hos ted by the Ass is tan t Secre ta ry of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affa i r s , p romotes Serv ice exce l lence , bu i lds s t rength in uni t - leve l fami ly readiness e ffor t s , and he lps ensure the deployment and miss ion readiness of Nat iona l Guard and Reserve uni t s

Service Member and Family Readiness• Par t ic ipa ted in numerous DoD and o ther working groups

to ensure fami ly readiness programs effec t ive ly met the unique immedia te and long- te rm needs of RC members and the i r fami l ies . Team members ident i f ied and provided a recommendat ion to cor rec t a def ic iency re la ted to the “opt -in” da te for Nat iona l Guard and Reserve dr i l l s ta tus off icers in the Blended Ret i rement Sys tem (BRS) , ensur ing a l l newly accessed Nat iona l Guard and Reserve off icers had fu l l oppor tuni ty to eva lua te and se lec t the i r BRS opt ions

• Conducted research and provided re fer ra l contac t in format ion tha t he lped ensure appropr ia te use of evacuat ion ass i s tance funds by the Nat iona l Guard a f te r Hurr icanes I rma and Mar ia . To he lp ensure RC members and the i r fami l ies had the fu l les t and most immedia te access to informat ion spec i f ic to the Nat iona l Guard and Reserves , the SMFR s ta ff eva lua ted the Mi l i ta ry OneSource be ta webs i te , and recommended the es tab l i shment of a “Guard & Reserve” but ton to provide “one-s top shopping” for RC-unique informat ion

• Par t ic ipa ted in the DoD Tota l Force F i tness Capabi l i t i es Based Assessment and numerous o ther wel lness programs, provid ing perspec t ive and recommendat ions to be t te r respond to d i ffe rences in duty s ta tus , geographic separa t ion f rom uni t s , and o ther un ique psychologica l and behaviora l hea l th needs of Nat iona l Guard and Reserve Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies

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Matthew Dubois, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Integration, addresses attendees and awardees during the 2016 Reserve Family Readiness Award ceremony on March 24, 2017.

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Children of Air Force Reservists attend a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event. Yellow Ribbon events allow youngsters to interact with other children experiencing the void left when a parent departs for a military deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota)

Erica Pullen, Project Youth Extension Service support staff, and Kelsey Roach, Project YES team lead, both center, pose for a photo with children under their care during a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event. Both Pullen and Roach were once military dependents and use their experiences and education to help children of deploying Airmen receive resources to help get them through their parent’s deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota)

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Projec t Youth Extens ion Serv ice (YES) i s a na t iona l se rv ice program engaging co l lege s tudents in serv ice to meet the needs of mi l i ta ry fami l ies fac ing deployment . Spec i f ica l ly, Pro jec t YES expands the youth resources of YRRP and provides oppor tuni t ies for s tudents to g ive back to the i r communi t ies and count ry through a year of se rv ice whi le rece iv ing academic c red i t . S tudents who become Pro jec t YES s ta ff in te rns rece ive f i r s t -c lass youth deve lopment educa t iona l and fac i l i t a t ion sk i l l s , as wel l as ga in va luable exper ience in program management . Wi th these sk i l l s , in te rns t rave l the na t ion de l iver ing spec ia l ized youth deve lopment programs to ch i ldren and youth of deployed fami ly members . To da te , Pro jec t YES has produced 120 in te rns who have served more than 21 ,000 youth in 49 s ta tes , 4 U.S . te r r i to r ies , and Germany (see F igure 3) .

Project Y.E.S!

Figure 2: Annual Attendance and Annual Events, Project YES.

Figure 3: Youth Evaluation/Youth Satisfaction, Project YES.

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Cadre of SpeakersIn an e ffor t to increase s tandard iza t ion and cons is tency of

program de l ivery across the RCs, YRRP conducted an event p lanner t ra in ing in Denver, Colorado , Ju ly 19-21 . More than 45 event p lanners represent ing a l l the RCs par t ic ipa ted in the three-day event .

Event p lanners were pa i red wi th members of the Cadre of Speakers who fac i l i t a ted tab le- top d iscuss ion and ac t iv i t ies , and subjec t mat te r exper t s de l ivered t ra in ing br ie fs on a var ie ty of top ics , such as EventPLUS, SMS l ive-pol l ing , and agenda development .

The event a l so offe red an oppor tuni ty for event coord ina tors to deve lop wider ne tworks of suppor t among the RCs in a t tendance , as wel l as the chance to par t ic ipa te in a “Frequent ly Encountered Problems” sess ion where a t tendees shared the i r exper ience overcoming event coord ina t ion cha l lenges .

Event Planner TrainingThe Cadre of Speakers (Cadre) i s compr ised of a pool of h ighly

e ffec t ive and qua l i f ied presenters and fac i l i t a tors who de l iver DoD curr icu lum a t YRRP events . The Cadre began in FY 2010 in order to ass i s t RC t ra in ing , event p lanning , and cur r icu lum requi rements . In FY 2017 a lone , the Cadre suppor ted 366 YRRP events , impact ing an es t imated 75 ,000 RC members and the i r fami l ies .

Members of the Cadre undergo t ra in ing in present ing DoD-approved cur r icu lum to RC members and the i r fami l ies pr ior to deployment , dur ing deployment , and upon the i r t rans i t ion f rom deployment to the i r c iv i l ian l ives . Curr icu lum presenta t ion top ics inc lude menta l hea l th , su ic ide awareness , f inanc ia l l i t e racy, s t ress reduct ion , t raumat ic bra in in jury, pos t - t raumat ic s t ress , and o ther subjec t -a reas represent ing the most s ign i f icant cha l lenges a ffec t ing the RCs. Equal ly impor tan t , the Cadre ass i s t s YRRP in rev iewing , ed i t ing , and developing new cur r icu lum based on a t tendee feedback , co l lec t ing cur r icu lum and break-out sess ion surveys for program enhancement , and par t ic ipa t ing in event p lanner t ra in ing events in order to s tandard ize and improve YRRP program de l ivery across the RCs.

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YRRP cont inues a co l labora t ive re la t ionship wi th the DoD’s Off ice of People Analy t ics and the Clear inghouse for Mi l i ta ry Fami ly Readiness a t Penn Sta te (Clear inghouse) to co l lec t and ana lyze da ta . YRRP is s imul taneous ly co l labora t ing wi th the RCs to improve program evalua t ion techniques , enhance da ta in tegra t ion , and address the needs and feedback of RC members and the i r loved ones .

Whether pre- , dur ing , or pos t -deployment , YRRP dis t r ibu tes and co l lec ts surveys to capture a t tendee feedback immedia te ly fo l lowing an event . The da ta co l lec ted f rom the Pos t -Event Survey he lps to ana lyze the impact YRRP has on RC members and the i r fami l ies . This da ta i s a c r i t i ca l too l used to cont inua l ly improve program offer ings , cur r icu lum, and ava i lab le resources .

Measur ing learn ing ga ins examines whether the informat ion and resources presented a t YRRP events a re re levant and usefu l to a t tendees . More impor tan t ly, measur ing the learn ing ga ins of Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies who a t tend mul t ip le YRRP events demonst ra tes sus ta ined benef i t s o f the program. As seen in F igure 4 , 55 percent of Serv ice members and fami l ies who have a t tended 5 or more events s t i l l repor ted learn ing someth ing usefu l in a t l eas t two ca tegor ies , such as f inance , employment , l ega l , medica l , menta l hea l th , communica t ion , and Veterans Affa i r s .

Post-Event Survey Results & Update

IMPACT

Figure 4: FY 2017 YRRP Reported Learning Gains

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Longitudinal StudiesYRRP has ye t to fo l low and t rack a t tendees throughout the i r

deployment exper ience , as i t re l ies heavi ly on da ta ga thered f rom a t tendee surveys adminis te red dur ing events . To address th i s l imi ta t ion in unders tanding program impact , the Uni ted S ta te Navy Reserve (USNR) and the Uni ted S ta tes Army Reserve (USAR) are par t ic ipa t ing in longi tudina l s tud ies des igned to assess the wel l -be ing of YRRP a t tendees a t p re- , dur ing , and pos t -deployment .

The goa l of these s tud ies i s to assess RC members and the i r fami l ies in the a reas of coping , f inanc ia l wel l -be ing , re la t ionships and communica t ion , res i l ience , soc ia l suppor t , and t rans i t iona l s t ress . These ident i f ied a reas of in te res t d i rec t ly a l ign wi th YRRP’s miss ion and publ ic law.

Another key fea ture of the Pos t -Event Survey i s i t s ab i l i ty to measure and ana lyze the benef i t s RC members and the i r fami l ies repor t f rom a t tending YRRP events ( see F igure 5) . These outcomes a re essent ia l to measur ing YRRP’s impact on re ten t ion , s t ress management , ne tworking , communica t ion , and deployment and re in tegra t ion preparedness . This in format ion provides an in i t ia l assessment of successfu l e ffor t s and informs program changes to sus ta in YRRP’s ongoing impact .

Figure 5: FY 2017 Reported Benefits of YRRP Event Attendance

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The Army Nat iona l Guard (ARNG) has cont inued to bui ld the foundat ion focused on sus ta inabi l i ty. The ARNG YRRP team has implemented a YRRP Scorecard wi th the goa l of enforc ing and encouraging compl iance of s tandard opera t ing procedures (SOPs) . From a prac t ica l s tandpoin t , the YRRP Scorecard provides benef ic ia l da ta and met r ics for the moni tor ing and eva lua t ion component of the ARNG YRRP program. With a so l id foundat ion f ina l ly put in p lace , the ARNG is now opt imis t ica l ly looking toward 2018 and beyond.

S temming f rom af te r-ac t ion repor t s , there i s increased sa t i s fac t ion wi th TRICARE and res i l iency breakout sess ions . L ikewise , the cons is ten t use of the Cadre of Speakers genera tes pos i t ive feedback f rom event a t tendees . The ARNG also repor ted successes wi th the implementa t ion of “Ques t ion and Answer” sess ions wi th fami l ies dur ing events to c lear-up poss ib le miscommunica t ions . Las t ly, the ARNG in Nevada crea ted and implemented the f i r s t “ in-progress repor t ,” an in i t ia l log is t ica l meet ing wi th vendors to ensure e ff ic ien t coord ina t ion throughout the event .

Army National Guard

Service Accomplishments

The USAR YRRP cont inued i t s pursu i t to es tab l i sh the most impact fu l and most e ff ic ien t de l ivery of se rv ices to i t s Sold ie rs and fami ly members . As par t o f th i s e ffor t , the USAR YRRP comple ted a year long program-redes ign pro jec t . The redes ign focused pr imar i ly on the s tandard iza t ion of severa l c r i t i ca l a reas of the program. Those a reas inc luded event p lanning and execut ion procedures , course cur r icu lum and conten t de l ivery methods , and program evalua t ion techniques . As par t o f th i s redes ign , the format for hos t ing mul t ip le phased events was changed . The Army Reserve Command’s Mobi le Tra in ing Team began conduct ing a l l p re-deployment and dur ing deployment event phases separa te f rom pos t -deployment event phases . The four Army Reserve Readiness Div is ions now hos t on ly pos t -deployment phases a t event venues .

The USAR YRRP, a long wi th the DoD and the Clear inghouse , conducted a Longi tudina l Impact S tudy on an USAR uni t tha t deployed in FY 2016. The purpose for th i s s tudy was to eva lua te the impact and re levancy of the informat ion and resources provided to our Sold iers and fami ly members throughout the i r deployment . The s tudy involved the observa t ion of the USAR uni t members and anyone tha t may have been impacted by the uni t ’s deployment , inc luding the rear de tachment , members tha t d idn’t deploy, and fami ly members or any o ther des igna ted ind iv idua l ident i f ied by the Sold ier, regard less of whether YRRP events were a t tended . A cus tom survey was deve loped wi th the Clear inghouse , and a l l e l ig ib le par t ic ipants were provided an oppor tuni ty to par t ic ipa te dur ing each event phase . This s tudy wi l l a l low the USAR to measure the impact of YRRP on indiv idua ls as they progress through each phase of deployment and re in tegra t ion .

Army Reserve

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The Mar ine Corps Reserve (MCR) cont inues to succeed due to Commanders ’ f lex ib i l i ty in conduct ing YRRP events based on the needs of the uni t . YRRP is a too l for Commanders to address the cha l lenges and i ssues fac ing Mar ines , Sa i lors , and the i r fami l ies . The YRRP works in par tnersh ip wi th o ther Mar ine Corps programs. In addi t ion to YRRP events , o ther innovat ive methods for program de l ivery have been des igned to meet the ind iv idua l needs of Serv ice members and fami ly, inc luding webinars and one-on-one personal ized br ie fs th rough our Fami ly Readiness Off icers ass igned to each uni t .

The MCR YRRP cont inues to rece ive pos i t ive comments and in te res t f rom i t s Serv ice members and fami l ies . The program successfu l ly ga thered sa t i s fac t ion informat ion f rom pos t -event surveys , repor t ing tha t 82 percent of a t tendees would recommend YRRP events to o thers and 86 percent fe l t be t te r prepared for the next phase of deployment . The MCR is commit ted to program improvement by increas ing the use of EventPLUS to t rack event a t tendance , increas ing the cons is tency of event eva lua t ions to improve da ta co l lec t ion and ana lys i s , and increased emphas is on de l iver ing qua l i ty YRRP events to improve a t tendee exper ience .

Marine Corps ReserveWith an emphas is on s tandard iza t ion , the Navy Reserve YRRP

cont inued to provide t imely suppor t for i t s Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies th roughout the deployment cyc le dur ing FY 2017.

• The Navy Reserve YRRP provided Deployment Readiness Tra in ing (DRT) and Return ing Warr ior Workshop (RWW) t ra in ing and suppor t se rv ices to 3 ,555 warr iors and gues ts in FY 2017. DRT a t tendance in par t icu lar, saw an increase of 6 percent in FY 2017. This i s a t t r ibu ted to a s teady demand for mobi l iza t ions and pol icy enforcement of mandatory DRT a t tendance for mobi l iz ing personnel .

• E lec t ronic DRT/Pre-Mobi l iza t ion – In FY 2017, the Navy Reserve approved the use of v i r tua l t ra in ing v ia Jo in t Knowledge Onl ine to supplement the robus t schedule of deployment readiness t ra in ing events scheduled throughout the year in each of the reg ions . This new t ra in ing opt ion increases f lex ib i l i ty in t ra in ing de l ivery methods for the impacted commands and deploying warr iors , whi le s t i l l ensur ing opt imal deployment preparedness .

• The Indiv idua l Augmentee ( IA) Longi tudina l S tudy – The s tudy began in FY 2017 and i s expec ted to conclude in FY 2019. The u l t imate goa l of the USNR IA Longi tudina l S tudy i s to assess the wel fare of USNR-aff i l i a ted IAs and the i r fami ly members throughout the deployment cyc le . Key focus a reas inc lude coping , f inanc ia l wel l -be ing , re la t ionships /communica t ion , res i l ience , soc ia l suppor t , and t rans i t iona l s t ress .

Navy Reserve

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Puerto Rico Army National Guard soldiers continue efforts of distributing much-needed supplies to communities around the Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Cidra, Puerto Rico, Nov 27, 2017. (Puerto Rico Army National Guard photo by Spc. Hamiel Irizarry)

Members of the National Guard delivered bottled water, tarps, and medical supplies to more than 20 families in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico on Nov. 13, 2017. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Patrick Cordova)

Senior Airman Stephanie Stanard, Air Ground Equipment (AGE) specialist poses for a photo Feb. 23, 2018, at the 179th Airlift Wing, Mansfield, Ohio. Stanard is part of a growing number of female Airmen in male-dominated career fields. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joe Harwood)

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The Air Force Reserve (AFR) he ld 48 pre- , pos t -1 and pos t -2 events educa t ing 2 ,219 Serv ice members and 3 ,471 fami ly members , as wel l as conduct ing more than 5 ,000 personal touches to fami ly members dur ing the i r Serv ice member ’s deployment in FY 2017.

The AFR is p ioneer ing SMS-tex t message feedback , revea l ing a t tendee learn ing dur ing YRRP events . From th is feedback , the AFR YRRP has found tha t Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies a t tending four or more events—compris ing 55 percent of YRRP event a t tendees—cont inue to make learn ing ga ins in two or more educa t iona l domains (communica t ions , f inances , VA, TRICARE, e tc . ) . Addi t iona l ly, surveys rece ive a 75 percent response ra te , and 95 percent of AFR members and those tha t suppor t them repor t they a re more wi l l ing to cont inue the i r mi l i ta ry serv ice because of the i r a t tendance a t AFR YRRP events .

The AFR cont inues to meet the needs of Ai rmen and the i r fami l ies .

Air Force ReserveThe Air Nat iona l Guard (ANG) expanded Yel low

Ribbon Suppor t Spec ia l i s t s (YRSSs) to a l l 91 wings throughout the 54 s ta tes and te r r i to r ies . YRSSs are working to improve the ava i lab i l i ty of resources and de l ivery of YRRP events . The management team focused on updat ing the ANG t ra in ing p lan to inc lude EventPLUS, funding form guide l ines and t imel ines , and working wi th cont rac t ing off ices a t each wing . The ANG a lso focused on fur ther deve lopment of a compl iance t racking sys tem tha t he lps YRSSs t rack ind iv idua ls who are requi red to a t tend pre- and pos t -YRRP events . In addi t ion , Yel low Ribbon s ta ff have begun us ing uni form agenda bui lder templa tes and crea t ing cur r icu lum bui lder spreadshee ts to a id in the deve lopment of robus t agendas wi th breakout op t ions to maximize a t tendee se lec t ions .

The ANG a lso began serv ing ANG wings conduct ing the Remote ly P i lo ted Aircraf t miss ion by hos t ing events and rev is ing YRRP cur r icu lum to address the unique cha l lenges fac ing th i s group of RC members and the i r fami l ies . The ANG plans to cont inue to expand cur r icu lum and hos t one-day events wi th agenda changes , as wel l as implement a compl iance sys tem to provide ANG leadersh ip compl iance da ta .

Air National Guard

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The Coas t Guard Reserve (CGR) YRRP team is seeking ways to meet next - leve l expec ta t ions for Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies . Some of the h ighl ights for FY 2017 inc lude :

• Successfu l ly implemented Pro jec t YES in to three YRRP events . As a resu l t , ch i ld res i l ience and parent ing sk i l l s were enhanced as repor ted on surveys . The ch i ld exerc ises deve loped by the Univers i ty of Nor th Caro l ina , such as Traff ic Jam, S t ress Webb, and Bat t le Ship , he lped ch i ldren connec t wi th each o ther and a l lowed them to express themselves and share the i r exper ience wi th o ther ch i ldren .

• Incorpora ted the Cadre of Speakers in the YRRP planning process . This a l lowed Cadre members an oppor tuni ty to he lp deve lop the event and d iscuss ion top ics . As a resu l t , Cadre members repor ted improvements in connec t ing wi th Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies th rough re levant , ins ight fu l , and t imely informat ion and resources before , dur ing , and af te r deployment .

• Offered “Saturday Movie Night” events for k ids ages four th rough 10 . These events were superv ised and a l lowed parents qua l i ty t ime to a t tend marr iage enr ichment workshops .

• Resourced the Amer ican Red Cross to offe r re -connec t ion (menta l hea l th) workshops for adul t s and res i l iency workshops for k ids be tween the ages of s ix and 16 .

Coast Guard Reserve• Successfu l ly implemented a co lor-coded sys tem tha t

groups a t tendees in to b lue , red , g reen , and purp le teams. This concept promotes maximum Cadre impact and smal le r groups tha t suppor ts Serv ice member and fami ly ne tworking . Surveys revea led tha t the smal le r groups a l lowed the Cadre to provide more personal ized informat ion .

• Implemented SOPs and served a to ta l o f 1 ,122 Serv ice members and the i r fami l ies

• Shared the CGR SOP wi th the MCR to ass i s t in the deve lopment of an MCR SOP.

• Maximized par t ic ipa t ion of se rv ice providers , inc luding the VA, the Veterans Bus iness Adminis t ra t ion , Career One Stop , Amer ican Red Cross , Pro jec t Y.E.S! , Legal , Coas t Guard Suppor t , Navy Flee t Serv ices , Mi l i ta ry Fami l ies .org , Coas t Guard’s Tutor.com, Opera t ion Homefront , Opera t ion Hope , TRICARE, educa t ion suppor t o ff icers , chapla ins , Chi ldren Heal th Insurance Program, and the Smal l Bus iness Adminis t ra t ion .

The CGR YRRP wi l l cont inue to e leva te i t s ch i ld res i l iency program by coord ina t ing wi th Pro jec t YES and Amer ican Red Cross representa t ives . In addi t ion , the CGR wi l l cont inue to deve lop s ingle-Serv ice member programs. F ina l ly, in 2018 the CGR YRRP program wi l l cont inue to offe r 90 minute Ombudsman/Serv ice member Panels in suppor t o f ongoing deployments and to improve re in tegra t ion for fu ture deployments .

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After near ly ten years of suppor t o f the Nat iona l Guard and Reserve , YRRP remains commited to improving the readiness and res i l ience of RC members and the i r fami l ies . This endur ing miss ion i s done to enhance the le tha l i ty and capabi l i ty of the to ta l force , as wel l as ensure the wel l -be ing of RC members and the i r fami l ies as they face the cha l lenges of deployment .

Our commitment to suppor t ing RC members and the i r fami l ies gu ides our way ahead , as YRRP’s e ffor t s a re concent ra t ing on s t reaml ing da ta in tegra t ion to enchance program evalua t ion capabi l i t i es , rev is ing and expanding in-person and web-based cur r icu lum, and developing new measurements to increase unders tanding of the program’s long- te rm outcomes on RC member and fami ly wel l -be ing .

YRRP’s commitment to improving a t tendee exper ience dr ives da ta in tegra t ion and eva lua t ion . Wi th be t te r da ta in tegra t ion , respondents would no longer need to be asked to provide demographic informat ion whi le comple t ing event surveys . Ins tead , ind iv idua ls could be ass igned a unique ident i f ie r to provide anonymity to the respondents and a l low ana lys ts to t rack da ta across e ffor t s and events .

This capabi l i ty may enhance the r igor of program evalua t ion and a l low YRRP to t rack anonymous ind iv idua ls th rough every s tage of the i r deployment . This da ta may not on ly improve the YRRP exper ience by reducing a t tendee burden , bu t i t may a l so a l low YRRP to be t te r unders tand program impact and apply program enhancements to increase pos i t ive outcomes exper ienced by RC members and the i r fami l ies .

Data Integration

Way Ahead

YRRP conducts annual and sys temat ic rev iews of i t s in -person s tandard ized cur r icu lum to ensure conten t i s cons is ten t wi th the bes t ava i lab le ev idence . In addi t ion , YRRP seeks to re f ine and expand i t s ex is t ing web-based cur r icu lum and learn ing management sys tem to be t te r a l ign wi th the i r cor responding in-person equiva len ts .

Al though in-person events remain the most impact fu l and prefer red de l ivery mechanism for program resources and informat ion , YRRP a lso recognizes the requi rement to suppor t RC members and the i r fami l ies who cannot a t tend an in-person event . This commitment to ensur ing every RC member and the i r fami ly has the resources and informat ion they need to successfu l ly naviga te deployment i s d r iv ing YRRP’s e ffor t to c rea te the most benef ic ia l v i r tua l exper ience i t can .

Curriculum Expansion

Well-Being InventoryYRRP is inves t iga t ing the implementa t ion of the Wel l -

be ing Inventory (WBI) . The WBI i s a recent ly deve loped mul t i -d imens iona l assessment too l tha t could a l low YRRP to ident i ty s t rength and vulnerabi l i ty across key aspec ts of RC member l ives .

This measure could he lp ident i fy how indiv idua ls a re impacted by YRRP across key l i fe domains , inc luding hea l th , voca t ion , f inances , and soc ia l re la t ionships . Analyz ing the e ffec ts of YRRP across these four l i fe domains may he lp YRRP improve program impact by a l lowing the ident i f ica t ion and measurement of key outcomes .

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YRRP By the Numbers

Figure 6: FY 2017 Statistics by Service

FY 2017 YRRP Events

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Figure 7: FY 2017 YRRP Events by State/Territory