Welcome to the Colorado Army National Guard Family! My name is Henry Hernandez Jr., and I am your Family Assistance Specialist. Your commitment to the country and state entitle you to numerous resources. My mission is to ensure that you and your family members can access these resources. I am available to offer assistance in whatever way I can during your time in the Guard. No matter where you go in the Guard, you and your family members will have a Family Assistance Specialist there to provide support, guidance and assistance. I m happy to be serving you during this transition from civilian to Soldier. Here is a little bit about myself: I am retired Army, and as a retiree of the Colorado Army National Guard, I am very acquainted with what you and your loved ones are going through while you attend BCT and AIT. Few, if any states, do a better job preparing their Soldiers for BCT and AIT than the Colorado Army National Guard. This includes helping you to resolve any concerns that you or your family may have before and during your absence. If there are any concerns, whether they are simple questions or things keeping you up at night, please let me know and we can work together to locate resources or a solution for the concern. Whether it s TRICARE, education benefits, power of attorneys or wills, ID cards/deers, financial counseling, crisis management, even as simple as mailing address or anything else you can think of, please feel free to reach out to me for assistance. If we can t get you an answer, we ll do our best to get you in touch with someone who can assist you. As your Family Assistance Specialist, I am available to help you and your family members Inside this issue Fort Jackson Info 2 Military Hotels 3 Family Assistance Briefings dates 4 Holiday Programs 5 Crisis Intervention 6 Chaplain 6 Employment/Job Fairs 7/8 Financial Counselor 9 EFCONG 10 JAG / Legal info 10 Castle Rock Outlets 11 December RSP Family Assistance Newsletter throughout your time with RSP, Basic Combat Training BCT and AIT. I am located at the Denver Armory 5275 Franklin St. Rm 105, Denver, 80216 and my office hours are 630am 4pm, Tuesday thru Friday. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact me by any method you feel comfortable, whether it s a phone call, email, text or meeting in person. If you wish to meet in person, please schedule an appointment as I may be out of the office assisting another service member. In addition, visit the RSP Family Assistance Facebook page frequently for upcoming events, job fairs, military discounts, basic training information, and other information that you may find helpful. On behalf of Family Programs, welcome to the CONG Family, and we extend our sincere appreciation to you and your
December RSP Family Assistance Newsletter Unit of the Month 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment Ft Jackson, SC Fort Jackson, SC Family Day/Graduation registration link: www.fortjacksonevents.org Page 2
Someone Attending your Soldier s Basic Training or AIT Graduation? IHG Army Hotels delivers first class, on-post lodging experiences to our troops and their families. In fact, our mission is to provide great on-post hotel stay experiences to military personnel, families and guests. We do it by providing convenient, reasonably priced hotels on 41 installations across the nation. We do it with dedicated, knowledgeable staff that is prepared to provide the services you need to complete your mission. For reservations contact IHG @ 1-877-711-8326 or visit www.ihg.com/armyhotels/hotels/ Page 3
Fort Carson RSP Family Assistance Program Briefing A better informed family will foster a better informed and ultimately a superiorly prepared Warrior The next drill weekend RSP Family Assistance Program briefing will be held on Sunday, 10 Dec, 8724 Frank Baldwin, CTS BLDG 9120, Fort Carson from 10:00 am 11:00 am. The briefing covers a variety of benefits and programs offered to Soldiers and family members. Topics covered during the briefing encompass Legal, ID cards, TRI- CARE enrollment, Red Cross, Tuition Assistance, Crisis Intervention, Financial Resources, Employment, Child/Youth programs, and Community outreach. This is a great opportunity to see where your Soldiers will be conducting training prior to their departure to Basic Training as well as attend final formation where at times promotions are conducted, awards presented, and Soldiers may be recognized for their outstanding performance. In addition with you attending final formation your Soldier may be released to return home with you with prior coordination with RSP Cadre. I highly encourage your attendance at this event as it may give your Soldiers the peace of mind that they are not in this journey alone, as well as peace of mind for yourself ensuring your Soldier is being taken care of. If your Soldier is currently a Basic Training or AIT, you are also welcome to attend as questions may arise during this absence. Please contact me for map and directions to briefing location if needed. Page 4
December RSP Family Assistance Click Flyer to begin registration Holiday Meal Assistance The program uses donations from fellow Guardsmen and outside partners to help supply meals for Colorado National Guard Soldiers and Families during the Holidays. No matter where you live or what deployment status you are in, you can register to receive meal assistance! Deadline to register is December 11th. www.congfamilyreadiness.net The Santa Shop program enables Service Members of the Colorado National Guard to shop (for free!) for gifts that have been graciously donated! Or just join us for the fun family festivities! The Santa Shop event takes place at the Denver Armory (5275 Franklin St, Denver, CO 80216) on December 9th from 9am-noon. Come enjoy holiday refreshments, meet Santa, have your picture taken in the North Pole, and celebrate the holidays with us! Registration closes Dec 5th. Register at: www.congfamilyreadiness.net *Those families that have registered for the Adopt-a- Family program are not eligible to shop at Santa Shop but are encouraged to come and participate in the fun and festivities.* Page 5
Crisis Intervention Resources Page 6
The Fort Carson Employment Readiness Program (ERP) offers resources to help with your career plan and job search. Whether you re a military spouse or National Guard member, we re here to help. Our services include: Up-to-date information on local, national, and international employment opportunities, job market trends and education, and volunteer resources Classes and seminars on self-assessment and career exploration, resume writing, interviewing techniques, dressing for success, networking, and entrepreneurship. Résumé critiques Career counseling and individual career assessments Monday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Job fairs and other hiring events Teen/youth employment information Tuesday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Computers with internet access, résumé-writing software Wednesday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Contact ERP for an appointment at 719-526-0452/4590 or https://carson.armymwr.com/programs/employment-readiness Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday/Sunday Closed Our Veterans Employment Specialists serve our fellow veterans by providing expertise in job and training opportunities. Our partnerships with local Workforce Centers allow any veteran who has served at least one day of active duty to receive additional support with their job search. Our Employment Specialist team provides intensive services to veterans and eligible spouses facing significant barriers to employment. All veterans receive priority in all of Colorado s Workforce Center services, and have the opportunity to work with the highly skilled, professional Workforce Center staff to find a job that maximizes potential. CDLE s Veteran Employment Specialists provide one-on-one assistance to eligible veterans and spouses seeking guidance in obtaining employment. Our team is dedicated to helping you understand and align your skill sets with available opportunities across the state. Our goal is to provide you with the information necessary to make confident career choices. All of this at no cost to you. Our specialists know firsthand what businesses are looking for in a résumé, and the questions employers are likely to ask in an interview. We ll guide you through: Résumé and cover letter writing Interview tips and techniques Translating military experience to civilian Identifying education, training and experience requirements Navigating online job boards and career fair resources Targeting your job search by industry, and more Page 7 www.colorado.gov/jobs-training
Denver Professional Career Event - Sales & Management Specific Thursday, December 7th 9:00am 12:30pm DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Tech 7801 East Orchard Road Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Parking: Complimentary Email Your Resume To: 17153-21-mh2006@apply.maxhire.net HireLive is a national career service company specializing in Sales, Retail and Management Career Fairs, and has more than a decade of experience in connecting job seekers with industry leading companies that are currently hiring. This is your opportunity to interview face to face with 15+ Fortune 500 and Industry Leading companies seeking talented, experienced and enthusiastic sales, retail and management candidates. Job Opportunities Include: Inside Sales Reps, Outside Sales Reps, Account Executives, Retail Managers, Account Managers, Insurance Sales, Customer Service, Technical Sales, Sales Managers, Pharmaceutical Sales, Telesales, Sales Trainer, Merchandiser, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planner, Route Sales, Retail Sales, Retail Management, Human Resources and much more! Job Fair of Denver Thursday, December 14, 2017 10:00AM - 1:00PM Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Stapleton 4444 North Havana Street Denver, CO 80239 Pre-Register online at: www.catalystcareergroup.com Plan to attend and meet face-to-face with several of the Denver area s finest employers. All of the companies at our job fairs have open positions they are seeking to fill. Positions in the following areas are typically available: Sales, Customer Service, Call Center, Management, General Business, Marketing, Retail, Administrative, Insurance, Banking, Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Education, Law Enforcement, Government, Hospitality, Human Resources, Technicians, Telemarketing, Healthcare, IT, and more. Remember, the best way to be considered for a position is to meet the hiring managers! For more information call 815.308.5426 PeopleReady Hiring Event Colorado Springs Wednesday, December 20, 9:00AM -12:00PM Pikes Peak Workforce Center 1675 Garden of the Gods Rd Suite 1107 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 We are committed to making it easy for you to connect to steady work, work that matches your preferences and skills, work that allows you to learn and grow. Our team will get to know you and connect you with jobs that will match your needs. We work hard every day to find the best jobs so each employee has opportunity and variety in their work. We offer part-time, full-time, weekend and temporary work for numerous industries from construction to hospitality as well as skilled positions, and positions for those just entering the workforce. We are currently hiring for multiple positions including Auto Auction Drivers Snow Removal (manual w/ shovel and operating pick up trucks) General Construction for Military Bases Housekeeping Event Staff Waste Industry Workers Holiday Bell Ringing (Canon City) just to name a few. Register at: www.formsite.com/ppwfc/peopleready/index.html Page 8
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Attending college in the spring and need tuition money? The Education Foundation for the Colorado National Guard is accepting applications for the spring semester from December 15-February 1. Be sure to have your FAFSA confirmation on hand as the application requires that you enter the EFC from your FAFSA. The scholarship application is available to current and retired CONG members and their eligible dependents. Visit www.efcong.org for information and to apply. Call 303-909-6369 with additional questions. Page 10
December RSP Family Assistance Newsletter www.outletsatcastlerock.com Pet Night With Santa!! On Wednesday, December 6 from 6PM-8PM, shoppers are invited to bring along their furry, feathery or fuzzy friend for a special Pet Night with Santa photo opportunity. Guests are asked to be sure pets are on leashes or appropriate harnesses. All friendly and safe pets are welcome. Page 11
National Guard 101 is the only military lifestyle book written specifically for the National Guard audience. Corbett's unique book covers a broad range of topics, from practical knowledge about the history of the National Guard and understanding rank to softer subjects like social life in the Guard and family programs. Corbett also details the benefits and assistance resources available to Guard families and guides readers through the process of setting up a Personal Assistance League (PAL) to provide support during deployment. A free copy is provided to your Soldier at their initial RSP drill, although it states a handbook for spouse it is truly written for any National Guard family member. If you would like an additional copy, please contact me and request one. Book is available at Barnes & Noble for $18.95 so this is truly a great offer from the Family Assistance Program Office. Search: Colorado National Guard Family Assistance RSP Henry Hernandez Jr. RSP Family Assistance Specialist Contractor 5275 Franklin St Denver CO, 80216 Office Phone: 720-250-2773 Cell: 303-905-0009 Email: henry.hernandez108.ctr@mail.mil Caption describing picture or graphic.