Military and Family Readiness Center

The mission of the congressionally mandated Transition Assistance Program is to provide Total Force service members and their families with the knowledge, skills and abilities to empower them to make informed career decisions, be competitive in a global work force and become positive contributors to their community as they transition from military service and reintegrate into civilian life. The Transition Assistance Program is comprised of four mandatory elements; Initial Transition Counseling, Pre-separation Counseling, TAP Workshops, and Capstone.

Initial Transition Counseling: Initial Transition Counseling (ITC) is required to be completed no later than 365 days prior to separation or retirement.  The ITC is a one-on-one session with a transition counselor to determine the service members level of readiness for transition and place them on a path to complete all of the requirements of the program.

Pre-Separation Counseling: Congress mandates this briefing be conducted 365 days or more prior to official date of separation/ retirement for all active component members separating after 180 days of continuous service, and Reserve & National Guard members being released from active duty after at least 180 days of mobilization. This two-hour briefing Informs service members on benefits, entitlements, and the vast resources available prior to and after they separate or retire. Spouses are encouraged to attend.

TAP Workshops: Hosted by M&FRC and facilitated by the Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs, and the Small Business Administration, provides standardized curriculum to ensure separating or retiring service members meet their required Career Readiness Standards (CRS). Everyone must attend the core 3-day TAP workshop to meet the basic requirement of the program. Depending on the level of readiness and needs determined by the counselor, service members may be required to attend some or all of the following 2-day career track workshops:

         Employment: Designed for service members wishing to enter the workforce post-transition will learn various job search techniques, labor market information, resume and interview skills and much more

         Education: Service members pursuing college education receive guidance to prepare for the college application process. The Education track addresses such topics as identifying one’s educational goals, education funding, researching and comparing institutions.

         Entrepreneurship (Boots to Business):  Service members pursuing self-employment in the private sector will learn about the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the benefits and realities of entrepreneurship and the steps toward business ownership. Upon completing this track, members will have developed the initial components of their business plan

         Career and Credential Exploration (C2E):  Service members pursuing further technical training will receive guidance and help in selecting schools and technical fields. The Career and Credential Exploration track addresses such topics as selection of a reputable career and technical training school, the application process from start to finish, how to use certification finder web tools and other internet resources that identify licensed occupations and military occupational code translators.

Capstone: Capstone / Individual Transition Plan (ITP) Review is the culminating activity to verify service members attainment of required Career Readiness Standards. The Capstone / ITP Review is used by the TAP counselor and the commander (or commander’s designee) to verify status of CRS completion.

Financial Readiness = Mission Success. This is the cornerstone for Air Force PFR services. With service members facing unique and complex requirements of deployments, family separations, frequent moves, spouse employment issues, special needs and other stressful situations, the importance of service members having their financial affairs in order takes on a heightened level of importance. Providing relatable and effective financial readiness education is essential to ensure customers are provided strategies and techniques that lead to their financial success and resiliency. Financial Readiness is delivered through information and referral, education and counseling, and training across the military lifecycle with the goal of financially ready and literate Airmen.

Our certified financial counselors are here to assist Total Force Airmen, their family members, civilians and retirees with understanding a wide variety of financial aspects including, but not limited to, budgeting, large purchase buying, legacy and Blended Retirement Systems, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), credit building and repair, savings and investing, debt elimination/reduction plans, and retirement planning. Counselors can also assist Airmen in completing MyVector common military financial trainings throughout the career life cycle.

The Deployment Support Program provides support services to help Airmen, Guardians, civilians and their family members meet the challenges associated with all phases of the deployment cycle. Deployment-related programs deliver information, support and assistance, which foster competencies and coping skills to help deal with mission demands and family responsibilities. M&FRC services help reduce the stress of the military life cycle, increase morale and unit cohesion, and support operational and family readiness.

Pre-Deployment: The pre-deployment phase begins when service members receive their deployment tasking and ends when they depart home station. This phase affects both deploying personnel and their family members. The service member’s focus is toward meeting all the requirements in preparation for their deployment, while family members are looking at the pending separation from their loved one. Pre-deployment briefings are held on Thursdays at 1300. Please call the M&FRC in advance to register for a briefing. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend to learn about the resources that are available to them while their spouse is away.

Deployment and Sustainment: Deployment and Sustainment phases begin when the member departs home station and ends upon the member’s return to home station. Extended separations typically create stress for military members and their families. While the member is focusing on the mission, families are trying to adapt to their absence and create a state of normalcy at home.

Hearts Apart Program: Heart’s Apart provides newsletters and social/educational events for deployed and remote affected families. Social events are a monthly activity designed to educate spouses and build a network of support.

Operation Spirit: A fun-filled annual mock-deployment event for children to inform and educate them about what their parents experience when deploying. Every year children experience a recall, deployment line, command briefing, and a mock deployment challenge.

Give Parents a Break: This program is offered once a month for the purpose of allowing respite time to families under stress. Families with member deployed over 30 days may receive four free hours of childcare per month at the Give Parents a Break event at the CDC and Youth Center. Contact the local CDC and Youth Center for dates and times.

Re-Deployment and Reintegration:  During the re-deployment phase, service members and their families anticipate the homecoming and return of the service member to their home station. M&FRC staff help facilitate the transition from the deployed environment to family, community and workplace. The process begins 30 days prior to re-deployment and lasts up to 30 days after return to home station. It includes M&FRC reintegration briefings, which are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 0900. Please call the M&FRC in advance to register for a briefing as soon as possible after returning from a deployment. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend to help understand the challenges of reintegration.

Relocation Assistance is available to total force members and their families authorized to make a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move. The Relocation Assistance Program (RAP) provides programs and services designed to minimize the adverse effects of relocation. Customers can access services through the Military and Family Readiness Center (M&FRC), as well as several online avenues. The M&FRC provides standardized relocation services designed to ease personal and family stressors experienced during a PCS by providing assistance, counseling, sponsorship training and education throughout all phases of the relocation process. The Relocation Assistance Program consists of four elements, Plan My Move, Sponsor Training, Pre-Arrival Orientation and Newcomer’s Orientation.

Plan My Move: The M&FRC hosts a monthly Plan My Move briefing to educate service members and their families on the main stressors surrounding a PCS move. Attendees will receive information from Finance, Military Housing, Balfour Beatty, Tricare, Legal, Medical, School Liaison Officer and the M&FRC. Classes are offered monthly and spouses are highly encouraged to attend. Please call the M&FRC in advance to register for a briefing and orders are not required.

Sponsor Training: All personnel assigned as a sponsor by their Unit Sponsor Monitor are required to complete the electronic Sponsorship Assistance Training (eSAT) at Military OneSource. Additionally, sponsors are highly encouraged to complete the localized, in-person Sponsorship Training facilitated by the Whiteman M&FRC. Classes are offered every other month or in the unit upon request.

Pre-Arrival Orientation: Currently, the M&FRC offers a quarterly live event on Zoom for service members and their families to garner information prior to their arrival to Whiteman AFB. Please check our Facebook page or call the M&FRC at 660-687-7132 to find out when the next available event will be.

Newcomers Orientation: Newcomer’s Orientation is the best way to start off your time at Whiteman Air Force Base. It is the Wing Commander’s formal welcome to newcomers. This is a mandatory day of briefings designed to inform you regarding the mission and introduce you to key support agencies and base policies. It is held twice a month at the Mission’s End from 0730-1230. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend.

Child Care for PCS: Do you need some time to unpack or take care of mandatory appointments? You can receive 20 hours of free childcare per child with a licensed day care provider. This is available to all ranks and must be used within 60 days of your PCS, both inbound and outbound. Bring a copy of your PCS orders to the M&FRC in order to get your voucher for each child and a list of daycare providers.

This program assists military members, spouses, family members, DoD civilians and veterans to prepare for seeking employment on base or in the Whiteman community. Our services range from assisting with a new resume to navigating the USAjobs website to conducting skill building workshops.

The EFMP-FS is designed to provide support to military family members through a variety of personal, medical, and family support functions. The EFMP coordinator provides community resources and support programs for EFMP families.

The M&FRC hosts three adult MFLCs who are licensed professionals to provide non-medical counseling, consultation and outreach services to service members and their spouses. The MFLC services are intended to augment, not replace, other Department of Defense support services/programs or staff available for eligible participants. The non-medical counseling approach is psychoeducational, which helps participants learn to anticipate and resolve challenges associated with the military life. Support is aimed at preventing the development or exacerbation of mental health conditions that may detract from military and family readiness.