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It’s Motivational Monday and this is your weekly ACS Update, all
the Soldier and Family Readiness news you can use to support the
personnel in your organization. Today’s Motivational Monday quote
for our ACS team is from Paul J. Meyer who wrote, “Productivity is
never an accident. It is always the result of a com-mitment to
excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” Here’s
hoping the resources in this weekly update are part of your
intelligent planning for a very productive week!
Community Information Services
Lawton’s Public Library is full of resources! February Library
Newsletter highlights include: * Grab & Go Craft Bags for Kids
* Grab & Go Craft Bags for Adults * Sign up for Free Tax
Preparation & Filing * Hoopla's checkout limit increased to 8
per month. Get free e-books, e-audio, e-video & more! *
Hotspots and Chromebooks now available for checkout! Read all about
it at https://www.lawtonok.gov/departments/library <
Caution-https://www.lawtonok.gov/departments/library GoArmyEd, the
Army’s online education portal since 2006, will be deactivated on
12 February 2021. ArmyignitED, the current online portal for
Credentialing Assistance, will absorb the Tuition Assistance (TA)
program for college level courses and requests for TA. Therefore,
ArmyignitEd will be the one stop online education portal for both
Cre-dentialing Assistance and Tuition Assistance. Below is the
guidance for Fort Sill users from the Fort Sill Education Center:
1. Soldiers may continue to submit TA requests to GoArmyEd until
1059 CST on 11 February 2021. Pend-ing non-LOI TA Requests (those
that must be manually approved) that have not been approved by an
Army Education Counselor in GoArmyEd before 12 February 2021 will
be transferred to ArmyIgnitED. However, the system will reject a
request if not approved before the start date of the class. 2.
Soldiers currently using TA who do not have an ArmyIgnitED account
must create one to continue using TA or to access their TA
education history. Soldiers can activate an ArmyIgnitED account by
going to www.armyignited.com and selecting “Get Started”. 3.
Soldiers with questions about the transition to ArmyIgnitED should
contact the Fort Sill Education Cen-ter, (580) 442-3201, since the
GoArmyEd Helpdesk will be disabled. VMIS, the Volunteer Management
Information System, has migrated from Army One Source (AOS) to the
new Army Family Web Portal (AFWP)! The launch of AFWP, a
cloud-based environment for Army Commu-nity Service (ACS) staff and
volunteers, occurred on 11 January and the new interface is a
significant im-provement! The volunteer information located on the
old VMIS is still available, but VMIS in AFWP stream-lines sign-on
and has a dashboard for quick access to all your volunteer tools.
Check it out at https://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/ VMIS on Army
One Source is no longer available, but modernized VMIS has been
released! Please visit the modernized VMIS on the Army Family Web
Portal (AFWP). If you HAD an account on VMIS on AOS, please select
"transition your account" on the modernized VMIS home page. If you
DID NOT have an account on VMIS on AOS, please select "Register".
For technical sup-
Weekly update
8 February 2021
https://www.lawtonok.gov/departments/library%20%3c%20Caution-https:/www.lawtonok.gov/departments/libraryhttps://www.lawtonok.gov/departments/library%20%3c%20Caution-https:/www.lawtonok.gov/departments/libraryhttps://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/
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port, please contact the AFWP Help Desk Fort Sill Commanders and
Volunteer Organizational Points of Contact (OPOCs) are encouraged
to check out the Installation Volunteer Support folder on the Fort
Sill Public Drive for a toolkit filled with everything they’ll need
to successfully manage the volunteers within their organizations
including regulations, AFWP and VMIS guides, recognition ideas,
certificate examples, and posters. P:\Installation Volunteer
Support (DO NOT DELETE) DOD Launches ‘My MilLife Guide’ Text
Message Program. Finding the right support to ease the stress of
navigating daily COVID-19-related challenges can be a challenge
itself. To support the military community, the Defense Department
recently launched My MilLife Guide. This new program sends text
messages designed to help the military community boost overall
wellness while navigating stresses related to COVID-19. The program
is only available for a limited time in early 2021 and will allow
service members and spouses to directly receive motivational
messages and helpful re-sources on their phones. My MilLife Guide
was developed by one of the military’s flagship support pro-grams,
Military OneSource, in partnership with the Military Health System.
From now until Feb. 12, 2021, users can opt in to receive messages
four times a week, for a total of eight weeks. To sign up, service
mem-bers can text “MilLife SM” and spouses can text “MilLife
Spouse” to GOV311 [468311], or they can visit
Mil-itaryOneSource.mil/texts. USO Oklahoma offers virtual and
in-person events helpful to connect new spouses to the community.
Upcoming activities, as listed on their Facebook page @USOOklahoma
include: 9 Feb, 8:30am CST, Coffee Connections 10 Feb, 8:30am CTS,
USO Community Walk 12 Feb, 9:30 am CST, Virtual Story Time
Saturday, 13 February, 9-10:30am CST, The Fit Kids of Southwest
Oklahoma host a Bike in the Park the sec-ond Saturday of every
month. Join them at Elmer Thomas Park for a bike ride. They have
some helmets and bikes available for loan if yours are in
transition. This family friendly activity uses physical distancing,
fresh air, and sunshine to keep participants safe. The American Red
Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) is offering virtual
Reconnection workshops to help guide military and veteran families
through a variety of important topics. Join us for a chance to
connect with others in a live, virtual and guided conversation
where you will have a chance to discuss your biggest concerns and
learn and practice new, effec-tive skills. Available workshop
topics include: Family Laugh and Learn for teens 13–17 with an
adult Calm and Connected: Virtual Chat for Teens 13–17. Each
small-group session for Fort Sill is organized by
[email protected]. The My Military OneSource app provides
personalized support, benefits information, MilLife guides and
powerful Department of Defense tools
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/interactive-tools-services/my-military-onesource-app
anytime, anywhere. Already have the app? It was recently updat-ed
with more guides so be sure to update!
file:///P:/Installation Volunteer Support (DO NOT
DELETE)file:///P:/Installation Volunteer Support (DO NOT
DELETE)https://www.facebook.com/USOOklahomamailto:[email protected]?subject=Workshop%20Requesthttps://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/interactive-tools-services/my-military-onesource-apphttps://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/interactive-tools-services/my-military-onesource-app
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Will You Help Inform the New COLA Rates? Now through March 31,
service members and spouses can take the 2021 Continental Living
Pattern Survey. Participants provide data on shopping patterns,
which is used to determine CONUS cost of living allowances. Take
the Survey at
https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/conusColaSurvey.cfm
Supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the Military: As someone who
cares about Service Members, you may question how the military
ensures equal opportunity and acceptance. Learn about the DOD's
steps to root out bias and prioritize inclusion.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-diversity-and-inclusion/
Employment Readiness The DOD has authorized the Department of
Army and Department of Air Force to carry out pilot programs
allowing eligible Military Spouses to exercise Military Spouse
Preference (MSP) when applying to Army or Air Force job opportunity
announcements up to 30 days prior to arrival in certain foreign
overseas loca-tions. The Department of Army’s pilot program became
effective December 22, 2020. The pilot will expire on June 22,
2022. The pilot is exclusive to appropriated fund, non-bargaining
unit positions at the GS-15 grade level and below (or equivalent)
within the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Army Garrison
Rhineland-Pfalz, and the Ramstein Air Base. For more information
contact ACS at 580-442-4916 and ask to speak with an ACS Specialist
about Employment Readiness.
The US Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce is the one stop shop
for military spouse owned businesses. They provide tools and
resources to confidently set up, scale, and operate spouse owned
businesses. Learn more by watching a Facebook Live interview
between Military Families Magazine editors and the MilSpouse
Chamber’s CEO and Co-Founder at
https://www.facebook.com/milspousechamber/ New Career Coaching
Package for Transitioning MilSpouses. SECO's newest career coaching
package assists military spouses with the transition to civilian
life, providing guidance and support for education, career
assistance, lifestyle resources and more. There are 18 Career
Coaching Packages on SECO and all are highly recommended for
Military Connected Job Seekers!
https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/content/view/3898 Mark
your calendars now for the upcoming Spouse Education Career
Opportunities webinars. Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 at 2pm CTS: Career
Coach Live on Health Care Thursday, Feb 25, 2021 at 12 pm CST: MSEP
LinkedIn Live - MedCerts Visit
https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/ to register. Military Spouse
Job Seekers are also encouraged to mark their calendars for the
following USO Transitions events: Wednesday, 10 Feb at 2PM CST: The
Value of Career Assessments, https://uso.zoom.us/j/94386450975
Thursday, 18 Feb at 11AM CST: Transition Talk: VA Claim Filing
bit.ly/VFW18Feb Thursday, 25 Feb at 11AM CST: Transition Talk:
Building a Federal Resume https://bit.ly/USOFedResume
https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/conusColaSurvey.cfmhttps://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-diversity-and-inclusion/https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-diversity-and-inclusion/https://www.facebook.com/milspousechamber/https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/content/view/3898https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/https://uso.zoom.us/j/94386450975http://www.bit.ly/VFW18Febhttps://bit.ly/USOFedResume
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Military spouses have free access to Traitify, a visual
personality assessment that helps identify how your qualities and
passions relate to a career Input your interests, aptitudes and
education level to discover your potential career options.
https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/content/view/8657
Exceptional Family Member Program EFMP Social Connections
(Virtual)is held the 3rd Tues-day of every month, 2:30pm-3:30pm,
with the next session being 16 February. Social Connections is an
op-portunity for Families with special needs to come together for
support, resources, great conversations and connections! Join our
EFMP FB Group through the Fort Sill ACS FB Page to receive more
information on great events like this! Registration required.
Contact us today! Free STOMP Webinar Series This free workshop is
designed to provide information and resources to EFMP military
families and individuals with disabilities, to help them access and
navigate the educational and medical services. Register for each
session. Space is limited! 11 Feb, 3-4 CST, IEP-Writing SMART
Goals: Breaking down the components for SMART goals into their
specific elements can make them easier to write.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/167694627190021902
25 Feb, 3-4 CST, 504 Accommodations: We will take a closer look
at the services that students may re-ceive through 504 Plans.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ register/474875086246543118
Facts and Features (Facebook Live) is held the 1st Thursday of
every month, 1:30pm-2:30pm. Facts and Fea-tures offers EFMP
families and the Fort Sill community the opportunity to learn from
and interact with sub-ject matter experts on educational and
activity based topics. Join us through the Fort Sill EFMP FB Group
and the Fort Sill ACS FB Page to participate! The March 4th will
feature CPT Mark Dannog, SJA. He will dis-cusses tips and
techniques for navigating Special Education Law and the support our
Fort Sill Legal Assis-tance Office can provide to our military
community families. The OK Hall of Fame offers a weekly virtual
family fun event called Dis-covery Days. Registered participants
can enjoy craft making, story time, show and tell and more! The
EFMP @ ACS office would like to extend this opportunity to our EFMP
families. EFMP staff will have the craft kits available for pick-up
at ACS for all registered participants. Families can join the live
sessions each Thursday or at their leisure when the recorded
sessions are made available. Please direct all inquiries to the
EFMP Systems Navigator at (580) 442-0670.
Family Advocacy Program Virtual Exploring the Park, 9 and 23
February, 9:30 am. Join our New Parent Support Home Visitors for a
meetup from the comfort and safety of your home. This event also
includes a Monday drive thru (9:30-10 am) to pick up craft item for
Tuesday’s virtual session. Registration is required for this event.
Message our Fort Sill ACS Facebook Page with you e-mail and number
of children to register.
https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/content/view/8657https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/167694627190021902https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/%20register/474875086246543118
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Did you know Fort Sill has a Virtual Baby Massage Group? It’s
held every Wednesday at 11am by secure Zoom session. New Parent
Support Home Visitors guide parents through a baby massage session
from the comfort of their own homes. Message the Fort Sill ACS
Facebook page if you’d like to attend and a home visitor will get
you registered. 11 and 25 February at 1:30PM NPSP hosts Virtual
Table Talk. Home Visitors will be available to answer your
questions on parenting topics such as nutrition, breastfeeding,
bottle feeding, discipline, potty training, sib-ling rivalry,
crying, play and many more. Registration is required. To register
for the event, message the New Parent Support Program via our
facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pg/FortSillACS please
in-clude your name and email address with your message. Our friends
at Safe Kids Worldwide know that buying and installation the right
fitting car seat for your child can be daunting. And right about
the time you get it figured out, it’s be time to change it! That
why they’ve put together the ultimate car seat guide. A handy dandy
calcula-tor to help you keep your little one safe. Check it out at
https://www.safekids.org/ultimate-car-seat-guide/ Strengthen Your
Relationship! Every relationship could use help from time to time,
and military life carries its own unique challenges. Learn how to
apply actionable relationship-building skills to the many
challenges faced in relationships.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/relationships/military-relationships-support
Financial Readiness Later this month the Financial Readiness
Team will be hosting a webinar on tax filing tips for the Military.
The webinar will be held virtually on February 26, 2021 from
10:00-11:30 a.m. and is open to all Active Du-ty, Retired, ARNG,
Reservists, Survivors, and Family Members. You can register by
calling (580) 670-1932 or online at [email protected]. In
the coming months the Team will be hosting a variety of classes to
help you on the road to financial freedom such as insurance and
estate planning in March, planning for the holidays in April, and
ways to prepare for higher education costs in May. These classes
are going to be fun and informative so please don’t hesitate to
register. Prepare and file your 2020 taxes with Military
OneSource's MilTax; the MilTax online software is now avail-able.
Designed for the MilLife, the MilTax software simplifies your tax
prep and filing by incorporating mili-tary-specific scenarios,
including: - Deferred Social Security taxes - Deployments - PCS
deductions - Rental properties - Multistate tax filings - Joint tax
filings - Filings for deployed service members. All MilTax services
are 100% free to military members and their immediate family, with
no hidden surprises.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/FortSillACShttps://www.safekids.org/ultimate-car-seat-guide/https://www.safekids.org/ultimate-car-seat-guide/https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/relationships/military-relationships-supporthttps://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/relationships/military-relationships-support
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While the IRS will officially begin accepting and processing
2020 returns on Feb. 12, you can still get a head start and file
now with MilTax. Join the thousands of service members and their
family members who use MilTax to do their taxes and begin today.
Access MilTax Now
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/tax-resource-center/miltax-military-tax-services/
Reduced Mortgage Interest Rates are available. Know a service
member or veteran looking to refinance their current mortgage? The
Department of Veterans Affairs interest rate reduction refinance
loan may be able to help eligible service members and veterans.
https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-types/interest-rate-reduction-loan/
Military Life is a journey. While it can be challenging, we’re here
to support you with infor-mation to help you make smart money moves
during life’s big moments. So whether you are a new spouse,
expecting your first child, PCSing, or in pre or post deployment
planning, MilSpouse Money Mission has you covered with targeted
information by milestone for Spouses! Visit
https://www.milspousemoneymission.org/. You’ll be glad you did!
Military Saves, a component of America Saves, and a participant in
the Department of Defense Financial Readiness Network seeks to
motivate, support, and encourage the entire military community to
save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. Check out their “Five
Things to Keep in Mind this Tax Season blog post for some really
helpful tips!
https://militarysaves.org/blog/1758-five-things-to-keep-in-mind-this-tax-season
Your access to information doesn’t have to stop because you’re on
the move. Download the Sen$e mobile application from your phone’s
app store and enjoy personalized financial resources from the
Office of Fi-nancial Readiness (FINRED) on your mobile device. It
just makes sense! Join the TSP and Training and Liaison Specialists
from the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Ideal for all federal
employees, uniform service members, agency/service representatives,
military financial educators, and anyone else who is interested in
learning about the TSP. Register at tsp.gov/webinars. 8 Feb, 9am,
TSP Investment Funds (Military Focused) 8 Feb, 12pm, TSP
Pre-Separation 8, 17, 23 Feb, 12 pm, TSP Pre-Separation 9 Feb, 9
am, TSP In-Service Withdrawals 9 Feb, 6 pm, TSP Post-Service
Withdrawals 10 or 22 Feb, 9:30 am, TSP to Retirement & Beyond
Part I 10 or 22 Feb, 12 PM, TSP to Retirement & Beyond Part II
11 Feb, 7 am, TSP A to Z 11 Feb, 1 pm, Intro to TSP 12 Feb, 8 am,
TSP Early to Mid-Career 12 Feb, 12 pm, TSP Contributions 16 Feb, 9
am or 1 pm, TSP Post-Service Withdrawals 17 Feb, 9 am, TSP Death
Benefits 18 Feb, 9 am, TSP Investment Funds 19 Feb, 9:00 am, TSP
Pre-Separation
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/tax-resource-center/miltax-military-tax-services/https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/tax-resource-center/miltax-military-tax-services/https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-types/interest-rate-reduction-loan/https://www.milspousemoneymission.org/https://militarysaves.org/blog/1758-five-things-to-keep-in-mind-this-tax-seasonhttp://www.tsp.gov/webinars
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19 Feb, 12 pm, TSP Investment Funds 23 Feb, 9 am, TSP
Contributions (Uniformed Services focused) 24 Feb 9 am or 12 pm,
Intro to TSP 25 Feb, 12 pm, TSP Death Benefits 26 Feb, 10 am or 1
pm, TSP Investment Funds 27 Feb, 8 am, TSP Post-Service
Withdrawals
Non-Medical Counseling
Command Teams, Friends and Family are important sources of
support for service mem-bers, but some issues require help from a
professional. The Military and Family Life Counseling Program can
help them address the unique challenges of MilLife.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-family-life-counseling-for-your-service-member/
Fort Sill’s Military Family Life Counselors not only provide
non-medical individual and couple’s counseling, they also provide
wonderful presentations on a variety of healthy living topics like
the one we recently hosted via Facebook Live on Anger Management.
You can check it out https://fb.watch/30t1tOz-Bp/. Good tips
throughout! If you’d like to schedule either a counseling session
or a presentation, contact ACS at 580-442-4916 and an ACS
Specialist will put you in contact with an available MFLC.
Relocation Readiness Create Your Custom Moving Checklist! Have
you received orders? Plan My Move is ready to help you take charge
of a smooth relocation to your new duty station. Create
personalized moving checklists and access resources for housing,
transportation, finances and more.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-housing/moving/planning-your-move/plan-my-move-great-pcs-moving-checklists-more
Still fairly new to the area and looking for something to do?
Our Fort Sill ACS Facebook Page Events Tab has lots of suggestions
for you to explore. https://www.facebook.com/FortSillACS/events/.
Not enough? Download the Fort Sill Living Guide by visiting
https://sill.armymwr.com/ and clicking on “Happenings” in the upper
right hand corner. Want to go further afield? Our Community
Information Service Team highly rec-ommends planning daytrips to
places like the Route 66 Museum or the Oklahoma Air & Space
Museum which you’ll find at https://www.travelok.com/ Digital
Garrison App is here! Explore all the benefits your Army post has
to offer; such as restaurants, events, shops, clinics, activity
centers, and directorates. Navigate to on-post facilities, stay
updated on local weather, and be informed about gate closures or
other important installation information in real time, all from the
palm of your hand. It’s free in your app store!
Soldier and Family Readiness In a recent FB Live training
session, Ms. Courtney Fleck of the Fort Sill Staff Judge Advocate’s
Office shared updates to Soldier and Family Readiness Group
operations, including fund raising, as well as SFRG approval
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-family-life-counseling-for-your-service-member/https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/friends-extended-family/military-family-life-counseling-for-your-service-member/https://fb.watch/30t1tOz-Bp/https://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-housing/moving/planning-your-move/plan-my-move-great-pcs-moving-checklists-morehttps://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-housing/moving/planning-your-move/plan-my-move-great-pcs-moving-checklists-morehttps://www.facebook.com/FortSillACS/events/https://sill.armymwr.com/https://www.travelok.com/
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processes specific to Fort Sill. Commanders and SFRG personnel
are encouraged to check it out at
https://www.facebook.com/121636292647/videos/126051866008275. Army
Family Team Building (AFTB) is a Family training and readiness
curricula that provides participants with a better understanding of
Army culture, as well as the skills and resources needed to be-come
resilient, self-sufficient and self-reliant members of the military
community. In order to remain relevant in today’s changing Army and
to keep the AFTB program up-to-date with the needs of Family
members, the curriculum undergoes periodic reviews and updates.
While re-maining true to the roots of AFTB (knowledge, personal
growth, leadership), these updates address some of the changes seen
in the military and civilian communities. To get this im-portant
tool directly into the hands of all the Military Families that will
benefit from it, Fort Sill promotes the use of the AFTB app,
designed by Fort Gordon, and available free of charge in your app
store. Look for the AFTB logo. Military homecoming. No two words
give a military family such an overwhelming feeling of angst, joy,
ex-citement and even nervousness. From the moment our loved ones
leave for a deployment, this is the day we look forward to most and
immediately start counting down to after our goodbyes are said.
This day pulls on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever witnessed
one military and civilian alike. In our recent history, military
homecomings have been a recognition of sacrifice and celebration of
a job well done. In 2020, mili-tary homecomings still have this
underlying theme but look drastically different. Read all about it
on the MOS Blog Brigade article "Military Homecoming During
COVID-19"
https://blog-brigade.militaryonesource.mil/2021/01/22/military-homecoming-during-covid-19/
SFRG Leaders and Liaisons are invited to sign up for the weekly
Family and Community Update by e-mailing the ACS Community
Information Services Team. SFRG Training is now available through
the On-line Learning Management System (OLMS) on Army Family Web
Portal. SFRG Leaders and key volunteers are encouraged to take
their roles and responsibilities train-ing through OLMS. View the
course catalog at
https://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/content/online-learning-management-system-olms.
CAC access is not required to register for an AFWP or OLMS account.
Fort Sill ACS receives Military Spouse and Military Families
Magazines each month and we want to SHARE! Soldier and Family
Readiness Group Liaisons and Leaders are invited to call 442-4916
to arrange a time for curbside pick up these incredible MilFamily
resources before your next SFRG meeting. Thank you so much for your
help in sharing the resources contained within this ACS Update with
those who may benefit from it. Personal and Family Readiness are
foundational to Resilience. We’d love your feed-back! Please take a
minute to tell us how we’re doing and what else we might assist you
with by filling out an ICE comment card. Optimism is a Force
Multiplier! #AskACS Lisa Jansen-Rees, MSW, ACSW Director, Army
Community Service
https://www.facebook.com/121636292647/videos/126051866008275https://blog-brigade.militaryonesource.mil/2021/01/22/military-homecoming-during-covid-19/https://blog-brigade.militaryonesource.mil/2021/01/22/military-homecoming-during-covid-19/mailto:[email protected];%[email protected];%[email protected]?subject=SFRG%20Distro%20Listhttps://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/content/online-learning-management-system-olmshttps://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/content/online-learning-management-system-olmshttps://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=card&sp=105195&s=451&dep=*DoD
