We interview Barbara McCain,  Customer Support Coordinator for the newest Army Strong Community Center (ASCC).  The centers support service members, retirees, veterans, and their family members from all branches of the military, both active and Reserve.

 

 

Tell me about your military affiliation.

Besides being a former FRG Family Readiness Group Coordinator for the National Guard, I am also the wife of a soldier who returned from Iraq just three weeks ago, as well as the mother of a Combat Medic son who is stationed with the 82nd Airborne division at Ft. Bragg NC. who has deployed to Iraq and is slotted for Afghanistan next spring.

How did you get involved with Army Strong?

I was the family readiness group coordinator and I got an email from my trainer talking about the new Army Strong Center coming to Oregon City.  I came up to the college the day they were doing interviews to find out what AS did.  I was hoping to find a job for someone or new resources that I could use in the volunteer position as a group coordinator.  After we talked for a while, they offered me the job!  My new position opened up what I was already doing to include all military and it seemed like a natural fit.

Why is helping military families and veterans so important to you?

I am the wife of a soldier.  My husband deployed last year;  and my son is currently serving overseas.  It was a natural gravitation to me.  There was an emptiness syndrome with everyone going off doing their thing.  Hospitality is my way of giving; it is a very needed thing and I could fill the need.

Some of these people have really big problems.  They need counseling, we have even navigated suicide attempts.  People have big problems and they really need resources in that moment, at that time.  We are right there and have a big network of people who care as much as we do.

How does  Army Strong help soldiers get mission ready?

There is a real community amongst family members.  The Army has recognized that there is a need to support the families.  The motto is Mission First, Families Always.  It recognized that in order to do their job and serve, they need to know that their family back home is being taken care of.  We provide resources to families so that they are getting the support they need to be that mom, be that wife and the soldier can concentrate on his mission.

We care. We are here.  Unit administrators call us on a regular basis, “I have a soldier…,” “I have a wife….” We can find resources that they may not be aware of.  This gives family program coordinator a place to go, as well, so that she realized what resources are available.

Tell me a memorable story of someone you really helped.

We have that happen every day here.  We have assisted so many families.  It is often difficult to navigate post 911 benefits.  People come here  ready to give up, frustrated.  So we sit down face to face, listen to them, identify their needs.  Then we partner with community resources and reinforce to they can use their benefits and can use their educational  benefits and that they have a support network here.  Ours is the only Army Strong on a community college campus, so we see a lot of students.  But we also go out to units on weekends so that they know where to find us and where we are at. We have helped homeless veterans find housing; there was one veteran who went from living in a van to moving into a home and going to school with GI bill and a stipend.  It really changed his life.  Being able to be that , to be that bridge so they can successfully navigate that bridge is just fantastic. 

Talk a little about how you help the families cope.

Lots of times we have moms who don’t understand what is going on.  It is very daunting when their son goes into the service and they haven’t  heard from him or they wonder, “what is this acronym?”  We help families  from everything from navigating the graduation ceremony to calming the mom down when their child goes overseas.

That is very traumatic to moms.  My husband was active duty when we were first married 30 years ago and he went back into the Guard two years ago.  Now I’m with him in NG, I immediately jumped in, “how can I help?”  It is a great feeling to know that that little bit of time I took to get to know someone, helped improve their life. It is a very humbling job.