News Search

Packages sent to 107th Airmen overseas for the holidays.

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Ray Lloyd
  • 107th Airlift Wing
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station --  Family members prepared care packages for their loved ones who are deployed.

The 107th Airlift Wing's Family Readiness hosted their Yellow Ribbon event here at Niagara Falls Reserve Station on Nov. 7th. The 107th Security Forces Airmen are deployed at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia. They will be spending their deployment over the holiday season and will return early in 2016.

The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) is a proactive outreach program operating from pre-deployment to post-deployment that provides assistance to Army National Guard and Air National Guard service members, as well as family members and designated individuals (DI).  It is National Guard policy that service members and their families/DI are provided the optimum level of support before, during and after deployment.  Yellow Ribbon events and activities are aimed at those service members ordered to active duty or full time operational support, other than training, for 90 consecutive days as well as families and DI. Yellow Ribbon is intended to develop resiliency regarding the rigors of the military lifecycle and stressors caused by deployment and reintegration.

"All in all, this event was a huge success. It was a fantastic opportunity for leadership to reach out to the family members and check-in with them while also relaying their support and gratitude for holding down the fort while their loved one is deployed." said Gabrielle Olszewski, New York Air Wing Integrator "This event also gave the families a time to mingle and talk with the other family members who are in the same situation."


Each family members placed in the package together with items which included snacks, personnel care items, color drawings from their children. During the event each family posed for a photo to be placed in the package.

Family members expressed their appreciation for the event. 
"This event was very helpful dealing with my spouse's deployment.  It was fun for my children as well. Thank you for putting this together!" said one family member

"This was wonderful, fun and well managed. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. Everyone was so helpful. God Bless you all and bring our family members home safely."

"Fantastic resource for the families of deployed service members."

"Good event. Member's families were able to get together. Also, if additional information on services that are available to them" said a sergeant's wife