| Welcome
Welcome to the first edition of the Fort Minnesota Express, a military family's link to what's going on Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Watch for regular updates about Family and Reintegration events, Yellow Ribbon Community news, and fantastic opportunities for Service Members and their families. Click on the ''join now'' button to sign up for e-alerts on special happenings for job
opportunities, cities, youth, and more. Welcome to the Fort Minnesota Express!
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| C/2-211 60 Day/ MIRT
Date: 19 Sept 09
Service Members are required to attend a minimum of three workshops. Completed workshop evaluation forms and final AAR must be turned in to the unit at the end of the day's training. Provider stations are open throughout the day including meal and break times. |
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| CBWTU Conference
Date 20 Sept 09 |
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| Outward Bound BWCA Expedition
Date: 04 Oct 09
The Veteran's Outward Bound expedition is designed to bring fellow Veterans together and help them "come all the way home." Experience the BWCA canoeing, rock climbing, and high ropes course while helping each other overcome obstacles and meeting new challenges. |
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| BTYR Gold Star Retreat
Date: 16-18 Oct 09
Our mission is to provide support and assistance to Minnesota Service Members experiencing a bereavement due to the loss of a Service Member since 9/11/2001. |
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Div/34th MP FRA
Date 12 Dec 09 |
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BTYR Family Events and deals |
| Click on the link below to learn more about our events and deals!
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| Reintegration By OC Melanie Nelson
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The meat and potatoes of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, Deployment Cycle Support Team, is Reintegration. Last month more than 800 Service Members and their families attended a reintegration event. Both the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) 60-Day and C Company, 2-211th's 30-Day took place at the Bloomington Sheraton last month.
This month Deployment Cycle Support Team is assisting nearly 250 Service Members and families in the MN Army National Guard, Army Reserve and the Marine Corp Reserves through three events: the 60-Day, MIRT, and a Community Based Warrior Transition Unit (CBWTU) at the Hilton in Minneapolis.
Whether it's the Family Prep Academy, the Family Readiness Academy, the 30-Day, 60-Day, 90-Day or the Monthly Reintegration Event (MIRT), each event is designed in detail to prepare Service Members and their families. Preparation means equipping them with resources and providing professionals to assist them with such things as counseling, youth development and college education planning. |
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| STRONG BONDS By: Spc Nicholle Corcoran |
Best Friends Forever is what Marriage is all about!
The State Chaplain's Office and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon have teamed up to offer you an outstanding program called STRONG BONDS. It's a free, educational and practical opportunity to learn what works in marriage and what continues to make marriages last. The weekend retreat can be completed in lieu of a drill weekend, and is held at a beautiful hotel within the State of Minnesota.
STRONG BONDS is basic and straightforward, focusing on communication skills. The workshops and materials teach couples the skills they need to nurture a lasting love.
Chaplain (Capt.) Mark Thompson, who heads up the STRONG BONDS program, says, "the program was started for couples who are deployed or have been deployed. It also helps them work through issues that may have come up." We were curious to know how often a couple can attend. Chaplain Thompson smiled as he replied, "you can attend as often as you need to. The material is the same currently and we are working on getting other topics integrated into the workshops."
Key topics include communication, expectations, problem solving, commitment, forgiveness, friendship and sensuality.
* Discover how to express your concerns constructively * Recognize the danger signs that lead to marital discord * Examine hidden issues
* Cultivate family wellness
* Keep your busy lifestyles from crowding out the fun in your relationship
STRONG BONDS weekends are designed primarily for married couples to enjoy learning about each other and their relationship, but there is one assignment during the weekend... to go on a date!
Dates for the 2010 STRONG BONDS weekends have just been announced: 12-14 Feb, 26-28 Mar, 23-25 Apr, 28-30 May, 6-8 Aug, and 17-19 Sept. Participants are accepted on first-come, first-served basis. Some seats are reserved for Service Members just returning from deployments. To register, email strongbonds.mn@ng.army.mil
For more information about STRONG BONDS, visit our Web site:
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Yellow Ribbon City By: Spc. Nicholle Corcoran
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Right now, two counties, one region, two dozen cities, and several businesses across Minnesota are working toward achieving the "Yellow Ribbon" designation. This designation illustrates the community's commitment to supporting military families before, during, and after deployment. Gov. Tim Pawlenty supports the effort!
While in Farmington, you may have noticed the Yellow Ribbon road sign. In December 2008, this proactive city was designated Minnesota's first Yellow Ribbon City. The designation recognizes Farmington's reintegration efforts, which include educational programs in local schools, childcare for children of Soldiers, and a network of volunteers who help families during the transition from overseas military
duty to civilian life. 
If you are part of a city, county, business, school district, religious organization, or other civic or private organization, we suggest you
encourage your organization to become "Yellow Ribbon"! Our Deployment Cycle Support team members can assist.
Cities currently seeking "Yellow Ribbon" status include: Albert Lea, Anoka, Austin, Burnsville, Crookston, Eagan, Forest Lake, Hastings, Hugo, Inver Grove Heights, Lake Elmo, Lakeville, Marshall, Montevideo, Northfield, Oakdale, Rochester, Rosemount, Sartell/Cold Springs, St. Cloud, Stacy, Stillwater, Waseca, West St. Paul, Woodbury.
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| September is Suicide Prevention Month By: Mary Sullivan |
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Suicide.... Let's Talk!  Why do people commit suicide? People consider suicide when they are in pain... the more pain they are in, the more suicide begins to appear like an option.
Research indicates that a large number of people have thought of taking their own lives at one time or another; some have even thought of how they might do so.
If people knew how to cope with their pain... they would! If you are running a marathon, there are stations set up along the way so you can take a break when you need it. If someone puts a backpack on you, and those stations just put more weight into the backpack at each stop, you will at some point, have to quit. Willpower won't help you to continue running, and eventually, when enough weight is added, you will fall to the ground and stop altogether. Remember that most suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress, not harmless bids for attention. A person who appears suicidal should not be left alone and needs immediate mental-health treatment. If you think someone is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. Call 911 or Military OneSource at 800-342-9647, call a chaplain or a family member or friend.
To The Other Side of Pain
1) You need to hear that people do get through thoughts of suicide -- even people who feel as badly as you may be feeling now.
2) Remember that feelings and actions are two different things.
3) People often turn to suicide because they are seeking relief from pain. Remember that relief is a feeling, and you have to be alive to feel it.
4) Some people will react badly to someones suicidal feelings, either because they are frightened, or angry; their bad reactions are about their fears, not about the person who is suicidal.
5) Suicidal feelings are, in and of themselves, traumatic. After they subside, the person needs to continue caring for themself.
Therapy is a really good idea. Their are many options for people considering suicide: Call 1-800-SUICIDE in the U.S., call a crisis line located in the front of your phone book, call Military One Source at 800-342-9684, call your County Social Service Department, call the State Crisis Connection Line 1-866-379-6363, call the National Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 (talk), call Link Vet 1-888-546-5838, call a Military Family Life Counselor at 651-282-4230, or contact the MN National Guard's Director of Psychological Health.
The MN National Guard has a new Director of Psychological Health. She assists Guard Leadership with Behavioral Health assessments and referrals for Guard members and their families.
In addition, she has been put in place to actively develop Best Practices for Minnesota to ensure access to quality services, training in behavioral health and wellness, and building psychological fitness and resilience in our Service Members. MN's Director of Psychological Health is:
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| First Lady's Initiative By OC Melanie Nelson |
 Minnesota's First Lady Mary Pawlenty appeared in Hastings last month to speak to the Hastings Beyond the Ribbon Yellow group about her Military Family Care Initiative.
"It's nice to be back in Hastings," Pawlenty said.
As a judge in this district for 12 years, this was a great location to reveal news about the future of her Military Family Care Initiative. When her husband leaves his position as Governor, her Web site will continue on and evolve with the National Guard's Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.
Already today a link to the First Lady's Web site can be found on the home page at Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. This site acts as a merging point for groups wanting to volunteer their services and military families in need of some extra help.
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