| Events
Fort Minnesota Express is your 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, youth activities, and more. Welcome to the Fort Minnesota Express!
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The First 1-Year Reintegration Event: 849th & 851st Engineers
Oct. 16, Camp Ripley |
| Beyond the Yellow Ribbon reintegration workshops are conducted by the Minnesota National Guard Deployment Cycle Support Team and representatives of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Gold Star Retreat
Oct. 16-18, Brainerd |
The 2009 Minnesota Gold Star Retreat for family of fallen Service Members.
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| ESGR Boss Lift 2006 |
ESGR Boss Lift
Oct. 27, Camp Ripley |
The 133rd Airlift Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard offers a tour for employers of Minnesota Service Members. Representatives of Flinthill Resources, Xcel Energy, U.S. Bank, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Department of Corrections will fly in a military aircraft to Camp Ripley for the afternoon.
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ESGR Breakfast with the Boss
Oct. 20, Duluth
Oct. 20, Minneapolis
Oct. 20, Madison
Oct. 21, Appleton
Oct. 27, Marshall
Oct. 29, Olivia
Nov. 4, Ortonville
Nov. 5, Morris
Nov. 12, Montevideo |
| Click here for more about Minnesota's ESGR Committee
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Yellow Ribbon Community Training
Nov. 10, metro area |
| Willmar's Initial Training to become Yellow Ribbon Community.
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Monthly Individual Reintegration Training
Nov. 14, metro area
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1-Year Reintegration Event: 2-147th
Nov. 15, metro area
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| Gold Star retreat this weekend |
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This weekend is the 2009 Minnesota Gold Star Retreat for families and loved ones of fallen Service Members. This joint services retreat will be held at Madden's on Gull Lake, near Brainerd.
"We really need this," one Gold Star mother said of the event. "We really care about each other, and this retreat gives us the opportunity to grieve together, to start or continue healing together, and to celebrate the lives and service of those we've lost together. We truly appreciate it."
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon's Special Projects Office is sponsoring the event with help from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a national organization endorsed by the Department of Defense.
The weekend retreat is for the whole family. They'll be treated to workshops, social events, and sporting activities for all ages. Even the littlest of attendees will have a bereavement program called the "Good Grief Camp" designed for children as young as 4. A balloon release will be on Saturday to honor the fallen.
The Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Shellito, will speak at dinner Saturday and Gov. Pawlenty will address the families during breakfast on Sunday, demonstrating how much our state leaders care.
- Capt. Karen Craig
Photos: The new gold star license plate is unveiled at the State Capitol rotunda Sept. 22. |
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| Woodbury to become Yellow Ribbon City |
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Woodbury residents met late last month to take the initial steps in becoming a Yellow Ribbon City.
Woodbury's point man for the effort is Senior Master Sergeant Darrin Ewing, currently the Acting First Sergeant of the 210 Engineering Installation Squadron of the Air National Guard. Ewing has been deployed 11 times, most recently in 2007. Ewing and his wife Susan (pictured) spoke to fellow Woodbury residents about what needs military families have, and how important becoming a Yellow Ribbon Community is.
"You very much rely on your network of family and friends," said Susan. "To know that you could rely on your community would be wonderful."
Mayor Bill Hargis welcomed the crowd and the evening's guest speaker, State Adjutant General (and Woodbury resident), Major General Larry Shellito. Shellito spoke of how good it made him feel when he walked into his neighborhood grocery store to get bread and eggs and walked out with four "thank you for your service" comments from other shoppers.
- Officer Candidate Melanie Nelson
Read more about helping your city become a Yellow Ribbon City at BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org |
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| Being a Parent is hard work:
Parents as Teachers is here to help! |
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Being a parent is hard work. Parents as Teachers provides parent education and family support to families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually about age 5. In their first few years, children learn more and faster than at any other time in their life. Parents help shape their child's future through the kinds of experiences they provide. As a military family, your unique experiences bring a whole new challenge and element to parenting. Parents as Teachers understands and wants to help you be your child's first and most important hero and teacher.
Testimonials:
"Last year my husband deployed to Iraq. Parents as Teachers was a large part of my support program."
"My daughter was called to active duty and had to leave her two young sons with us. Their parent educator now visits the boys at our home and gives me copies of handouts to send to their mom. This helps my daughter feel that she's not missing out on so much of the boys' lives."
- Terri Konczak
To find out more, contact April Olson at 612.332.7563 x303 or April.Olson@ParentsAsTeachers.org, or email the Parents as Teachers national center at info@ParentsAsTeachers.org.
www.ParentsAsTeachers.org |
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| Minnesota's new Youth Coordinator |
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Minnesota has a new Youth Coordinator. Laura Poppen has served military families for the last 11 years. She was the Regional Child Youth and Services Coordinator for the Army Reserve and a Social Worker in southern Iowa, but really began her service to military youth and families through Camp Adventure Youth Service while in college. While working with Camp Adventure Youth Service for eight summers she perfected curriculum for military youth camps in Korea, Germany, Japan, England, Italy and Hawaii. Poppen has a Bachelors degree in Social Work and a Masters degree in Youth and Human Service Administration.
Poppen says she is looking forward to getting to know our military families in Minnesota and getting involved with building Yellow Ribbon Schools across the state. Accepting the position as Minnesota's new Youth Coordinator is an opportunity for her to grow professionally, develop creative new programs, and jump into already thriving programs to ensure continued success.
Poppen replaces Gail Mossman, who built Youth Programs over the last four years. Maj. Colin Fleming, Family Programs Director, says, "Gail has done excellent work with numerous programs that have been adopted as models for national programs."
Mossman will be transitioning to the Survivor Outreach Support position, and building that from the ground up as well.
- Deployment Cycle Support |
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