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A&FRC spreads holiday cheer to deployed member's families

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Elsea
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Airman and Family Readiness sponsored the third annual Hearts Apart Holiday Party Nov. 30 at the Heritage Club.

"The purpose of the event was to honor our families of deployed and remote military members during this holiday season and to let them know that the Air Force and Tyndall's leadership care about them and that they are not alone," said Master Sgt. Kathleen Mygan, 325th Force Support Squadron A&FRC family readiness manager.

Fifteen spouses and 29 dependents attended the event, as well as a number of volunteers.

The party featured complimentary food and beverages, coloring, crafts, games, face painting, holiday picture poses, music, massages for the spouses, prizes and gifts.

Hearts Apart is a base-wide program that has been in place for several years.

"All families are eligible for the Hearts Apart Program if the military member or DoD civilian is deployed or TDY for 30 plus days," said Sergeant Mygan. "They are signed up when their loved one attends a mandatory out-processing Pre-deployment or remote briefing prior to their departure."

Hearts Apart offers a number of resources for family members.

"We keep in touch via e-mail & phone calls to ensure the families are getting all the information that would normally be passed on to them through their spouse," said Sergeant Mygan. "We also plan quarterly get-together's honoring them by letting them know they are not alone and they are valued as part of our military family. We also offer vouchers for the Give Parents a Break program, which offers the families with children six months old to ten years old, one Friday or Saturday per month of free child care; an added bonus is that the families that are in the Hearts Apart Program have the advantage of reserving their spot one day prior to the general base populace."

The Hearts Apart Program also has a morale call program that authorizes families of loved ones that are deployed or remote to call their loved one from the comforts of their own home, three times a week at 15 minutes per call, added Sergeant Mygan.

For more information about the Hearts Apart Program contact Sergeant Mygan by phone at (850) 283-4204 or via e-mail at Kathleen.mygan@tyndall.af.mil.