Local News
As soldiers return from war, help offered for families
They’re coming home.
Oklahoma National Guard troops who have been deployed to Iraq are set to return home next month — including those who deployed from the George Nigh National Guard Armory in McAlester.
To try and to help family members, friends, fellow church members, employers or others know what to expect, a Yellow Ribbon Workshop will be held in McAlester.
It’s set from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Grand Avenue Methodist Church at 225 E. Carl Albert Pkwy. The sign-in starts at 9, with plenty of vendors available at the site, organizers said.
A free lunch and free child care will be provided at the site for workshop participants.
“The purpose is to provide information dealing with possible issues that family members could come back with,” said Janice Booker, Family Assistance specialist for Southeastern Oklahoma.
Statewide, a little more than 2,700 military service personnel are set to return to Oklahoma in October, Booker said.
Approximately 275 National Guardsmen who deployed to Iraq from the armory in McAlester last year were from the Company A First Battalion of the 180th Infantry and E Troop of the 145th Cavalry.
Master Sgt. Robert Apala said about 25 of those were from McAlester and the rest were from other sites around the state. It has not yet been publicly revealed exactly when in October they will return to McAlester, he said.
Booker noted that it can sometimes be challenging when someone is away and returns home, even under the best of conditions.
“If you go away on a two week vacation, you feel out of the loop” when you return home, Booker said.
It can be much more intense for military service personnel.
“They’ve been gone for a year under conditions that are harsh, to say the least,” Booker said.
“That’s what the Yellow Ribbon workshop is about — to make it an easier transition to reintegrate our service members back into he community.”
Information will be provided on subjects ranging from post traumatic stress syndrome to suicide prevention. As a Family Assistance specialist, Booker can provide information and referrals.
“We provide free counseling for service members and family members,” Booker said. “It’s also available for community members needing information, such as school teachers, Booker said.
Among those set to speak on Saturday are McAlester Mayor Kevin Priddle, who will give the welcome, and those who are either experts or who have experienced some of the matters to be discussed.
In addition to the information to be presented on Saturday, Booker said the Family Assistance office at the armory is open from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday.
Anyone who would like to register can do so by phoning 866-649-6031.
Booker is hoping for an enthusiastic response from the community.
“Even if you don’t have a service member in your family, everybody’s in some way affected,” Booker said — because almost everyone knows a family with someone in the military,
“The more informed everybody is, the more assistance they can give,” Booker said.
“Information is the best tool you can use.”
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
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