Tiger Team attacks 172nd SBCT extension challenges (True or False?)

FT WAINWRIGHT (Army News Service, Aug. 18, 2006) -- When the extension of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Iraq was announced, the Department of the Army responded by deploying a Tiger Team to Fort Wainwright to begin working Soldier and family issues.

The Tiger team got down to business Aug. 4 and worked long hours before leaving last weekend. While at Fort Wainwright, the Tiger Team confronted a variety of issues affecting deployed Soldiers and their families.

“This is the top priority of the Army’s leadership,” Col. Dennis Dingle, chief of the DA Tiger Team said. “We are here to make sure these families are taken care of while their Soldiers have been extended in theater.”

Dingle said the Tiger Team brought several specialists with them to tackle issues, including finance and accounting, movement of household goods, DA entitlements, child and youth services, Army community services and personnel assignment policy.

“The Army’s leadership recognizes the hardships and sacrifices the families and Soldiers of the 172nd are enduring due to this extension,” Dingle said. “We want to do everything we can to assist the brigade and installation staffs. We bring full power and attention of the Army staff to solve issues and provide assistance to these Soldiers and families.”

The Tiger Team spread out and worked to resolve issues from all angles during their stay. They brought in child psychologists, Soldier and family life consultants and additional support to increase the number of child care providers.

Lt. Col. Mary Dooley-Bernard, deputy director for Family Programs and the Community and Family Support Center, worked with a variety of family concerns.

“One thing that’s most critical in any type of deployment or extension is family support,” she said.

Dooley-Bernard said she worked with the team to bring in five more child care specialists to help ease the strain on the current child care system. She also helped evaluate needs and hire more personnel to handle these increased family support needs of the post.

“Every level of leadership has said, ‘Let’s do what’s right for Soldiers and families and let’s do this immediately,’” she said.

The Tiger Team also worked to resolve issues regarding assignment changes that were delayed due to the extension.

Maj. Gwendolyn Lee, Human Resources Command, said the Army is working to maintain all assignment changes and school dates.

“The plan is to move all retirement, DEROS dates and PCS’s to the maximum extent possible,” Lee said.

They made it a point to stress to Soldiers who are deployed for more than 365 days that they’re entitled to an additional $1,000 per month of special pays, which is a combination of $800 assignment incentive pay and a $200 increase in hardship duty pay.

Soldiers will also continue to receive combat zone tax exclusion and family separation pay.

Families can expect for household goods and housing issues to be handled on a case by case basis.

The Tiger Team has left Fort Wainwright, but they have left behind countless resources to help Soldiers and their Families.

The Family Assistance Center is still the first point of contact for Soldiers and their families. If an issue arises, families should first seek assistance from the FAC 24 hours a day at 353-4458 at Fort Wainwright or 384-1517 at Fort Richardson.

Mental health services are available through the mental health clinic for Soldiers and family members. These services are available on a walk-in basis or by consultation or referral.

The Tiger Team also stressed additional Soldier and Family Life consultants and behavioral health professionals will arrive in Alaska shortly to increase the availability of counseling services for family members of all ages.

Col. Robert Ball, U.S. Army Alaska deputy commander, said fort Wainwright and Richardson and the DA are doing everything in their power to care for the Soldiers and their families.

“The U.S. Army Alaska and installation staffs are pulling out all the stops to provide increased assistance to all the Soldiers and families of the 172nd,” he said. “This is a very quickly developing situation and we are trying to help families just as quickly. We want to provide the assistance they need, but they need to tell us what they need. This is why we encourage everyone affected by this extension to bring their concerns to the FAC so we can address their specific situations.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Brown, Human Resource Policy Directorate, said another Tiger Team will be back in the spring, but the resources and personnel are in place to help bring families through this tough situation.

“I would say to the families to stay firm and stay resolved,” he said. “We’ll get through this.”

I just now saw your post. I guess I was too busy in August to get online :)

The Tiger Team made a huge difference for the extension, however, myself and many, many, other spouses wondered where the resources and supportive services were for the entire deployment? We genuinely appreciated the help after the extension, but man it was way too late in coming.

I'm sure it was an IMA issue, lack of funding, limited resources, etc. Mostly it was due to unmotivated managers/employees of various services. Their attitude towards us was lousy and most supportive services were anything but, and poorly planned, executed, and a lot of lip service.

However, to ask the families that are making sacrifices already to make even more sacrifices with limited and crappy services during the entire first year of the deployment - that was too much. If the liberals support the troops so much, as they say that they do, where are the celebrity studded fund raisers to benefit family and wounded soldier services on post and for the VA hospitals? There is all kinds of information available for and about soldiers affected by war, but we spouses have to keep it together before, during, and after deployment (some fair better and worse than others). I would never take away from the soldiers and the wounded soldiers, but there needs to be some studies and recognition that we too are affected by the stressors of a deployment

Thanks for listening.

Thanks for the support. What a shame it is that the deployed single soldiers have to pack up all of their belongings and put it in storage (shower curtains, bedding, etc) and when they arrive in the middle of the night after a 17+ hour flight the PX is not open to replace these items. The Army, in support of soldier morale, decided to let the troops show their individualism in their rooms and decorate it themselves. However, this plan is limited after a deployment and thousands of dollars are spent in donations for items that the soldier has in storage, but doesn't have easy access to. The units no longer carry these supplies. Better planning and access should be utilized, but this is just one more thing to add to a long list.

Again, thank you for your support.

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