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Military & Family Readiness Center

M&FRC is a one-stop information and referral center.

Here for you and your family

All Active Duty, Guard, Reserves, and Retired Service Members, their families and DoD ID card holders are eligible to use our services. The M&FRC contributes to Buckley mission readiness by providing effective consultation and education to sustain Service members and families. We also work in conjunction with Base Helping Agencies and Community Partners to provide workshops and resources that support a diverse audience and complement Unit Action Plans.

Quick Resources


Members who are separating or retiring from military service are required to participate in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) which includes:

  • Self-assessment submitted to 460fss.fsh.transitionassistance@us.af.mil
  • Individualized Counseling Session to determine your transition path
  • Pre-Separation (Benefits & Entitlements Pre-Brief)
  • Transition Assistance Program – Goals, Plans & Success (TAP GPS) Workshop (Department of Labor & the Veterans Administration)
  • Capstone Event appointment (verification of Career Readiness Standards (CRS))

 

Individualized Counseling, Pre-Separation, Department of Defense Brief, Department of Labor, VA Benefits Brief and the Capstone are MANDATORY. Individualized Counseling and Pre-Separation counseling must be completed at least 365 days prior to separation or retirement, and is a prerequisite to attend the mandatory TAP GPS workshop. Capstones must be completed less than 120 days and before separation or retirement. It is also important to register on www.va.gov and establish a DS Login ID prior to the first day of class.

Additional assistance for Federal employment, resume writing, job searches, interviewing skills, goal setting, etc. is provided in workshops and may be requested via one-on-one appointments. To learn more about the TAP GPS curriculum, visit: milconnect.

The local Airman & Family Readiness Center, or A&FRC, serves as the Installation Voter Assistance (IVA) Office. The IVA Office provides uniformed service members, their family members and overseas citizens with information and assistance on how to request an absentee ballot and vote absentee. These functions are accomplished through the use of two forms:

  • Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which serves as a request for registration and a request for an absentee ballot; and

  • Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), which serves as a backup in the event an official absentee ballot is not received.

Installation Voting Assistance Officers (IVAOs) at the A&FRC also provide civilians with access to the IVA Office information and assistance on procedures for registering to vote and updating voter registration information (e.g., change of address). This is accomplished by completing the National Mail Voter Registration Form (NVRF).

In addition to IVAOs, each Air Force unit is required to appoint Unit Voting Assistance Officers (UVAOs) to provide unit personnel with voting information regarding their home state, election dates and absentee voting registration and procedures.

To successfully vote absentee, UOCAVA citizens should:

  • Allow sufficient time to request, receive, and return the absentee ballot

  • Notify your election office each time your mailing address changes
  • Know your state’s absentee voting deadlines and procedures to ensure your ballot is properly executed and counted

  • Complete a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if you do not receive your state absentee ballot in time to return it to your election office by the state deadline

Visit the A&FRC for more information about voting.

Meeting financial obligations and goals is a common objective of every family. The Personal Financial Readiness Program offers information, education, and personal financial counseling. The Airman & Family Readiness Center, or A&FRC, has staff available for one-on-one appointments. We can also provide various financial workshops including:

  • Blended Retirement System
  • Million Dollar Airman and Spouse
  • Thrift Savings Plan
  • Spending Plan Creating
  • Money Habitudes
  • Car Buying
  • Home Buying
  • Investing

A&FRC also provides mandatory financial briefings for First-Term Airmen and First Duty Station Officers. The center has AFCPE Certified Financial Counselors and staff certified as Identity Theft Specialists & Credit Report Reviewers.

The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is the official charity of the US Air Force. Assistance is provided to active duty members, and on a case-by-case basis to their spouses. Assistance is also provided to other branch personnel through an agreement with AER, NMCR, and Coast Guard Relief to eligible personnel. Financial assistance can be provided for help with some of the following:

  • Basic Living Expenses (Rent, Food or Utilities)
  • Money for travel for a family member’s funeral/illness
  • Car repair for an essential vehicle

In addition, the Air Force Aid Society also offers educational assistance programs and community programs.

  • Heart Link
  • PCS Childcare
  • Give Parents A Break
  • Respite Care Programs
  • Hap Arnold Scholarships
  • Car Care Vouchers
  • Bundles for Babies

The Airman and Family Readiness Center, or A&FRC, is the focal point to assist all service members and their families, to include the Department of Defense civilians, in easing their adaptation to the military lifestyle and enrichment of their personal and work life.

The A&FRC assists by offering skills development workshops and providing referrals to other agencies if needed. P&WL activities are educational in nature and offered in small group settings. Several offerings aim to facilitate and connect customers to information and agencies they will encounter throughout their military experience. These include the Key Spouse Program and Heart Link. Our P&WL services compliment those offered by other helping agencies. The following programs are available:

  • 4 Lenses & True Color Workshop – this is an easy and effective method to learn how to identify and understand personality and temperament preferences. Having this understanding can enhance relationships within one’s personal life and in the workplace.

  • Heart Link Spouse Orientation – this program, funded by the Air Force Aid Society, is an adaptation and networking forum for military spouses. It’s designed to strengthen military families and enhance mission readiness by orienting military spouses to active duty military life. Heart Link is aimed at increasing awareness of the military mission, customs and traditions, protocol and available resources, and information about accessing helping agencies.

  • Bundles for Babies – this program, sponsored by the Air Force Aid Society, covers a variety of topics to include New Parent Support, financial aspects of bringing up a child and much more. Expecting AD parents receive bundle from their respective Aid Societies upon completion along with a wealth of new knowledge.

  • Key Spouse Program – this program provides consistent communication and a liaison to unit and family members. If you are curious about becoming a Key Spouse or determining who your Key Spouse is, contact the A&FRC for more information.

Airman and Family Readiness Center staff is ready to assist service members and their families who are seeking alternate employment opportunities. Through the Employment Assistance Program, individuals will learn to utilize the skills and techniques required for a successful job search. Our services include:

  • Resume writing classes
  • 1-1 assistance with resumes and CVs
  • Referral to on- and off-base employers

Staff is available to assist in identifying skills and interests. Our Discovery Room contains up-to-date computers to assist with job search, resume writing, and filling out federal forms and applications.

The Department of Defense established the Exceptional Family Member Program to recognize and meet the unique needs of military families with special needs dependents. The A&FRC has a dedicated EFMP-Family Support Specialist on staff to help families discover local resources, accessing EFMP sponsored activities, navigating the educational and medical system, accessing information, and ultimately getting your family’s unique needs met. The staff is also available for one-on-one consultation as needed.

For more information please contact Robert Hotzfeld, Buckley EFMP-FS Coordinator, at 720-847-6681 or Robert.Hotzfeld.2@spaceforce.mil

The Casualty Office provides guidance to Commanders, Family members to ensure their families are taken care of as expeditiously as possible in a family emergency. This office also assists in times of injuries and deaths and is responsible for providing prompt and accurate casualty reporting, notification to surviving families, as well as follow-on assistance for as long as needed. Education is provided regarding Service member’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI), Virtual Record of Emergency Data (vRED) completion. SGLI provides insurance up to $400,000.00 to designated beneficiaries while the vRED is a vital part of each member’s military personnel file, providing the Sole source contact information for primary next-of-kin, secondary next-of-kin, and other persons to notify in case of an injury, emergency or death. The vRED serves as the official document required by law for designating beneficiaries for Death Gratuity, Unpaid Pay and Allowances and the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition of remains.

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Office also provides education and counseling to retiring service members and their spouses. Prior to retiring, members will receive a thorough briefing on various aspects to consider regarding whether or not to participate in the Survivor Benefits Program (SBP). The briefing is mandatory for the service member and encouraged for spouses.

Air Force Families Forever (AFFF) is a long-term survivor aftercare program established to provide support to family members of deceased Regular Air Force and Reserve Component Airmen who died in an Active Duty, Inactive Duty for Training (IDT), or Annual Training (AT) status and whose relationship was established prior to the Airman’s death. This includes RegAF, Guard, and Reserve Airmen. Specific procedures have been devised to provide support to eligible Next-of-Kin (NOK) through Airman & Family Readiness Centers (A&FRCs) at installations closest to where the survivor resides.

The Air Force Families Forever website is the focal point for program information. It is updated with resources for AF/Space Force leaders and surviving family members, to include links to locate the nearest A&FRC, The Connection newsletter, and other general AFFF program information. Click Here to visit the webpage.

Next of Kin (NOK): widow or widower (remarried or not), each parent (mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through adoption, father through adoption, foster parents who stood in loco parentis), each child (natural, step-children, adopted), and each sibling (brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister) of an Airman.

Each active-duty installation’s A&FRC is the point-of-contact for NOK to receive long term support, including:

Information and Referral

  • Engagement through targeted contact and incremental outreach
  • Referral to eligible federal, state, and local resources to include partnering non-governmental organizations

​Remembrance and Connection

  • Connection to installation and community support networks
  • Recognition/memorialization of deceased Airmen
  • Coordination with installation leadership to include family members in the AF culture

Installation Access

  •  Sponsorship for NOK through the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) process
  • Introduction to installation approved Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) activities

For more information please contact Laura Mellon, Buckley Garrison AFFF Representative, @ 720-847-6681 or Laura.Mellon@spaceforce.mil

The Buckley Airman/Guardian & Family Readiness Center provides support for active duty members and their families in all phases of deployment, from pre-deployment, to sustainment, to reintegration for homecoming. Workshops and resources are available, including:

 

    • Pre-deployment briefings provide information on a host of resources, benefits and entitlements available to deployed members and families. Spouses of the Deployed members receive information on how to cope with deployment and other support programs such as 16 free hours of free childcare per month and our regular Hearts Apart events.

 

    • Monthly Hearts Apart events provide social networking and resources for spouses and families of deployed members, both prior to, during, and after the deployment.

 

    • Reintegration resources are always available through the A/G&FRC’s Discovery Center. Additionally, Reintegration Briefings provide information to ease the adjustment back into work and family life at Buckley SFB.

 

During times of crisis, whether from natural (Katrina) or man-made disasters (9-11), the A&FRC converts to the Emergency Family Assistance Center (EFAC). Normal center operations cease and the A&FRC becomes the focal point for assisting individuals impacted by the event. Partnering agencies such as Mental Health, Legal, Chaplains, American Red Cross, Public Affairs, and Air Force Aid provide one-stop assistance to those impacted by the crisis. In addition to information, advice, financial aid, and counseling and care services, individuals can utilize the EFAC communication center with phone lines and computers to reach loved ones around the world. The EFAC also provides a lifeline of information to the community and victims via the EFAC line 720-847-EFAC (3322).

The Airman and Family Readiness Center coordinates requests for volunteers with agencies needing assistance. Both active-duty members and dependents are invited to visit the A&FRC to learn about available volunteer opportunities. In addition to the altruistic benefits of volunteering, volunteers can also:

  • Get free on-the-job training & build/maintain skills

  • Contribute additional manpower and resources to various agencies missions

  • Make new friends

The Airman & Family Readiness Center, or A&FRC, connects individuals and families with the right resources. Should the A&FRC be unable to provide direct assistance, referrals will be made to the best resources for their presenting need.

Additional Resources

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Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri: 8am – 4pm
Closed: Weekends & Federal Holidays
To schedule an appointment Contact via phone at 720-847-6681 or email 460mss.dpf@us.af.mil 
*Emergencies will be attended as needed*

Contact Us

Director, Laurie Webb
Bldg. 606
DSN: 847-6681
COMM: 720-847-6681