Military OneSource: One stop shopping

  • Published
  • By SSgt Ebony Nichols
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
Barksdale Air Fore Bace, La. --  Imagine Airmanosa: a wonderful place. There, bills pay themselves, spouses never disagree, and permanent changes of stations occur daily with no glitches. In this magical land, elderly parents don't need hospice assistance, there are no wars, and there is no physical fitness evaluation.
 
There are definitely no crises that lead people to need counseling. Oh, it's lovely! Unfortunately, one only visits this place in when sitting in traffic leaving the base, or imagines what it would be like to live there permanently when an assignment didn't go as planned.
 
In the real world life routinely hiccups and takes unexpected turns. Occasionally emergencies and recurring stressful situations can leave military members aggravated and unsure of where to find assistance.
 
Sure, there are resources out there, but where? Would they understand the specialized lifestyle of a military member or dependent? How much would it cost? Would it be confidential?
 
Thanks to the funding from the Department Of Defense, the working together of military-focused organizations, and lots of people who "just want to help," there is a place to turn (that's not imaginary) and can help with any issue a member will face. That place is Military OneSource.
 
Military OneSource is a one-stop-shop for active duty members, Reservists, Guardsmen and their family members. Retirees are only eligible up to 180 days after their retirement, because this resource is a readiness support program. When members get deployed, the person who is left in charge of their personal affairs will also have temporary access to membership with this program.

The team members of Military OneSource understand that life can be stressful for those that choose to serve their country. This program was put together to offer assistance and some relief when members become overwhelmed. Considering that different people need help in different ways, there are options.

"Any question, big or small, we have several venues to answer it," said Rosalind Thompson, Louisiana MOS Joint Family Support Assistance Program Consultant. "There are three ways to access our resources: the website www.militaryonesource.com), telephonic method (1-800-342-9647), and face-to-face. The face-to-face method would be for financial planning, budgeting and assessing; or therapeutic counseling." All counseling is free for 12 sessions and confidential as long as the discussions don't raise cause for concern of danger to/for a member.
 
In addition to counseling, MOS offers podcasts to which members can listen or download; and webinars, which are interactive online workshops that allow people to view a presentation online while listening to a teleconference that includes the presenter and other attendees.
 
MOS also offers discussion boards, newsfeeds and more. All products can be found on the website. Some information is inaccessible for those who are not members of the site. To become a member, one must meet the criteria previously mentioned and register with the site. Once registered, members have complete access to the site and all the MOS has to offer.
 
Visiting this website will give any Airman all the information they need to know about the program and all it has to offer. There are categories listed, on which a member can click and review or print articles, worksheets, booklets and more on subjects ranging from crisis to weight management, money matters, elder care, transition assistance and more.
 
There are services in place that assist in most of the areas members frequently utilize. MOS is not a resource to use instead of these in-place services.
 
"We are not replacing traditional services at an installation. We just augment them for people who are geographically dispersed," said Ms. Thompson.
 
Pamphlets, slide shows, and other informational tools to leave in a busy office or to hand out at a special function can be ordered or printed, free of charge, by clicking service provider tools at the bottom of the Military OneSource website. There is also a frequently asked questions link.
 
No member can reside in Airmanosa. It is important for all members to be aware of assistance that is at their disposal. Everything may as planned now; however, for those who don't reside in that enchanted Airmanosa, know where to turn when money is tight or depression rears its ugly head is vital.