HHB FRG INFORMATION 10/12/2008

Hello families,
Well Autumn has sprung upon us and to be honest it can go back to summer as I love the warm months. Hopefully your kids are all settled in at school and studying hard. Not too much longer and the holidays will be upon us and the fun begins. I wanted to email you some things that will be taking place in the next few weeks. There is also an attachment from LTC Westfall for the Ruff Ryder families. As soon as we get something for the Desert Wolves we will send it to you. There is a lot of information that you will need to read this email carefully so that you don’t miss something.

October 18, 2008 will be our FRG Meeting in the Bloomington Armory located at 3380 S. Walnut St. Bloomington, In 47401. The meeting will start promptly at 1:00 pm, with the first hour being general business meeting and the second hour will be briefing material. We will also be making Homecoming posters for our soldiers, so please make sure that you attend so that you can make a poster for your soldier. All you will need to bring is 2 poster boards, markers, crayons or whatever you would like to bring to decorate.

WE WILL HAVE A NICE BASKET FULL OF FREE GOODIES UP FOR RAFFLE AT THE MEETING. COME, LEARN AND WIN!

October 18, 2008 76th MySpace group will be having their last get together before soldiers come home. We will be going to the new casino in Shelbyville, In and the new steakhouse that is attached to the casino. Dinner will be first and then fun time at the casino. If you are interested in going please let me know so that I can get your name added to the list.

Suicide Awareness/ Prevention Training to be held November 1st from 1-4 at the Linton, Jasper, Martinsville, and Division Armories. You may attend which ever training is most convenient for you.

The 151 FRG’s will also provide childcare. The age minimum to participate in the training is 12 years old due to the nature of the training. Please RSVP, if possible but not mandatory, so we can plan on having enough sitters to children. Please RSVP to Jenny Tracy at jennifer.lynne.tracy@us.army.mil if you would like to attend this training.

For the deployed families that were unable to make it to the last couple of weeks briefings from the 76th Brigade, here is the information for the last 2 briefings that will be held. Jenny Tracy and I hope that you were able to make it to one of the briefings as they did discuss a lot of good information about what to expect when your soldier does come home for good. THEY PROVIDE ATTENDEES THE 800 PHONE # FOR YOUR SOLDIER’S FLIGHT- SO BE SURE TO ATTEND. Remember to make sure you get enough knowledge before they come home so you know what to expect when they are finally in your house again and not in some chu or tent or whatever your soldier may call it.

Saturday Oct 11
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
376 EN
2530 East 173 Street, Hammond, IN 46323 Hammond Armory
Sunday Oct 12
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
1638 TC
345 West Division Street, Remington, IN 47977 Remington Armory
HHB wants to welcome home Spc Joshua Egan and SSG Benjamin Staley. We hope that you have a nice time while you are visiting your families and that you get all the rest that you deserve.
A word from Jenny Tracy, 2-150 FA HHB FRG Chairperson
Deployed families - I know you are so anxious that your soldier is coming home and I am thrilled that the deployment is winding down. I remember when my soldier came home and it still brings tears to my eyes. The stress and emotion is not over even after they get home so please reach out and get assistance so we can make this transition as smooth as possible. It has been almost 3 years since my soldier came home and we still are going through adjustments. THIS FRG IS HERE TO HELP! The FRG is going to be a integral part in giving you information about your soldier’s return so it is imperative that Angela has contact information for each of you. We need phone #’s of your home phone, cell phone and work phone. If you are unsure if we have this information, please send Angela an EMAIL NOW WITH THIS CIRTICAL INFORMATION. I want to be able to reach you at the moment the information is dispersed, so please make sure Angela has your contact information.
Home Front Soldiers- WE HAVE A SPECIAL GIFT FOR YOU AT DRILL. Be looking forward to a special Halloween treat. We are so proud of you! Thank you for your service. I encourage each of you to invite your families to our FRG meetings as this FRG is not just about the deployment.
THIS FRG SUPPORTS OUR SOLDIERS HOME AND AWAY! THIS FRG SUPPORTS ALL OF YOUR FAMILIES NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE! WE CARE!
God Bless!
Jenny Tracy
2-150 FA
HHB
A WORD FROM OUR BATTALION FRG CHAIRPERSON, HEATHER HURST
All,

I just wanted to take a minute and express my concern regarding feedback that I am getting about rumors surrounding our soldier's homecoming. We are entering what is probably the most challenging part of the deployment.....getting ready for our soldiers to return. While this is a very exciting time, we need to be remind that families need to confirm their information before sharing it. I understand that sometimes, in their zeal to share, our soldiers are the source of some of the rumors and we would like to think that the soldiers are "in the know" - at times, their information is outdated and/or unreliable (my soldier heard it from X, who heard it from Y, who is pretty sure he heard it from Z).

Please, be careful with the information you receive and to always check its accuracy before sharing. Families who attend the Reunion Briefings will receive OFFICIAL information. And finally, remember that the FRG will always pass along information as quickly as we receive it so it is in your best interest to keep your contact information current. And we will be more than happy to confirm or deny or research any information they may hear from other sources.

Let's try to keep the remaining time as stress-free as possible by making sure you have accurate information.

Thanks again!
Heather