The National Guard Family Program: You and the Community

Learn about our commitment to take care of National Guard members and their families.

Community outreach is defined as an endeavor by an organization to connect its ideas or practices to the efforts of other organizations, groups, specific audiences or the general public. The National Guard Family Program Community Outreach focuses on connecting Guard families with local, regional and national organizations in support of their everyday lives at home.

The National Guard works closely with the local, regional and national communities to link their services to the services already available to the Guard.

• Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW
• American Veterans, AMVETS
• Disabled American Veterans, DAV
• American Legion
• United Service Organizations, USO
• America’s Adopt A Soldier

Interested in working together for military families?
Learn more about Joining Community Forces.

Veterans Crisis Line

The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders. through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Support for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing is available.

In some instances, callers may experience difficulty connecting with the Veterans Crisis Line. If you have trouble reaching the call line, please connect to chat, or text 838255 for immediate support.

Strong Bonds

Strong Bonds is a unit-based, chaplain-led program which assists commanders in building individual resiliency by strengthening the Army family. The core mission of the Strong Bonds program is to increase individual soldier and family member readiness through relationship education and skills training. Strong Bonds is conducted in an offsite retreat format in order to maximize the training effect. The retreat or “get away” provides a fun, safe and secure environment in which to address the impact of relocations, deployments and military lifestyle stressors.

Vets4Warriors

Our mission is to provide 24/7 confidential, stigma-free peer support by veterans to active duty, National Guard and reserve service members, veterans, retirees and their families/caregivers. Share lived experiences to create an environment of trust that demonstrates you are never alone; there is a caring, empathic voice ready to connect and follow up. Discover more about Vets4Warriors.

TRICARE

The health care program serving uniformed service members, retirees and their families worldwide. TRICARE is managed by the Defense Health Agency under leadership of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs).

TRICARE is the health care program for service members (active, Guard/reserve, retired) and their families around the world. TRICARE is a major part of the Military Health System that:

• Combines the resources of military hospitals and clinics with civilian health care networks
• Provides access to high-quality health care
• Supports military operations

Safe Helpline

Department of Defense Safe Helpline is a groundbreaking crisis-support service for members of the DoD community affected by sexual assault. Safe Helpline provides live, one-on-one support and information to the worldwide DoD community. The service is confidential, anonymous, secure and available worldwide 24/7 by click, call or text — providing victims with the help they need anytime, anywhere.

Military OneSource

Military OneSource is a confidential Department of Defense-funded program providing comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve Component members, and their families. Information includes, but is not limited to, deployment, reunion, relationship, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, and much more.