CONTACT: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-727-7314 or richard.goldenberg@ng.army.mil

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, May 02, 2009

ON SITE: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-727-7314 or richard.goldenberg@ng.army.mil

WHO:

As many as 250 members of the 133rd Quartermaster Company, their spouses, children, and leaders of the New York Army National Guard.

WHAT:

UNIONSIDE, N.Y. (04/30/2009)-- Up to 130 New York Army National Guard Soldiers from Brooklyn, who spent most of 2008 in Iraq, their spouses, and children, are expected to participate in the New York Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program on Saturday at the Long Island Marriot in Uniondale. Members of the media are invited to attend and observe the event and speak with Soldiers, their families, and National Guard leaders WHAT: New York National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program 30-Day event.

WHEN:

Noon, Saturday, May 2 to 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Long Island Marriot, 101 James Doolittle Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11553

VISUALS: Color Guard opening at 1 p.m., Opening remarks from Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General, Provider Forum - VA, American Legion, other agencies explaining benefits open to vets-1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. COVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES: Interviews with New York Army National Guard Chaplain Lt. Col. Eric Olsen, other National Guard leaders, New York National Guard Family Program coordinators, Soldiers and family members.

BACKGROUND:

The New York Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is an effort to help Soldiers and their families cope with the stress of returning to civilian life after deployment, while also helping Army National Guard units transition from their federal mobilization status back to state control. The program requires Soldiers to be present for paid assemblies at 30 and 60 day The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program requires Soldiers to be present for paid assemblies at 30 and 60 days after their return from a combat zone, and invites families to attend as well. The sessions are held in a non-threatening, non-military environment, to provide Soldiers and families a chance to share experiences and talk frankly with each other and counselors about their experiences. Part of the program will be mandatory counseling sessions for all of the returning soldiers in order to identify issues they may need help with, identify stressors of combat and the return home, and arrange for follow up care. The federal Department of Veterans Affairs is providing the counselors for these events. The federal VA effort to provide counselors to talk to every returning Soldier for 10 to 15 minutes has been very successful since it was introduced in August of 2008. New to this reintegration event will be a "career fair" organized by the state Department of Labor. This event will be offered to the Soldiers and their families at the second round of reintegration meetings. Employers and trade unions will be on hand to talk to the veterans about potential jobs, and also offer advice on job search and resume writing. Both the veterans counseling and the job fair will take place at the 60-day reintegration event in the National Guard's 90-day reintegration program. National Guard Soldiers are put back in touch with people who shared and understand their experience, at about the time the "honeymoon phase" of their homecoming starts fading. And with their families by their side, they hear about benefits and programs such as veterans' benefits, education and job opportunities and available support networks. At two months, there are briefings on anger management, substance abuse, compulsive behaviors, financial management and other topics. Army studies have found that these issues occur at about those times. Again, spouses and families are invited along and the National Guard pays for the hotel for this session. After 90 days, the Soldiers return to regular drilling status and report to their Armory for medical checks and additional briefings following a "Freedom Salute" ceremony at which they receive awards and public recognition for their service in combat. 133rd Quartermast Company: The 133rd Quartermaster Company mobilized in early March 2008 following an intensive annual training period in February 2008 to conduct individual Soldier training at Fort Dix to prepare for the unit's deployment to Iraq. Members of the 133rd Quartermaster Company provided logistical support for Coalition Forces in Iraq with approximately one-third of the unit personnel trained as petroleum supply or water treatment specialists. On Dec. 21, 2008, New York Gov. David Paterson and Congressional Representatives Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens, N.Y.) and Steve Israel (Democrat, Long Island, N.Y.) handed out Yankee and Mets baseball caps during a visit to Iraq with Soldiers from the Brooklyn-based company at Al Asad Air Base's Dining Facility. The company was responsible for several important sustainment operations at Al Asad. The unit managed a food distribution warehouse and fuel logistics yard, providing everything from food for the troops to fuel for convoys and helicopters. In addition, the Soldiers managed a water purification and distribution site. "As a quartermaster unit, the quartermaster motto