Military & Family Readiness Center

Provides information, education, and one-on-one financial counseling to assist members and families maintain financial readiness. Services are designed to address money management issues throughout a service member’s military life cycle. Financial readiness educational opportunities ranges from setting up a simple budget to understanding long-term investment options.

Provides interactive workshops and information to support the transitioning DoD military (all branches), DoD civilians, and their families in achieving short and long term career goals. Employment Assistance provides skills development workshops, individual appointments, local labor market information, employment trend tracking, skills and interests’ identification, referrals, linkages to alternatives to paid employment (e.g. volunteerism and education), and job clubs

Assists service members and their families in managing the challenges of deployments and separations before, during, and after they occur. Personal and Family Readiness offers the following programs:

Pre-deployment Briefing: Mandatory briefing for the military member (spouses encouraged to attend) covering, Red Cross, services for families during deployment, AFAS services, and overview of handouts.

Reintegration Workshop: Mandatory briefing for the military member (spouses encouraged to attend). This class covers the stress of reunion on the family; communication challenges that can occur, and the truth about expectations for those returning from deployment. Reintegration workshop features briefings by: M&FRC, Mental Health, Chaplain, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Family Advocacy and the Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC).

Relocation Assistance:
The Relocation Assistance mission is to eliminate the stress associated with frequent moves by providing moving assistance planning, inbound and outbound relocation services and on-going relocation workshops.

Right Start:
This Newcomer’s Orientation program is the Wing Commander’s program to welcome newcomers to Tinker. Right Start is mandatory for military members. Spouses are cordially invited to attend. Right Start is held every 2nd Wednesdays of the month in the low PCS season, and every 2nd & 4th Wednesdays during the high PCS season. Right Start newcomers brief is held at Military & Family Readiness Center Building 6001, Arnold St. Call 405.739.2747 to register.

Sponsorship Training:
The M&FRC Relocation Program is here to support Sponsors and Command Support Staff who are charged with managing and monitoring the unit level Sponsorship Program. The first step to becoming a successful Sponsor is taking the e-sponsorship application training (eSAT). This is a Department of Defense training, is mandated for all new Sponsors and Sponsors who have not taken the eSAT training within the year prior to a new Sponsorship assignment. Training certificates must be submitted to your unit Command Support Staff for unit Sponsorship Program record keeping. In addition to offering the Sponsorship training, this site provides Sponsors with information on the MilitaryInstallations and Plan My Move websites. It also provides a sample welcome letter, a Sponsorship duty checklist, and a Newcomer and Family needs assessment, which should be tailored to fit the needs of the inbound member and their Family.

Relocation/Sponsorship Awareness Class:
This class is open to everyone! The focus is to gain knowledge on relocation resources, connect with bases and local agencies, understand how to utilize electronic tools, and be the best sponsor possible through all phrases of relocation. Please call 405.734.2747 to register.

PCS Brief/Remote Tour Briefing:
Relocating from Tinker AFB? Whether this is your first PCS or your fifth, the relocation manager can help guide you through the steps to a smooth move. Call 405.734.2747 for your one on one session today.

Service members may also use https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/  and search Tinker AFB. Military Installations provides contact information for programs, services, and critical information about installations to include: Base Mission, Special and Critical Installation Information, Check-in Procedures, Emergency Assistance, Major Units on the Installation, Sponsorships, Local Resources Information, and Community Points of Interest for the Military Installations Worldwide.

Smooth Move Workshop:
Assists service members and their families with preparing for PCS assignments stateside or overseas. Representatives from the Military & Family Readiness Center, Tri Care, Outbound Assignments, TMO, Housing, Finance, Exceptional Family Member Program, School Liaison, and Military Family Life Consultant provide necessary information for planning your upcoming PCS.

EFMP-Family Support is the community support function provided by M&FRCs to enhance the quality of life of who have family members with special needs. EFMP-FS provides support and services for all DoD military (all branches), DoD civilians, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Coast Guard, retirees, military affiliated contractors and their families.

EFMP-FS provides support through Family Service Plans, information/referral, school 504/IEP training/coaching, training for parents, relocation warm handovers and so much more. EFMP-FS also tries to have on hand a variety of manipulatives to help families support their exceptional family member (chewies, noise cancelling headphones, weighted blankets/vest/animals and a various other items as well) so families can determine if these items work for their family member without incurring the financial burden. If you are not sure EFMP-FS is the source that can assist you… give us a call. If we can’t assist, we normally know who can and will direct you to the support you seek.

It is our pleasure to serve you! Contact EFMP-FS at M&FRC today! Call 405.739.2747.

Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a Congressionally Mandated program designed to inform and educate members on programs, benefits, and services available as they prepare to separate/retire. TAP is provided through the Military and Family Readiness Center, and is available to assist Service Members and their dependents. The current mandatory components include:

Pre-Separation Counseling: The first step to ensure all separating service members are informed of the transition services, resources and benefits available. This is a pre-requisite before attending the 3-Day TAP Workshop. Members are required to complete Initial Counseling & Pre-Separation Counseling NLT 365 days prior to date of separation or retirement.

TAP Workshop: (3 days) – Consist of (1) DoD Day, (2) Veterans Affairs Benefits Briefings, (3) Department of Labor Employment Fundamentals Career Training (some exemptions).

Capstone: One-on-one counseling to verify Career Readiness Standards are met; M&FRC and Commander Signature required.

The Air Force Casualty Services Program’s primary goals are to provide prompt, accurate reporting, dignified and humane notification, and efficient, thorough, and compassionate assistance to the next of kin for as long as needed. The Casualty Assistance Representative (CAR) works closely with commanders at all levels to ensure the success of the program for active duty only. The CAR provides limited casualty service to survivors of retired Air Force members, members of sister services, certain foreign nationals, and civilians.

Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Military pay stops when a member dies. The SBP is a government program, which makes it possible for retiring members to ensure that after their death, their eligible survivors receive a portion of their military retired pay in the form of monthly annuities and VA benefits. The SBP was structured so that a surviving spouse cannot outlive the annuity, and it has Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) incorporated so the annuity increases with inflation. An active duty member who has eligible dependents is automatically covered by SBP at the maximum level at no cost to the member while he/she remains on active duty. Prior to retiring, each member must decide whether to continue SBP coverage into retirement. SBP counseling is a mandatory briefing that must be scheduled and completed prior to final out processing. The retired pay of those members who elect to participate is reduced by monthly premiums. The SBP is a unique plan: Government-subsidized premiums deducted from a participating member’s retired pay before taxes. SBP is the sole means for a member to continue a portion of their military retired pay to their eligible survivors. If a member chooses (with the concurrence of their spouse) not to participate in the SBP, an annuity cannot be paid.

Casualty/SBP Questions: Do you have a casualty or SBP question you wish someone could answer for you? Your M & FRC at Tinker AFB can help. One-on-one casualty/SBP counseling is available to all military members at Tinker AFB. Do not have time to come, just email us your casualty or SBP questions. We will research and respond to your questions within three business days. Most questions answered within 24 hours. For more information about these programs, call 405.739.2747 or visit us in Building 6001.