Family Readiness Honors Volunteers

Col. Lois Starke and Eileen Byrd accept the Air National Guard Family Readiness award. At far right is Rebecca Thomas, Family Readiness Army Guard Volunteer of the Year. (Photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)

By Spc. Amanda Luksic
Public Affairs Office
Georgia National Guard

April 14, 2007 -- “Volunteers are the heart and soul of family readiness,” said Letha Nesbitt, wife of Georgia Army Guard commander Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, at the Family Readiness Conference in Augusta. This annual event is centered on helping family readiness representatives be ready to assist families of Guard Soldiers.

“Never underestimate your part,” Mrs. Nesbitt said, stressing the importance of family readiness representatives in the National Guard. “Unless a Soldier knows he has someone at home to take care of things, he cannot complete his mission.”

During the banquet the Army and the Air Volunteer of the Year was named. This year’s Army Guard Volunteer of the Year is Rebecca Thomas, a member of 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Family Readiness Group. Thomas is the county extension agent for the University of Georgia in Gordon County.

During her husband’s deployment, she took care of their family, managed the family cattle farm, participated in church activities and continued her career with UGA. With three other members of the university staff, she wrote a grant for Operation Military Kids in April 2005, and has conducted six workshops for this program and conducted community training.

This year’s Air Guard Volunteer of the Year went to the 116th Air Control Wing. While this award usually is presented to an individual, the overwhelming volunteerism of the 116th made each unit member a winner, said Eileen Byrd, the family readiness coordinator for the wing.

Byrd was singled out in the wing’s nomination because of her effort on behalf of deploying members. According to the wing, Byrd remains in contact with families of deployed airmen, assists families in handling crises, or “just being there to listen.” Along with the Wing, she helped develop a Statewide Network for the spouses to insure those who do not live in the local area have an opportunity to communicate with fellow members of the unit.