Here’s a starting point that many of us can find an area that we can improve ourselves and our families by resolving to become better at one or more items on the following list:

• Stay optimistic and positive
• Improve your fitness
• Make prudent financial decisions
• Communicate better
• Work on personal and career relationships
• Learn something new
• Volunteer
• Drink less/Quit Smoking
• Spend more time with spouse/children/parents
• Listen more, speak less

Even if you only pick one or two items from the list or identify another area that you want to improve and focus on it, you are likely to find that 2009 will turn out to be a better year!

The Army Reserve publishes Family Strong, a free quarterly magazine that covers family related topics. Read about the latest information about benefits, Family Programs initiatives, child care and other information of interest to Army Reserve Families. You can read back issues online or have future issues mailed to your home by requesting a free subscription on the Army Reserve Family Programs web portal.

Soldiers, spouses and children are encouraged to share their resolutions or letters to themselves for potential publication in a future issue of Family Strong. Send yours to mailcall@arfp.org.

“No Man Left Behind” and “No Family Left Behind” are more than slogans. They are words to live by and to guide our decisions and behaviors. When presented with a difficulty, Army Reserve Families are encouraged to seek help from Soldiers, other families or the many resources that are available in the community, through public and private agencies and on the web. It’s not always easy to be strong and it’s not always easy to ask for help. Resolve this year to seek the information and support that you need to get through the difficult times. The staff at the Army Reserve Family Programs Office and the information on the web portal (www.arfp.org) are always available to help Soldiers and Army Reserve Families navigate through the difficult transitions.

The 2008-2009 MG James Ursano Scholarship application is available on the AER website (http://www.aerhq.org/). The Scholarship deadline is March 2, 2009. Army Emergency Relief (AER) is a private non-profit organization that offers scholarships to help Army families with the costs of post secondary undergraduate level education, vocational training, and preparation for acceptance by military service academies for their dependent children. Visit their site to find more information by clicking here.

Identifying realistic and positive expectations of reunion prepares Soldiers and family members for the challenges of homecoming and reunion therefore minimizing problems and maximizing positive aspects. Make the most of a new beginning by checking out the brief on the Army Reserve Family Programs web portal.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an ailment resulting from exposure to an experience involving direct or indirect threat of serious injury or death. PTSD is characterized by a specific group of symptoms that sets it apart from other types of reactions to trauma. Increasingly, evidence points to four major types of symptoms: re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and arousal.

• Re-experiencing symptoms involve a sort of mental replay of the trauma, often accompanied by strong emotional reactions. This can happen in reaction to thoughts or reminders of the experience when the person is awake or in the form of nightmares during sleep.
• Avoidance symptoms are often exhibited as efforts to evade activities, places, or people that are reminders of the trauma.
• Numbing symptoms are typically experienced as a loss of emotions, particularly positive feelings.
• Arousal symptoms reflect excessive physiological activation and include a heightened sense of being on guard as well as difficulty with sleep and concentration.

If you or someone you know is experiencing the symptoms of PTSD, don’t let anymore time pass by without seeking help. Visit the Army Reserve Family Programs web portal to learn more about PTSD and how to access all the help that is available.

AW2 provides severely wounded Soldiers and their families with a system of advocacy and follow-up with personal support to assist them as they transition from military service to the civilian community. When our soldiers are seriously injured in combat, they will know that the Army will honor their commitment by ensuring their physical, mental and financial needs are understood and addressed. Learn more about AW2 and the resources that are available on the Army Reserve Family Programs web portal.

Military One Source offers a wide selection of information in dozens of different categories. Given the turmoil in the housing market, Military Families may be interested in the topic Mortgage Difficulties and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides a wide range of protections for Army Reserve Families. It is intended to postpone or suspend certain civil obligations to allow servicemembers to devote full attention to duty and relieve stress on themselves and their families.

Some of these protections could help Soldiers who face difficulties meeting their mortgage payments. Whether these protections are available generally depends on when the property in question was bought. That is, did the Soldier become obligated under the mortgage before or after entering active duty?

Many SCRA protections only apply when active duty military service has had a “material effect” on the Soldier's ability to pay. “Material effect” generally means the Soldiers are less well off financially because of active duty. That could be because they make less money or have more expenses.

Soldiers who are having any financial difficulties with their mortgages — or are having any legal problems — are strongly encouraged to seek free legal assistance at a military installation right away. A locator service can be reached at U.S. Armed Forces Legal Assistance Web site.