Military and Family Support Center

The Federal Voting Assistance Program, or FVAP.gov, ensures that service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens have the tools and resources to register to vote and request an absentee ballot, regardless of their state of residence. The Voting Assistance Guide is a reference guide for everything you need to know about absentee voting in all 50 states, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Select your state to find your local election office’s contact information. Voting forms are also available online.

Your Installation Voter Assistance Office is here to help you exercise the very right you protect – your right to vote. We can help you register to vote, request an absentee ballot or notify your local election officials back home of a change of address. The information below is provided for you as you get ready to transition and are thinking of what you must do before and after you make that change in assignment, deploy or separate/retire.

Federal Post Card Application

A Federal Post Card Application can be used to register to vote while simultaneously requesting an absentee ballot. It can also be used to submit a change of address to your local election officials. You can go online and use FPCA Wizard, which will help you register, request your absentee ballot and/or change your address while providing you with all your state-specific information and requirements to vote.

Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot

A Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot can be used as a backup in case you have already registered to vote or sent in an FPCA to both register and request your absentee ballot, but you have not received your absentee ballot from your state. Like the FPCA, you can go online to fill in the FWAB and use FWAB Wizard, which will help you to vote in federal elections, even filling in your candidate choices based on your state of residence.

Both the FPCA and FWAB Wizards will provide you with a filled-in form. All you have to do is print, sign and date it, then return it to your election officials via the directions provided (some states allow you to fax and/or email your signed form).

National Mail Voter Registration Form

If you are separating or retiring, you’ll need to advise your local election officials that you will no longer be considered a military voter. The National Voter Registration Form (or your state voter registration form) can then be used to notify your local election officials of your address change at http://www.fvap.gov/military-voter/tranistion.

Resources

Installation Voting Assistance Office

The Installation Voting Assistance Office can help you fill in and mail your voting materials. Contact your voting assistance office at:

Installation Voting Assistance Office
Military and Family Readiness Center
90 Farrell Drive, Building 5620
Edwards, CA 93524
Edwards.Vote@us.af.mil
Call commercial 661-275-8683 or DSN 525-8683.

Total Force Service Center

In the event you are unable to contact your IVA Office, 24-hour voting assistance is available from the Total Force Service Center at DSN 998-0102, commercial 210-565-0102 or toll free 800-525-0102.

Military and Family Support Centers provide information, education and support programs to help balance the demands of military life. Offerings include:

• Deployment support to assist you and your family during all phases of the deployment cycle. Learn more about deployment support.
• Relocation assistance to help you prepare for an upcoming move and get settled into your new location. Learn more about the military Relocation Assistance Program.
• Confidential non-medical clinical counseling provides support for a wide range of issues from marital conflicts and stress management to coping with grief and deployment adjustments Learn more about confidential non-medical counseling.
• Personal and family life education assists with developing knowledge and skills to help you navigate your mobile military life.
• Personal financial readiness assists you and your family in building and maintaining your financial readiness.
• Employment assistance supports career exploration, education, training and licensing, career connections and employment readiness for military spouses, transitioning service members, and other family members. Learn more about the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, or SECO.
• Information and referral can assist you in identifying and clarifying needs and locating and connecting to services and programs available both on and off your installation.
• Morale, Welfare and Recreation, or MWR services provide lots of ways for you to connect with friends and others for entertainment, rest and relaxation — all at reduced or no cost. Learn more about MWR programs and services.
• The Transition Assistance Program provides the information, skills and knowledge necessary for a successful transition from military to civilian life. Learn more about transition assistance programs and resources.

Military and Family Support Centers may provide other programs such as the following:

Exceptional Family Member Program

Family Advocacy Program

New Parent Support Program

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Services may vary by location and installation. Use the Search tool to find contact information for your installation Military and Family Support Center. Just enter your installation name, Zip code or state.

Military Family Life Consultant

Another available service at the Military and Family Readiness Center is that of a Military Family Life Consultant. This service is juxtaposed with the M&FRC’s family life and readiness programs. The position is housed at the A&FRC located at 90 Farrell Drive, Building 5620. The MFLC is a supplement to the family center’s existing family programs. They provide preventive counseling session on personal, marital and parental matters. The MFLC is available from Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call
661-483-0946. The sessions are short term but can open a referral if counseling needs to be extended. The MFLC also provides general briefings on deployment and reintegration issues, positive coping mechanisms, parental education, stress reduction and outreach to geographically separated units. Three MFLCs are assigned to Edwards Air Force Base – one adult, marriage and family consultant and two child, youth and family consultant; however, all three are licensed and able to provide counseling sessions for all active-duty members and their families.

Casualty Affairs

Another facet of the M&FRC is Casualty Affairs. The Casualty Affairs representative is available to respond to any notification of casualty on any active-duty, retiree, active-duty family member casualty (seriously injured, very seriously injured or death). The CAR assists with funeral arrangements or reimbursements, filing arrears of pay, dependent indemnity compensation and survivor’s benefits. The office is within the M&FRC, 90 Farrell Drive, Building 5620. For more information, contact 661-277-3757 or DSN 312-527-3757. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. After hours, contact the command post at 661-277-3040 or
DSN 312-527-3040.

Women, Infants and Children

The Community Action Partnership of Kern Women, Infants and Children program partners with Edwards Air Force Base in the enrollment and participation of eligible families. Eligibility is based on combined total monthly gross household income. Contingent on a family’s current financial situation, WIC assesses and evaluates the percentage of how much provision that family gets, including WIC checks to cover food expenses, nutrition and breastfeeding information, and appropriate pediatric referrals. The point of contact can be reached at 760-375-1435. For enrollment or eligibility inquiries, call
661-327-3074. Callers out of the area can call 866-327-3074. The Kern WIC office is located at
500 E. California Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93307.

Call the M&FRC at 661-277-0723 or DSN 312-527-0723.