Military and Family Support Center

The Federal Voting Assistance Program – FVAP.gov – ensures 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, or VAG, 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.

The VAG is available at: www.fvap.gov/vao/vag. Select your state to find your local election office’s contact information.

The Director of FVAP administers the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) on behalf of the Secretary of Defense. UOCAVA, as amended by the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, requires states to transmit requested absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters no later than 45 days before a federal election. Those citizens protected by UOCAVA include:

• Members of the Uniformed Services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps)
• Members of the Merchant Marines
• Eligible family members of the above
• U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.

FVAP assists voters through partnerships with the Military Services, Department of State, Department of Justice, election officials from 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.

Voting forms are available at: www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms.

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.

Programs and Services offered at the Grand Forks AFB Military & Family Readiness Center:

Pre-Arrival Orientation

Pre-Arrival Orientation offers introductory information geared toward service members and their families PCSing to GFAFB and the surrounding community. Pre-Arrival Orientation is offered the third Wednesday of every month via Teams at 0900 and 1800 CST to accomadate other times zones and working spouses/partners. Please contact your sponsor or M&FRC, 701-747-3241, to sign up. 

Deployment Support Programs

Your M&FRC is here to provide you with information, resources and referrals related to all phases of deployment. We can help you stay connected, keep your relationships strong and ensure you have a solid plan for your finances. We're also here to help support the families left behind by providing sustainment services, such as Give Parents a Break and reintegration briefings. Services include: education briefings for deploying members and families, support services, and service-specific programs. Please give us a call as soon as you have a firm deployment date and we can discuss your specific needs or concerns.  The M&FRC keeps families of deployed members informed of on-going programs, services, workshops and other activities via email, flyers, and Facebook. Families are encouraged to participate in any and all of these programs through the duration of the member's deployment. Family members are also encouraged to be in regular contact with their unit's first sergeant and key spouse for support and information. Contact the M&FRC at 701-747-3241 for more information.

Personal Financial Management

The staff of the MF&RC at Grand Forks AFB are here to provide information, education, and one-on-one financial counseling to assist members and their families in the maintenance of their personal financial readiness. Services are designed to address pertinent financial management issues throughout an Air Force member's military lifecycle and into retirement. Financial readiness educational opportunities range from basic spend planning to long-term investing.

Here are some financial programs aimed at assisting deployed family members:
 
•    Give Parents a Break – This is an Air Force Aid Society program that provides five hours of free child care through the Child Development Center and Youth Center each month during the sponsor's deployment for ages 12 months to 12 years.
•    Pre- and post-deployment briefings – These briefings help active-duty members and spouses (when applicable) prepare for separation and reunion due to military requirements. Attendees are briefed on the many community resources available during the separation and reintegration periods. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend. Contact the M&FRC at 701-747-3241 for dates and times.

Transition Assistance 

Transition Assistance Program is a congressionally mandated requirements for all separating and retiring service members. All members of the service who are separating or retiring are required to begin their TAP process no later than 365 days prior to their date of separation.  Contact the M&FRC as soon as you decide to transition out of the Air Force.

Exceptional Family Member Program-Family Support 

This program provides support for service members who have family members with special needs. Support includes information and referral, needs assessments, navigating on and off base resources, linking families with respite care and much more.  There are 3 sections within the EFMP program.  The section located at their Military and Family Readiness Center deals specifically with family support.  The other sections include medical and assignments.  Please contact the M&FRC for more information (701-747-3241)

Spouse Employment Services

Employment services are available to military spouses needing assistance with resume writing and review, assessing marketability and employability, job search assistance and a variety of other employment-related services.  M&FRC staff do not write resumes for spouses but will help to educate spouses on the resume writing process and provide guidance and review. 

Heartlink

Heartlink is an orientation to acquaint and familiarize military spouses with Air Force customs, programs and services. The workshop is geared towards spouses who have been with the military five years or less.  However, all spouses are invited to this fun and informative workshop.

Military and Family Life Counseling Program (MFLC)

This program supports service members and their families through non-medical short-term, situational problem-solving counseling. They are masters-level counselors, social workers or family therapists who are available to assist with the stress of deployments, family separation, children's behavioral issues, reunion, relationships, stress, anxiety, grief, daily issues, sibling and family concerns and much more. Consultations and trainings are free and anonymous; no records are kept.

Casualty Affairs and Survivor Benefit Program Officer

This resource assists families with all aspects of casualty information and benefits. The Casualty Officer also acts as the Survivor Benefit Program liaison, explaining to retirees and others families, as appropriate, the SBP system, procedures and explanation thereof.

Discovery Resource Center

This multi-functional room is designed to support all base personnel and spouses with financial, employment, relocation and transitional informational services. The center is equipped with computer stations, printer, and free WI-FI.