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Airman and Family Readiness Center

830 Chisholm Ave.
Fort Meade, MD 20755

301-677-4136 or 301-677-4138
Fax: 301-677-2910

Hours of operations

• 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Closed all holidays and weekends

Mission

• The Airman and Family Readiness Center is the service organization and focal point for Air Force family matters.
• We ensure military members and their families are connected with the appropriate services on and off base.
• We serve all single and married Active Duty, DoD Civilian Personnel and their eligible family members, to include Guard and Reserve Members while on Active Duty, other eligible uniformed members, military retirees, and their eligible family members.

Services

The Ft. Meade Airman and Family Readiness Center offers a variety of services in alliance with the Army and Navy to include information, referral, and financial services, relocation assistance, transition assistance, employment programs, spouse orientations, and more!

• Hearts Apart - "Awaiting Families"

  • Hearts Apart assists family members of all services in making prolonged separations more bearable.
  • It provides a source of information for all families and offers spouses of deployed members to informally meet others in the same situation, share information, and enjoy fun activities with each other.
  • Location and times of events are to be determined.
  • Call (301) 677-5990 or (301) 677-4136 / 4138 for more information.
• Newcomers’ Brief/Right Start
  • This is a mandatory briefing which is held the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month at 7:30a.m.
  • You must register with the Military Personnel Element (MPE) when you in-process.
  • This briefing acquaints newcomers with Fort Meade and the local community.
  • Spouses are highly encouraged to attend with their service member when space permits. However, child care is not available at this time.
• Pre-deployment Briefing
• Held the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 10 - 11 a.m.
• Mandatory for any extended TDY assignment of 30 days or longer
• It is highly recommended that you contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center to register for this briefing within 72 hours of recieving your TDY/Deployment notification.
• Spouses are highly encouraged to attend this briefing as well, as many of the programs discussed will be applicable to them while the service member is deployed.

Key Spouse Program

• The Key Spouse Program is a partnership between the Key Spouse, organizational leadership, and the Airman and Family Readiness Center.
• It is drastically different from a traditional spouse's group in that organizational leadership empowers a volunteer to assist with quality of life programs and services directed at the family members.
• The appointed individual or individuals will work closely with organizational leadership and may become the focal point for information and support to families in their unit.
• To volunteer for this role or find out more information, call (301) 677-4136 / 4138.

Resources and Programs Available

• The following services are available for transitioning members and veterans of all service branches through the Fort Meade Airman and Family Readiness Center.
  
  
  • Pre-Separation Counseling
    • This is a one-on-one benefits briefing mandatory for all DoD personnel NO LATER THAN 90 days prior to separation/retirement; attend this prior to the TAP Seminar.
    • Currently, this is only offered at Andrews and Bolling AFB.
    • To make appointment call Andrews at 301-981-7087 or Bolling AFB at 202-767-0450.
      
      
  • TAP Seminar
    • Recommended 1 to 2 years prior to separation or retirement. Great seminar!
    • On Fort Meade this program is run by the Navy, and 95% of people separating from Fort Meade attend this TAP seminar. It is also offered at Andrews or Bolling AFB through the Air Force.
    • Topics cover everything from job search, to resume writing and interviewing skills, to veterans benefits. (Attend Pre-Separation Counseling prior to TAP.)
    • To register with the Navy for Fort Meade's TAP seminar, call 301¬677-9017.
    • To attend the Air Force's TAP seminar, call Andrews at 301-981-7087 or Bolling AFB at 202-767-0450.
      To find out more information about Pre-Separation, please call (301) 677-4136 / 4138.