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Military & Family Readiness Center

The Military & Family Readiness Center (MFRC) incorporates the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Army Community Service and Fleet & Family Support Center. The Military and Family Readiness Center (MFRC) supports individuals, families, and leadership with programs and services to strengthen communities, encourage self-sufficiency, enhance mission readiness and ease adaptation to the military way of life.

The center serves singles, couples and families alike. Services are provided to military members of all branches of service, DoD employees and their families. Whether you are new to the military, new to the Joint Base or a seasoned pro, the MFRC is here to support you and your family. Services are provided on a walk-in basis, individual appointments, workshops, events or just a phone call away.

Please note that FSS MFRC will be closed after 12:00pm on the following dates in 2024 for staff training.

Wednesday, March 20
Wednesday, June 5
Wednesday, September 18
Wednesday, December 18

Other Services

Military and Family Readiness Center

Casualty Assistance Representative – The Casualty Assistance Representative (CAR) works closely with commanders at all levels to ensure the success of the program. The CAR works closely with survivors of retired Air Force members to ensure potential benefits are applied in a timely manner. The CAR provides limited casualty service to members of sister services, certain foreign nationals, and civilians. The CAR provides information about the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).

Military and Family Life Consultant - Provides non-medical short-term, situational problem-solving counseling to all branches of the military and their families. Completely confidential and private, except for duty-to-warn situations. Services can be provided on or off military installations. The consultants cannot meet you at your home or your car. Services are provided to individuals, couples, and families. They have mandated reporters of child abuse, domestic abuse, and other duty-to-warn situations.

Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program - This program is open to eligible active duty service members transitioning out of the military within six months from the start of this program. It provides transitioning service members the opportunity to build their civilian network, provide exposure and acquire civilian work experience by placement in mid to senior-level professional positions with host companies for 12 weeks.

Useful Numbers

Army Emergency Relief: 609.562.4245

Air Force Aid Society: 609.754.3154

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: 732.608.3444

Installation Voting Assistance

The JB MDL Voting Office is here to help with all of your voting needs! We provide assistance with Military & Civilian Voter Registration, Military Absentee Ballot Requests, Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, and Local Voting Assistance. If you need assistance contact your unit voting representative, the JB MDL Voting Assistance Officer, or FVAP.gov. Please Note: We are not a polling lcoation.

Personal and Work Life Program

Personal and Work-Life Consultant provides assessment, intervention, referral, enrichment, and skill-building to assist Service Members and their families. The activities are educational in nature, offered in group or individual settings such as #Adulting. Topics can include interpersonal communication skills, relationship building, maintaining long-distance relationships (during deployment and other separations), marriage preparation, positive parenting, eldercare, time management, and team building.

MFRC provides training and support for Spouse Leader Program (Key Spouse, Ombudsman, Family Readiness Group leaders, and Uniformed Readiness Coordinators (URC). This program is designed to enhance readiness and establish a sense of community. Military Heart Link orientation is a program sponsored by the Air Force Aid Society designed for those who are newly married or just interested in learning more about military life. Information is given about community resources, TRICARE, deployments, and more. This program is offered quarterly and is offered to all branches of service.

Offers

Military One-source

Washington, D.C., (Aug. 13, 2018) —The Department of Defense (DoD) announced extended eligibility for Military OneSource benefits from the current 180 days to 365 days after separation or retirement from military service to ensure all service members and families have access to comprehensive support as they transition to civilian life. This change goes into effect on 13 August 2018 in accordance with the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2019.

As a DoD program, Military OneSource offers a wide range of services designed exclusively for the military community. Services include help with relocation, tax support, financial planning, health, and wellness coaching, as well as confidential non-medical counseling and specialty consultations for spouse employment, education, adoption, elder care, special needs, and much more.

View full article.

The United States Immigration and Citizenship Service

Learn how to apply for U.S. Citizenship, petition for service members and family members to immigrate to the U.S. USCIS personnel are available for one-on-one appointments (offered monthly) to answer questions on pending applications, work, and employment authorizations. *Note, must be a DoD ID holder with base access.

Appointments are required; call the Military and Family Readiness Center at 609.754.31540

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Advisors are available on JB MDL in Bldg. 3011 Tuskegee Airmen Avenue, JB MDL McGuire and Bldg. 5418 on JB MDL Dix. If you have questions about your VA Benefits, please contact us for assistance at; 609.754.0563/0558 or 609.562.3683/4830/2105.

Career Center

Visit the MFRC Career Center where you will find a collection of all career-related classes, special events, links, and local job postings.

The National Military Family Association has extended a scholarship opportunity for NJ active, guard, reserve, retired, or fallen for Military Spouses. This program is specifically looking for spouses from NJ with $1,000.00 scholarships. Scholarships can be used for traditional degrees along with certification programs and professional licensure (i.e. Nursing, teaching). Please send NJ spouses to apply for a scholarship today! Apply here!

Zero Percent Student Loan Interest Relief

Information and Referral Program

Information & Referral is a clearinghouse that provides telephone and in-person assessments to help determine your needs and the right resource. You may be referred to a Military and Family Readiness Center program or to another organization on or off base. The MFRC maintains an extensive list of available services and contact information.

If you are unsure of where to turn, please call and a specialist will point you in the right direction.

Discovery Room

Located within the MFRC there is a Discovery Room with Free Wi-Fi as well as access to computers with Internet, printers, and base/local community information.

Family Readiness/Resiliency

Deployments, temporary duty travel and remote assignments are synonymous with life in the military and present unique financial, legal, and relationship challenges for members and their families. Family Readiness prepares the entire family for separation through planning and has deployment resources such as calendars, books, and children's activities. Mandatory Pre/Post-Deployment Briefings are held weekly. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend. What I Love About You By Me Journals are available to Service Members upon completion of Pre-Deployment Briefing to use with their significant other while deployed.

Hearts Apart is a vital element of deployment readiness activities hosted by the MFRC helping families stay connected to Airmen. Hearts Apart activities focus on deployment support for Service Members and Families during pre-deployment and sustainment. Hearts Apart also includes support to families separated due to extended TDY lasting 30 days or more as well as to families whose Service Member is on a remote assignment. If you are a deployed spouse and not receiving communication/information from the MFRC, please contact us to be added to our contact list. Pre & Post-deployment briefings are held every week. Spouses are encouraged to attend.

Exceptional Family Member Program

EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to families with special needs (child or adult). Any physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment warrants enrollment.

EFMP Services include:

Family Support Services
Medical and Educational Information and Referral
Relocation Assistance
Advocacy Services
Accessibility and housing
Support groups
Respite information
Recreational activities
Family Needs Assessment & service Plan (DD 3054)

Visit EFMP

Personal Financial Readiness Program

Personal Financial Readiness provides financial education, information, and one-on-one counseling. Goals are to help maximize your purchasing power, improve your standard of living, reduce stress and anxiety during a financial crisis, and increase personal productivity. The Financial Readiness Program assists service and family members with improving their credit reliability, reducing indebtedness and making their money work for them. Services include a personal financial evaluation, budgeting information, credit management, debt management resources, basic investment information, credit report/score, and workshops/seminars.

Emergency Financial Relief Services

Air Force Aid Society, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society & Army Emergency Relief provides emergency financial assistance to active duty service members, retirees, National Guard and Reserve Component on active duty for over thirty consecutive days and their family members with ID card and power of attorney.

Volunteer Program Opportunities

Looking for an interesting and rewarding experience? Become a volunteer! Volunteers provide invaluable support to the base community, donating thousands of hours each month at agencies across the installation. Volunteers enjoy personal satisfaction that comes from helping others and contributing to the mission. Plus they can grow professionally from their experiences.

Relocation Program

Military & Family Readiness Center has information about Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and neighboring communities available for newly arriving members, as well as service members and families preparing to depart the area. Our relocation services include individual counseling with a personalized needs assessment, information on local schools, and Smooth Move Seminars and workshops for parents and children, overseas information, Sponsorship Training, Citizenship and Immigration Services and International Spouse Group.

We encourage relocating service members and spouses to attend the monthly Newcomers Orientation and Information Fair. Please check with your CSS (Command Section Staff) Office or the Military & Family Readiness Center for Newcomers Orientation info.

“E” Sponsorship Program

Taking care of our newly assigned and soon to be assigned folks is so very important. Being a good sponsor is one of the most important yet under appreciated roles you can take as a military member. Sponsorship training is required for all sponsors. Being a great sponsor does so much to relieve the tension and anxiety of moving and settling in at a new or first duty station. E-Sponsorship Training is your first source for sponsorship needs. All of the resources for training and post training tools and information are available through this online resource.

Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

Effective 1 Oct 19, IAW Section 552 Public Law 115-232, John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the Fiscal Year 2019. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) offers separating or retiring personnel an individual transition plan to ease reentry into civilian life. Service Members are required to initiate the TAP process no later than 365 days from the date of separation or retirement. However, the process cannot begin until within 24 months from retirement or within 18 months from separation. MFRC provides TAP workshops and pre-separation counseling as well as information about additional training tracks.

TAP is designed to provide the necessary tools to effectively transition from the military to the civilian community.

Mandatory steps for completing TAP are four separate requirements.
Step 1: Individualized Initial Counseling
Step 2: Pre-separation Counseling
Step 3: TAP
Step 4: CAPSTONE.

Individualized Initial Counseling is via appointment only. Pre-Separation briefings are held bi-weekly each month and must be completed prior to the attendance of TAP. CAPSTONE is held weekly via appointments after the completion of Pre-Separation and TAP.