New program helps ease guardsmen back into civilian life

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - When the two children of Capt. Hayes Preston of the Maryland National Guard ask him every day if he’s returning to combat in Iraq, he struggles to alleviate their fears and his apprehension.

“I can’t say I’m never going to Iraq again, but I tell them I’ll be here for your next birthday and that baseball game next week,” said Preston, a single father of two living in Shady Side.

“It’s a challenge, but one I’m coping with.”

A new program aimed at helping guardsmen deal with their family and come off the adrenaline rush of serving in combat allowed Preston to handle daily life, he said.

Now, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program has the backing of the federal government — $65 million, to be exact, after President Bush approved the funding as part of a large defense budget signed this month.

Money for the program, which was federally mandated last year but not funded, was a priority of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who heard the guardsmen’s woes during a conference in March.

Mikulski, D-Md., said guardsmen are “treated like a stepchild” because they do not receive the same benefits as active-duty enlisted soldiers.

“We know that the stress of combat and long deployments away from home can wreak havoc on our troops’ well-being and family life,” Mikulski said in a statement.

“They deserve the same support from the government when they return to their civilian lives.”

Maryland has contributed as well. Gov. Martin O’Malley chipped in $800,000 in the current budget ahead of the federal funding.

The program was started by the Minnesota National Guard in 2005 after a previous adjunct general wanted to improve the reintegration process from the Vietnam War.

Every 30, 60 and 90 days after returning from a deployment, Guardsmen are required to attend seminars that deal with post-traumatic stress, interacting with family and finding employment.

“It’s not all peaches and cream when soldiers return,” said Capt. Theresa Bobo of the Minnesota National Guard’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program.

“My husband, who came back from a deployment, went on a trip for a few days, and I had to remind myself that he is coming back.”

Officials in both states say the program is successful for Guardsmen as well as their families, helping to ease the stress caused by months of separation and working in a war zone.

“Like doing laundry or sitting in traffic, those are trivial to you,” Preston said.

“But for us, it’s like a whole new world to deal with.”

jflanagan@baltimoreexaminer.com

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