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The National Guard Bureau will unveil a new online resource designed to help Guardsmen, their spouses and their families next week, according to the wife of NGB’s former chief.
NGB will detail the website’s features at the 146th NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition, Aug. 23-26, in Detroit, per Kelly Hokanson.
Kelly Hokanson is married to retired Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, NGB’s 29th chief and a former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The website will be one of the topics addressed during the second NGAUS Spouses Seminar, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 26.
"It is helping families help themselves," Kelly Hokanson said of the website, which is available here.
"The older generation — or the generation closer to retiring — receives information differently than our 18-year-olds and our 20-year-olds and their spouses," she added. "Websites are the way to go, social media and what not."
Maj. Gen. Wendy B. Wenke, NGB’s director of manpower and personnel, will brief attendees about the new website.
As of Tuesday, the website had eight categories about the issues Guardsmen, their spouses and their families face.
These categories include the Guard’s childcare, youth and family programs and resilience and fitness initiatives.
Some of the resources available under each of these categories were divided into Army Guard and Air Guard sections.
"Anyone who doesn’t believe the family’s wellness impacts the service member’s wellness is mistaken," Kelly Hokanson said. "As far as I’m concerned, this is a readiness issue.
"You have to do what works for your family," she continued. "If it is not working for the family, these men and women are leaving, and rightfully so."
Besides Wenke and Kelly Hokanson, this year’s Spouses Seminar is being supported by Sally Rogers.
Sally Rogers is the wife of Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, the adjutant general of Michigan, the host state for the association’s conference this year.
This year’s Spouses Seminar will also feature Wenke’s remarks on behalf of NGB’s manpower and personnel directorate.
The seminar will additionally update Guardsmen about their weekend drill childcare and briefly recap their new PACT Act benefits.
Signed into law in 2022, the PACT Act expanded the health care and other benefits available to veterans exposed to toxic materials.
The 2024 Spouses Seminar will close with an open forum featuring a Q&A and discussion with the event’s participants.
— By Mark Hensch
