Military & Family Readiness

10/20/2025

📣 ATTENTION: ID Card Services Update 📣

The 188th Wing ID Card Section is currently issuing military identification cards by APPOINTMENT ONLY.

✅ Please click link below to schedule an appointment.

Consolidated ID Card Office Online

10/17/2025

⚠️ Shutdown Update: Day 16 for Military Families

💰 Pay & Planning Ahead: While many service members received mid-month pay yesterday, some populations were not paid, including Reservists currently on orders and federal civilian employees who remain furloughed. If you did receive a paycheck, now is the time to start planning ahead. You can review your budget, delay nonessential expenses, and identify trusted resources in case the next pay period is disrupted. If your active-duty pay was incorrect or incomplete, reach out to your local military finance office as soon as possible to address discrepancies.

🥫 Emergency Grocery Support: The need continues to grow. In less than two days, nearly 13,000 military families have registered for MFAN’s emergency grocery support. Today, boxes are being packed and shipped from Umoja to the first 1,000 families including Guardsmen, Reservists, and large active-duty families who are feeling the effects of delayed, reduced, or missing pay.

Every registration tells a story of resilience and real need, and every box is a reminder that this community stands together. If your family needs support, visit militarymeals.org to register.

If you’re in a position to help, please consider donating at combatmilitaryhunger.org. Your support provides direct grocery relief to military families across the country.

🏛️ Your Voice Matters: Today, the Senate is expected to vote on the Defense Appropriations Bill. While it is unclear if it will pass, and even if it does there are still more steps before it would become law, it represents a possible path toward ensuring troop pay and Pentagon funding. We encourage you to share you story and contact your federal elected officials to help them understand how the shutdown is affecting real families.

💡 Need Help or Reliable Information? For the latest verified updates and practical resources, visit Military OneSource at militaryonesource.mil. It remains fully operational during the shutdown and provides confidential support, financial counseling, and links to key assistance programs.

💙 Together, we respond. Military families take care of each other.

Boxes are leaving today, but the need keeps growing. Please give, act, and support military families who are struggling during this shutdown.

➡️ Donate today: combatmilitaryhunger.org
➡️ Request support: militarymeals.org
➡️ Take the largest independent survey of military families: milfam360.org

10/15/2025

Most Guard members serve one weekend monthly while balancing civilian careers now disrupted by contested federal deployments.

10/14/2025

***Edit, Friday October 17: We've had to pause our applications as we've passed 50,000 families requesting support, we need to process the current demand and hope to build the resources to open applications again soon. Please check the latest posts on our page for updates***

When the government shuts down, families keep going.

Military families are navigating growing uncertainty, from questions about future pay & allowances to the strain of daily life without clear answers.

That’s why MFAN is stepping up to help.

Starting today, military families can visit militarymeals.org to sign up for a free grocery box and Commissary gift card, shipped directly to their home. Each box from Umoja Health is packed with care to feed a family of four for a week.

💙 Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members can verify their affiliation through SheerID at militarymeals.org. Once verified, follow the prompts on screen or check your email (and spam folder) for your registration form.

We’re working hard to reach as many families as possible, so please submit only one request per household and share this link with anyone in your network who may need support.

At your table, we stand with you.
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10/14/2025

10/11/2025

10/09/2025

Attention Airmen & Guardians. If the government shutdown continues and October 15 paychecks are delayed, AFAS stands ready to help. We’ll share updated guidance on www.afas.org and our social media channels with details on how to apply for this assistance.

In the meantime, we encourage service members to check with their bank, credit union, or lenders about short-term support programs they may offer.

10/08/2025

⚠️ Shutdown Update: Day 7 for Military Families

💰 Pay: The Department of Defense has confirmed that if Congress does not act by October 13, the October 15 military paycheck will be delayed. The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 now has 122 bipartisan co-sponsors but remains stalled while the House is in recess. Several banks and credit unions continue to offer early-pay or zero-interest loan options to help families bridge the gap. Check directly with your financial institution for details.

🥛 WIC & Nutrition Assistance: Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is running critically low and may soon be exhausted if the shutdown continues. Families who rely on WIC or other nutrition support should plan ahead by locating nearby food pantries and meal programs. Visit FeedingAmerica.org/need-help-find-food to find a food bank in your area, or dial 2-1-1 for free, confidential help with food, housing, and utility assistance.

🎓 Schools & Child Programs: Pentagon-operated DoDEA schools remain open, but field trips, sports, and extracurricular activities at some locations have been canceled to conserve funds. Youth centers are still open for care but may have limited programming.

💳 Financial Awareness: Be alert to predatory lending schemes that often emerge during shutdowns. Avoid “instant cash” or high-interest loan offers, and work only with verified banks, credit unions, or military relief agencies if you need support.

💙 Military families know there is strength in numbers. MFAN is on your side today and always. We'll keep sharing verified information, connecting families with trusted resources, and amplifying the real stories in our ranks.

If you’d like to share your story or help shape solutions for military families, the Military Family 360 Survey is open now at milfam360.org.

10/07/2025

🇫🇮 Today, we were honored to welcome the Ambassador of Finland to the United States, Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting.

👍 Our Acting City Administrator, Jeff Dingman, and City Directors Neal Martin, Kevin Settle, and Christina Catsavis joined community members and leaders for this special occasion.

🛩️ Ambassador Mikkola shared a powerful keynote on the partnership between Finland and Fort Smith. Beginning in 2026, the Finnish Air Force will train on F-35 fighter jets at the Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Center, located at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith.

We are grateful to the Chamber for the invitation and look forward to strengthening this international connection. Stay tuned for more photos from today’s event!

📸 Left to right: Director Kevin Settle, Director Christina Catsavis, Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Director Neal Martin, Acting City Administrator Jeff Dingman

10/07/2025

Arkansas Tech University in Russellville