TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -Tobyhanna joins the Defense Department and communities throughout the world in continuing the 23-year tradition of recognizing the importance of military children this month.
The Month of the Military Child, first celebrated in 1986, is especially important today, said Arthur J. Myers, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
"This is a very special month of activities for us," says Jen Williams, Child, Youth and School Services (CYSS) Program Manager. "Everything we have planned is to recognize and applaud children and their families, who are everyday heroes for the daily sacrifices they make in supporting America's Army."
Some of the CYSS activities during the month include guest readers, planting a memorial tree in the Child Development Center's backyard, distribution of Arbor Day trees and family functions.
About 1.9 million children are part of the military family, and more than two-thirds have had a parent deploy, Myers said. Their role is unique and quietly significant.
"We feel we have such a close relationship with our parents, staff and children, and this month is our time to truly focus on how much we appreciate everything they do every day for the Tobyhanna community" Anne Wombacker, CYSS coordinator.
"The military lifestyle is tough for kids," Myers said. "Multiple moves, new schools, saying goodbye to old friends, needing to make new friends-none of this is easy.
"While military parents know this and respect the sacrifices their children make, the nation is largely unaware," he continued. "This is why April is such an important month in military communities. The activities and special recognition help to express gratitude for these contributions."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is the largest full-service Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) maintenance and logistics support facility in the Department of Defense. Employees repair, overhaul and fabricate electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network.
Tobyhanna's missions support all branches of the Armed Forces. The depot is the Army Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for Communications-Electronics, Avionics, and Missile Guidance and Control Systems and the Air Force Technology Repair Center (TRC) for ground communications and electronics.
About 5,600 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command. Headquartered at Fort Monmouth, N.J., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control, computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
(Source: American Forces Press Service)
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