The WBGU-PBS television station is launching two events as part of its “Operation Reconnect” initiative to thank military families for their service to the country. The station will host a Military Recognition Breakfast in conjunction with its 9th Annual Kids Extravaganza on June 5, with a conference following on June 11.

“Attending conferences like this helps participants be responsive to the needs of [service members and their families],” conference presenter Dr. Regina Shillinglaw said. “It helps them and our country.”

Deb Boyce, WBGU Director of Promotions and Public Relations, also stressed the need for a civilian/service member connection.

“The whole goal of [“Operation Reconnect”] is to help bridge the military community with the civilian community and help the non-military community understand the unique challenges [the families] face,” Boyce said.

“Operation Reconnect” was made possible by PBS’ national airing of “This Emotional Life” in January 2001. Vulcan Productions awarded six “This Emotional Life” grants to public television stations across the country, with WBGU being one of two stations focusing specifically on military reintegration issues, Boyce said.

WBGU produced a two-hour follow-up to “This Emotional Life” called “Our Community Cares: Connecting With Veterans & Their Families” as part of the initiative, which aired Jan. 28 and May 30. It addressed the adjustments of military families in Northwest and West Central Ohio, according to WBGU.org.

The upcoming events are specifically designed to attract families from those regions.

The breakfast will be held at 9 a.m. at the WBGU-PBS television station exclusively for military families. The only requirement of the families is to RSVP by June 3, which can be done through the station’s Facebook page, Boyce said.

The Kids Extravaganza follows the breakfast and runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free admission to the public. Boyce said the station is hoping to secure the appearance of Freddie and Frieda Falcon as well as Clifford the Big Red Dog, along with WBGU’s original creation Ruby the Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Children can also look forward to various games, foods and activities, including a puppet show put on by Findlay’s Mazza Museum. Some activities will cost a small fee, but military families and members of the station’s Kids Club will not be charged, as a thank you to the families for their service, Boyce said.

Ultimately, Boyce said the Kids Extravaganza was given a military theme to attract families from a 19-county area that extends into Southeast Michigan and to the Indiana state line. The station will set up video cameras at the Extravaganza to record private testimonials from service members and their families to be aired on WBGU’s Web site. Boyce said the posts are to “serve as inspiration and encouragement for other military families.”

The June 11 conference has the same goal with a different demographic. While the entire community is encouraged to attend, the program is geared toward counseling specialists such as psychologists and mental health specialists.

The conference, hosted by WBGU with the Universiy’s Office of Continuing and Extended Education, will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater. The offices’ cooperation will lead to free Continuing Education Units for various professions, including social workers and counselors, Boyce said.

The presentations will focus heavily on the deployment process of service members and how it affects the families, and later segments will cover mental traumas and resources for families to utilize.

Presenting at the conference will be Dr. Shillinglaw from the Center for Deployment Psychology; Dr. Marijo Tamburrino from the University of Toledo’s Psychology department and who conducted a Risk and Resilience study for the Ohio National Guard; and Dr. Jeremy Kaufman with the Ohio National Guard.

Tamburrino emphasized the conference’s importance, noting the challenges families go through as their roles change not only to fill a vacated position, but also adjusting to the family member’s return after facing significant economic and parenting challenges. She said that risk factors for mental disorder/trauma include the amount of combat faced and childhood trauma, while listing protective factors such as stable family and job support that promote resilience.

Tamburrino presented at a conference at Ohio State, and said the feedback she received from people immediately afterward was educational, allowing people to open up and share their experiences.

While the results of the conference remain to be seen, Boyce said feedback from a similar program WBGU centered on cancer survivors was beneficial.

“It’s been very, very rewarding to hear feedback from people that have said, ‘Thanks for doing that,'” Boyce said. “‘It’s really neat to hear from others that have had challenges find the support and services to help overcome them and offer encouragement to others.'”

Event Timeline

The schedule of events for the WBGU “Operation Reconnect” program:

June 5

9-10 a.m.: Military Recognition Breakfast will run with tours of WBGU.10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Kids ExtravaganzaJune 11

8-9 a.m.: Registration/coffee9-10 a.m.: Military Culture10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.: The Deployment Cycle and Its Impact on Service Members and Families11:15-11:45a.m.: Wounds of War — Overview of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)11:45 a.m. -12:45 p.m.: Lunch12:45-1:45 p.m.: Wounds of War (continued) Major Depressive Disorder/Suicidality/Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)1:45-2:30 p.m.: Risk and Resilience Factors for Combat-Related Post-traumatic Psychopathology2:45-3:15 p.m.: Resources Available For Service Members and Families3:15-4:15 p.m.: Panel Discussion — Service members and military family members discuss the impact of the deployment cycle on all family members, including children4:15-4:30 p.m.: Wrap Up and EvaluationsConference Agenda provided from WBGU