Nellis molds resilient families Published Nov. 15, 2011 By Capt. Jose Ortega 99th Medical Operations Squadron NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- President Barack Obama declared November as Military Family Month to recognize military families for their dedication and the tremendous contributions they make every day. In recognition of this declaration, the 99th Medical Operations Squadron Mental Health Resiliency Element held the first annual Resilient Military Family Symposium Nov. 4, 2011, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to pay a special tribute to the Air Force family community. Col. Steve Garland, 99th Air Base Wing commander, gave the opening remarks and recognized the military spouses for their sacrifice and selfless service. His opening remarks were followed by many other speakers and presenters who echoed his message. "The strength of our Airmen comes from the strength of their families, and no one pays a higher price for our freedom than our military families," said Capt. Jose Ortega, 99th Medical Operations Squadron resiliency element officer in charge and host of the symposium. The symposium gave family members the tools, knowledge and resources they need so they can empower themselves to adapt to the rigors of today's military environment. Various agencies presented briefings which educated the attendees on how to enhance their skills, so they can deal with separation, demanding deployments and the stresses of the home-base mission more successfully. Ortega considered this first symposium a great success. He noted that there was a huge turnout and was grateful that so many spouses took time out of their busy schedule to attend this event.
