>Date:    Tue, 17 Nov 1998 09:31:44 -0600
>From:    "Maurenne Griese, RNC" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject:
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
>
>Gloria wrote:
>
>"The Air Force Aid Society will pay for 6 months of pump rental or the
>purchase of a p**p n S**le for women who are active duty or the wives of
>active duty spouses in the Air Force.  So what is the problem?  A brand
>new pump is used as the carrot to get the moms to sign up for parenting
>programs.  What is wrong with this?  This applies to all women, not just
>those who will be separated from their babies due to medical reasons or
>employment. "
>
>I don't know anything about this society, but if it is funded by government
>dollars, theis seems awfully wasteful, especially with the present
>reduction in force that is going on within the Dept. of Defense. This
>should be reported to whomever is in charge of this society. Their dollars
>could be better spent, in my opinion.

My first post and probably last for quite some time, because I just read
this list to learn and don't usually have anything I can add to the
wonderful discussions.

The Air Force Aid Society is
(according to the local base's AFB Resource Directory):
"the official charity of the United States Air Force.  It's charter is to
help relieve the distress of AF members and their families by providing
emergency financial assistance in the form of interest free loans and/or
grants.  Financial assistance is provided when a qualifying member cannot
otherwise pay for specific basic needs essential to their continued
personal effectiveness as an AF member.  The purposes for which financial
assistance may be provided are intentionally broad."  The assistance may be
for: emergency expenses (like funerals, fire, disasters), medical and
dental care, essential transportation, basic maintainence (short term
inability to pay for rent, food, etc.), moving assistance, educational
assistance, child care and respite care.

I am an Air Force dependent wife and I was made aware of the pump
program by a Family Advocacy Nurse Specialist (FANS nurse) who is also a
certified LC.  (FANS is an Air Force program that advocates for Air Force
families.)  She informed that the grants for the pumps were typically
awarded to women who are active duty or dependent wives who work full-time.
I got the idea from her that since I am a SAHM, I would not qualify for the
grant, but that if I decided to work, that this program was there for me.
I don't know if such a program differs from base to base (it might - here
the grant was to pay for 6 months of pump rental, if I
remember correctly.)  I didn't ask her for this information.  I never planned
to pump.  But I think she pretty much told all her clients about the program
since she was convinced that breastmilk is better than formula and she knew
that most active duty women and working dependent wives would choose formula
over pumping.

By the way, I took the classes and thought they were excellent!  Yes, we
were lured in by the promise of free gifts and I thought the gifts were great!
One of the gifts was a copy of "So That's What They're For" -- which the
FANS nurse chose because she felt it was more straightforward than
"The Womanly Art," which she preferred, except that she wanted a simpler book.
A lot of AF wives are young, just out of high school, and not always very
educated.  Actually, that book was pretty much the biggest gift we got for
taking the class.

Sharon Kazmierski