Army Community Service (ACS)

Moving is challenging! Torii Station's Relocation Readiness Program aids in assistance and resources.

Newcomer's Orientation is a mandatory event for Soldiers held the 1^st Monday of every month. The orientation provides attendees with an overview of the resources available to Soldiers and their Family members while on tour in Okinawa. It offers a great opportunity to ask questions about entitlements and benefits for both the Soldier and dependents. Family members are encouraged to attend.  

To give you a head start as you plan your PCS to Okinawa, Japan, download the Welcome Packet Guide found here.

Please contact the Relocation Readiness Program Manager for more information at DSN: 315-652-4357 (HELP) or 098-962-4357.

You've finally moved into your new home and your household goods shipment is not here yet or you've just checked into your lodging to PCS....now what?

No problem!  The Army Community Service's Lending Closet is here for you. A wide variety of items are available for use, free of charge! We have 30 basic home loaner kits which contain the essentials for everyday cooking at home.  We also have a variety of electronic appliances and specialty items available.

Items are available for use up to 30 days, extensions are based on item availability and demand. Contact ACS to get squared away today!

For a current list of available items, please click here.

Torii Station’s ACS Information & Referral Program Specialist provides information on local, public, private and voluntary agencies in Okinawa, military installations throughout Japan, as well as the local Japanese economy.

Information & Referral also conducts initial customer assessments and provides confidential client intake services, crisis intervention, and referral and follow-up assistance. Information & Referral provides a vital link between people who need help and the organizations which provide that help.

• Detailed Local Resource Files
• Informational Flyers, Activity Guides, Magazines and Newspapers
• Community Liaison Programs
• Referral and Follow-up Services
• Family Member Resources & Helpful Links
• Military OneSource
• U.S. Army MWR

AFAP is your way to improve processes and change policies or procedures that pertain to quality-of-life.  If you are interested in submitting an AFAP issue, please submit using the Issue Management System.  Click here to be redirected to the Army Family Web Portal, Issue Management System.  Once you log in, please complete the form with as much detail as possible and click "submit".  

To contact an AFAP Specialist call DSN: 315-652-4357 (HELP) or 098-962-4357.

AER is a private, non-profit organization established to assist Soldiers and their Family members in emergency financial situations which are due to no fault of their own. Financial assistance is given in the form of an interest-free loan, grant, or combination of the two. Loans are repaid by an allotment.

AER helps with emergency financial needs such as:

• Food
• Rent Utilities
• Emergency Transportation & Vehicle Repair
• Funeral Expenses
• Medical/Dental Expenses
• Personal Needs when pay is delayed or stolen
• Other emergency financial needs.

Education Programs

AER also provides scholarships toward education. AER gives spouses and dependent children of Army Soldiers great opportunities for their first undergraduate degree (some scholarships can reach $4,000 annually). Application information can be found online at www.aerhq.org. Contact the Army Emergency Relief Program Manager.

AER’s Education Program is a secondary mission to help Army Families with the costs of education. The three separate scholarship programs are:

Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program

Applicant must be the Spouse or widow(er) of an active duty or retired Soldier and reside in the United States.

Stateside applicants must be full time students.

First undergraduate degrees only.

Active-duty military personnel are not eligible.

Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program

Applicants must be a Spouse of an active-duty Soldier assigned in Europe, Korea, Japan, or Okinawa.

Applicants must physically reside with the Soldier at the assigned location.

First undergraduate degrees only.

Off post students are not eligible.

Spouses may be part time or full-time students.

Major General James Ursano Scholarship Fund for Dependent Children

Dependent children, stepchildren, or legally adopted children of Army Soldiers on active duty, retired or deceased while in active duty or retired status.

The children of Grey Area Reservists/National Guard are eligible as well.

Scholarship awards will be awarded up to half the cost of tuition. Scholarship awards are based on financial need, as evidenced by income, assets, Family size, and special circumstances.

Applications and instructions are available for all the scholarships on the AER website at

Scholarships - Army Emergency Relief

For assistance with AER, contact ACS at DSN: 315-652-HELP (4357) or 098-962-4357. In case of emergency, contact the After-Hours Hotline for American Red Cross/AER at 1-877-272-7337.

Resources & Forms

AER Budget Sheet 

AER Request Form 

For more information, to begin your application or pay your loan, please visit the AER website Assistance Programs - Army Emergency Relief

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provides comprehensive support to Family members with special needs. EFMP takes an all-inclusive approach to coordinate military and civilian community, educational, medical, housing, and personnel services to help Soldiers and their Families with special needs.

An Exceptional Family Member is A Family member with any physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training, or counseling, and meets the eligibility criteria.

Soldiers* with Exceptional Family Members are required to register for EFMP and keep enrollment information current. This way, Family needs will be considered during the assignments process.

If you’re eligible for EFMP services, Family members must be screened and enrolled when they accompany authorized Soldiers on OCONUS assignments. Screenings include medical records review for all Family members and developmental screening for all children aged 6 years old or younger.

For more information about EFMP, contact the EFMP point of contact through your nearest military medical treatment facility.

*Who must enroll in the program?

1. Active Army
2. U.S Army Reserve (USAR) Soldiers in the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program
3. Army National Guard (ARNG) AGR personnel serving under authority of 10 USC and 32 USC. Department of the Army civilian employees do not enroll in the program.

You must identify dependent children with special education and medically related service needs and Family members with medical needs each time they process for an assignment to a location outside the United States where Family member travel is authorized at Government expense.

Torii Station Points of Contact

Army Community Service: DSN 315-652-4357 (HELP) (Social Services Support)

Okinawa EFMP Case Manager: DSN 315-652-4462 (Enrollment/Updates/Status of EFMP)

The FAP outreach and prevention program is designed to strengthen and improve the quality of life for our military Families by increasing self-sufficiency, resiliency and community cohesion for active duty, Family members, civilians and retirees.  Together with garrison and host nation agencies, FAP provides a multitude of programs and services designed to build individual and Family strengths as well as advocate for non-violent communities. The goals of the FAP are:

• Leverage individual and Family strengths
• Overcome behaviors that may contribute to Family maltreatment
• Value Family member differences
• Enhance behaviors that foster healthy military lifestyles

FAP professionals strive to create command and community awareness of the unique challenges associated with living in Okinawa, provide information on existing services to eliminate intimate partner abuse and child maltreatment, and to develop specific educational programs at no cost to active duty. Our services include seminars, workshops, and individualized intervention.

FAP is dedicated to helping Soldiers and Families address the unique challenges of military life, living overseas and understanding how unmanaged stress can lead to intimate pater abuse and child maltreatment.  Services focus on prevention, education, prompt reporting, investigation, intervention, and treatment.  If you need help, please call your garrison’s Family Advocacy Program for more information at DSN: 315-652-4357 (HELP).

Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate (DAVA) Program

24/7 Victim Advocate Hotline: 090-6861-8042

The DAVA provides comprehensive support services to adult victims of intimate partner abuse including crisis intervention, safety planning, help obtaining medical treatment for injuries, information on legal rights and proceedings, referral to military and civilian shelters, and other resources.

DAVA’s provide information so clients can make informed choices about reporting an assault.  DAVA’s are available to accompany adult clients to medical visits, court proceedings, and other appointments as requested. DAVA’s provide services 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week.  Victims are not alone, help and support are available.

Contact the DAVA on the 24/7 Victim Advocate Hotline: 090-6861-8042

New Parent Support Program (NPSP)

The NPSP is a voluntary program that assists military Families who are pregnant or have children birth through age three years understand the process of delivering a baby overseas and adapt to parenthood in a healthy and resilient ways.

The primary focus of NPSP is providing individualized home visitation services in the parent and child’s natural learning environment however, services are available in an office, hospital or community setting.  Available classes and group sessions provide information on pregnancy, nutrition, parenting newborns and toddlers, problem solving and coping, discipline issues, social isolation, and military stressors.  Services are also available outside normal duties hours to accommodate working parents.

Each NPSP Home Visitor has a master’s degree in social work or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is licensed to practice Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Nursing in a US state.

For assistance or information on any of these Family Advocacy Program services, call your garrison Army Community Service (ACS) Family Advocacy Program at DSN: 315-652-4357 (HELP).

The MFLC is a DOD provided program, offering support to servicemen and women and their families through the tough times of military life, including deployment, mobilization, reintegration and the resulting issues that affect service members and their families.

Services are provided to individuals, couples, families, and groups. Services are free and confidential, however, MFLCs are mandated reporters of child maltreatment, intimate partner abuse and duty-to-warn situations.

What issues does the MFLC address?

MFLCs provide short-term, situational, problem-solving counseling for many issues that military families face including:

•Life Skills

•Anger Management

•Conflict Resolution

•Communication Skills

•Couple Counseling

•Parenting

•Relationship Issues

•Decision Making Skills

•Productivity at Work

•Military Lifestyle

•Deployment Stress

•Reintegration: Warrior to Citizen

•Relocation Adjustment

•Separation

•Coping Skills

•Building Resiliency

•Homesickness

•Grief and Loss

•Emotional Well-Being

FOCUS is a resiliency building program designed for military families, couples, and children facing ongoing stress and change. FOCUS promotes family strengths and supports families and children to help manage the everyday challenges of military life.

Learn:

Emotional Regulation

Family members learn to better understand their emotions and a common emotional language to make it easier to communicate with one another.

Communication

Family members learn to actively listen and respond to one another's concerns.

Problem-Solving

Families learn how to clearly define problems and implement effective solutions, as well as ways to handle day-to-day challenges, while recognizing and building upon their existing strengths.

Goal-Setting

Families learn how to set and take steps towards achievable goals.

Managing Trauma and Stress Reminders

Family members learn how to develop a plan together to deal effectively with trauma and other stressful experiences.

Contact FOCUS today for more information: www.focusproject.org or call DSN 645-6077.

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FOCUS services are available for active duty service members and their Family or partner via the virtual Tele FOCUS program, allowing families and couples to meet with a FOCUS Provider through video teleconference.

FOCUS sessions allow families and couples to build their own story about military life experiences.

This helps them to:

• Build on current strengths
• Feel closer and more supported
• Identify, manage and discuss emotions
• Use problem-solving and goal-setting to empower the entire family
• Clarify misunderstandings and respect individual points of view

To enroll in FOCUS or continue your sessions, contact your local FOCUS Site at Okinawa@focusproject.org.

For a full listing of FOCUS Sites, visit http://focusproject.org/contact.

For more information about Tele FOCUS, visit https://focusproject.org/telefocus.

The Financial Readiness Program is your resource for information on money matters. We can help you better understand financial topics like:

• Military Pay
• Checking account/debit card management
• Financial Responsibility
• Credit Reporting
• Debt elimination strategies
• Saving
• Investing
• Budgeting
• Financial goal setting
• Thrift Savings Plan
• Home Buying and Selling Resources

Contact your ACS Army Personal Financial Counselor at DSN 315-652-4357 (HELP), or at pfc.torii@magellanfederal.com to inquire about scheduling appointments or briefs. Mornings, evenings, and weekends are available upon request.

If you need emergency financial assistance, please contact your Army Emergency Relief POC in ACS at 315-652-HELP (4357).  

Other helpful financial readiness links include:  

• Thrift Savings Plan: A Federal Government-sponsored long-term retirement savings and investment plan, available for both Federal civilian employees and members of the uniformed services.
• Military Saves: A component of the nonprofit America Saves and a partner in the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign, Military Saves seeks to motivate, support, and encourage military Families to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.

• Money Matters: A mobile-optimized resource with calculators for savings, debt reduction and other reference material in one location.

• Home Buying and Selling: The National Military Family Association has compiled a great list of financial resources to help Military Families.

• Army OneSource: Network of the services and delivery of support to Soldiers and their Families.

• Military OneSource: A Department of Defense-funded program that provides comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to active duty, National Guard, reserve members, and their Families.

• Credit Report: Get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit reporting company.

• Office of Service member Affairs: A component of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helps to educate and empower military members, veterans, and their Families in the consumer financial marketplace.

• Saveandinvest.org: A project of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, a free, unbiased resource dedicated to your financial health. Helps you make informed decisions through easy-to-use tools and resources, and arms you with the information you need to protect yourself from investment fraud.

• Better Business Bureau Military Line: Provides specialized education and support services, which meets the needs of active and retired military personnel and their Families.

• U.S. Savings Bonds: A shorter-term savings option with competitive interest rates and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

The Employment Readiness Program (ERP) offers resources to help with your career plan and job search. Whether you’re a military spouse or Family member who just moved to a new installation, Retiree, or DoD civilian looking for new opportunities, or active duty Military, active Reserve, National Guard member, or Wounded Warrior, we’re here to help.

In partnership with the Military and Family Readiness Center on Kadena AB, our services include:

• Up-to-date information on local, national, and international employment opportunities, job market trends and education, and volunteer resources
• Classes and seminars on self-assessment and career exploration, resume writing, interviewing techniques, dressing for success and networking
• Resume critiques
• Career counseling and individual career assessments
• Job fairs and other hiring events
• Teen/youth employment information
• Computers with Internet access, scanner and fax machine available
• Resource library

Contact your Employment Readiness Program manager (ERPM) for more information at 315-652-HELP (4357) or COMM 098-962-4357.

Helpful Links:

Military Education & Employment Support | Military OneSource

USA Jobs

Feds Hire Vets

My Next Move

My Exchange Careers

The Torii Station Army Volunteer Corp seeks innovative ideas and processes to improve the quality of life on Torii Station through the use of volunteer agencies. We offer quality volunteer work experiences in environments where volunteers are appreciated and valued.

Administrative, medical, mentoring, teaching and coaching are a few of the opportunities that are available. Many agencies have flexible schedules. You can volunteer for a day, an evening, for a one-time event or for ongoing activities for as long as you desire.

Why Volunteer?

• For the volunteer: Build your resume, contribute to the community, meet new people, share expertise, gain new skills and work experience, be challenged.
• For the community: Develop new programs, sustain programs, enrich the quality of life for Soldiers and their families, price and ownership.
• Recognition: Volunteer of the month, Installation Impact awards, national and agency awards.

Getting Started

The Volunteer Corps coordinator can help you to find an opportunity that matches your interests or talents and assist you with the application process.

Contact the Army Volunteer Corps POC in ACS at 315-652-HELP (4357).

MDSSO provides Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard units with pre and post deployment/mobilization briefings, Soldier and Family Readiness Group assistance, information and referral services, and resource materials. The information and materials are designed to support unit commanders in preparing service members, civilian employees, and their Families for military operations.

Resources Available for the Stages of Deployment

-Pre-Deployment

-Deployment

-Sustainment

-Pre-Reunion

-Post Deployment

-Deployment Resources for Everyone

Contact your Mobilization, Deployment & Support Stability Operations Program (MDSSO) for more information at 315-652-HELP (4357) or 098-962-4357.

Army Family Team Building (AFTB) empowers you, through self-development and leadership skills, basic Army knowledge and specialized training, to maximize your personal and professional potential. 

• AFTB (Level I) Military Knowledge (K) Modules train basic information about the Army: You’ll learn about Army life and how to manage daily challenges by discovering how to decipher Army acronyms, use community resources, attain better financial readiness, and understand the goal and impact of the Army mission on daily life.

• AFTB (Level II) Personal Growth and Resiliency (G) Modules train personal growth skills: Learn how to improve your personal relationships, communication and stress-management skills. Discover how teams form and grow, how to solve problems, and how to resolve personal conflict. You’ll also learn about Army traditions, customs, courtesies and protocol.

• AFTB (Level III) Leadership Development (L) Modules train leadership skills: Thrive in the Army and civilian life by expanding leadership skills. You'll learn effective communication techniques and how to mentor others into leadership positions. You’ll understand the different leadership styles, how to run an effective meeting, manage group conflict, and how to be an effective coach. 

AFTB improves personal and family preparedness. It enhances overall Army readiness and the ability for America’s Army to adapt to a changing world.

AFTB uses the Online Learning Management System (OLMS), which requires internet access for the computer-based training. Participants can train virtually anywhere, and they typically receive a certificate (which may be used for promotion points, depending on the course) after completion.

Contact your AFTB Program for more information at 315-652-HELP (4357) or 098-962-4357.