JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- As 108th Wing Airmen return from recent deployments and prepare for future taskings, wing leadership is building a deliberate reintegration program designed to surround deployers and their families with support before, during and after they come home.
The effort recently, on June 6, 2026, brought together first-line supervisors, senior enlisted leaders, commanders and support agencies for a session aimed at giving unit-level leaders the tools to recognize when Airmen need help and connect them with resources.
“This has been a big priority for leadership over the last six to eight weeks as we try to wrap our heads around what this needs to look like,” said Chief Master Sgt. Amanda Romer, 108th Civil Engineer Squadron senior enlisted leader. “Every person, every family and every squadron is different. That is why we need supervisors and leaders at every level involved.”
The program is centered on a simple reality: returning deployers may not always reach out to a commander or formal support agency first. More often, they open up to a trusted supervisor, peer or friend who knows their personality and their normal routines.
“In CE, I know the dynamic,” Romer said. “I know who is going to be open and talk with me. I know who goes to lunch with who, and who might be closer with someone else. This is about taking as many arms as possible and wrapping them around our deployers.”
Rather than creating another checklist for Airmen to complete, the wing is building a network of trusted touchpoints. Returning deployers will be paired with sponsors who will check in at key intervals, including the seven-day, 15-day and 30-day marks. These sponsors will serve as “sensors” to identify when something seems off and help connect members to resources.
“We are tracking our returning deployers, tracking touchpoints and making sure we are coordinating with them,” said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Cupples, 108th Maintenance Group senior enlisted leader. “The idea is that this tier of leadership becomes part of the support system.”
Airmen may return to employment concerns, family stress, sleep issues, relationship strain, new parenting challenges or unresolved experiences from the deployed environment.
To address these needs, representatives from Military and Family Readiness highlighted resources like Military OneSource, personal financial counseling, and new parent support.
“One of the things we see is that people do not always want to talk about finances,” said Douglas Ridgway, Military and Family Readiness program manager. “But when you add a spouse, a significant other or a family into the situation, those conversations can become very important.”
Supervisors were also urged to look out for unresolved issues from deployment, such as delayed healthcare benefits or equal opportunity concerns.
Mental health and spiritual care remain central to the effort. Tara Johns, 108th Wing director of psychological health, emphasized the physical and mental exhaustion of coming home.
“People are coming back tired,” Johns said. “Some have been going bunker to bunker, sleeping in body armor and dealing with time zone changes. I do not expect them to retain everything immediately, so we are putting resources directly into their hands.”
The chaplain team addressed the deep impact of moral injury, which may not fit neatly into clinical categories but still affects a member’s sense of values or purpose.
“Moral injury is real,” said Lt. Col. Sung Lee, 108th Wing chaplain. “When you see members acting differently or struggling with a different standard than they had before, it is important to recognize that and connect them with professionals.”
Wing leaders stressed that the program depends on active, not passive, support.
“I need to pivot personally from being passive support — ‘here are the tools, reach out if you need help’ — to active support,” one participant said. “Sometimes people shut down. We need to reach out and say, ‘Let’s call them together. Let’s walk over together.’”
Melissa Radomicki, New Jersey Air National Guard primary prevention specialist, noted that this effort is ultimately about prevention. "The military does response really well," she said. "But prevention is where we need to build up our resources and our toolkit."
The wing is planning additional reintegration events throughout the summer, including a reintegration reunion for deployers and their families scheduled for July 13 at the Armory.
“This is not any one person’s job,” said Col. Matthew Brito, 108th Operations Group commander. “This is everybody’s job — to bring them home and give them what they need. The worst thing we can do is get out of touch with our people when they come home.”
For wing leaders, the program is both a near-term response and a long-term investment in readiness.
“If we do this right, we help our Airmen return to their families, their units and the mission,” said Col. Eric Balint, 108th Mission Support Group commander. “We are trying to be good humans. We are trying to take care of our brothers and sisters in uniform.”