Family Liaison Officers provide aide, comfort to servicemembers and their families

Published May 9, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Bahja J. Jones
11th Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Injured in the line of duty, a servicemember is flown home to his wife, children, and friends. No longer are the family and friends worried about how their loved one is doing overseas for a new more terrifying burden dawns. Though he is home, they now have to wait as he recovers from the injuries he sustained.

As an Air Force family, it is each servicemember's duty to be a good wingman and provide as much aid to the family as possible. In some cases a Family Liaison Officer is appointed in order to take some of the burden off of the family and loved ones.

A FLO is appointed when an active duty servicemember is admitted to a military hospital with significant health concerns, life or limb threatening, said Col. Brian K. Dekert, 779th Medical Group.

Staff Sgt. Paradise, 11th Security Forces Squadron Patrolman, was selected by his chain of command recently to be a FLO for a fellow servicemember. As the FLO, tending to the family and their needs became his primary duty until he was released back to his original duty, said Colonel Dekert.

It was his "can-do" attitude that made him an excellent candidate to be a FLO, said Sergeant Paradise.

As a FLO, he was required to attend about four hours of training through the wounded warrior program. In the training, they learn all the programs that are available to the wounded warriors as well as how to care for the wounded warrior and their family, said Sergeant Paradise.

The injured servicemember is paired with a FLO representative within the same career field, which establishes a common ground between the two.

"It hit me pretty hard knowing that it could've been me after hearing the wounded warrior's story," said Sergeant Paradise.

The patient was an Airman who'd sustained a gunshot wound to the head as a result of an incident at the Frankfurt airport in Germany.

"He stood vigil at the patient's bedside and handled all immediate family needs, to include: transporting them from the airport, coordinating lodging arrangements, keeping the home unit informed of the patient's progress, and sending personal effects on to the habilitation hospital in Minneapolis," said Colonel Dekert.

As the FLO for that family, he was determined to do as much as he possibly could to ensure that the family could tend to their loved one, said Sergeant Paradise.

"It' was an experience amazing to be there for that family in their time of need," said Sergeant Paradise. "I would love to do it all over again."

"His attitude was extremely professional despite long hours amidst an extremely stressful medical environment," said Colonel Dekert. "Throughout his entire assignment, he remained a consummate professional and exemplified the Air Force Core values, most notably service above self."

As the patient recovers, they know that not only that they were being taken care of by some of the best medical professionals, but their fellow wingman has also taken a great load of stress from his family and loved ones.