IOS

The International Officer School on Maxwell Air Force Base welcomes thousands of International Officers from more than 60 countries throughout the world to attend our Air University Schools. Among the many programs the IOS has, the International Family Orientation Program helps prepare the families of the international officers for their year of residency in the U.S. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tammie Ramsouer)

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International families become familiar with U.S. through IFOP

Published June 3, 2016
By Senior Airman Tammie Ramsouer
42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

6/3/2016--MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The International Officer School is seeking individuals to volunteer for their International Family Orientation Program here to help international families feel more at home while visiting the U.S.

The program connects international families with U.S. civilians and military family members. The volunteers must be at least 18 years old, or a parent must be present with their child if they would like to volunteer as well. The IFOP is a seven-day, four-hour-per-day program conducted at the Maxwell Elementary School in June and July, which helps the international families that are here with their spouses attending the International Officer School for one year.

“We developed this program more than 30 years ago for the families of these international officers to get acquainted with living in the U.S.,” said Capt. Amanda McGowin, IOS program manager. “We help them understand how we live and do things, which may be different in their countries.”

During their orientation, the family members are introduced to the volunteers from the base and local community who provide help to the international families every year or almost every year. These volunteers provide the families with support anytime they may need it aside from the specified month of orientation.

“They also receive a welcome packet with everything they will need to know while here in the U.S.,” McGowin said. “It’s about 80 pages of information.”

Since few of these visitors speak English, classes are provided in September, and some of the volunteers act as translators for them.

“The experience of learning about and appreciating another’s culture is very rewarding,” said Mary Ogden, IFOP volunteer. “It is worth the time and effort to volunteer and show them everything will be ok while they are here with the help of the IFOP.”

Although the international families are only here for one year, the volunteers often keep in touch with them long after their travel to the U.S.

“The kids that volunteer tell me all the time that they stay in contact through Facebook, continuing to share their life experiences,” Ogden said. “I encourage anyone looking for something different to volunteer for, even just once, would be to try out this program. It’s really a great experience that doesn’t come around too often.”

For information about how to volunteer for the IFOP, contact Capt. McGowin at 334-953-7613.