

More than 78% of respondents to the 2021 Military Family Support Programming Survey said they had difficulty finding child care in the past two years. The expansion of child care to some National Guardsmen comes after the Army recently unveiled extensive new policies for parents, including expanded leave.Ĭhild care is a top concern for military families, according to a survey released last month that also found that fewer service members and veterans would recommend joining the military. The Guard plans to review the program and survey participants in late March. The pilot program could be expanded to other states after the first year, depending on whether funding is available and based on the Army National Guard's assessment of "long-term affordability, accessibility, scalability, feasibility and utilization," the memo adds. The funding for the pilot program will be managed by the National Guard Bureau. Soldiers will have to re-register each month they want child care, though commanders will have to re-validate eligibility only every three months, according to the memo. While most benefits have eligibility requirements that can bar Guardsmen if they don't meet fitness standards or have committed a crime, appearance would be a more subjective standard that would leave obtaining the benefit largely at a commander's discretion.Įnrollment and placement will be done through Child Care Aware of America, which provides similar services to families in all active-duty branches. 1, with child care available beginning in November for drills, according to the memo.Ĭommanders will have to verify there is no other adult in the household who could take care of the children and that the Guardsmen are in otherwise good standing, including "prescribed uniform, neat and soldierly appearance and satisfactory performance of assigned duties as determined by the unit commander," the memo says. It will be open to Guard members with children ages 6 weeks to 12 years whose spouse, significant other or another adult living in the house has to work during drill weekend.Įnrollment is supposed to open Sept. Once you choose your route, plot it out on a VFR sectional map.The pilot program will be run in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, according to the memo. It's important to stay aware of your position at all times, so don't be afraid to plan a deviation from the straight-line path in order to find your way. Over very flat land with less-than-ideal checkpoints, you might need to fly an indirect route to make sure you don't get lost. Lakes, rivers, towns, and other airports are usually easy to spot.

And make use of the VFR routes that go in and out of busy airports-that's what they're there for.Ĭhoose checkpoints that are 5-10 nautical miles apart and are easy to identify. Be aware of terrain, military operations areas, and temporary flight restrictions as you plan your route. If you fly a small airplane, you might not be able to climb high enough to fly over a mountain range and your only option might be to go around it. (VOR is a radio-based navigation system.) If you're going to navigate with the help of instruments, you can choose routes that are covered by VOR ground stations. And once you have your next destination in mind, get a weather briefing and NOTAMs before you continue to ensure you won't run into bad weather or a closed runway.Ĭhoose a route that will allow you to fly at a safe optimum altitude for your aircraft while still allowing you to easily identify checkpoints on the ground. Make sure fuel is available when you will need it. You should also keep in mind the services offered at your destinations. Make sure the lesson objectives are being met, and then you can perhaps squeeze in some practice time during the flight. Or your instructor might want you to practice in different types of airspace environments, and he might send you to an uncontrolled airfield first and then to a busier towered airport later. You may need to fly at least 150 nautical miles in one stretch. Under VFR, the weather must be clear enough for you to see air traffic around you. And as a student, you'll likely have certain lesson requirements to accomplish. There are some other things to consider, though. Much of the time, pilots choose to fly to the airports with the best restaurants and the best service.

Although planning a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) cross-country flight can seem like a daunting task, choosing destinations along the way is easy-for the most part.
