Despite the plethora of support programs available to airmen and their families, in times of high operations tempo and steady deployments sometimes those who need the programs most don't take advantage of them.

The Year of the Air Force Family is designed to bring those programs back to the forefront and showcase the variety and scope each one offers, focusing on the four pillars of the campaign: Health and Wellness; Airman and Family Support; Education, Development and Employment; and Airman and Family Housing.

Leadership at McChord assembled a 10-person team of people from various support agencies to showcase all the programs and focus on further enhancing them, said Heather Van Mill, head of the committee.

"Whether it means using street banners or platforms with brochures set up at locations across the base, we want to really expand the outreach of the programs," Van Mill said.

It also means meeting and talking with those who also play a vital role in the local community when it comes to supporting airmen and their families.

"When they're helping us and we can work together to better help, it's a win-win situation," Van Mill said.

One of those key contributors is the McChord Center United Service Organization.

Center manager Tracye Kakely has been working with the committee to help strengthen the outreach and coordination of the upcoming Tops in Blue performance in February.

"We're really working with the committee and seeing how we can help," Kakely said. "We want to bring more attention to the performance and welcome in Army families. We're trying to build up the camaraderie around the performance."

That coordination is also carrying over to the quarterly deployed families dinner the chapel support center hosts.

Although final arrangements for the dinner are not set in stone, Kakely said the USO and its group of volunteers are set on "spicing it up a bit more" with some kind of sports theme.

Providing different levels of support also extends to finding ways to better support the children of airmen enrolled at Carter Lake Elementary on base, Van Mill said.

The committee has already secured funding for other support activities, which it plans on unveiling in the next couple months, she said.