Here are the top stories for the week of Aug. 31, 2020, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

FEMA: September is National Preparedness Month

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, designates September as National Preparedness Month. The 2020 campaign theme is “Disasters Won’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Throughout September, FEMA will focus on various aspects of preparing for disasters including having a communication plan for before, during, and after a disaster, how to assemble an emergency supply kit, and how to talk to children about disasters and emergencies. 

Air National Guardsmen Spot SOS

Three men are safe and in good condition after their SOS message was spotted by Air National Guardsmen from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron from the Hawaii Air National Guard and the 171st Air Refueling Wing from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. The team was part of a search and rescue mission aimed to help find the missing men.

The three men had been missing for three days, according to AirForce Times. They had drifted off course in their 23-foot boat and ran out of fuel. They landed on a small, uninhabited island in the Micronesia archipelago. 

In a joint effort to locate the missing men, an Australian military ship was diverted to the area to assist searchers from Guam and the United States. Once spotted, a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules “airdropped a radio and a message block informing them the FSS Independence was en-route to rescue and return them home,” said AirForce Times.

A helicopter crew from the Australian military ship landed on the beach with food and water. The men were about 118 miles from where they had originally set out.

DoD Offers New Access to Hourly Child Care

The Department of Defense has announced new ways to access hourly child care according to a press release. 

“This new service provides a flexible way that empowers modern military families to find child care services that best meet their hourly care needs,” said Kim Joiner, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy.

To access the service, head to MilitaryOneSource.mil and search for Alternative Child Care Options. Click on the link that reads “Login to Access.” From there, you will log into your Military OneSource account, receive a code for a free subscription to the service provider that the Department of Defense has partnered with. You then need to set up a new account with the service provider and use your Military OneSource-generated code. 

Once in the system, you follow simple prompts to share the type of care you need. You can search for potential care providers, check references, review background checks, and search based on your own needs and criteria—from virtual tutoring to full time nanny care. 

This Week in History

President Harry S. Truman declared V-J Day on September 2, 1945, after Japan formally surrendered aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, bringing an end to World War II.