TriWest Contributes $25,000 to Iowa National Guard Fund and Sponsors Education for Teachers of Military Children

Gift supports home front needs of families with deployed Service members

DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 19, 2007) — As the exclusive sponsor of the Military Child Education Coalition’s Supporting the Children of the National Guard and Reserve Institute (NGRI) training sessions in Des Moines, TriWest Healthcare Alliance will present $25,000 to the Iowa National Guard Officers Auxiliary. The contribution will support the needs of Iowa National Guard members and their families.

"TriWest made the contribution with the hope that we can make a difference in the lives of the Service members and families serving our country," said Dr. Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr., TriWest executive vice president and chief operating officer. "National Guard families live in our communities, not on a military base, so they may lack the support network that base living provides. It’s up to the rest of us to recognize their needs and assist them."

Farmer will present the check to Kathy Pierce, president of the Iowa National Guard Officers Auxiliary, at the opening of the two-day NGRI training sessions at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 23 at the US Army Reserve Center, Fort Des Moines located at 6511 Chaffee Road. Brig. Gen. Douglas Pierce, assistant adjutant general of the Iowa Air National Guard, will also be in attendance to kick off the start of the NGRI.

The NGRI will educate secondary school teachers, counselors and principals about the emotional struggles children face when a parent is deployed for military service, including how a parent’s deployment may disrupt a child’s mood or concentration in the classroom. Approximately 100 educators will attend the training sessions.

"TriWest continues to be a steady partner that recognizes the realities of military service and its impact on our families," Brig. Gen. Pierce said. "We are grateful to TriWest for this contribution, which can help make Guard life easier to bear for Guard members and their families."