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When Towanda Miller-Harris arrived at Fort Meade's Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station with her son Christian on Tuesday, she was filled with separation anxiety.

But as her 18-year-old son prepared to be sworn into the Army, Miller-Harris sat in on a 45-minute briefing designed to introduce families to the military.

By the time the briefing ended, Miller-Harris said she felt at ease.

"It made me feel so comfortable," the Pikesville resident said. "I learned what will happen to him and what to expect. I know he will be in the hands of people who will take care of him and help him become the man he wants to be."

Miller-Harris was one of 30 family members to attend "Welcome to the Military," an introduction to all the service branches, family support programs and career and educational opportunities available to active-duty service members and their families.

The briefing is the first of its kind in the Army and is designed for the family members of candidates in all service branches. It is currently only offered at Fort Meade.

Impressed with the program, Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein has requested that information about the briefing be submitted to the Installation Management Command as an example of an Army best practice.

More than 5,000 family members representing all service branches have attended the briefing since it began in April 2009.

"With less than 1 percent of Americans putting on the uniform, families need to know what the military is all about," said Lt. Col. Christopher Beveridge, commander of Baltimore MEPS. "This gives them a little peek at what is down the road for their family member. It also is an opportunity to thank family members for their support of their loved ones."

The Baltimore MEPS is the last stop for military recruits from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware and Northern Virginia before they travel on to basic training.

The briefing is held on Tuesdays before the swearing-in ceremony. It is presented by Pia Morales, Mobilization and Deployment program manager at Army Community Service and the liaison to MEPS; Melodie Menke, Relocation Readiness program manager at ACS; Elicia McIntrye, the installation's Military and Family Life consultant; and Amber Rustad, a military spouse and ACS volunteer.

A Marine-specific briefing is held Mondays.

"Welcome to the Military" includes all facets of military life from basic training and military acronyms to financial readiness and parenting classes. The briefing also includes the addresses of websites geared to military parents.

When the briefing ends, families are given a packet of information about military programs and points of contact for assistance.

"The briefing really demystifies the military," Morales said. "It's for those family members who don't have the military in their background and know nothing about military life."

Rustad, wife of Lt. Col. Robert Rustad of the 741st Military Intelligence Battalion, said that when her nephew enlisted in the Air Force eight years ago, this kind of support was not available for new military families.

"We just dropped him off at the MEPS in Des Moines [in Iowa], gave him a hug and cried tears," she said.

The family didn't even attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Rustad said that when a candidate enlists, the family's life also changes.

"There are a lot of uncertainties for the family," she said. "I see the difference in the experience from eight years ago to now. It's a better experience. I'm proud of Fort Meade as a spouse and as a family member for the support they provide."

Joe Scabis, whose son Jon was preparing to enlist in the Coast Guard, said the briefing was a big help.

"It was excellent," Scabis said, "just to know what he will be going through for the next eight weeks."