ARMY RESERVE FAMILY
For every Army Reserve Seldier, there is likely to be a spouse, children, parents, friends and employers who are affected by that Soldier's call to service. More than 140,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have been mobilized in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Tens of thousands are deployed, preparing for deployment or just returning. The ripple affect of mobilization and deployment touches hundreds of thousands of Americans who love and support our Soldiers.
Meeting the needs of those families on the home front is the mission of the Army Reserve Family Programs (ARFP) office. Soldiers of the Army Reserve are often called to active duty and deploy to support our nation's missions. Separation is never easy. The ARFP office recognizes this and offers innovative programs and systems for families to receive information and assistance.
Army Reserve Family Programs provide coordinated and responsive services to commanders in support of Soldiers, civilian employees, and their families. The vision of family programs is to create an Army Reserve community empowered, sustained, and unified by informed and resilient families in support of the Expeditionary Force.
"Given the sheer number of Soldiers and community members affected by mobilization, and the understanding that taking care of families remains a vital and integral part of mission readiness, our family programs team is working hard to introduce and refine a number of initiatives to address the needs of families," said Lee Ratliff, director of family programs.
Some of these initiatives include:
Army Reserve Family Programs Web Portal www.arfp.org. The Army Reserve Family Programs Portal has been designed to give Soldiers, family, friends and employers of Army Reserve Soldiers an easy to use and easy to remember Web site that serves as the information gateway. Find news of interest to the Army Reserve community, download forms and documents, link to related Web sites and connect with others through the Insite Messenger. Information on the Web portal is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the family programs staff is constantly adding new material to the Web portal to insure family members can get answers to questions.
According to Michael Evans, Family Programs Region Manager and project manager for the web Portal, "Our staff is reaching out to families of mobilized and deployed Army Reserve Soldiers every day; addressing concerns, providing support and connecting customers to resources so that issues raised can be remedied."
Mobilization and Deployment. Receiving orders for mobilization and deployment is often the cause of many questions that Soldiers and families have. Family programs staff organized briefings are conducted by subject matter experts to prepare both the Soldier and the family. Health and dental care are covered with TRICARE and United Concordia briefings. Soldiers and families are offered instruction on how to read the Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) and information regarding benefits and entitlements such as Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Family Group Life Insurance (FGLI). Military resources available to family members are introduced.
Family Programs has also posted a Virtual Mobilization and Deployment Briefing for families on the Web portal, which provides information on ID cards, medical and dental, American Red Cross, benefits and entitlements and many more topics.
Operation Military Child Care (OMCC). Through OMCC any Army Reserve Soldier who is mobilized or deployed in support of the GWOT may be eligible for reduced childcare rates at licensed and legally operating centers during deployment and for up to 60 days after the Soldier returns. In addition, a Soldier can plan ahead to have a special date with their spouse, to conduct personal business, or to enjoy other activities, without the worry of who is watching the kids when the Soldier returns for rest and relaxation. During the two-week leave from Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom Soldiers are eligible to receive a minimum of four hours of free child care from dedicated child care providers across the country who have pledged their support by donating their time and services. Since its launch in May 2004, more than 6,000 child care providers and 200 child care resource and referrals in 37 states have joined the Operation Child Care effort. For more information visit www.naccrra.org.
Deployment Cycle Support (DCS). DCS provides valuable instruction for personnel at the unit level, as a first-line information intervention when a family member calls with a question during the mobilization, deployment, sustainment, and reunion phases of the deployment cycle.
Operation READY (Resources for Educating About Deployment and You). Operation READY is a series of training modules, videotapes, CDs, and resource books published for the Army as a resource for staff to train Army families who are affected by deployments. Operation READY materials include: Pre-deployment and Ongoing Readiness, Family Assistance Centers, Homecoming and Reunion, the Army Family Readiness Group (FRG) Leader's Handbook, and the Army Leader's Desk Reference for Soldier/Family Readiness. Activity books for children of deployed Soldiers can be downloaded for free from www.arfp.org.
Army Family Team Building (AFTB). AFTB includes 43 different classes which cover a broad range of team and individual skill building. Course topics include Basic Military Benefits and Entitlements, Military Acronyms, and Terms, Family Readiness Groups, Supporting Your Child's Education, Introduction to Financial Readiness, Volunteer Management, Communication Skills, Stress Management, Problem Solving, Time Management, Building Self-Esteem, Conflict Management, Coaching, Mentoring and Advising, Leadership Skills and many others. After AFTB training, family members are more knowledgeable about the military and develop realistic expectations resulting in less frustration and confusion. If informed families can do more to help themselves, the command can focus on its mission while assuring family members that the military support will be there.
Family Programs Academy (FPA). FPA training is divided into three parts: fundamental, developmental and resource. Fundamental FPA training includes the basics to help establish and maintain a viable, functioning FRG at the unit level. Developmental FPA training builds on those basics and enhances the participant's capability to sustain and enhance unit family programs.
Army Reserve Child and Youth Services (ARCYS) Program. The Army CYS Directorate, US Army Community and Family Support Center has extended its mission of providing services that support the readiness and well-being of families to include those families that are geographically dispersed. The Army Reserve now has a CYS staff to assist with the implementation of CYS programs and initiatives, which are designed to reduce the conflict between parental responsibilities and Soldier mission requirements.
The three areas of focus are child care, youth development and student support. These additional assets provide assistance to families in locating quality child care at reduced rates in their own communities; foster relationships between military connected youth; connect families with positive youth development activities for their school age youth; create teen leadership opportunities at local and national levels; educate community members and educators about the unique characteristics of Army Reserve families; and provide student support to Army Reserve children. The ARCYS homepage is at www.arfp.org/cys
This program is a force multiplier and retention tool through developing services and activities that are relevant to today's Army Reserve children and youth.
Well Being Advisory Council. This new, dynamic structure is designed to support all five Army Reserve constituent groups: Soldiers, families, civilians, retirees and veterans. The members of the council will include a variety of members from the commands and organizations throughout the Army Reserve, to include family member volunteers. This group will meet twice per year to consider and recommend disposition of issues to the Chief, Army Reserve.
LTG James R. Helmly, former Chief, Army Reserve, recently stated, "The Army Reserve commitment to family programs revolves around supporting Soldiers and their families at all stages of the readiness cycle - premobilization, deployment and post deployment - with the intent of minimizing disruption and anxiety. Our Soldiers and their families deserve no less."
The nearest ARFP staff member can be located by visiting www.arfp.org and select Contact Us from the navigation bar. A geographic listing of family programs staff offices will be provided.
[Author Affiliation]
BY Army Reserve Family Programs Office
U.S. Army Reserve
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