nothing quite like bringing together military families who’ve been through similar experiences. And that’s exactly what family readiness groups (FRGs) were designed to do. FRGs arose from the family sup-
port groups that were established after the first Gulf War; the name was changed in the late 1990s to bet- ter describe the groups’ roles. But families joining together to support each other and their servicemem- bers have been around for much longer than that. “The concept of FRGs can be traced back to the Revolutionary War, when Martha Washington would rally the wives of servicemembers in her husband’s command,” says Sgt. 1st Class Cierra Boykin, ARNG, program manager of
“We give volunteers
a basic overview of the roles, responsibilities, and functions of an FRG. ... This year’s [training workshop] theme is
‘Ready Families: Inform,
Prepare, and Empower.’ “ — Lisa Kluetz
the Family Programs Branch, Soldier and Family Support Division, Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va. “They’d cook meals and deliver them to the soldiers to help their well-being and morale.”
An essential link Today, FRGs provide a vital con- nection among military families, commanders, and the community. In so doing, they become a de facto extension of the unit, making sure all information disseminated through their networks is trustworthy. “They’re especially important dur-
ing deployment, because they work with the command to make sure all the families receive timely and ac- curate information,” says Lisa Kluetz,
56 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2012
family program director in the Ser- vice Member Support Division of the Wisconsin National Guard. Kluetz notes FRGs provide many opportunities for military families to network with each other, including community events and family picnics. Representatives from the state fam- ily support office often are invited to the events to explain the benefits and programs available to military family members. They also conduct opera- tional security briefings that touch on subjects such as social networks and what types of information should and shouldn’t be shared. As command-sponsored organiza-
tions, FRGs are subject to the com- mander’s authority. But there is no standard organizational chart for the structure of an FRG, because each unit and its surrounding community are different. A representative roster of a typical FRG might include the commander, a chair or coordinator, a treasurer, a unit administrator or personnel specialist, a secretary, an information or outreach coordinator, a sponsorship coordinator, and a fam- ily readiness program representative. Volunteers normally fill all positions. Of necessity, there are some com- monalities among FRGs, one of which is training. At the Wisconsin National Guard state level, “we host about four to six family readiness group basic training sessions a year,” Kluetz says.
“We give volunteers a basic overview of the roles, responsibilities, and functions of an FRG. Just like in the regular Army, some basic rules must be followed, so we get the volunteers and commanders together to explain those. And once a year, we host an an- nual training workshop. This year’s theme is ‘Ready Families: Inform, Prepare, and Empower.’ ”
Answering the call Melanie Kleinheinz, lead volunteer for the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment’s FRG in Madison, Wis., was nominated for the role by her husband, a readiness NCO for the unit. Although training usually takes place at a state facility, Kleinheinz notes large FRGs often can arrange on-site training if it’s more conve- nient. When Kleinheinz was selected as a volunteer, she and other local volunteers attended training classes at the state facility. With family outreach as a core mission, most FRGs maintain news- letters to keep military families abreast of developments and con- nected to the unit. Commanders use the newsletters to inform readers of important issues and demonstrate their concern for the families’ wel- fare. Other columns can be devoted to members’ activities: graduations, va- cations, weddings, and so on. Topics of general interest such as financial
Family Readiness Award
Since 2006, MOAA has supported the DoD Reserve Family Readiness Award by donating framed certificates and $1,000 to help the win- ners improve their family readiness programs. Established in 2000, the award recognizes the top unit in each re-
serve component that demonstrates outstanding family and mission readiness. Programs must show command involvement, offer quality- of-life programs, support recruiting and retention, educate about ben- efits and entitlements, link family and mission readiness, and more. To watch a video from the 2012 DoD Reserve Family Readiness Award ceremony, visit
www.moaa.org/reservefamilyreadiness.
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