Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference, Day 4: AFAP Housing Group Focuses on Safety and Predictability Issues and Solutions

The Army Family Action Plan Conference includes a Working Group on Housing and Facilities, but it’s not working on bricks-and-mortar issues–this group is all about making Soldiers safer in barracks and making applying for privatized Army housing more predictable for Families.

This week, the 12 Working Group members have chosen two housing-related issues–standard security measures for new and existing barracks and standardization of the privatized housing application process–for in-depth discussion and reviews with Army housing experts. On Friday, the group will send Army leadership its recommendations for addressing these issues.

Donna Cloy, an Army spouse who is the AFAP program coordinator at Fort Eustis, Va., facilitates the group. An AFAP veteran of nine years, she’s helping her group of Active Component Soldiers, Family members, and Single Soldiers finalize their recommendations and get ready to present them to senior Army leaders.

“The Housing and Facilities Working Group has a good mix of people from across the Army,” Cloy said. “Some have lots of experience with AFAP at the installation and command levels, and they know the validity of the process in giving Army leadership real-world input on Family issues. Other members are new, but they’re impressed by what they see here at the AFAP Conference. They all have in common the desire to make a difference for Soldiers and Families Army-wide.”

No one holds back in discussions about making all barracks safer by adding new access control systems. Experiences and insights flow freely when the subject turns to developing a standardizing application process that Army Families can use to apply for privatized Army housing. “The members are very passionate about these issues, and they’re very articulate in crafting the recommendations they’ll send forward to Army leadership,” Cloy said.

With its recommendations nearly finalized, the group is spending this afternoon rehearsing its presentation to Army leaders tomorrow. The rehearsal is full of constructive comments and positive observations for the presenters as anecdotes are tightened and talking points are sharpened.

The Housing and Facilities Working Group is doing its best to achieve the goal of the AFAP process – to identify and prioritize the issues that can improve the quality of life for Soldiers and Families across the Army.