Thursday, January 28, 2010

Survivor Outreach Services 'keeps the promise' of Army Family Covenant

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Survivor Outreach Services ensures Families of Soldiers who lost their lives in the defense of our country do not go unnoticed. And more importantly, it is a commitment to deceased Soldiers' survivors that they will not be forgotten.The program is a joint effort with collaboration from the Installation Management Command, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center, the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. SOS standardizes casualty services and policies across the Army and provides additional staffing at Casualty Assistance Centers and Active Component and Reserve Component Family Programs. SOS responds to the need for specialized staff at Casualty Assistance Centers to help casualty assistance officers support survivors, as well as adding additional staff who have the sole mission of providing continuing support to survivors.A relatively new Department of the Army program, SOS demonstrates the Army's commitment to fulfilling the Army Family Covenant by providing support to active, reserve, and Army National Guard surviving Families for as long as they desire.After a loved one is lost, unresolved issues or questions that may surface months or even years later. SOS provides support through benefit coordinators, financial counselors and support coordinators with individualized attention. Benefits coordinators provide expertise on local, state and federal benefits. They also work with casualty assistance officers, provide the surviving Family with assistance in order to understand and apply for benefits. Read Story

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Reaching for the SKIES

FORT MEADE, Md. - Three times is the charm.Ten-year-old Emmanuel Roberts tried twice to complete a high-flying side kick during a Tae Kwon Do demonstration Saturday afternoon, but he wasn't successful."I was laughing," Emmanuel said of his lack of concentration.But when Emmanuel took his instructor's advice and focused his energy, the Manor View Elementary School student split a piece of wood in half with the force of his foot, garnering applause from the audience."It was easy," he said after the event.Emmanuel was one of 80 Fort Meade children who participated in the second annual SKIES Unlimited Winter Showcase at McGill Training Center. The event is sponsored by Schools of Knowledge, Inspiration, Exploration & Skills Unlimited, an education and recreation program offered by Child, Youth and School Services.The children, who are enrolled in SKIES dance, tumbling, music and Tae Kwon Do classes, showed off their talents in a two-hour presentation that left smiles on the faces of parents and other family members."It was nice," said 2nd Lt. Renee Roberts, of her son Emmanuel's martial arts performance.Roberts said Emmanuel excels in his Tae Kwon Do class. "It's actually good to see him do it," she said.Elizabeth Lombardo, the instructional program specialist at SKIES, said the showcase, which is held in spring and winter, is a family affair. Read Story

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Fort Hood Hall of Remembrance honors fallen troops

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Spc. Jonathan Emard, 20, was killed June 4, 2008, in Tikrit, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire and hand grenades.At Fort Hood, his is one of 97 photographs of fallen servicemembers enshrined in the survivor outreach services program's Hall of Remembrance. The photos reflect the faces of fallen soldiers and Marines following their weddings, combat missions or other photo sessions. Some are in uniform, some are dressed casually, but all are represented the way their families wanted them to be remembered. The hall has room for more than 700 photos, and staff members hope more survivor families choose to honor their soldiers on the walls of the hall. Whether their deaths were due to combat, homicide, suicide, training or vehicular accidents, all of them died while serving on active duty. The soldiers pictured are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters whose memories live on not only in the hearts and minds of their loved ones, but now also in a solemn room here dedicated to their service and in memory of their sacrifices.
Read Story

Monday, January 25, 2010

New youth center in Brussels is Army Family Covenant initiative

BRUSSELS - After the video gaming center and rock-climbing wall, Brussels American School student Trinity Hill hadn't fully thought out the rest of the amenities planned for her school's new youth center. What she may have missed about the spacious new homework center and computer lab, joked USAG Brussels Commander Lt. Col. Darin Conkright, is all the extra homework her teachers could give her.Officials from Brussels garrison and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District marked the beginning of construction on a new Child, Youth and School Services Youth Center located on campus Jan. 20. "I'm excited just having a bigger place to go and being close to the school," the 11-year-old Hill said, decked out in a hard hat and ceremonial shovel. "We're going to have an actual place to do homework. I used to have to go to the library because of all the noise at the old place."Construction on the $6.4 million facility is scheduled to be complete by early 2011 and will accommodate roughly 150 students. "This is an excellent example of the Army Family Covenant in action at the Brussels garrison," said USAG Brussels Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Cordova. "When this center is finished, there's going to be so much more for the children right here at the school, without having to travel back to garrison first." Read Article

AFAP delegates choose top five issues of Army Soldiers, Families

ARLINGTON, Va. - On the final day of the 2010 Army Family Action Plan conference, delegates broke from individual working groups and voted on the top five issues that Army senior leaders will discuss at the General Officer Steering Committee meeting in June.This feedback, they believe, can lead to policy changes that will encourage Families "to consider the Army their home." Overall, the conference, held Jan. 11-15, brought 82 issues originating from installation-level AFAP conferences held during the past year. With these issues came nearly 100 delegates to whittle the original list of concerns down to the 16 considered to be of the highest priority. Resolving such problems help to elevate the standard of living for Soldiers, retirees, Family members, survivors and civilian employees, said conference participants.Indeed, this on-going process is considered paramount by Army leaders, especially the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John McHugh. "Our challenge is to provide for Soldiers and Families as best we can," he told conference attendees."Your role is essential to help us focus on implementation of these programs; to ensure they're the best to provide what's needed," McHugh said.

Read the entire story here: http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/21/33256-afap-delegates-choose-top-five-issues-of-army-soldiers-families/

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Environmental awards winners announced !

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Jan. 15, 2009) - Five installations, three teams, and one individual will receive Secretary of the Army awards for their environmental and sustainability program achievements during fiscal year 2009. Read the entire story here: http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/15/33029-army-announces-environmental-awards-winners/

Stewart-Hunter keeps the Army Family Covenant

Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield are committed to upholding the Army Family covenant, which was signed Nov. 7, 2007. The covenant represents a $1.4 billion commitment to improve the quality of life for Army Families.As another example of Stewart's on-going efforts to support the covenant, Brigadier General Jeffrey Phillips, 3rd Infantry Division Deputy Commanding General-Rear, stood at the speaker's podium in front of Hunter Lanes at the ribbon cutting that celebrated the completion of the $1.34 million renovation project there. Read the full story here: http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/14/32916-stewart-hunter-keeps-the-army-family-covenant/

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Forts McPherson, Gillem full speed ahead with Army Family Covenant!

On Nov. 5, 2007, Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem joined Army installations around the world in signing the Army Family Covenant. The AFC was conceptualized by Army chief of staff Gen. George Casey, and his wife, Sheila, as they visited installations and met with active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers and their spouses. Realizing that the Army should do whatever it can to keep the relationship between the Army and Families strong, Casey spearheaded the creation of the covenant, stating, "The Army Family Covenant pledges our commitment to support Soldiers and their Families and resource programs to provide them a quality of life commensurate with their service." Read entire story here: http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/19/33117-forts-mcpherson-gillem-full-speed-ahead-with-army-family-covenant/

Lt. Gen. Lynch on CNN's iReport

Listen to Lt. Gen Lynch speak at the Army Family Action Plan Conference on CNN's iReport. com at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-391315

Friday, January 15, 2010

Army Leaders End AFAP Conference With Focus on Family Input

The Army Family Action Plan Conference ended today, and delegates left with a clear message and mission from top Army leaders: the input of Families is critical to improving the Army’s quality of life, and every AFAP delegate must send this message loud and clear to their installations and units.

“The AFAP process has given the Army a great impetus to drive Family programs for two decades,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, who spoke on the importance of the Army’s program to identify and prioritize issues that impact the lives of Soldiers and Families.

Gen. Casey told the delegates from across the Army that Family issues rank among senior leadership’s top priorities for the Service in 2010. “Continuing to sustain our Soldiers, Families and Civilians will be a major focus for us,” he said. The sustainment effort will include making the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program available to Family members and Civilians to build their resilience, teach them coping skills and improve their performance in order to better meet the challenges the Army faces with repeated deployments and stresses.

Sustaining Soldiers and Families also means injecting continued energy into the Army Family Covenant to assure that the Army meets its commitment to provide Soldiers and Families a quality of life commensurate with their service. “I’ve charged Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch of Army Installation Management Command with re-energizing the Covenant,” Gen. Casey explained, “and we will fund the Covenant from the Army’s basic budget and not from supplemental funding.”

Other elements of sustaining Soldiers and Families, Gen. Casey said, include transitioning Wounded Warriors to the next phase of their lives after they are injured, as well as strengthening the Army’s Survivor Outreach Services program.

“AFAP,” Gen. Casey observed, “is essential to sustaining Soldiers and Families. It’s a proven program that’s had a huge impact on Families, andAFAP enables me to talk with folks on the ground to know what’s going on,” he said.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh told the delegates, “Army Families are at the core of the readiness and the effectiveness of the Force. It’s the good work of Army Families and Spouses that implements the programs the Army provides. I really believe the saying, ‘The stronger the Family, the stronger the Army.’”
Maj. Gen. Reuben Jones, commanding general of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, sent the delegates home with a charge to take their AFAP Conference experience back to their installations and units. “Tell them what the Army’s doing for Families,” he urged. “Tell them how important the input of Families is to the Army. Most important, tell them that Army leaders are engaged and listening.”

Live from the AFAP Conference: Top Five Issues Voted by Delegates are Flagged for Action

The top five issues are:

1) Military Stipend to Ill/Injured Soldiers for Non-Medical Caregivers;
2) Funding Service Dogs for Wounded Warriors;
3) Behavioral Health Service Shortages;
4) Family Readiness Groups External Fundraising Restrictions;
5) Exceptional Family Member Program Enrollment Eligibility for Reserve Compnent Soldiers.

More to come later today.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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.

Live from Army Family Action Plan Conference, Day 4: Soldier Support II and Medical and Dental II Working Groups

The clock is ticking for the Working Groups at the AFAP Conference as tomorrow marks the final presentation of issues. Today, the Soldier Support II and Medical and Dental II Working Groups focus on each word of their entries.

Medical and Dental Working Group II sits in a room surrounded by work sheets from each of their sessions taped to every wall. The subject: AFAP Issue #22-10: Surviving Spouses’ TRICARE Benefits. The recommendation: Extend TRICARE Prime medical benefits from three to five years for surviving spouses and other adult dependents.

In crafting their recommendation, the group debates the use of the word “eligible” for 10 minutes. Does the word precisely reflect all of the intended demographics? As other word choices are pondered, spouses of Active Duty Soldiers in the working group express the possibility that one day, they too, might be in the position of the bereaved whose fate they are discussing today.

In another room, the Soldier Support II Working Group discusses AFAP Issue #72: Retirement Age for Active Duty Service in Support of the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). Those around the horseshoe shaped table are wordsmithing their recommendation to credit active service prior to January 29, 2008, towards reduced retirement age.

The working group is allowed only five sentences in which to sum up their formal recommendation. Like those in the Medical and Dental II Working Group, they are having a tough time making every word count.

While the words may be hard to come by, Lt. Col. Robert Hagan, U.S. Army Reserve Liaison Officer with the G1 Army Retirement Services Office and Subject Matter Expert on AFAP Issue #72, paints a picture that sums up his working group’s difficulty succinctly:

“After 9/11, when I was in Iraq,” Lt. Col Hagan said, “I saw a Soldier’s vehicle destroyed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). She walked out of the vehicle and directed traffic around the site while under attack.”

“How do you convey in five sentences,” Lt. Col. Hagan continued, “that her time doesn’t count toward reduced time for retirement – isn’t valued the same – as Soldiers in Iraq after 29 January 2008?”

Aesop said that in union there is strength. Each working group at the AFAP Conference is benefitting from the combined power of every colleague to create a presentation that answers the call of duty and serves the Army Community.

Follow us here tomorrow for reports on the final day of the AFAP Conference.

IMCOM: Delivering Army Family Covenant

By Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of Installation Management Command

On Oct. 8, 2007, the Army unveiled the Army Family Covenant, institutionalizing the Army's commitment to providing Soldiers and families - active, Guard, and Reserve - a quality of life commensurate with their quality of service.

However, as I travel around the Army meeting with Soldiers and families, I'm surprised to find that many are not familiar with the Army Family Covenant and the commitment Army leadership has made to provide a better quality of life to Soldiers and families.

We are delivering the Army Family Covenant with a focus on five specific areas: standardization and funding of existing programs and services; increasing accessibility and quality of health care; improving Soldier and family housing; ensuring excellence in schools, youth services and child care; and expanding education and employment opportunities for family members.

Some accomplishments over the past two years include:

* Standardized Army community staffing and programs at all garrisons;

* Added 1,079 family readiness support assistant positions to provide administrative and logistical support to commanders and FRG leaders;

* Funded Exceptional Family Member respite care provided up to 40 hours of care per month for families;

* Increased primary care visits to more than 7 million people, meeting access standards for 90 percent of acute, routine and specialty appointments;

* Authorized TRICARE standard coverage for more than 500,000 eligible members of the Selective Reserve and their family members and lowered the co-payment;

* Funded the Training Barracks Modernization Program to allow 11,306 Soldiers to move into newly designed or renovated barracks in fiscal year 2009;

* Introduced the First Sergeants Barracks Initiative to enhance single Soldier quality of life;

* Reduced financial burden on Army families by eliminating CYSS registration fees and reducing program fees;

* Collaborated with more than 373 school districts to support military connected students transferring to new school districts;

* Increased placement of military spouses through the Army Spouse Employment Program, a partnership with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies to provide employment opportunities.

We are indeed making progress on delivering the Army Family Covenant, but we have much more work to do. I am dedicated to deliver on the Army leadership's promise to continue to provide the best care and quality of life possible to Soldiers and their families. Our commitment to delivering the Army Family Covenant is non-negotiable. We will not depart from this commitment.

I would ask that we always take the time to accentuate the positive. We have so very much to be thankful for when it comes to health care, housing, services and programs, and many other things.

Many times we immediately start talking about negative items, and many of those conversations are based on anecdotal evidence without firsthand knowledge. Let's be grateful for what we have, and strive together to improve. An attitude of appreciation will go a long way. Optimism is a combat multiplier.

As always, thanks for your continued service to our Army, and our Nation. Together we are making history.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference: Soldier Support Issues I Working Group Toil to Get the Words Just Right

Today at the Army Family Action Plan Conference, the delegates of the Soldier Support Issues I panel met to fine-tune the wording of the top issues they deemed most important to present to Army senior leadership. It was important to the delegates to ensure that each issue and proposed solution was stated in a way that conveyed precisely what manner of support Soldiers and their families need from the Army.

Some of the issues discussed in the Soldier Support Issues I Workgroup include Service Dogs for Wounded Warriors, Stipend for Primary Caregivers of Ill/Injured Service members and Enforcement of Medical Profile Compliance.

The sessions can be emotional, especially for delegates who have personally experienced some of the issues considered by the panel, but even those who have not gone through hard times understand that all issues considered were raised because a member of the Army Community has gone with needs that were unmet.

“Every issue we’re talking about is the result of someone’s hardship–a Soldier or Family,” said Eric Gibbs, a Reserve delegate of the 200th Military Police Command. “These aren’t issues we’ve dreamed up. These are the things they’ve had to endure and it’s imperative to give them support.”

Once the panel finalizes the drafts of the proposed issues and recommendations, they are reviewed several times for clarity and brevity. At the end of the whole process, the delegates report their issues and recommended solutions to leadership for adoption into the Headquarters Department of the Army AFAP plan.

The decisions made by the delegates will one day enrich the lives of millions, something Gibbs says he takes great pride in.

“I am pleased to know that the issues we are discussing today will soon be impacting all of the Army Community, not just Active Reserve and National Guard,” he said.

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference Day 3: Strengthening FRGs is Front and Center for Army Family Members at AFAP

Helping Family Readiness Groups gain more financial resources – while enabling FRG members to focus on their mission of meeting the needs of Army Families – is what the Family Support Working Group 2 is all about as it convenes at the Army Family Action Plan Conference this week.

Over the five-day conference, the group will examine two key FRG-related issues and make recommendations that – if approved by Army leadership – would allow large donations to be received by Army Reserve FRGs and also authorize FRGs to fundraise in public places away from Reserve Centers, National Guard Armories and military installations.

Sue Carter, a former Army spouse who is now a civilian employee with the First Army Division East at Fort Meade, Md., facilitates the Family Support Working Group 2. She is guiding the work of Army Spouses, Wounded Warriors and Soldiers from the Active, Reserve and National Guard Components. She’s been involved in AFAP “for more years than I care to count,” and she believes strongly in the process, which draws on Army Family members to help the Army identify and prioritize quality-of-life issues and improve its standard of living.

“The Army has done a good job of telling the AFAP story and showing that the process works,” Carter explained. “Working group volunteers have seen AFAP make a difference at their installations, and being selected to participate in the national conference enables them to make an impact Army-wide.”

Carter said that Family Support Working Group 2 chose to address the two FRG funding issues–and present their recommendations to Army leadership–because group members are united on the need to work on overarching issues that can positively affect a large share of Army Families. “FRGs are so important to assuring Family readiness before, during and after deployments,” Carter observed. “The social activities that FRGs need funding to conduct help bring the Army Family together, build relationships, disseminate vital information across units and strengthen unit cohesiveness. In effect, FRGs give Army Families the support and networks they need before they need them.”

Carter praised the spirit and enthusiasm of the Family Support Working Group she is leading. “These members of the Army Family have a passion for others in the Army Family, and passion is something that can’t be taught,” she said. “It’s no small effort for these volunteers to take time away from the jobs and families and travel to this Conference. This group goes beyond accepting the work they’re doing–they sincerely believe they can make a difference through the Army Family Action Plan.”

Family Support Working Group 2 is one of eight groups that will present 16 Family-related issues and recommendations to the Army when the AFAP Conference concludes January 15. The 16 issues will be added to the Army Family Action Plan for attention, and the “Top 5” issues will be “fast-tracked” to senior Army leaders for immediate consideration.

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference, Day 3: Medical and Dental I Working Group

Today’s session was held in anticipation of writing an issues paper on the working group’s chosen issue of assuring adequate behavioral health staffing at all Army installations. “It is overwhelming and humbling to be a part of trying to make successful changes,” said Dianna Brice, a Blacksburg, Va., delegate from the U.S. Army Cadet Command.

The working group’s mission - to identify and prioritize quality of life issues to safeguard and improve the Army’s standard of living - is underscored by their decision to visit the Tomb of the Unknowns at nearby Arlington National Cemetery during today’s afternoon break. Their visit will commemorate the military community they serve, as well as help bring closure for one of the facilitators who announced that she will miss today’s memorial service for a unit member.

The working group’s goal today is to write a strong, high-quality issue paper for adoption into the Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA) AFAP. The paper will define the scope of the issue and recommend solutions.

Once adopted, the issue will be assigned by the Director of the Army Staff to the appropriate Army staff office to be worked toward resolution. Action officers will develop a cost analysis and an action plan to resolve the issue and identify a completion date for each stage of the action plan.

While yesterday, the working group’s quest was to ask thoughtful and insightful questions to better understand the issues, attention now turns to the precise craft of bringing their passion and expertise of the issue to paper.

All 16 issues papers written by the delegates at this year’s conference automatically move forward to the HQDA AFAP, however, five that capture the hearts and minds of conference delegates will be flagged for immediate action. The combined power of the Medical and Dental I Working Group is working at this time to secure one of those top places for AFAP Issue #11: Understaffing of Behavioral Health Providers on All Army Installations.

As the subject matter expert, Paul Macias, Chief of the Policy and Programs Branch of the Civilian Human Resource Division, Headquarters Medical Command, reviewed needed improvements in the process to hire qualified behavioral health professionals, the desire of each working group member to provide immediate access to behavioral health care for the Army Community was palpable.

Voting on the top five will take place on Friday, the last day of the AFAP Conference. Announcement of the winners will take place here, “Live at the AFAP Conference.”

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Live from AFAP Conference, Day 2: Employment Issues Working Group Hopeful of Change

A panel of eleven delegates that make up the AFAP Employment Issues Working Group met today to determine the top two most pressing employment concerns raised by Army installations around the world for presentation to Army senior leadership in hopes of improving quality of life for all members of the Army Community.

The delegates come from various installations and represent the demographic makeup of the Army Community which includes active duty and reserve Soldiers, Department of the Army Civilians, Family members, Wounded Warriors and surviving spouses of deceased Soldiers.

The Employment Issues Workgroup convened for several hours to consider the twelve issues they were given to prioritize in ranking order of importance. Some of the issues addressed were DA Civilians Paid Parental Leave, Compensatory Time for DA Civilians and Government Employee Access to Tricare Reserve Select. Once the group agreed on the top five most important issues, they will whittle those down to what the group determines to be the two most urgent issues to be considered by Army senior leadership.
According to Deborah Coubrough, a Civilian delegate currently based in Okinawa, Japan., all five will be sent back to the installations with a status report and recommendation that the three issues which did not make the Employment Issues Workgroup’s top two be re-submitted next year. “We can only brief [leadership] about two issues, and time-sensitive issues are addressed sooner to get those resources to Soldiers and Family members, but that doesn’t mean the other issues are forgotten” she said.

Many of the delegates who are part of the Employment Issues Working Group are excited to be a voice for those who could not attend the conference and believe the issues raised will make an impact in the way the Army does business in an effort to take care of all members of the Army Community.

“The Army Family gives so much for this country, and this is a way for our country to give back,” said Elise Becton, an AFAP coordinator and volunteer since 2001. “I expect people to go back to their installations enthused about this process and know that Army senior leaders really do care.”

Coubrough agrees. “Gen. [George] Casey, Chief of Staff of the Army, has been faithful to his promise to Army Family Members ever since signing the Army Family Covenant, and I know that whatever comes out of this conference will be worked on,” she said. “Regulations do get changed.”

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference Day 2: AFAP Leader Feels – and Sees – the Passion for Making an Impact

Army spouse Bobbie Hanlon is passionate about the Army Family Action Plan because she knows first-hand how the AFAP process can make a difference in the lives of Soldiers and Families. That’s because Ms. Hanlon has seen an issue she worked on as an AFAP delegate 11 years ago become a standard practice.

A facilitator at this year’s AFAP Conference, Ms. Hanlon believes that the same passion for making an impact motivates the Family Support working group she is leading. “The people in my group really feel the effects of repeated deployments on Army Families,” she explains. “They know their work at the conference is important and makes a difference.”

The 11 members of Ms. Hanlon’s Family Support Working Group are Soldiers from the Active and Reserve Components, Army spouses and Army civilian employees. The mother of three, Ms. Hanlon is an Army spouse of 19 years whose husband is deployed to Iraq. During the five-day conference, her job is to help her group develop recommendations on two issues: access for Reserve Soldiers to the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), and 24/7 child care on installations when a need is established by mission commanders.

“My working group evaluated 10 Family Support issues and chose to develop recommendations on these two issues for consideration by the AFAP Conference as a whole,” Ms. Hanlon said. “The common theme for my group in selecting the EFMP and 24/7 child care issues is their deep desire to help Families with children who are feeling the impacts of deployments. My group members are just like me-they want to see their recommendations considered by our leadership and ultimately come to fruition.”

At the conclusion of the AFAP Conference, the “Top 5” issues and recommendations of eight working groups will be forwarded to Headquarters Department of the Army for attention. “That’s the value of AFAP,” Ms. Hanlon noted. “It’s an opportunity to provide input to our leaders by identifying and prioritizing the issues that make a difference in the lives of our Soldiers and Families.”

After 11 years of participating in AFAP, Ms. Hanlon has not seen a drop in the enthusiasm for the program. In fact, she says, the spirit of supporting Soldiers and Families is stronger than ever. “I’ve never seen a working group so engaged, outspoken and passionate about their work on behalf of Army Families as my group is this year,” she noted.

The change that Ms. Hanlon helped make possible-and is so understandably proud of-when she was a first-time AFAP delegate is on regular display at during military funerals. Thanks to the passion of her AFAP working group 11 years ago, a bugler is present to sound “Taps” when a veteran is laid to rest in a military cemetery.

For more information on the AFAP Conference please visit: http://usarmyimcom.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-from-army-family-action-plan-afap.html

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference, Day 2: Medical and Dental I Working Group

It is impossible to observe the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) Conference without seeing the utmost dedication of the working groups to get the issues that they are dealing with ‘right.’ For example, when the issue of TRICARE Prime Remote Prescription Co-Payments for Family Members was discussed, the Subject Matter Expert (SME), Lt. Col. Stacia Spridgeme, director of the Department of Defense Pharmacal-Economic Center, teed off the discussion within the issue’s identified scope:

“There is an inequality of benefits between Families at remote sites vs. those on or near military installations who have access to military pharmacies. Prescriptions filled at a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) are provided at no cost. Military Family members who are remotely assigned are forced to make co-payments for prescriptions. The Family members’ lack of access to MTF to fill their prescriptions leads to an inequitable cost share not incurred by Military Families residing on or near a military installation.”

The proposed recommendation is to “eliminate prescription co-payments for TRICARE PRIME REMOTE Family members.” To accomplish this “requires legislatize and regulatory changes,” stated Lt. Col. Spridgeme.

In order to better understand Issue #57 and to better prioritize the issues within their purview, delegates asked insightful questions of LTC Spridgene. From retirees and recruiters to Army National Guard and Reserve and from CONUS to OCONUS, the delegates thoughtfully examined each perspective. Firsthand experience of a wounded warrior brought home additional significant aspects to consider.

There is no rank at AFAP. Delegates are open-minded, positive team members whose only goal is to accomplish the AFAP Conference mission: to identify and prioritize quality of life issues that safeguard and improve the Army’s standard of living; to provide training that will improve AFAP programs at all levels.

Skilled working group facilitators, recorder/transcribers, issue support persons and room managers are assigned to each working group at the AFAP Conference. They help ensure that the process stays on track.

Tony B. Halstead, deputy chief in the TRICARE Division of AMEDD, has been active at AFAP since 2003, and is participating as a SME at the Medical and Dental I Working Group. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the AFAP Conference process. [For more information on the process: http://usarmyimcom.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-from-army-family-action-plan-afap.html.]

“When something is broke it just needs to be fixed,” said Halstead. “When global issues arise at the local level-at garrisons, they need to be elevated to the global level for resolution. The AFAP Conference provides a forum where issues get the visibility and promote change.”

Halstead proudly pointed to the track record of the AFAP Conference. “AFAP may be unique to the Army, but it significantly effects sister Services too.”

Halstead’s observation is right on target. To date, AFAP results include 112 legislative changes, 159 Army and Office of the Secretary of Defense policies changed and 178 changes to programs and services. Approximately 60 percent of AFAP issues are applicable across the Department of Defense.

The Medical and Dental I Work Group will be reviewing ten health care issues.

Conference photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imcom/

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference: Additional Coverage from Day 1

“The delegates here are the best of the best,” said Lieutenant General Rick Lynch, Commanding General of the Installation Management Command and Assistant Chief of Installation Management. “We are a nation at war and the impact on our Families is almost insurmountable. Our Soldiers realize their mission, but I lose sleep at night when I think about the stress and strain on Families,” Lynch said. “We cannot allow Families to break.” More: http://www.armymwr.com/news/news.aspx?nid=198

Monday, January 11, 2010

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference: Vice Chief Details Programs to Strengthen the Army Family

General Peter W. Chiarelli Remarks

January 11, 2010

Vice Chief Details Programs to Strengthen the Army Family

The Army’s Vice Chief of Staff today told the Army Family Action Plan Conference today that the Army continues to focus on strengthening Soldiers and Families to meet the challenges of a long war with repeated deployments.

“The ‘big idea’ is that we want to move from treating medical and behavioral issues after the fact to where we are assessing potential issues and building Soldier and Family resilience,” Gen Peter W. Chiarelli said.

Gen. Chiarelli noted that the Army’s suicide rate has historically been lower than the civilian population but has recently risen higher than the population. “Any Soldier suicide is one suicide too many,” he said. “The Army saw much progress in suicide prevention in the second half of 2009, and that’s due to leadership at all levels looking out for Soldiers.”

Although many factors can contribute to a Soldier suicide, Gen. Chiarelli said that deployments alone are not the cause. “Other factors include relationship issues, drug or alcohol abuse and law enforcement issues,” he explained. “We do know that the most dangerous time for Soldiers is during the transitions before and after deployments. The Army has so many suicide programs – the challenge is getting leaders at all levels to know which programs are most effective in particular situations.”

The Army is already reaping benefits from its STARRS program – the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Soldiers – a five-year, $50 million initiative to “find an algorithm for suicide. “But we’re not waiting five years for results,” Gen. Chiarelli said. “We’re refining our suicide prevention programs now.

Treating Soldiers more effectively for traumatic brain injury, Gen. Chiarelli noted, requires change on several levels within the Army. “TBI is a huge issue for us,” he said. “Identifying concussions and quickly getting treatment is our challenge, but we also have to change the culture of the Army. Just because you can’t see an injury doesn’t mean that a Soldier hasn’t been injured.”

The Army is using innovative technologies to help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder, Chiarelli said. “We’re doing a lot of virtual reality training to help strengthen Soldiers against PTSD,” he explained. “We’re also doing treatment closer to the events that cause PTSD. Again, culture change is the first step. The challenge is to accept PTSD as a ‘no-kidding-I-believe’ injury caused by combat. You can’t command someone out of an instance of PTSD, so we are providing more counseling for leaders – particularly non-commissioned officers – to help them help Soldiers.”

Behavioral health problems are another area where new technology – virtual screening – can be effective and appealing to Soldiers. “Screening Soldiers virtually for potential behavioral health issue after deployments works,” said Gen. Chiarelli. “We have shown that it can be done. It’s especially effective with our younger Soldiers because they like doing things on-line and they feel more comfortable giving responses.”

Live from the Army Family Action Plan Conference

Monday January 11, 2010
LTG Lynch Remarks
Army Conference Seeks Input of Families on Programs, Services

Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of the Army Installation Management command, opened the Army Family Action Plan Conference today by challenging more than 100 installation representatives to use the event to flag the most important Soldier and Family issues for the Army’s attention.

“The impact of the past eight years on Families is almost insurmountable, and the stress of repeated deployments is almost unbearable,” Lt. Gen. Lynch said. “I’m not worried that our wartime commitments will break our Army, but I am worried that our deployments could break Army Families."

Lt. Gen. Lynch explained that the Army is committed to its promise – in the Army Family Covenant – to provide Soldiers and their Families with a quality of life commensurate to their service to the United States. “We can’t allow Families to break – that’s why we signed the Covenant, “ he said. “In an era of constrained resources, your input on the Army’s priorities for Soldier and family programs is so very important. Your work at this conference will have lasting impact on the Army.”

During the AFAP Conference, installation representatives will break into workgroups to consider more than 80 Army-wide issues in the areas of Employment, Family Support, Housing & Facilities, Medical & Dental services, and Soldier Support. After discussing, evaluating and prioritizing these issues, the workgroups will develop recommended solutions. The conference concludes with selection of the “Top 5” Family issues which will be forwarded to the Headquarters of the Department of the Army for attention.

“Resource levels for the Department of Defense and the Army will be going down, but Army leadership is committed to the Army Family Covenant – it’s non-negotiable. The question we face is how do we meet the needs of Soldiers and Families and fulfill the promises of the Covenant?” Lt. Gen. Lynch said. “We do this by identifying duplicative programs and programs that are no longer useful to Soldiers and Families. We must ask ourselves: Are we doing the right things, and we doing things right?”

As evidence of the Army Family Covenant’s considerable success in providing Soldiers and Families a better quality of life, Lt. Gen. Lynch cited recent improvements in military child care facilities, housing and medical care. “We can’t just say we’re ‘Family first,’ we have to do ‘Family First,’” he explained. “We need to acknowledge where Soldier and Family programs need to improve while we stay focused on what’s going right.”

“We are a nation at war and we have to acknowledge the impact that war is having on Army Families. We are going to win the war on terrorism but we can’t break our Families in the process,” Lynch concluded. “What installation representatives are doing at the AFAP Conference – giving Army leadership input on priorities for our Soldier and Family programs – is more important than ever.”

Live from the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) Conference, Arlington, Va.

The AFAP Conference has brought about many changes in the 26 years of its existence. A powerful tool for Soldiers, retirees, Department of the Army (DA) civilians, Families and leaders, the AFAP conference creates an information loop between the global Army Family and leadership to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and their Families.

Information provided through the AFAP process gives commanders and leaders insight into current satisfaction detractors, quality of life needs and expectations of Army constituents. Leadership uses the information to effect changes that improve standards of living and support programs that foster satisfied, informed, resilient individuals.

This year, 98 delegates will examine 83 issues in the following areas: Employment, Family Support, Housing and Facilities, Medical and Dental and Soldier Support. Through a process of voting, 5 of those issues will be prioritized and forwarded to leadership for resolution. To date, AFAP results include 112 legislative changes, 159 Army and Office of the Secretaries of Defense policies changes and 178 changes to programs and services.

The AFAP is unique. The Army is the only military service that has instituted such a program, yet the results benefit all branches. Approximately 60 percent of AFAP issues are applicable across the Department of Defense.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Emotions Matter Exhibit Helps Families Talk and Cope with Deployment-Related Feelings

Emotions Matter, an exhibit designed to provide support to military Families by sharing strategies for dealing with emotions in a playful way, could be traveling to Army garrisons soon. Created by the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Wash., the exhibit is based on “5 Steps of Emotion Coaching” by Dr. John Gottman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington’s Department of Psychology. The Emotions Matter exhibit provides opportunities for parents and children to learn independently or together through five activity stations based on Gottman’s five steps. Such an exhibit supports IMCOM’s commitment to the Army Family Covenant by providing Families a strong, supportive environment. More: http://www.armymwr.com/news/news.aspx?nid=184

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Service Member Voting Law Reflects Important Changes

Voting laws have changed and service members need to be aware of these changes. One of the changes is the need to register each and every year to get an absentee ballot. Service members also must submit a postcard application each time they move, each time they deploy and each time they redeploy. Service members are encouraged to send in a new federal postcard application by January 15, 2010. More: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57318