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