The Army Integrated Family Support Network

Big changes are in store for Army families, active and reserve components. News you can use:

The Army Integrated Family Support Network, a new program to provide assistance to Soldiers and their Families in geographically dispersed areas was announced today by Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey.

"In this era of persistent conflict, we can expect continuing deployments and to sustain this effort, we have to eliminate the old way of supporting Families, and replace it with a system to support all Army Families with means that respond to a globally networked society communicating in mobile ways," Sec. Geren said.

What is your Chain of Command/FRG telling you about AIFSN?

Related: This news article leaves me filled with questions.

With military families under pressure from repeat deployments, the Army is launching another manpower surge -- on the home front.

It's hiring more than 1,000 civilian workers to help run the networks that support families of deployed active-duty soldiers, along with those of the Army Reserve and National Guard.

Family Readiness Groups have been operated entirely by family volunteers. Now, though, with many families living through a third or even fourth deployment, they need help.

"There has been some concern that some of the volunteers are pretty much stressed to the max, and this was a way the Army could step in and help," said Sally Bean, the Family Readiness Support Assistant for the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg.

More to follow soon. For now, give us your read on this new program.

Comments

[SLB]

My hubby is AGR, and our higher headquarters are not really promoting this or for sure what we are doing for Family Readiness. The 77th RRC is shutting down in 18 mos. So they are not even really thinking or talking about this. To be honest, I am not sure with BRAC and the Reserve being totally reorganized, if they know how they will handle FRG's and the FR program. I just know that I am not in favor of this at all. I became an AFTB instructor (took all levels and the instructor course) at an active Army post and the active component, well, they just don't get it. Yes, we are all one Army, but our Soldiers and families are very different in how they handle things. My dh has been deployed 2x in our marriage and each deployment the AC guys treated him like the ugly stepchild. I do not understand that mentality. I have heard that from tons of other guys/gals too. I think this will be a disaster for our families. As much political rivalry as there is between the Guard and the Reserve, I give the Guard kudos they have an awesome FR program. To be honest, the AC and Reserve need to call upon them on how to do it right. It all comes down to the fact you cannot cookie cutter the families and that is what Gates and his guys are going to do. And unless families stand up and really tell the leadership of the Army-AC, Reserve and Guard-how we feel, they will continue to make decisions for us all-good and bad.

[Kel]

wow ya knwo what.. I am a FRG leader and this is the first I have heard about. So if that goes to tell you anything.. there ya go!

[Penny]

Haven't heard anything about this from our FRG :(

[TripleE]

"What is your Chain of Command/FRG telling you about AIFSN?"
nothing.
Thanks for the info, I'll need to look into this more.

[Janie]

I went to Bragg's website hoping to see a little more about the pilot program but the FRG site is down.

I found this interesting also. We've already seen some changes in the soldier structure (MOS changes, etc) so looks like both sides of the coin are getting a make-over.

http://www.army.mil/thewayahead/acpoverview.html

[liberal army wife]

our FRG was such a disaster, I think we would prefer anything different. Now that we are going from the National Guard into Active Army, I am looking forward to seeing positive changes.

Yes,Reserve and NG families ARE totally different from Active families, especially since so many of us are out in the midst of civilians without a local installation to fall back on. The FRGs are almost more important to NGR families, than to active families. FRGs are the lifeline, the connection to the military. When they are not responsive to the families, it is a disaster, and the families feel terribly disconnected.

I am seeing the Army taking over the FRGs and I have the feeling that a lot of people will do what we did, getting the information from the FRG via email, and doing activities in the small groups we designed for ourselves.

LAW

[liberal army wife]

our FRG was such a disaster, I think we would prefer anything different. Now that we are going from the National Guard into Active Army, I am looking forward to seeing positive changes.

Yes,Reserve and NG families ARE totally different from Active families, especially since so many of us are out in the midst of civilians without a local installation to fall back on. The FRGs are almost more important to NGR families, than to active families. FRGs are the lifeline, the connection to the military. When they are not responsive to the families, it is a disaster, and the families feel terribly disconnected.

I am seeing the Army taking over the FRGs and I have the feeling that a lot of people will do what we did, getting the information from the FRG via email, and doing activities in the small groups we designed for ourselves.

LAW

[Andi]

I find it heartening that the Army has realized that geographically disbursed spouses face greater challenges, in many respects, than do spouses who are physically near active Army installations, and they are moving to help communications on that front and bridge the gap.

No, all military families are not alike, but each FRG has its own flavor and that won't change because it's the people who make up the units that generally tend to shape the FRG for their own units, but I do see areas where standardization can be useful.

I am, however, a bit puzzled by some of the information in the second article. If civilians are hired to administer websites, flow of information and things of that nature, I don't have a problem with that, but if they will fulfill roles where an understanding of what it's like to be the family left behind is -- or should be -- necessary, then that would be a receipe for disaster. I'm looking into this and will have more information soon.

I would also hope that military spouses are offered paying jobs in these areas before civilians are.

All in all, I am happy to see the Army recognize a need and try to meet it. The very reasons they state for this new program are the same ones that made us open SpouseBUZZ in the first place.

Should be interesting to watch all of this play out and I hope to get some feedback from all of you as to how the transition is going and how effective you feel this new program is, though I realize it will take a while to get everything in place and running.

[Non-Essential Equipment]

I'm also an FRG leader. Bupkiss.

But considering that all of the other programs to support families have basically cut the FRGs off at the knees, I'm not quite sure I'm interested.

[MrsD]

Interesting. I was at a FTB training just last weekend and nothing was mentioned about it. I'll be interested to see what this is all about and the repercussions for us, but I have to admit I'm worried. Somehow government involvement always seems to equal increased regulations which seems to equal messing up what could be a good thing. Hmmm.....

[FITNESS]

Hello to all;

I don't know of anything more exciting and heart breaking than the returning and the leaving that can drain you more as a military person or family member.

I really would like to be able to share an opportunity with you all, but I also don't want to be removed from the site.

I am going to make a continuous attempt to get in touch with Andi and see if there is a means to introduce this available technology to everyone. Right now, we are launching in all of Europe and we need the ability to do what the European's will and are doing now, show others!

I look forward to being able to share this with you as soon as possible.

"GOD HAS NO LIMITS IN INFINITY"

FITNESS
fitness@helloworld.com
www.digitalagegold.com/fitness
www.helloworld.com//fitness

[Janie]

Quote from Andi:
"If civilians are hired to administer websites, flow of information and things of that nature, I don't have a problem with that, but if they will fulfill roles where an understanding of what it's like to be the family left behind is -- or should be -- necessary, then that would be a receipe for disaster."

I'm guessing it'll be a GS and military wives will be the civilians manning it for the most part.

I was thinking about this today and I guess it's better to have a consistant support than to have some units with support and some without. If Everyone can get a little, it's better than some getting none.

[SLB]

Civilians working the slots that should first be offered to Mil spouses-I agree with that! When we got to NY they had just hired a new AFTB coordinator, she had only been sent to the program manager course, she had absolutely no experience with the AFTB program at all. I am concerned that along with you all that is what will happen with these new slots opening up. Mil spouses with the experience to do the job should have first crack at the jobs. On the Reserve side I will send the question down to USARC and see what they say.

[SLB]

Here are two news articles my dh found on this...

http://www.newsobserver.com/print/saturday/city_state/story/712548.html

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/09/army_brigade_deployments_070923/

[Residual Income]

Good article and posts.