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Stabilization Force (SFOR) 7 consisted of the 49th Armor Division (Texas National Guard or TXARNG). They received word of their deployment about two years prior. This was because they were being sent to the Balkans as the command and control (C2) of the Multi-National Division (North) (MND-N). The Commanding General indicated that his intent for providing support for the families of the deploying soldiers fell into three areas. The first goal was to emphasize education. Quite simply, you cannot do what you do not know. Therefore, it was important to plan for the sharing of information about the benefits and services to the Guard families while the soldiers were on active duty status. The second goal was to set up a system to enhance family-soldier communications. Good communications reduce family stress and problems. The Family Readiness Center (FRC), with e-mail and video-teleconferencing capabilities, was the core of this effort. The third goal was to create a program that would build community. The desired end state was to ensure that no family was isolated from Guard and military resources and support during the deployment. As one can probably guess, each of these goals spreads out in numerous directions with specific tasks, such as coordinating Family Readiness Groups (FRGs), newsletters, phone trees, web pages, community events, and so on.

As this chapter will indicate, the National Guard Division headquarters that was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina performed their mission of family readiness exceptionally well. They exhibited creative and detailed plans to get support to the families even if the families could not get to the support. Their program is one of the many success stories in the Reserve Component (RC) and should be used as a model for future RC deployments.

The National Guard Division headquarters, supported by the State Area Command (STARC), took care of the many families of the deployed soldiers of the National Guard. They did this by ensuring that the families:

• Were self-reliant and could take care of themselves.
• Had an inner circle of close friends and family to aid them.
• Were supported by the unit FRG.
• Had access to the FRC established at state level.

This approach is exactly what the Army has been advocating since the publication of DA Pam 608-47, A Guide to Establishing Family Support Groups. The method of support for the spouses and families of the deployed soldiers encompasses the four-ring methodology as mentioned above. The first ring is the family itself. If the soldier and the family have prepared correctly, they have thought about what might happen and have developed a plan. Many hours of training were conducted by unit FRG volunteers and the chain of command to educate families to be able to do this. They had instruction on:

In this way the spouse and dependents are self-reliant. They can handle most of the problems by themselves or at least know whom to call to get a problem solved. This builds confidence in the family unit and reduces the frustration soldiers and families may have during a potentially long deployment. Soldiers also benefit. If a soldier knows that his family is self reliant or has the means to fix any potential problem, he can concentrate on his job and not be overly worried about what may be happening at home.

The second ring is the family's immediate support structure. This usually consists of close friends, neighbors, and relatives whom the family can lean on in times of difficult stress. The second ring is the first outside-the-family-unit support structure for the families. There are times that the family may be too close to see the problem or the solution. Sometimes just talking to someone outside the family can provide an objective view to solve a particularly difficult problem. If the immediate ring is composed of other military families that are part of the unit's family support group, this may help even more. Since some families are not able to attend all of the training offered, another military family might have the answer needed to help with the situation.

The third circle consists of the unit's FRG. Here other military families can gather and receive emotional support, Christian counseling, education, and instruction on the many facets of the military. This is also the first official contact the family has with the military. If the situation facing the family is military in nature, the FRG has the resources to get the problem solved quickly. This ring works on the presumption that if the family does not know what to do about a situation, then the FRG does or can find who does.

The fourth circle is the state- or RSC-level Family Readiness Program (FRP). Here is where families come for a group of consolidated services. Since each unit FRG may not be able to make ID cards or hold a video-teleconference with Bosnia, the state/RSC FRP can. They can also consolidate training and arrange for paid volunteers to assist with some areas of support.

By using all of these rings of support, the only problem that cannot be solved is how to get the soldiers back early.

Key Lessons Learned

• All units must have a functioning FRG prior to deployment.

• The unit FSG, if properly trained, can be a valuable asset to the commander in supporting the families of deployed soldiers.

• A family care plan is essential to the adequate support required by regulation when a soldier is being deployed on a peace support operation.

• The goal of the Army is for families to be self-reliant: that through the help of the unit's FRG and given the training needed, the family can take care of itself.

• The program being operated at the state level is very important and seems to be working very well for the families of deployed National Guard soldiers.

Another source of support for families is the Family Assistance Center (FAC). The National Guard Division headquarters encouraged all of their families to take advantage of the FAC. This was a very difficult task, in that FACs are always located on active duty military installations. Unlike the active duty families, Reserve Component families do not always live close to a military installation. Still, the families should have access to the benefits and services of the FAC.

Family Assistance Centers usually encompass the services of:

• The American Red Cross
• The Army Community Services (loan closet)
• Army Emergency Relief (AER)
• Community Mental Health Services
• Legal Assistance Staff
• Miscellaneous (vet, sitters, financial advisor)

Some unit FRGs attempted to get buses or some other means of transportation for families to occasionally visit military installations. There are other creative and innovative methods to get the services to the families if necessary.

Key Lessons Learned

• FRGs can make travel arrangements for families to visit active duty installations so that they can take advantage of the Assistance Center services.

• The Family Readiness Program at the state level can arrange for the services, normally offered only at active duty posts, to be brought to the families.

The National Guard Division coordinated a number of additional tasks in its family readiness plan to ensure its family readiness efforts were successful. One of the most important was to obtain a 1-800 number for the Family Readiness Group (FRG). This enabled families to have a toll-free method to contact a representative of the military and get an answer to a question without placing an additional financial burden on them.

Another helpful addition to the support program was providing office space for FRG volunteers. The office was equipped with a computer, printer, fax, and telephone, and had access to a photocopier and to the distribution room for mail. (Since most families know the phone number of the armory, this would be logical place to set up the office area.)

The National Guard Division headquarters established a free website just for the dissemination of information to the families. This was a big success. The Commanding General held a question-and-answer forum that was posted on the FRG website. This was an opportunity for the CG to not only answer questions, but to also get a good understanding of the morale of the families back home. The webmaster also posted news briefs and pictures so that the families could "see" what was going on in Bosnia. The website was donated by one of the businesses in the state. The soldiers and their families were also given free email capabilities.

Key Lessons Learned

• Offices or working space was given to several units FRGs to conduct their work.

• A toll-free number was assigned to the FRG office for the families to use.

• An FRG website, with free email services and a level of security, was set up for all of the families to access regardless of where they were located.

• The CG held a question-and-answer forum with the families.

• News briefs and photos were posted to the FRG web site so that families were kept informed of events in Bosnia.

The National Guard Division headquarters was notified in August 1998 of its deployment to Bosnia and immediately started to get the requirements documents from their higher headquarters. This division manning document (DMD) listed about 450 positions of all ranks and job skills. Since the Division headquarters actually had about 250 soldiers, more would be needed. Those who volunteered and could deploy were placed on the DMD and were considered part of Task Force Eagle (TFE). Those who could not deploy were considered part of the rear detachment (RD).

Soldiers in the RD were placed under the operational control of the troop command. This way they were still under the control of the state National Guard unit and able to attend drills at the same location. These soldiers could also act as the rear detachment unit for other National Guard units by fielding calls and solving problems.

The National Guard Division headquarters held training sessions for the senior soldiers of the rear detachment to educate them on how the FRP worked. This enabled them to handle the many phone calls they received and forward them to the appropriate section. Some units of the National Guard Division had a rear detachment commander, usually a senior NCO or junior officer, who was unable to be deployed. This person continued to work in the armory of the deployed unit and was able to handle the many issues that challenged the FRG.

Key Lesson Learned: The National Guard Division headquarters held rear detachment commander classes for the soldiers who were not deployed to educate them on how the FRP worked.