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The purpose of this newsletter is to disseminate throughout the National Guard (NG) and Army Reserve effective family readiness techniques from NG and USAR units who take very seriously the issue of family readiness. The techniques and procedures that follow have enabled units to substantially increase the quality of life for their Army families as they routinely experienced the challenges of lengthy unit deployments in a variety of theaters of operation.

Regardless of where the observation was made or in what product the lesson was published, the Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC) should learn from each other. Recent history shows that RC Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) are different from AC FRGs in some basic ways. Their structure and composition are basically the same, but unlike the AC, when an RC unit deploys, the reserve center or armory is often locked up. This means that the one place that spouses would think to call to fix a financial problem would not have anyone there to answer the phone. The use of volunteers as the staple for a successful program is the same in both AC and RC Family Readiness Groups. There are so many similarities that a lesson from an AC FRG and an RC FRG should be read by personnel from each component.

In the years since Operation DESERT STORM, family readiness efforts in a number of Army units have become increasingly more sophisticated. In many units, commanders and soldiers are not content to see their families merely make it through lengthy deployments, but are instead aiming at a higher standard of family caring and quality of life, the standard of "self-reliant families."

The term "self-reliant families" refers to the goal of ensuring that families understand and are able to utilize the various Army support programs and volunteer organizations that are in place to assist them during times of separation. Self-reliant families are families that effectively communicate their needs and goals to their support levels and frequently to each other. Self-reliance does not imply a lack of support. On the contrary, the larger goal of this initiative is to encourage families to function completely and successfully within the Army support network at a time when lengthy deployments are common. The units that have put into place programs of this type seek to achieve family readiness -- a higher standard than family support.

Family readiness does not come without teamwork. Teamwork is the essential element of a good family readiness program. As the illustration on the previous page indicates, self-reliant families are a product of four factors working together to achieve this high standard. First, commanders must demonstrate through word and deed that family readiness is a cornerstone of their overall unit readiness efforts. Staffs must similarly support the family readiness initiatives by incorporating family readiness considerations into their general planning. Second, rear detachment personnel must be well trained, energetic, and committed to the goal of family readiness. Third, FRG leaders must be dynamic, charismatic, organized, and well trained for the unique challenges they will face. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, soldiers and their spouses must communicate with each other and the family readiness organizations, and must be proactive in seeking to prepare themselves for the deployments to come.

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