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SECTION II

FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS (FSGs)

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This section describes actions that Active and Reserve Component units, soldiers and families have taken to facilitate family support during unit deployments to training exercises and military operations. The focus is on pre-deployment initiatives which have been successful in providing support to families of deployed soldiers at posts both stateside and in Europe.

TOPIC: The Need for FSGs

DISCUSSION: Family separation creates psychological stress for both the deploying soldier and the family left behind. Soldiers who feel their families can manage without them are better able to concentrate on mission tasks. Commanders demonstrate compassionate concern for their soldiers when they actively participate in FSGs as part of unit pre-deployment readiness. During deployments, FSGs assist the rear detachment in sustaining families of deployed soldiers by exchanging support and transmitting accurate information between families and the RDC.

LESSON(S): FSGs play a central role in sustaining families by providing social and emotional support before, during and after family separations. FSGs need unit support before deployment and rear detachment support while forces are deployed.

• FSGs give confidence to soldiers that their dependents will cope in their absence and remove family feelings of isolation and anxiety.
• FSGs benefit the command by helping to sustain morale. The Army would be well advised to keep plans for family support institutions in a state of readiness as are the plans for troop support and equipment maintenance. During peacetime, the justification for continuing Army family support mechanisms is ultimately to maintain high levels of deployment readiness for a family base, married, military organization. During wartime deployments, the justification for family support shifts to maintaining morale of soldiers and their will to fight.

TOPIC: FSG Volunteer Training

DISCUSSION: FSG training initiatives are intended to provide support, outreach, and information to family members while at the duty station, and during periods of family separation. In many cases, the G1/S1 is the command structure link with the mission of supporting and coordinating FSG training initiatives. These offices coordinate "sustainment seminars" (quarterly) to ensure all units will have several trained volunteers who can work collectively with unit family support programs. FSG volunteers are often in the position of being the first contact point for family members who need help. Due to their unique functions, FSG volunteers are often in a position to best evaluate family-coping abilities given differing situations. Moreover, the volunteers can arrange early assistance to prevent a crisis situation from occurring.

LESSON(S): To perform their unique roles, FSG volunteers must receive training. Some examples of training that will help FSG volunteers perform their function include:

• effective communication
  
• problem solving
  
• active listening
  
• crisis intervention
  
• community resources
  
• key unit personnel
  
• information and referral
  
• family advocacy
  
• coping with stress
  
• effective meetings
  
• leadership skills
  
• personal awareness
  
• volunteer supervision
  
• newsletter preparation
  
• time management
  

Training should be conducted routinely. Additionally, training should periodically be reevaluated based on situations encountered prior to, and during, deployment. Some FSG volunteers will need special training. Refresher courses may benefit others with past experience.

TOPIC: Formation of FSGs

DISCUSSION: Commanders recognize the need to sustain the stability of families when soldiers are deployed. Their personal commitment and the support of their staffs are important ingredients in the formation of FSGs. DA Pam 608-47, A Guide to Establishing Family Support Groups, is an excellent reference. [NOTE: Some units have also established "chains of concern" made up of the spouses of commanders, officers and senior noncommissioned officers. The spouses of sergeants major and first sergeants are especially experienced in dealing with family separations. However, the chain of concern should be distinct from the FSG and not in control of the RDC.]

LESSON(S): FSGs can be formed quickly during mobilization or deployment preparations, but they work much better if they are ongoing activities established prior to deployment. These pre- organized FSGs are held in a state of readiness, although they are in a standby status in peacetime.

• Units should participate in the process of establishing FSGs, but the ultimate effectiveness of a group lies in the strengths of the families themselves, its training, the imagination of FSG leaders and the initiative of FSG volunteers.
• FSGs are most effective at battalion and company levels. They work best when NCO, junior enlisted, or junior officer spouses with energy, interest and natural leadership abilities are motivated to serve in leadership roles. These spouses are seen as more readily able to understand the economic and life-style problems of soldiers and their spouses.
• During major deployments, especially those involving activation of Reserve Component (RC) forces, there is a need for family support for those who do not fit the normal FSG criteria. These include guardians of children whose parent(s) have deployed and active and reserve families of all services who have temporarily moved from military installations and rear detachments. Family support for this category should be "purple suited," accommodating the needs of all military families, regardless of active/reserve or service affiliation.

TOPIC: FSG Composition

DISCUSSION: FSGs are self-help organizations made up primarily of unit spouses but may include guardians of dependent children, parents and significant others, and soldier volunteers. FSGs are open to families and guardians of all members of the command, regardless of a soldier's rank. Participation is voluntary.

LESSON(S): FSGs are organized groups interfacing between families, deployed units and soldiers, unit rear detachments, relatives of single soldiers, and local support agencies.

• Volunteer spouses in FSGs are sometimes associated with military rank or duty position. Leaders can be selected by the organizers or group members. There are many instances of spouses of junior soldiers serving in leadership positions. The main requirements are a caring attitude and a willingness to work. FSG success may depend on the degree of ownership volunteers hold toward the group.
• FSG volunteer leaders may find that their homes become communication centers. Call-waiting and answering machines are helpful.
• It is important for FSG leaders to remain calm, be reassuring, and recognize that no leader can please everybody. FSG leaders can call on the rear detachment, FAC agencies and chaplains for support.
• It is important that FSG leaders take care of their families and themselves. FSG volunteer leaders tend to "burn out" when they provide direct services to unit families or substitute for the RDC in providing official assistance to spouses. Those who help others must have help.
• Commanders and FSGs should make a concerted effort to include non-command-sponsored families in FSG support activities, social events and the distribution of information.

TOPIC: FSG Operations and Functions

DISCUSSION: In many units, the operations and functions of FSGs have been thought out in advance of unit deployments. In proactive units, areas which hold the potential of becoming problems to families during the soldier's absence have been addressed, with support actions established to facilitate resolution (e.g., what to do if the spouse is locked out of quarters or the family car and landlord or pay problems).

LESSON(S): FSGs foster an atmosphere of mutual support and togetherness in times of need. However, the extent of FSG support should be realistic. Family members may develop an inappropriate dependency on FSG leaders who exceed their mandate for FSG operations.

• Commanders of deploying units and rear detachments should clearly define the operational boundaries of FSG activities for FSG leaders. FSGs without boundaries may be subjected to conflicts among volunteers and loss of mutual support within the group.
• FSGs distribute pertinent information to families and
• provide a mechanism for family members to get assistance in dealing with common problems. Some assistance may come directly from the FSG or the FSG volunteer may refer the spouse or guardian to an agency especially equipped to handle specific problems.
• Disseminating correct and timely information is very important. FSGs should assist or participate with the rear detachment in conducting periodic information briefings. FSGs need help from RDCs in preparing newsletters and paying postage. A reading file for families to review during the week is helpful if they are unable to attend scheduled information briefings. The data in the reading file must be kept current.
• When phone calls became expensive or difficult, such as in the distances associated with reserve units, newsletters become very important.
• Rosters are important tools for FSGs. They are more accurate when the information is gathered as part of unit inprocessing. In addition to names, addresses and phone numbers, rosters may contain information on language proficiency (e.g., does the spouse speak, read, write English; does a family member have a unique physical condition or special education requirement?).
• Rosters should be transformed into useful "telephone trees" to provide verbal support to FSG members or to transmit valuable information rapidly. Telephone tree contacts form positive support relationships by bonding together families of servicemembers in the same company or platoon.
• Some organizations, both active and reserve (perhaps the entire Army), did not appreciate the potential value of the databases which produced family support rosters. These databases could have had significant application during a major or mass casualty situation (had it occurred).
• A major problem with family support rosters involved frequently losing junior enlisted Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) soldier's family locations from unit address rosters. This problem was widespread and not restricted to one unit or state. Geographical dispersion of USAR families aggravated the problem and roster accuracy levels normally did not exceed 80 percent. Emphasis on completeness and accuracy is essential to assure viable databases.
• FSGs perform an important function by helping rear detachments and military communities keep track of dependents. During deployments, some dependents leave the area to live with family while others visit relatives or friends and then return to their quarters. This makes 100-percent accountability of dependents very difficult for rear detachment and community commanders. In overseas areas, this impacts on noncombatant evacuation operations (NEO) planning.
• Some commanders are not married and may be less focused on, or have less appreciation for, family support issues. FSGs can be very effective in facilitating a unified effort for the command.
• For RC units:
  • Family support may need to be regionally based.
  • Telephone trees need to be unit- based.
  • Family unit activities/social events are needed during nondeployment times to acquaint spouses with other spouses.
  • FSG members need to be trained on RDC, State Area Command (STARC), and FAC staff functions.
  • Child care is needed for FSG meetings.
  • Contact points are needed for military installations for AER loans, CHAMPUS, etc.
  • At the time of activation, families need to be informed of IRRs and Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs) on FSGs available to them in their area.

TOPIC: FSG Volunteer Expectations

DISCUSSION: FSG volunteers may encounter a wide range of inquiries and issues. Commanders of units, rear detachments, military communities and posts should set realistic expectations on volunteer duties, recognizing that FSG volunteers are not professional counselors. One volunteer was reportedly reprimanded for the way she handled a potentially suicidal caller.

LESSON(S): Commanders must involve themselves in defining the scope of volunteer duties and the training needed to produce the standards of performance expected of them. DA Pam 608-47 states that FSGs should not:

• Become surrogate parents, guardians, or social workers.
  
• Become part of the casualty notification process.
  
• Become a babysitting service or lend money, cars, or expensive items.
  
• Divide into groups, such as enlisted vs officer wives.
  
• Duplicate the services of other support agencies.
  
  • Volunteers need skills which enable them to screen and identify the category of inquires and calls they receive, such as:
    
    • Information calls. Volunteer information must be kept current; outdated information may create problems for the caller.
      
    • Social calls. Limit the length of these calls.
      
    • Problem calls. Record essential data, refer the caller or pass pertinent information to the appropriate agency. Follow-up to see that the problems are resolved.
      
    • Crisis calls. These can be difficult to identify. Use good judgement in the responses you give; be careful of making promises which you cannot fulfill. Be positive, suggest alternatives, help callers help themselves, remain responsive to their problems, and record essential data so that you can refer an appropriate counselor or support agency to them.
      
    • Unnecessary calls. Don't perpetuate rumors and unconfirmed reports; inform the caller that you're not interested in this type of information.
      
    • Chronic calls. Tactfully try to unmask an underlying problem, if possible. You may be able to bring out an unspoken issue that's troubling the caller which can be referred to an appropriate counselor or agency. Remain diplomatic.
  • The focus of volunteer training should be on refining their discernment and referral skills. FSGs worked well with little formal training and even better when members and leaders received continuing training and support, especially from RDCs.

TOPIC: Pre-deployment Planning

DISCUSSION: Most family issues should be resolved during pre- deployment POR before they become problems. While soldiers are responsible for their own personal affairs and those of their families, unit leaders have an obligation to see that soldiers are attuned to both POR and non-POR considerations.

LESSON(S): Command interest is essential in identifying areas that can become problems during the soldier's deployment.

• Spousal participation in the soldier's POR is a decision which can only be made by the service member. However, some units encouraged the inclusion of spouses in POR because it gave them a better understanding of dependent entitlements and underscored the significance of important documents.
• Family support items should be identified in a pre- deployment checklist. (See Appendix B, Important Documents Checklist.)
• Major commands should take the lead in developing comprehensive checklists and visit subordinate units regularly to ensure that FSGs are functional. This enables units and soldiers to understand command standards and take actions to meet them.
• Rear detachments should assume primary responsibility for supporting FSGs after unit deployment. This includes maintaining rosters using input and updates from FSG personnel and assisting in the publication and mailing of newsletters. It is not the responsibility of the FSG to obtain updates for the rear detachment.

Table of Contents
Section I: Rear Detachment
Section II: Family Support Groups (FSGs), Part 2