glossary

Family Readiness Groups

An FRG is an organization of family members, volunteers, and soldiers belonging to a unit, that together provide an avenue of mutual support and assistance, and a network of communications among family members, the chain of command, and community resources.

Structure:

Battalion level - Commander, Rear Detachment Commander (RDC), Senior Advisor(s), FRG steering committee.

Company level - Commander, FRG leaders, Point of Contacts (POCs), family members, and soldiers.

Community Support - Army Community Service (ACS), Family Assistance Center (FAC)

Responsibilities:

Commander - The commander is ultimately responsible for the FRG. They actively sanction the FRG program and officially appoint key military representatives. The commander determines the leadership of the FRG and confirms it in writing.

RDC - The RD is activated when the unit deploys or goes on extended field exercises. The RDC provides a link between families, soldiers, the deployed unit, and community support agencies.

Senior Advisor (a.k.a. FRG Chairperson, Senior FRG leader, or Battalion FRG leader) - The senior advisor is usually the facilitator in the FRG network. They serve as the interface between family members and battalion leadership. They gather information and access resources from the military battalion and community resource agencies, and manage and coordinate the activities of the FRG.

FRG steering committee - The steering committee assists the senior advisor in planning, activating and coordinating FRG readiness. Steering committee members may include, but not necessarily be limited to, company level FRG leaders, newsletter editor, membership coordinator, childcare coordinator, hospitality person, and treasurer.

FRG leader - FRG leaders are responsible for getting the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all married personnel from the company, and organizing the chain of concern (or phone tree). They select POCs who will make phone tree calls to the family members. They communicate with each POC regularly to support the POCs and to ensure that contact within the groups is being maintained. The FRG leader is the POC for the POCs in every respect. They establish and maintain military linkages at the company for exchanging pertinent information with company chain of command.

POC - Initiate and maintain contact with family members on a regular basis to let them know the system is working and disseminate information to the family members.

Family members - Family members are responsible for attending FRG meetings and briefings. They need to inform the FRG leader and/or POC with address and telephone changes. They also need to let the FRG leader and RD know when they leave the area during a deployment or field exercise.

Soldiers - Soldiers are responsible for family readiness, including preparing their families for the soldier’s absence during deployments and extended exercises.

Army Community Service - ACS provides services such as relocation assistance, AER loans, consumer affairs and financial assistance, Family Advocacy, employment assistance, etc.

Family Assistance Center - The FAC furnishes information, assistance, guidance, and referral to units and families of soldiers in the event of unit mobilization, deployment, or at times, in response to a major disaster. Some of the organizations that are part of the FAC include ACS, finance, provost marshall, legal, chaplain, housing, transportation, etc.

The two distinct levels of effort of an FRG:

Activated function - The effort is concentrated around events such as pre-deployment and mobilization, deployment, and the immediate post-deployment periods. The FRGs provide support to family members and soldiers by offering information on unit activities and meetings, and referral assistance about community resources. Activities during this level are geared toward helping family members prepare for imminent separation, cope during the separation, and to bond with other family members in the unit.

Sustaining function - There is a reduced degree of interaction between FRG volunteers and family members as well as within the FRG organization. This period occurs mainly during non-deployment periods. During this period, FRGs continue to update rosters of family member addresses and telephone numbers, continue regular meetings between FRG representatives and unit leaders, and, through group meetings or telephone contacts, provide welcoming, sponsorship, orientation, and networking support for new family members and families in crisis or transition.

Why the FRGs is needed:

The family member - Unit FRGs foster a sense of belonging to the unit and community, and provide a vehicle for families to develop friendships while they gain information about the unit and community. They also provide information, referral, and share support during deployments.

The soldier - The FRG enables the soldier to concentrate on the mission at hand, and have the emotional readiness to carry out that mission.

The unit command - FRGs assist in developing resilient families that are better able to cope and function in times of separation and or crisis. Through prevention and education programs and family activities, FRGs can help families overcome problems that are likely to impact adversely on soldier performance. A well functioning FRG can minimize family distracters conserving the unit commander’s time and resources for military purposes.

The active duty installation - Unit FRGs can provide early identification of serious family problems and provide information and referral at an earlier stage. This can reduce the amount of trauma the family experiences and the level of demand placed on installation or community agencies.

The Army - Enhances the quality of life for families and contributes to the retention of the best quality soldiers.

Organizing an FRG:

Structuring an FRG - There is no best way to structure an FRG. The structure should be tailored to the unit, its mission, and the makeup of its family members. The type and scope of activities in which the FRG becomes involved depends largely on the immediate needs of the soldiers and their families, the FRG volunteers, and whether or not the unit is deployed.

Essential activities of an FRG - The activities that are essential to all FRGs include meetings of FRG leaders and volunteers, publication and distribution of newsletters, maintenance of updated family rosters, and the telephone tree.

Goals of an FRG - Provide an opportunity for family members to mutually support each other, prevent isolation, provide information, help involve families in unit activities, and refer families to community resources when needed.

Activities FRGs should not become involved in - Becoming surrogate parents or social workers; lending money, cars or other expensive items; dividing into groups (i.e. ethnic, religious, rank-oriented, etc.); becoming a baby-sitting or errand service; and duplicating on-post or community activities (i.e. providing food, money, etc.); or casualty notification.

FRG leadership - The main factor that contributes to an FRG leader’s success is that they are a volunteer. They are not assuming the position of leadership because of their spouse’s military position. Commanders are ultimately responsible for the FRG. FRG leaders must be approved by the commander and should be acknowledged in writing.

POCs - The contact system is the most essential part of the FRG. POCs initiate and maintain contact with family members twice per month during deployments, less often (as appropriate) when the soldiers are in garrison. This reassures family members that there is a communication, support, and information system operational. Generally, each POC should have about six to ten families in their contact circle. A contact circle should not exceed ten families. Larger groups tend to be less cohesive, less personal, and overtax the efforts of the contact people.

Telephone rosters - It is extremely important that the unit telephone roster be kept updated. Participation must be on a voluntary basis and consent must be obtained from family members via a signed Privacy Act statement.

Newsletters - The FRG newsletter is designed to reach all family members and its importance cannot be overemphasized. FRG newsletters may contain two types of information, official and unofficial. Official information includes items about the Army, installation, unit, benefits, unit and FRG sponsored activities, and programs and services available. Frequency of the publication is at the commander’s discretion.

Use of government facilities - FRG volunteers may use unit office and meeting space, telephones, copying equipment, and supplies needed to accomplish their assigned duties.

Fundraising - FRG-generated funds may not exceed $1,000. FRGs that receive gifts will keep a record of gift receipt and disposition. One person must be responsible for maintaining, accounting for, and documenting spending of the fund. The person responsible for maintaining the fund will tell the command about the fund's existence and purpose annually. They will also show the commander an annual financial report. Use of the funds is limited to expenses that support the purpose and mission of the FRG. It is also important to remember that FRG funds should be used for activities that support the entire group.

Volunteers - All FRG volunteers should receive a job description. This helps to clarify roles and expectations. The position title should describe what the volunteer actually does. The job description should list the goals and objectives, description of duties, time required, qualifications, and training required.

Volunteer training - Some volunteers are placed in the position of being the first contact for family members who are in a crisis situation. To perform this role effectively, adequate training must be received.

Keys to success - One of the keys to continued success is the ongoing reevaluation of FRG activities. FRG needs are never static and must be periodically reevaluated. Other keys to a successful FRG lies in the strength of the families themselves, FRG training, FRG leaders, and the initiatives of the volunteers.