What is a Family Readiness Group?

Instead of starting by answering "an FRG is...", we would like to include why we have this web site and expand from there.

Now on to what Family Readiness Groups are ... (items are quoted from The Army FRG Leader's Handbook & FRG Leadership Training)

FRG MISSION is "to assist the commanders in maintaining readiness of soldiers, families, and communications within the Army by promoting self-sufficiency, resiliency, and stability during peace & war."

History:  The Family Readiness Group, formerly known as the Family Support Group (FSG), is a concept that had early roots among Army families, who banded together to during war or tours overseas or other isolated locations, to provide information, moral support, and social outlet to their members. The Army focused sharply on family readiness as a result of lessons learned during the 1990 -1991 Gulf War. On 1 June 2000, Department of the Army renamed it Family Readiness Group to emphasize the need for readiness and self-sufficiency among Army families in the modern Army.

Goals of the FRG:   Based on the FRG mission statement, the FRG may fill many of the following important roles, including:

• build soldier & family cohesion & morale
• prepare soldiers & families for separation during deployments and, later, for the stress of reunion
• reduce soldier and family stress
• reduce the commander's and other leaders' workloads
• help soldiers focus on their mission during deployments
• help families become more self-sufficient
• provide an avenue for sharing timely, accurate information
• promote better use of post and community resources

Later, these roles will be translated into the key tasks that effective FRGs plan and implement for their soldiers and families.

The FRG is:

	communication link between the military and families
	a welcoming organization
	a self-help, referral organization
	a source of social support
	organization of special events and programs
	a unit family dedicated to achieving social and military goals
	a base of caring & sharing especially during trauma or deployment
	source of information to promote family self-reliance

The FRG is NOT:

	a babysitting or errand service
	a rank structured organization; dividing into groups (i.e., enlisted vs. officers spouses, ethnic groups, etc)
	a taxi service
	a financial institution
	surrogate parents and social workers
	a professional counseling agency
	another military organization
	anything that duplicates services already available on-post or in the community

Do we really need FRGs?  Many experiences soldiers and spouses firmly believe that FRGs are important. Consider the following facts, based on recent research by the Army Community and Family Support Center, about the Army Family:

• the ratio of immediate family members to soldiers is about 60 to 40
• about 60 percent of soldiers are married
• the ratio of children to soldier-parents is about two to one
• about 6 percent of soldiers-parents are single
• single soldiers have families somewhere
• families help soldiers make career decisions
• finally, the single most important concern of soldiers is that their families will be take care of, both, during peace and deployments.

So, yes, effective FRG's are important for soldiers and families. To create effective FRGs, the five essential ingredients -- leadership, organization, training, fun activities, and communication -- must be built into the unit FRGs. Of course, this is easier said than done, but it's a basic fact that must be every leader -- both military and spouse -- if soldiers & families are to be successful.

The FRG -- What's in it for us? 

For Spouses and Family Members, the FRG gives a sense of belonging to the unit and the Army community -- the Army Family. It provides a way to develop friendships, share important information, obtain referrals to needed Army resources, and share moral support during unit deployments. For the long-term, involvement in FRG activities can foster more positive attitudes among Army families and provide a better understanding of military life, the unit, and its mission.

For Soldiers, peace of mind -- soldiers can be assured that their family members will be more self-sufficient and will have reliable and friendly support while they are deployed. This peace of mind can help soldiers focus on their work, perform better, relate better to other soldiers, and be safer while they're on a training or real-world mission.

For Commanders, the unit FRG helps to lighten their workload, especially in the area of soldier and family readiness goals. The FRG can enhance camaraderie and unit readiness by promoting self-reliance and by helping soldiers and family members to identify closely with the unit.

For the Military and Civilian Communities, a well-established FRG program can help forestall serious family problems (such as family violence, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, child abuse, etc.) that weaken Army families and place heavy demands on community service agencies. FRGs refer family members to military or civilian community resources and help families develop coping skills and stronger family units. Effective FRGs also provide a positive environment for diverse cultures to thrive together to truly become one Army family -- an Army of One.

For the Army, the successful FRG programs, combined with the ample and available community resources, help the Army achieve its primary goals -- including the all-important goal of attracting retaining high-quality soldiers and families in the Army.

For the Army Family and the Society as a whole, a peace of mind; togetherness; pride in ourselves as individuals, families, unites, and a nation of diverse cultures; and confidence that our Army can promote a better and safer world.