Ask any Army spouse what the hardest part of military life is and they will answer almost in unison: "Change."Throughout our military life cycle change is ever present: changing addresses, changing schools, changing friends, changing responsibilities.Change can turn our world upside down in an instant and make our lives unpredictable, but it can also bring opportunity.We need only to keep our minds open to the potential change brings.As we celebrate the beginning of 2014, we at AUSA have begun our plan which will change the way we interact with you – our Army family members.First and foremost, we have changed our name from AUSA Family Programs.We are now called the AUSA Family Readiness Directorate.We feel this title is more reflective of how we offer support.Through educational forums, updated information, real-time advocacy and outreach, our goal is to provide you with as many items as we can to add to your "Ready and Resilient" tool box.Our new spouse membership category is another road to change.As an association we need your voice, your support, your involvement.Through the AUSA spouse membership you will have the opportunity to serve on focus groups, review current research on military families, and provide us your thoughts on practical application.You can assist us in championing causes dear to your heart such as military children’s education issues, military spouse employment and career progression as well as behavioral health support for family members.But we need you to join.Numbers speak loudly on Capitol Hill.Personal stories add credence to the argument. We can’t do this without you and welcome your involvement.The Family Readiness Directorate also plans to offer additional military family forums throughout the year.In 2014, we will explore opportunities to host mini family forums in locations outside the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.Topics more specific to those regions will be explored and local subject matter experts will be invited.Our Facebook page will be more focused.We understand that you have a wealth of information coming at you from several sources.Rather than repeat information that you are already getting we will try to provide you with content that is a bit out of the mainstream but also has application to the military lifestyle.And finally we will be looking for ways to bring your voice to both the Army and AUSA leadership.We hope to select 12 inaugural members to our AUSA National Spouse Advisory Council this spring.We are also connecting interested spouse members to local AUSA chapters to provide the opportunity for local grassroots involvement and leadership.In our opinion, no one gets organizations more energized than a military spouse.Many years ago, as a young spouse, I remember coming to Washington, D.C., from an active duty Army installation.I felt lost without a Family Readiness Group to be a part of.I felt lonely without Army families who were my neighbors, and I felt frustrated at the lack of awareness off post schools had about the issues facing my military kids.And then Sept. 11, 2001, happened.Life changed in an instant and over the past 12 years our military lifestyle has as well.We now have over 70 percent of our military families living in civilian communities.Local elementary and high schools have made a real effort to support military children.Progress has been made in spouse employment and transferability of licenses and certifications across state lines is getting easier.Research on military families has caught up to the current challenges they face and we now have policy such as the Interstate Compact of Educational Opportunity for Military Children that is a direct result of that research.But as was stated, change is a constant companion in military life and just as solutions evolve to handle military family challenges, those challenges transform, mutate, and progress.We, both the more seasoned and the younger family members of an all-volunteer force, must continually adapt but with an experienced and educated plan.As John F. Kennedy once said: "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."AUSA Family Readiness is eager to go, to explore new ideas and new relationships with you.We can make a difference through our collective voices and influence those that will have an impact on the generations of military families to come.Join us and be an important part of the future.For more information on AUSA’s Family Readiness Directorate, go to www.ausa.org/family, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AUSAfamily or on twitter @AUSAfamPrgms.Family Strong – Army Strong!