Military Families

AUSA Family Readiness

The Family Readiness Directorate is dedicated to providing Army families the tools and resources they need to help them manage the challenges of the military life cycle. Through four pillars of support; education, information, advocacy, and outreach, AUSA Family Readiness aims to connect with Army families, both past and present, in tangible and impactful ways.

Since 1999, AUSA's Family Readiness Directorate has worked to support the needs and interests of Army families by: 

  • Traveling to installations around the world to make presentations, host focus groups and receive briefings on military quality of life issues;
  • Gathering information from Army families to use in AUSA legislative and advocacy efforts;
  • Representing AUSA on various Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA) meetings and Public-Private councils and advisory groups such as:
    • Army Family Action Plan General Officer Steering Committee
    • Military spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)
    • MSEP Spouse Ambassador Network
    • HQDA Veteran and Military Service Organization Quarterly Summit
    • The National Child Traumatic Network Advisory Board
    • The Elizabeth Dole Foundation Military and veteran Caregiver Peer Support Network
    • The Child Care Aware of America Board of Directors
  • Supporting the Army Family Action Plan, as well as numerous family readiness activities including active duty, reserve and National Guard family training events;
  • Administering the annual AUSA  Volunteer Family of the Year Award which recognizes the importance of families and volunteers to the success of the Army mission;
  • Working with AUSA Chapters to support Army family events and programs at local installations and Reserve Component sites
  • Hosting Military Family Forums dealing with Army well-being and family support issues at the AUSA Annual Meeting.

Meeting Activities

STAFF

PATTY BARRON, DIRECTOR FAMILY READINESS

Patty Barron is director of family readiness at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and as such supports all AUSA family programs and events by providing management and oversight to all directorate activities. Previously, she served as the director of outreach, Military Family Projects, at ZERO TO THREE and also worked as the director of youth initiatives at the National Military Family Association where she oversaw the Association’s Operation Purple camp program. She has served on Zero to Three’s “Coming Together Around Military Children” Advisory Board, the Sesame Workshop “Talk Listen, Connect; Phase Two” Advisory Panel and is currently serving on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Advisory Board, the Child Care Aware of America Advisory Council, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Military Leadership Council. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco and her Master of Science degree from Long Island University.

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