New soldiers and family members learning the particularities of Army culture may find it exciting and overwhelming at the same time.

While a soldier gets acclimated to a life of training, early morning formations and wearing a uniform every day, family members have lots to learn as well, including flag protocol, how to identify rank insignia and how to understand the Army acronyms that bounce through casual conversations.

Generations of soldiers and their families have successfully navigated this unique culture, and their collective experiences have informed a new educational program created by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness directorate called Customs, Courtesies and Traditions.

“At the heart of this world are Army customs, courtesies and traditions, which are more than formal practices—they are the living bonds connecting generations of soldiers and their families,” said Cindy Risch, a special programs manager with AUSA’s Family Readiness directorate and 38-year Army spouse. “They foster a sense of identity, unity and order essential to the Army’s mission.”

The new program is being offered through AUSA’s 122 chapters in the United States and around the world and facilitated by the Family Readiness directorate, said Holly Dailey, AUSA’s Family Readiness director and 32-year Army spouse. A session took place on Nov. 12 at Fort Carson, Colorado, through AUSA’s Pikes Peak chapter.

At the inaugural educational session in April at Fort Benning, Georgia, hosted by the AUSA Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Benning chapter, participants included family members, soldiers and civilians with an interest in Army culture.

Development of the program began taking shape following the May 2024 launch of AUSA’s Family Fellows, a team of family subject-matter experts, each of whom served for decades alongside their military spouses and whose children now serve on active duty.

The Customs, Courtesies and Traditions program will be of significant value to AUSA chapters as they welcome new soldiers and families into their organizations, Dailey said.

The new program is based on the contents of Customs, Courtesies and Traditions of the United States Army: A Primer for Family Members, a guidebook authored by Ginger Perkins, one of AUSA’s Family Fellows and a 38-year Army spouse, and published by AUSA.

Participants in the chapter-led sessions will each receive a copy of the guidebook, which features a foreword by retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO.

Dailey explained that the book, whose second edition was launched in October at AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., has been used by AUSA chapters at events attended by new military families and others who may not be familiar with military tradition.

While the book is a valuable resource that can then be passed to new generations of Army families, the sessions will help resolve questions “through interactive discussions and activities,” said Dailey, who is married to retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey, AUSA’s vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs.

“We don’t want to just hand out a book, we want to empower them with the benefit of our knowledge and experience,” Dailey said. “More importantly, we want them to know that they are not alone, that we are here to walk with them on their Army journey as others have done for 250 years.”

For more on AUSA’s Family Readiness directorate, click here.