Family Readiness

With her husband, MSG Gustav Anderson by her side, Krista Anderson asks a question to the panel at the Family Forum II: Army Housing and PCS at the 2019 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Washington Convention Center on Oct. 15, 2019.

Leaders Promise to Continue Working on Housing, PCS

October 16, 2019
Army leaders heard a torrent of complaints from soldiers and family members over challenges they’ve faced with poor housing conditions and permanent change-of-station moves during a family forum Oct. 15 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual...
Flanked by Secretary of the Army Ryan Mcarthy, left, and Sergeant Major Michael Grinston, Army Chief of Staff James McConville speaks at the Family Forum IV: Senior Leaders Town Hall at the 2019 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition.

McConville Supports Longer Tours, Fewer Moves

October 15, 2019
The Army is looking for ways to make PCS moves easier for soldiers and families, but Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville is not in favor of moving families during off-peak season. “[S]ome people are talking about, ‘Hey, we’ll move soldiers off...
Dee Geise, left, Chief of the Soldier & Family Readiness Division, moderates the AUSA Military Forum II: Military Spouse Deployment, at the 2019 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Washington Convention Center on Oct. 15, 2019.

Army Offers Variety of Spouse Employment Resources

October 15, 2019
Army spouses looking for employment can face challenges—frequent moves and state licensing requirements, for example—but they have a community of resources and opportunities available to help, experts say. “Family wellbeing is holistic and requires...
Patty Barron, Director of Family Readiness, speaks Oct. 14, 2019, during a family forum at the 2019 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. Other panelists include retired Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, Col. Steve Lewis and Robert McCartney.

Army Refocuses Soldier and Family Readiness Groups

October 14, 2019
The Army recognizes the need for community support as it shifts away from spouse-only programs to all-encompassing soldier and family readiness groups. “Social support and connectedness are critical for family readiness and we recognize that,” Col...

AUSA 2019 Offers Several Family Forums

October 3, 2019
This year’s Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition will feature several family readiness-focused events. “This is an important time for Army families,” said Patty Barron, director of AUSA’s Family Readiness directorate. “With so...

Army Continues to Improve Household Moves

October 3, 2019
This year’s peak moving season showed some improvement in satisfaction from soldiers and their families, but the Army still has areas to work on, the commanding general of U.S. Transportation Command said. “There were some indicators that there was...

Barron to Join DoD Family Readiness Council

September 19, 2019
Patty Barron, who heads the Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness Directorate, has been appointed to the Defense Department’s Military Family Readiness Council. The 18-member congressionally mandated council reviews, evaluates and monitors...

Family Readiness Groups Get New Name, Focus

September 4, 2019
The Army is changing the name of its Family Readiness Groups in an effort to better connect soldier readiness to the military family, according to a recently published Army directive. The groups are now called Soldier and Family Readiness Groups,...

Communication, ‘Team’ Key to Family Readiness

August 27, 2019
Resources, planning and communication are key ingredients for success in a military family—just ask the Richardsons, the only married three-star generals in the Army. While it isn’t easy, it’s possible to juggle service, family and assignments, the...

Military Parents Go ‘Above and Beyond’ for Education

August 8, 2019
A recent survey of active-duty service members and spouses found military parents “go above and beyond” to support their children’s education. According to the survey, active-duty military parents are twice as likely as civilian parents to pay for...