Articles from Family Readiness, ARMY Magazine, Headline News, and AUSA News on the Military Families
Army families with members who have additional educational or medical needs would like increased support and responsiveness, according to a new DoD Exceptional Family Member Program survey.
Military life can create challenges for soldiers and their families, but the Army is working to improve their quality of life in several areas, including supporting and increasing employment opportunities, a panel of experts said.
From financial education to counseling services, the Army is working to boost a holistic approach to taking care of soldiers and families.
Resources that support resilience and help prevent harmful behaviors can be useful for soldiers and families at any point in their careers, said Robyn Mroszczyk, an Army spouse and the financial education program manager in the Army G-9.
A new White House report sets several Biden administration priorities that provide support to military families.
Among the ideas: Making the federal government the employer of choice for military spouses; increasing economic opportunities and reducing job losses related to permanent change-of-station moves; finding innovative solutions for increasing child care availability, improving educational and economic opportunities for military and veteran families; and improving education for the children of service members.
The Army is making progress on its promise to expand access to child and youth services despite the challenges it faces during the pandemic.
“This is really important because it directly impacts the Army's number one priority, which is people,” Dee Geise, chief of the Soldier and Family Readiness Division in the Army G-9, said April 21 during a phone call with reporters.
The Association of the U.S. Army and four other military associations have received $100,000 from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to provide scholarships for troops and their families.
The money will be used to offer oral health and wellness scholarships and certification support to service members, transitioning veterans and their family members.
The military is getting rid of the paper-based ID cards issued to retirees and family members for a new, more secure card, under a change already underway on some installations.
The Next Generation Uniformed Services Identification Card will incorporate an updated design and security features to deter counterfeiting and fraud, DoD said in its announcement. The card will be printed on plastic cardstock and will look and feel more like the Common Access Cards issued to active-duty service members and DoD civilian employees.
An upcoming book from the Association of the U.S. Army will capture the cultural essence of the Army with a guide on everything from flag etiquette, uniforms and rank insignia to place cards, protocol and pleasantries.
Compiled and written by Ginger Perkins, Customs, Courtesies and Traditions of the United States Army: A Primer for Family Members will be a comprehensive reference book aimed at bringing spouses, parents, siblings, extended family members and friends closer to the bigger Army family by explaining their soldier’s world.
Big improvements in accountability, transparency and quality from the companies that move household goods are on the way for military families who will be transitioning to new locations at the peak of next year’s moving season, a senior official said.
Complaints of widespread problems with the shipment and delivery of household goods awaited Army Gen. Stephen Lyons about 18 months ago, he said, when he took over as commander of U.S. Transportation Command, the joint military command that oversees family moves around the world.
The Defense Department inspector general’s annual report of top management challenges facing the military adds two new concerns. One is ensuring the welfare and well-being of service members and their families. The second involves security and management of the supply chain.
The fiscal year 2020 report continues to list threats from near-peer competitors and countering global terrorism as the top challenges facing the department, but troops and their families now rate as the department’s third of 10 priorities, and improving the supply chain ranks eighth.
