Photo By Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Stone | Kathryn Stetson, the 807th Medical Command family programs director, tells the...... read more read more
IRVING, Texas – For the first time, Army Reserve Family Programs held a joint chain of command and family readiness group in the new era volunteer training conference at the DFW Westin May 30 – June 1.
“We are trying to maximize our resources, this is the first time it’s ever been done,” said Kathryn Stetson, the Family Readiness Program coordinator for the 807th Medical Command.
The 63rd Regional Support Command Army Family Programs hosted the 807th’s Chain of Command Training session along with trainers, commanders and senior enlisted advisers from the 75th Training Command’s FRG in a New Era training with support from the 79th Support Sustainment Command, the 9th Mission Support Command and the 108th Training Command.
The Chain of Command training is designed to make commanders and senior enlisted advisers what makes a good family readiness plan. The training takes place over an entire weekend with a little time for travel.
“A lot of it hinges on families. Take a Soldier away from their home and take their family out of it, then there’s not that understanding of separation. I think with FRG, it’s great we have that education and training for the family members.” Capt. Denise Sons, the commander of B Company, 325th Combat Support Hospital, 807th Medical Command, continues, “this training helps me understand my responsibilities more. It’s a commander’s program and so I need to know what kind of program I’m running.
“It’s important the command supports it, otherwise it’ll never take off,” said Sons.
Not every unit has a functioning family readiness plan. At this training, commanders get tools on how to recruit volunteers, funding family support groups and maintaining communication through newsletters, phone trees and social media.
“I want commanders to leave here with a unit family readiness plan,” said Stetson.
What five of these units have in common is they all fall under the 63rd which has geographic control of units from California to Texas.
“What we are trying to do more on a regional level is to get more bang for the Army’s dollars and be more effective as a regional family program,” said WK Jones, Army Reserve Family Programs Director for the 63rd.
When we have these two training weekends at the same time, which we haven’t done before, there are times when they can come together and collaborate. Typically they aren’t training in the same place, they have to wait until they get back to the unit to collaborate, said Jones.
Ultimately, bringing the commanders and the FRG volunteers together shows them they are in this together.
“You can never assume a service member works autonomously. They do not work without the support or influence of the family. I’ll be honest with you, a disgruntled family can pull a service member out of the service,” said Jones.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2014 16:36 |
| Story ID: | 132493 |
| Location: | IRVING, TX, US |
| Hometown: | INDEPENDENCE, MO, US |
| Hometown: | SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, MO, US |
| Web Views: | 216 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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