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    AFAP focus group reviews latest Army issues, concerns

    JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA, UNITED STATES

    01.22.2015

    Story by Jim Dresbach 

    Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall

    JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - Military bases and their service members, civilian workers and families can encounter quality of life problems throughout the year, yet solutions can be an afternoon meeting away when the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) focus group assembles.

    The joint base AFAP focus group held its recent session Jan. 15 at the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Bldg. 201. The group consisted of 10 service members, three civilians and one retiree. The group’s responsibility is to review issues and concerns submitted to AFAP for resolutions at the base or Army-wide levels.

    The Jan. 15 meeting tackled two issues: An Army-wide customer service issue, and the second issue was how Exceptional Family Member Program enrollment for mental health issues affects overseas assignments. According to Army Community Services volunteer coordinator and focus group moderator Kathryn Feehan, the group met for nearly four hours and scrapped the customer service issue but decided to advance the EFMP provision to the base commander’s desk.

    “The two issues we worked on were issues that had been submitted to the AFAP program,” said Feehan. “This past year, two issues were submitted, and that’s what we were reviewing. The focus group has the ability to review the issue or issues and decide to submit these further up the [command] chain.”

    The AFAP focus group is required to meet at least once a year and can meet whenever an issue is submitted to the base Army Community Service office. Issues submitted are then reviewed and rewritten by the focus group in paragraph form. If the issue is base-related, the issue will hit the base commander’s desk, but wide-scoping Army or military issues could make it all the way to the Secretary of the Army or the Defense Secretary’s desks.

    Some issues that have started at the focus group level include expansion of the Homeowner’s Assistance Program, the post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and AFAP issue 591, a spouse employment issue that evolved into an executive order.

    “This, the installation level focus group, is the grass roots movement of this program,” Feehan said. “From that [focus group], the issue will go up to the Department of the Army level and then to a general officer’s steering committee. From this grass roots level, the issue may change and evolve as it goes up the chain.”

    Feehan told the Pentagram that service members, military family members, retirees and civilians can submit issues anytime of the year. To submit an issue or to volunteer for a future focus group, call the Army Community Service office at 703-696-3510.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.22.2015
    Date Posted: 01.23.2015 18:55
    Story ID: 152645
    Location: JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA, US

    Web Views: 33
    Downloads: 0

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