WEBVTT

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- So good morning everyone.

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Welcome back.

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Thank you for those of you

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that came back from yesterday's forum

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and welcome to those of you

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that are attending for the first time.

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If you are attending for the first time

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you'll notice that we have these fantastic bags

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over to my right.

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If you didn't get a bag yesterday

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your more than welcome

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to take one today.

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Lots of really good goodies inside the bag

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and you won't want to miss them.

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Once again let me introduce myself.

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My name is Patty Barron

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and I'm the director of family readiness

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at the Association of the United States Army.

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Everyone's been doing a great job

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of asking questions

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and especially those of you online.

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So I welcome all of you online again.

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So keep up the good work

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and don't be shy.

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We've got mics right in two spots

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in the middle aisle for your Q&A period

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and for those of you online

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if you will remember to just kind of

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jot down where your asking the question from

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and who the question is directed to

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we would appreciate that.

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Thank you.

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We're so grateful today

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that today's forum is sponsored

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by Kaplan University representing Kaplan

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is Meg O'Grady.

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Meg O'Grady is a senior leader

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with 25 years of experience

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developing and leading a broad spectrum

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of quality of life programs

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for both servicemembers veterans

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and their families,

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both the government and private sectors.

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She is the vice president,

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military and public sector solutions

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for Kaplan higher and professional education,

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leading a team that helps military affiliated

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students and government organizations

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reach important milestones

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in their education and careers.

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She is a true leader

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and an inspiration to many people

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and a good friend.

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Meg.

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(audience applauds)

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- Good morning.

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It's so nice to see so many friends

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out here in the audience

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and friends from gosh

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it's been 30 years now I think.

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I just said that in public.

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Okay so thank you Patty

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for that kind introduction.

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Thank you to AUSA for your tireless commitment

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to ensuring that soldiers

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and their families are well taken care of

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at every stage of their career.

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I'd also like to thank

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our distinguished panelists today

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for bringing their insights to the group

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and finally I'd like to thank Mrs. Milly

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and Mrs. Daly for being here

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and for their ongoing investment

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in the advocacy of military families.

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It's an honor for Kaplan University

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to support AUSA family programs.

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As an army spouse of 20 years

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and the proud mom of an army brat

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I've experienced firsthand

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how our mobile military lifestyle

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can present a very real challenge

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to the education and career goals

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of our servicemembers and their families.

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That's why I truly believe in the quality

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and the flexibility of the education

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we provide at Kaplan University

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which is in the process of being acquired

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by Purdue University as part of their agenda

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to offer students a more affordable, accessible

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and world-class education.

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We know that when a soldier

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is serving his or her country so is their family

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and we believe this service is an asset

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not a detriment to educational

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and career goals.

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Almost 30% of our Kaplan University students

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are military affiliated

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and more than 60% of our team

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that serve those students

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are veterans, reservists, gardmens

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or military family members themselves.

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We value the training and experience

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and ethos that soldiers

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and their families bring to our classrooms.

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Their commitment to a mission

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bigger than themselves is abundantly clear

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in the spirit and dedication they devote

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to their studies.

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As a regionally accredited university

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we're committed

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to providing educational opportunities

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to soldiers and their families

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that will serve them

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while they're in uniform and beyond.

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We know now more than ever

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military families need or want

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to be two-income families

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and we know that their education

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can be a key to the critical career

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and economic opportunities they desire.

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We're also proud to provide opportunities

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for our military students

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and spouses to successfully transition

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from education to career

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by partnering with such great organizations

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as AUSA, the US Chamber of Commerce

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Hiring Our Heroes program,

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the Armed Services YMCA,

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Thanks USA

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and the National Military Family Association.

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Our commitment to Army families

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extends through the 12 million dollars

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in scholarships that we've awarded

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to military spouses and veterans

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and just yesterday I had the honor

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to award six full scholarships

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to our best warriors from the Army.

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Through our professional military education

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PME to Degree program

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soldiers receive quality education

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for the robust experience

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and education they complete

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within their service

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and we believe our ability to ensure

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that every soldier and spouse

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can transition from active duty

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to a degree that will allow them

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to have a successful career.

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We've dedicated ourselves

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to work with all branches

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of the armed forces

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to identify an award credit

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for the valuable professional military education

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that all our servicemembers receive.

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I'm proud to be a part of the Kaplan team

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and proud to support the readiness

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of our soldiers and their families

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through our participation at AUSA today.

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With that I will turn it back to Patty.

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(audience applauds)

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- Thank you so much Megan.

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Thank you Kaplan.

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So now it is my pleasure to introduce

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to you Heather Liby.

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And Heather came to work to the Army

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almost 16 years ago as a training

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and program specialist for Child

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and Youth Services in Anspach, Germany.

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Yay.

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She has served as a CDC director,

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ACS mobilization deployment

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and stability support operations program manager

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at both the garrison and headquarters,

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an ACS director

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and more recently

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as the volunteer programs branch chief

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at headquarters in Comm ACS.

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She currently serves

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as the school liaison transition specialist

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for headquarters in Comm CYS.

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She has an exciting curriculum

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to share with all of you.

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I've been waiting for this briefing myself

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because I think it's gonna be really good

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to learn all of this.

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Heather.

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(audience applauds)

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- Hello, good morning.

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Patty thank you so much

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and thank you for inviting me to be here

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to be able to share the work

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that my team has put together

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over the past two years.

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I'm honored to represent a team

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of people from across army family programs

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to include Army Community Service,

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our reserve family programs

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and our National Guard

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who together develop this training

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that you're going to see today.

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Before I begin and kind of

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get into the training itself

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I just want to share a little bit more

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about the passion that went into this project

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and I want to share it

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from my family's perspective.

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I grew up in a family that is military connected.

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I am a granddaughter of a World War II veteran

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and a Korea veteran, Air Force,

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a daughter of a former Marine

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who served in the Vietnam era,

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a sister of a Marine who served during OIF,

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and the wife of a soldier

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who also served during OIF.

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Not only did I have that sort of experience

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so did the team that came together

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to put this project together

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and so the passion for our families

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and ensuring that our family readiness groups

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have the best possible training

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is what we wanted to make sure

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you all were able to see today

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and the training that comes into the future.

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I had question asked

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how did you come up with REAL?

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So when I first started this project

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I had a group of about seven people

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active component MComm,

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ACS representatives because we were

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just simply going to update the op ready training.

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And as we looked at the op ready training

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as it currently exists we realized

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that there were some areas

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that were challenging

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as well as we've learned a lot

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in the last 15 years when it comes

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to family readiness

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and how we serve our families

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and how we train our family readiness groups.

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We knew that forces command and TRADOC

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had recently put together an operations order

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that required units

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to appoint family readiness liaisons

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because the family readiness

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support assistant program

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on the active-duty side was dwindling

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due to finances and other things

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that were going on.

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We knew that our families were changing.

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We were no longer my grandmother's generation

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of spouses.

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We're families who were who were working,

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dual working families, dual military families,

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families who had legacy soldiers,

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families who were new to the military,

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all of these different things were going on

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and so we had a changing face.

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As as General Mattis talked yesterday

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about how our soldiers

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that stayed in the Army from the Vietnam era

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changed the Army

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those families changed how family readiness

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came across in our army

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and our other military services as well.

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It was a holistic change that began to take place

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and so as we sat in this group

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we said well what do we really want this to be?

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And somebody said you know

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people just want real training.

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They just want something that tells them

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what they're really supposed to do.

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And so we started with that

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and the Army likes acronyms

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and so we thought we'd come up with one too

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and so we present to you the Real training,

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Readiness Essentials for Army Leaders.

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If you can go to the next slide please.

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So I want to start with is

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what the curriculum looks like

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and then we're gonna dive into it a little bit.

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I'm actually going to give you some examples.

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So the idea behind this training

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was that it's a joint training

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and it provides the core

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family readiness group training

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for across the Army.

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Okay so we're not talking just active component.

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We're talking National Guard and Reserve

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knowing that each of those components

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are going to have specific missions

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and are going to have specific pieces

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that they need to look at

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but what we wanted to do

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is we wanted to provide a core language

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for family readiness

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across all components of the Army.

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So as a commander or a spouse transitions

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from one installation to another,

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from one component to another,

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that language is the same,

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the expectations are the same

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and everybody is talking the same

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tactical language when it comes

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to family readiness

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as they do when it comes to soldier readiness.

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So we developed what you'll see here,

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these six differentcore trainings.

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So we start with foundations

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which gives everybody that basic core training,

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the basic core languages.

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So this is what an FRG is.

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This is how an FRG is structured.

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This is what family readiness is

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and this is how the FRG is a tool

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that can support family readiness

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that the commander can leverage.

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As we looked at what we currently had in place

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what we found was that

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there was no real specific here commander

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is how your FRG,

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here's what the FRG structure,

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here's the basics behind it,

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and here's how it really is going to help

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your overall troop readiness.

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So we put together the command training

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which focuses on that bottom line

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of how does Family Readiness

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support troop readiness

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and what are the pieces as a commander

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you would need to have in place

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to ensure that you have a great

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family readiness program

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that's going to provide the support needed

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based on the mission that you have?

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And then we looked

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and said we don't really have anything

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for family readiness liaisons.

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We had put something together

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when forces command came to me

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and said hey we're going to put

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family readiness liaisons in the units,

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can you help us develop something?

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So we had worked with forces command

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to develop a very basic training.

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From that we developed this training utilizing

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what we'd put in place

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with forces command as well as

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some additional training pieces

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that we thought were really important.

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And basically what we did

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is we started looking at what were

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those core aspects that we needed

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to make sure that anybody

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who is running a family readiness group

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would need to have.

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And what we got FRL

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is the person who is liaison

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between the command

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and the family readiness group leadership team

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need to know in order to support

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both their commander

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and their FRG leader.

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So we came up with the communications network.

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Communications is key to how our FRGs operate.

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The critical incidents.

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What does the FRG role

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when it comes to critical incidents?

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Whether it be a casualty, it be a weather event

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or it be something else that's going on

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where families are needing

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some additional assistance.

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Volunteer management.

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How do you take those volunteers

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and in recruit volunteers,

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keep volunteers, recognize volunteers?

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I want to make sure that people have that.

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The resources that were out there

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in their community.

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How to leverage them.

12:31.940 --> 12:33.130
And then we did want to provide

12:33.130 --> 12:34.560
some information on non-mission

12:34.560 --> 12:38.290
essential activities such as the informal fund

12:38.290 --> 12:39.770
and providing those social events

12:39.770 --> 12:40.770
that are so important

12:40.770 --> 12:43.390
to esprit de corps in developing social connections

12:43.390 --> 12:45.500
that we know are protective factors.

12:45.500 --> 12:47.260
So we began to really look at it

12:47.260 --> 12:48.260
from that perspective.

12:48.260 --> 12:49.770
We put that in the FRL training.

12:49.770 --> 12:52.470
Then the FRG leader training also mirrors

12:52.470 --> 12:55.160
that same, those same kind of blocks

12:55.160 --> 12:57.130
but looking at it from the perspective of

12:57.130 --> 12:59.640
as a volunteer who's been asked

12:59.640 --> 13:03.230
to lead a group, to leverage family readiness

13:03.230 --> 13:05.270
and be that commander's face

13:05.270 --> 13:07.550
for family readiness what were the pieces

13:07.550 --> 13:10.390
that those those leaders needed to have?

13:10.390 --> 13:11.510
And then our key contact

13:11.510 --> 13:13.000
looking very specifically

13:13.000 --> 13:14.000
and many of you may know this

13:14.000 --> 13:15.620
as a key caller, this was one

13:15.620 --> 13:16.620
of the things we changed

13:16.620 --> 13:17.820
and we changed it to be more relevant

13:17.820 --> 13:19.810
because today people aren't necessarily

13:19.810 --> 13:21.170
picking up the phone and calling.

13:21.170 --> 13:23.270
They're emailing, they're texting,

13:23.270 --> 13:24.510
they're getting on Facebook.

13:24.510 --> 13:26.540
They're going all different kinds of directions

13:26.540 --> 13:29.240
and we want to give them that human connection

13:29.240 --> 13:31.870
and as I talked with senior leaders

13:31.870 --> 13:33.050
at various places that I went

13:33.050 --> 13:34.790
we talked about how the key contact

13:34.790 --> 13:37.120
was the glue to our families

13:37.120 --> 13:40.020
and that it really connected them into the unit.

13:40.020 --> 13:41.830
And so we wanted to make sure

13:41.830 --> 13:42.830
that we looked at that

13:42.830 --> 13:44.700
and there we focused really on communication

13:44.700 --> 13:45.810
because that's what

13:45.810 --> 13:46.970
that key contact is doing.

13:46.970 --> 13:49.120
They're out there reaching out to those families

13:49.120 --> 13:51.350
and they're providing that communication.

13:51.350 --> 13:53.620
And then a specific training for informal funds

13:53.620 --> 13:55.690
which did not really exist in the op ready.

13:55.690 --> 13:57.390
There was a module on informal funds

13:57.390 --> 13:59.120
but it didn't go into the details

13:59.120 --> 14:00.380
and what we had found

14:00.380 --> 14:02.250
was that there were a lot of installations

14:02.250 --> 14:04.240
that had developed various training.

14:04.240 --> 14:05.740
So we took those different trainings

14:05.740 --> 14:06.740
and developed something

14:06.740 --> 14:10.060
that really focused on the overall idea

14:10.060 --> 14:11.060
of the informal fund,

14:11.060 --> 14:12.350
what it was supposed to do,

14:12.350 --> 14:14.190
how it was supposed to be managed,

14:14.190 --> 14:16.740
and provided some real strong

14:16.740 --> 14:17.740
interactive activities

14:17.740 --> 14:19.510
for those informal funds custodians

14:19.510 --> 14:20.830
so that they could get used to that.

14:20.830 --> 14:22.600
We also in the informal fund training

14:22.600 --> 14:23.610
wanted to make sure

14:23.610 --> 14:25.010
that commanders were aware

14:25.010 --> 14:26.540
that they had responsibility

14:26.540 --> 14:28.420
for that informal fund

14:28.420 --> 14:30.160
as well as whomever they were appointing

14:30.160 --> 14:32.060
to that position so that they could take

14:32.060 --> 14:33.230
that seriously and really look

14:33.230 --> 14:35.070
at what they were doing.

14:35.070 --> 14:36.130
The last piece that we did

14:36.130 --> 14:37.200
and you have it in front of you

14:37.200 --> 14:38.320
is a smart book.

14:38.320 --> 14:40.740
And for us this was the highlight.

14:40.740 --> 14:42.660
We reached out across the Army

14:42.660 --> 14:44.490
and we looked for best practices.

14:44.490 --> 14:45.830
We looked for templates.

14:45.830 --> 14:48.310
We looked for what made sense

14:48.310 --> 14:50.070
that we could provide

14:50.070 --> 14:52.290
to leaders in our communities

14:52.290 --> 14:54.080
to help make it easier

14:54.080 --> 14:55.850
to have the SOP done,

14:55.850 --> 14:57.490
to do the volunteer management,

14:57.490 --> 15:00.000
to look at how communication took place

15:00.000 --> 15:03.120
and it started out as we wanted templates

15:03.120 --> 15:05.490
and it turned into what you have in front of you

15:05.490 --> 15:07.450
which really is an operations manual

15:07.450 --> 15:09.300
that provides the ins and outs

15:09.300 --> 15:12.230
in a one-stop shop of where an FRG leader,

15:12.230 --> 15:13.850
a commander, an FRL,

15:13.850 --> 15:15.610
anyone in that leadership team

15:15.610 --> 15:16.870
can go to to look out

15:16.870 --> 15:18.750
and see what that training looks like.

15:18.750 --> 15:22.550
So we go to the next slide.

15:22.550 --> 15:25.430
What we wanted to do is...

15:25.430 --> 15:26.430
So why?

15:26.430 --> 15:28.010
You know why change it right?

15:28.010 --> 15:29.520
op ready is there.

15:29.520 --> 15:30.670
It's doing something.

15:30.670 --> 15:32.490
Well when we had learned

15:32.490 --> 15:33.930
over all these years.

15:33.930 --> 15:36.290
Figure FRGs really were formalized in 1990

15:36.290 --> 15:38.420
after the first Gulf War.

15:38.420 --> 15:40.120
We'd had some things before that

15:40.120 --> 15:41.980
but that's where they really saw that

15:41.980 --> 15:44.390
if families had information

15:44.390 --> 15:46.200
they tended to fare better

15:46.200 --> 15:47.890
and soldiers tended to fare better

15:47.890 --> 15:49.020
after the deployment

15:49.020 --> 15:50.660
if they had been connected to the unit

15:50.660 --> 15:52.820
and connected to resources.

15:52.820 --> 15:55.630
So army family team building was created.

15:55.630 --> 15:57.680
Family support groups were created

15:57.680 --> 16:00.910
and then in 2006 we had op ready

16:00.910 --> 16:03.327
and FRGs placed into AR 608-1

16:03.640 --> 16:06.660
which is the Army community service regulation

16:06.660 --> 16:07.660
as Appendix J

16:07.660 --> 16:11.660
but from 2006 to 2016 we've learned a lot

16:12.490 --> 16:14.320
in terms of how we take care of families,

16:14.320 --> 16:15.790
what our families need

16:15.790 --> 16:17.830
and where it is we're going.

16:17.830 --> 16:20.070
And so we wanted to create something

16:20.070 --> 16:22.370
that really kept the adult learner in mind

16:22.370 --> 16:24.000
that was an interactive training.

16:24.000 --> 16:27.060
It wasn't somebody sitting up at the screen

16:27.060 --> 16:28.060
kind of flipping things

16:28.060 --> 16:29.390
like we're doing now right?

16:29.390 --> 16:30.880
We're gonna do an activity in a little bit

16:30.880 --> 16:32.120
so you guys get a feel for what

16:32.120 --> 16:33.220
that interaction looks like

16:33.220 --> 16:36.140
but we wanted, we really wanted

16:36.140 --> 16:37.490
to provide you all with something

16:37.490 --> 16:40.407
that truly made sense in 2016, 2017

16:42.300 --> 16:43.450
for where the Army was going

16:43.450 --> 16:44.850
for the next five or 10 years

16:44.850 --> 16:48.120
when it comes to how we support our families.

16:48.120 --> 16:50.240
We wanted this to be developed by the field.

16:50.240 --> 16:51.390
This was not something we wanted

16:51.390 --> 16:52.390
to do in a vacuum.

16:52.390 --> 16:53.500
It wasn't something that we wanted

16:53.500 --> 16:55.050
to contract out to a university.

16:55.050 --> 16:56.770
It was something that we wanted

16:56.770 --> 16:57.770
to get down to the field

16:57.770 --> 16:59.990
and ask commanders, FRG,

16:59.990 --> 17:02.630
leaders family readiness advisors,

17:02.630 --> 17:04.660
family readiness liaisons,

17:04.660 --> 17:07.220
key contacts, soldiers, family members,

17:07.220 --> 17:08.850
all those different people,

17:08.850 --> 17:09.850
what do you need?

17:09.850 --> 17:10.850
What do you want?

17:10.850 --> 17:11.850
What works for you?

17:11.850 --> 17:12.850
What doesn't work for you?

17:12.850 --> 17:14.470
And so we took all that information

17:14.470 --> 17:16.420
and that's what you see

17:16.420 --> 17:17.580
when you go to this training.

17:17.580 --> 17:19.550
It truly was something that was developed

17:19.550 --> 17:23.550
for the field by the field with the field in mind.

17:23.720 --> 17:24.950
We wanted it to really focus

17:24.950 --> 17:26.980
on mission essential activities.

17:26.980 --> 17:28.740
One of the things as we went out

17:28.740 --> 17:29.740
is we found that there were

17:29.740 --> 17:32.110
so many different ways that FRGs were operating

17:32.110 --> 17:34.650
and some of them were so far off

17:34.650 --> 17:37.220
from what the initial mission of the FRG was

17:37.220 --> 17:39.480
and some of our FRG leaders

17:39.480 --> 17:43.050
were overwhelmed, absolutely overwhelmed

17:43.050 --> 17:44.690
with what they were being asked to do.

17:44.690 --> 17:47.110
And we needed to roll that back

17:47.110 --> 17:49.520
and our FRGs are about communication.

17:49.520 --> 17:50.840
They're about supporting families

17:50.840 --> 17:53.370
and providing them with resources.

17:53.370 --> 17:54.990
They're not party planners.

17:54.990 --> 17:56.630
They're not counsellors.

17:56.630 --> 17:57.830
They're not all these other things

17:57.830 --> 17:59.580
that we know our FRGs have come to be

17:59.580 --> 18:02.080
over the last how many years right?

18:02.080 --> 18:03.450
So we wanted to roll that back

18:03.450 --> 18:04.550
and peel that onion back

18:04.550 --> 18:05.660
and say what's the core?

18:05.660 --> 18:07.150
What's the essence?

18:07.150 --> 18:08.980
What do we really need to ask people

18:08.980 --> 18:11.190
who are gonna step into a volunteer role to do?

18:11.190 --> 18:12.480
And we also want to make sure

18:12.480 --> 18:14.210
the commander understood

18:14.210 --> 18:16.690
what that volunteer was being asked to do

18:16.690 --> 18:19.200
on behalf of the command.

18:19.200 --> 18:20.200
And that was key

18:20.200 --> 18:22.890
to how we then proceeded with this training

18:22.890 --> 18:24.320
and how we tied it back

18:24.320 --> 18:27.270
to how our families are ready,

18:27.270 --> 18:29.370
affects how our soldiers are ready,

18:29.370 --> 18:32.320
affects how our units are ready.

18:32.320 --> 18:33.780
We wanted it to be joint

18:33.780 --> 18:35.210
which I've already discussed.

18:35.210 --> 18:36.600
We wanted it to be a core training

18:36.600 --> 18:38.510
because we know that there are

18:38.510 --> 18:41.770
specific missions that some of our units have

18:41.770 --> 18:44.790
that are going to need some finessing with this.

18:44.790 --> 18:46.320
We know that informal funds

18:46.320 --> 18:47.540
has a lot of information

18:47.540 --> 18:50.130
and a lot of policy that's at the local level.

18:50.130 --> 18:51.530
So we wanted to be able to have it

18:51.530 --> 18:52.980
be somewhat flexible

18:52.980 --> 18:54.960
but have that core still there

18:54.960 --> 18:56.290
that's the same no matter

18:56.290 --> 18:57.980
where an FRG leader goes

18:57.980 --> 18:59.540
and we wanted it to be something

18:59.540 --> 19:01.940
that no matter which component they went to

19:01.940 --> 19:04.350
they would still know exactly what it was,

19:04.350 --> 19:05.910
what that mission of FRG was.

19:05.910 --> 19:08.400
We go the next slide please.

19:08.400 --> 19:11.970
So just a little bit about the timeline

19:11.970 --> 19:13.600
that said this has been a project

19:13.600 --> 19:17.000
that's been a passion for the last two years

19:17.000 --> 19:18.340
and one of the things

19:18.340 --> 19:19.600
that I really like to talk about

19:19.600 --> 19:21.270
when I talk this timeline

19:21.270 --> 19:23.720
is the surveys, the assessments that we sent out

19:23.720 --> 19:25.870
because that was the start of this project.

19:25.870 --> 19:27.240
We had some things

19:27.240 --> 19:28.400
that were going on before that.

19:28.400 --> 19:29.760
We knew we needed to update it.

19:29.760 --> 19:30.760
We've looked at some things.

19:30.760 --> 19:32.990
We were looking at simply doing a basic update

19:32.990 --> 19:35.270
but when I sent out the pre-assessment surveys

19:35.270 --> 19:37.330
to say hey what do you need,

19:37.330 --> 19:39.270
what I found was we had communities

19:39.270 --> 19:41.790
that were doing a two-hour FRG training

19:41.790 --> 19:42.840
and that was good.

19:42.840 --> 19:44.330
And then that FRG leader would move

19:44.330 --> 19:45.810
to another community that said

19:45.810 --> 19:46.810
now that's not good

19:46.810 --> 19:48.000
and you were given the wrong information.

19:48.000 --> 19:50.980
You need a three-day training.

19:50.980 --> 19:52.480
And then you move someplace else

19:52.480 --> 19:54.480
and you didn't need any training at all.

19:54.480 --> 19:55.480
And then you move someplace else

19:55.480 --> 19:57.280
and it looked a little different.

19:57.280 --> 19:59.950
I had commanders who had all different kinds

19:59.950 --> 20:01.950
of ideas of what an FRG was.

20:01.950 --> 20:04.640
We had over 450 FRG leaders

20:04.640 --> 20:06.220
and over 150 commanders

20:06.220 --> 20:08.720
from company to Brigade level

20:08.720 --> 20:10.520
that did the survey that we put out

20:10.520 --> 20:11.920
through informal channels

20:11.920 --> 20:14.110
to come up with what that looked like.

20:14.110 --> 20:16.590
I utilized a Facebook group of FRG leaders,

20:16.590 --> 20:17.590
put it out through them,

20:17.590 --> 20:20.040
and they all said let me tell you what I feel.

20:20.040 --> 20:21.220
Let me tell you what the training looks.

20:21.220 --> 20:23.380
Like let me tell you what's that's about.

20:23.380 --> 20:25.420
And so we spent a lot of time looking at that

20:25.420 --> 20:26.600
and one of the things that you'll see

20:26.600 --> 20:28.270
throughout this timeline is

20:28.270 --> 20:30.390
again we weren't working in a vacuum.

20:30.390 --> 20:31.870
We went to our major commands,

20:31.870 --> 20:33.530
to our DRUs, to our ASAs

20:33.530 --> 20:35.580
and asked them and said

20:35.580 --> 20:36.580
what do you need?

20:36.580 --> 20:38.100
Can you talk to your senior leaders

20:38.100 --> 20:39.640
and find out what it is

20:39.640 --> 20:41.840
that they think is necessary?

20:41.840 --> 20:43.050
When we did the draft products

20:43.050 --> 20:45.360
we pushed it out through various sites

20:45.360 --> 20:47.110
and said let us know what you think

20:47.110 --> 20:48.460
and boy we change the draft

20:48.460 --> 20:49.710
based on what they thought,

20:49.710 --> 20:51.210
what the original product looks like in

20:51.210 --> 20:52.730
and what you will see

20:52.730 --> 20:54.460
are two very very different things

20:54.460 --> 20:56.300
because we really wanted that feedback.

20:56.300 --> 20:58.360
One of the other things that we did

20:58.360 --> 20:59.640
because the assessments told us

20:59.640 --> 21:01.410
the training was only as good

21:01.410 --> 21:02.500
as the trainer.

21:02.500 --> 21:04.110
So one things that we did with this training

21:04.110 --> 21:06.520
is we left very very specific notes

21:06.520 --> 21:09.000
in that training so that that trainer

21:09.000 --> 21:10.300
could understand FRG.

21:10.300 --> 21:11.340
That if they go through

21:11.340 --> 21:13.440
and they read those notes

21:13.440 --> 21:14.440
they're going to be able

21:14.440 --> 21:17.080
to understand FRG forward and backward.

21:17.080 --> 21:18.870
We wanted them as they're presenting

21:18.870 --> 21:22.100
to be people who are subject matter experts.

21:22.100 --> 21:23.360
And so part of that was also teaching them

21:23.360 --> 21:25.280
how to train the material.

21:25.280 --> 21:27.970
So as this was all going through OT JAG review,

21:27.970 --> 21:29.690
as we were getting ready to release the pilot

21:29.690 --> 21:31.640
in January of this year

21:31.640 --> 21:32.670
one of the things that we did was

21:32.670 --> 21:35.480
we took the time to do webinar based training

21:35.480 --> 21:39.190
for over 400 active component army

21:39.190 --> 21:41.020
community service personnel

21:41.020 --> 21:43.390
and our National Guard family programs

21:43.390 --> 21:44.390
so that they understood

21:44.390 --> 21:46.510
what interactive training look like,

21:46.510 --> 21:47.640
what it was that we were trying to ask

21:47.640 --> 21:49.270
and they were able to work out those bugs

21:49.270 --> 21:50.540
and talk through those things

21:50.540 --> 21:51.910
that were challenges for them

21:51.910 --> 21:53.620
so that again your trainers

21:53.620 --> 21:56.270
are all talking the same language

21:56.270 --> 21:58.150
in the field no matter where

21:58.150 --> 22:00.920
that family is being trained.

22:00.920 --> 22:03.270
We will continue to work that training program.

22:03.270 --> 22:04.620
It's a piece of what needs to be done

22:04.620 --> 22:06.840
because we know that we have turnover

22:06.840 --> 22:08.420
of course in our positions

22:08.420 --> 22:09.650
and so we'll need to continue

22:09.650 --> 22:10.650
to keep up with that

22:10.650 --> 22:11.650
but that is one of the things

22:11.650 --> 22:12.970
that we're looking at.

22:12.970 --> 22:15.820
Our goal is to try to release the final training

22:15.820 --> 22:18.320
in quarter one of this FY

22:18.320 --> 22:19.320
however we know that there's

22:19.320 --> 22:21.420
been some challenges with that as well.

22:21.420 --> 22:22.730
We have OT JAG review,

22:22.730 --> 22:23.730
holidays are coming up,

22:23.730 --> 22:25.170
a lot of things like that.

22:25.170 --> 22:27.160
So we're expecting most likely quarter two

22:27.160 --> 22:28.240
and I'll talk more about that

22:28.240 --> 22:32.240
as we do the way ahead.

22:32.450 --> 22:33.700
I think that one of the things

22:33.700 --> 22:35.070
that's most important here

22:35.070 --> 22:36.530
is to recognize that again

22:36.530 --> 22:37.740
this was a work of passion.

22:37.740 --> 22:39.240
It was a work of time.

22:39.240 --> 22:40.260
It was a work of effort

22:40.260 --> 22:41.260
and it was a work

22:41.260 --> 22:42.850
that wasn't done in a vacuum

22:42.850 --> 22:44.840
and you'll see that by the next slide.

22:44.840 --> 22:47.610
Could you go ahead to the next slide?

22:47.610 --> 22:50.080
So here we have what the pilot was.

22:50.080 --> 22:53.130
So in 2016 of January 2016

22:53.130 --> 22:54.290
we began our pilot

22:54.290 --> 22:56.910
and my command had told me

22:56.910 --> 22:57.950
you vetted this, you've done this,

22:57.950 --> 22:59.050
what I would like for you to do

22:59.050 --> 23:00.050
is I'd like you to put it out

23:00.050 --> 23:02.440
as a pilot army-wide and collect data.

23:02.440 --> 23:03.690
The National Guard ticket

23:03.690 --> 23:05.630
and they had four states that participated

23:05.630 --> 23:08.640
in a pilot product, in the pilot.

23:08.640 --> 23:11.330
We had over 2,100 responses

23:11.330 --> 23:12.890
and you can see that had them

23:12.890 --> 23:15.290
from all different demographics.

23:15.290 --> 23:17.320
So we had brigade commanders

23:17.320 --> 23:18.600
on those command chains.

23:18.600 --> 23:20.570
We had command sergeant majors.

23:20.570 --> 23:22.340
We had our family readiness liaisons

23:22.340 --> 23:24.040
that were everywhere from specialists

23:24.040 --> 23:27.340
up to a staff sergeant,

23:27.340 --> 23:29.320
in some cases sergeant first class.

23:29.320 --> 23:30.570
We had first lieutenant,

23:30.570 --> 23:32.760
second lieutenants, captains all looking at it.

23:32.760 --> 23:34.970
And then we had our family readiness leaders

23:34.970 --> 23:36.170
and advisors.

23:36.170 --> 23:37.290
We had senior advisors

23:37.290 --> 23:38.720
that were at the brigade level

23:38.720 --> 23:41.010
at the division level that we're looking at this

23:41.010 --> 23:42.200
as well as FRG leaders

23:42.200 --> 23:44.210
that were on the ground doing this.

23:44.210 --> 23:45.300
We had a mix of people

23:45.300 --> 23:46.790
who it was their first training

23:46.790 --> 23:48.360
and people who this was their third

23:48.360 --> 23:49.850
or fourth training that they took

23:49.850 --> 23:51.700
because we wanted to get that look

23:51.700 --> 23:54.490
across all demographics.

23:54.490 --> 23:56.230
And we did all of the different modules

23:56.230 --> 23:57.730
that we talked about earlier.

23:57.730 --> 24:00.050
Every module was included in this.

24:00.050 --> 24:02.640
The most attended was the foundation's training.

24:02.640 --> 24:03.640
The second most attended

24:03.640 --> 24:07.640
was the informal funds custodian training.

24:07.710 --> 24:11.710
You go ahead and go to the next slide.

24:11.720 --> 24:13.340
So this is really just some

24:13.340 --> 24:14.730
of the participant feedback

24:14.730 --> 24:15.730
and what it told us

24:15.730 --> 24:17.790
was we got a lot of things right.

24:17.790 --> 24:20.030
I was on a Facebook page the other day

24:20.030 --> 24:21.030
and somebody said oh I attended

24:21.030 --> 24:22.190
the pilot training.

24:22.190 --> 24:25.090
I learned more in the four hours I was there

24:25.090 --> 24:26.210
than in the three-day class

24:26.210 --> 24:28.260
I attended six years ago.

24:28.260 --> 24:30.800
Right we had commanders say

24:30.800 --> 24:32.750
this course needs to be in PCC.

24:32.750 --> 24:35.160
It needs to be in the precommand course.

24:35.160 --> 24:36.160
We had commanders say

24:36.160 --> 24:37.890
I had no idea that there were

24:37.890 --> 24:38.890
all these different things

24:38.890 --> 24:41.150
that I had a responsibility to do.

24:41.150 --> 24:42.640
We need to make sure we take this back

24:42.640 --> 24:46.120
to our units our ACSs saw an increase

24:46.120 --> 24:47.410
in the amount of FRG training

24:47.410 --> 24:48.650
that they were being requested to do

24:48.650 --> 24:51.770
by unit after we provided this training to them

24:51.770 --> 24:52.980
but it really told us

24:52.980 --> 24:55.630
there were a lot of things that we got right.

24:55.630 --> 24:58.370
But if we look at the next slide

24:58.370 --> 24:59.370
there were some things

24:59.370 --> 25:01.950
that we still needed to work on.

25:01.950 --> 25:05.250
Right we really, there were some redundancies.

25:05.250 --> 25:06.250
There were some things

25:06.250 --> 25:08.920
where it kind of was a little,

25:08.920 --> 25:10.800
because we have the joint service effort

25:10.800 --> 25:11.800
there's some things.

25:11.800 --> 25:12.800
We have National Guard

25:12.800 --> 25:14.640
and we active component

25:14.640 --> 25:16.660
and we have reserved resources.

25:16.660 --> 25:17.660
So there was some things like

25:17.660 --> 25:18.810
can we maybe slim this down

25:18.810 --> 25:20.590
to make sense for the particular audience

25:20.590 --> 25:22.720
that we're looking at?

25:22.720 --> 25:23.820
And the smart book.

25:23.820 --> 25:25.960
So I want to just talk just a little bit

25:25.960 --> 25:27.170
about the smart book here.

25:27.170 --> 25:29.110
One of the things that was a challenge for us

25:29.110 --> 25:30.110
as you see

25:30.110 --> 25:31.480
that's a three-hundred page document.

25:31.480 --> 25:35.480
It's not an inexpensive book to reproduce.

25:36.490 --> 25:38.380
So we actually had people

25:38.380 --> 25:39.700
who had emotional responses

25:39.700 --> 25:41.510
to being asked to return their smart books

25:41.510 --> 25:42.990
at the end of training.

25:42.990 --> 25:45.670
So no this is mine.

25:45.670 --> 25:46.670
So we knew

25:46.670 --> 25:48.920
that there was some good stuff in there.

25:48.920 --> 25:51.190
We needed to work on the organization a little bit.

25:51.190 --> 25:52.450
So what you have in front of you

25:52.450 --> 25:55.210
is version 1.0.

25:55.210 --> 25:56.850
Based on all the feedback that we have

25:56.850 --> 25:59.420
we will be doing some reorganization of it,

25:59.420 --> 26:01.290
adding a couple pieces,

26:01.290 --> 26:02.290
taking some things.

26:02.290 --> 26:03.290
There were some places

26:03.290 --> 26:04.760
where we actually needed

26:04.760 --> 26:06.840
to make sure that we taken the names out

26:06.840 --> 26:08.170
and some other stuff that we missed

26:08.170 --> 26:09.590
the first time through.

26:09.590 --> 26:11.680
So we're working those pieces of it

26:11.680 --> 26:12.680
and we're also working

26:12.680 --> 26:14.570
to incorporate the other comments

26:14.570 --> 26:16.620
that were included in there

26:16.620 --> 26:18.260
into the actual training.

26:18.260 --> 26:20.480
So that's what the group has been working on

26:20.480 --> 26:22.990
since August.

26:22.990 --> 26:24.270
And then we're working to get it

26:24.270 --> 26:27.380
to OT JAG and then out from there.

26:27.380 --> 26:28.570
So but what we see

26:28.570 --> 26:30.390
is we see this as a living document

26:30.390 --> 26:31.420
both the training

26:31.420 --> 26:33.003
and the smart book.

26:33.290 --> 26:35.890
It's not proprietary to anybody but the Army.

26:35.890 --> 26:37.740
So that means that as things change

26:37.740 --> 26:38.870
we have the capability

26:38.870 --> 26:40.410
to make those changes as well.

26:40.410 --> 26:41.890
The other thing that we've done

26:41.890 --> 26:43.370
is we told you know this is something

26:43.370 --> 26:44.910
especially with the smart book

26:44.910 --> 26:46.570
if commanders want to publish it

26:46.570 --> 26:48.370
they have access to it

26:48.370 --> 26:49.460
through the FRG website

26:49.460 --> 26:51.090
in the download section.

26:51.090 --> 26:53.760
They can go there they can pull the PDF file

26:53.760 --> 26:55.680
and they can use their appropriated funds

26:55.680 --> 26:57.980
to provide that for their FRG leaders.

26:57.980 --> 27:00.520
At the local level installations

27:00.520 --> 27:02.570
based on budget will have that capability

27:02.570 --> 27:05.610
to print it if they so desire to burn it to disk

27:05.610 --> 27:07.820
but everybody has access to it

27:07.820 --> 27:09.403
in editable formats

27:09.410 --> 27:11.993
through the Armyfrg.org website

27:12.480 --> 27:13.610
because in there what we did

27:13.610 --> 27:15.470
is we loaded it as a PDF

27:15.470 --> 27:17.540
and we loaded it as all the Word files

27:17.540 --> 27:19.600
so that people can get into there

27:19.600 --> 27:20.960
pull what they need off

27:20.960 --> 27:22.780
make changes so that it's very simple

27:22.780 --> 27:24.410
to update an SOP.

27:24.410 --> 27:26.520
It's very simple to update a spreadsheet

27:26.520 --> 27:28.160
for informal funds or whatever it is.

27:28.160 --> 27:30.840
It's a useable tool for our volunteers

27:30.840 --> 27:33.030
and for our commanders.

27:33.030 --> 27:35.020
Next slide please.

27:35.020 --> 27:36.020
So what I want to do with you now

27:36.020 --> 27:38.750
is when I originally was asked to come speak

27:38.750 --> 27:40.450
I was asked to come

27:40.450 --> 27:42.640
and provide the foundation's training for you

27:42.640 --> 27:44.250
but it's an hour and a half long training

27:44.250 --> 27:45.980
and I don't think anybody...

27:45.980 --> 27:48.620
There's a lot of things going on at AUSA

27:48.620 --> 27:50.130
besides foundation training

27:50.130 --> 27:51.700
and you can get that training

27:51.700 --> 27:52.760
at your installations

27:52.760 --> 27:55.750
or through your family programs offices

27:55.750 --> 27:56.750
as needed

27:56.750 --> 27:57.750
but what I wanted to do

27:57.750 --> 27:59.000
is I wanted to give you just a little bit

27:59.000 --> 28:01.810
of a sneak peek of what this looks like.

28:01.810 --> 28:03.350
Recognize that there may be some changes

28:03.350 --> 28:04.350
to the look of the slides

28:04.350 --> 28:06.550
but the content is going to remain

28:06.550 --> 28:07.760
based on some of the feedback

28:07.760 --> 28:10.670
and what the team is working on now.

28:10.670 --> 28:12.750
So let's go to the first slide

28:12.750 --> 28:14.560
in the training examples.

28:14.560 --> 28:17.460
This slide is in every single module

28:17.460 --> 28:18.520
and what we really want to do

28:18.520 --> 28:20.010
again is get across

28:20.010 --> 28:22.730
that it takes both soldier readiness

28:22.730 --> 28:26.090
and family readiness to get at unit readiness.

28:26.090 --> 28:27.540
If families are not ready,

28:27.540 --> 28:29.170
if families do not have access

28:29.170 --> 28:31.440
to the resources they need,

28:31.440 --> 28:32.480
they cannot be

28:32.480 --> 28:35.000
where our soldiers are being pulled from duty

28:35.000 --> 28:36.130
in order to support

28:36.130 --> 28:38.320
or what studies have shown

28:38.320 --> 28:40.780
is that soldiers who have a network

28:40.780 --> 28:41.780
who have a social network

28:41.780 --> 28:43.450
of support around them

28:43.450 --> 28:46.030
do better during deployment,

28:46.030 --> 28:47.290
post-deployment, during training

28:47.290 --> 28:49.030
and throughout their military career

28:49.030 --> 28:51.860
because that family knows how to support them.

28:51.860 --> 28:54.400
When my brother was diagnosed with PTSD

28:54.400 --> 28:56.290
he had a family around him

28:56.290 --> 28:58.870
who understood what those resources were,

28:58.870 --> 29:00.440
knew where to go to get them,

29:00.440 --> 29:01.770
and were able to get them the support

29:01.770 --> 29:03.020
that he needed.

29:03.020 --> 29:04.480
We need that for every soldier

29:04.480 --> 29:06.260
and we need that for every family

29:06.260 --> 29:07.670
in our army.

29:07.670 --> 29:09.350
And so if we look at,

29:09.350 --> 29:12.350
if we take away either part of this equation

29:12.350 --> 29:13.820
that soldier isn't functioning

29:13.820 --> 29:17.820
in a way that that soldier can support that unit.

29:17.840 --> 29:20.280
And so we really feel that family readiness

29:20.280 --> 29:21.470
and family readiness groups

29:21.470 --> 29:23.190
is a part of this equation.

29:23.190 --> 29:24.620
Many of our trainers out in the field

29:24.620 --> 29:28.380
will introduce this as the new army math problem

29:28.380 --> 29:29.940
and they really feel strongly about this.

29:29.940 --> 29:31.760
So you'll see this throughout the training

29:31.760 --> 29:33.460
and everything that we wrote

29:33.460 --> 29:36.080
and everything that we did in this training

29:36.080 --> 29:39.070
was based specifically on this equation.

29:39.070 --> 29:40.530
And with this in mind

29:40.530 --> 29:42.410
as we looked at how we trained

29:42.410 --> 29:43.930
our family readiness groups.

29:43.930 --> 29:46.513
Go ahead and go the next slide.

29:47.443 --> 29:49.340
So in foundations what we really did

29:49.340 --> 29:52.350
is we wanted to focus very specifically

29:52.350 --> 29:54.720
on what is family readiness right

29:54.720 --> 29:57.040
because it's more than FRG.

29:57.040 --> 29:59.690
Family readiness is a lot of different pieces

29:59.690 --> 30:01.940
and so we went to the DODI,

30:01.990 --> 30:04.130
to the Department of Defense Instruction,

30:04.130 --> 30:06.490
said what does the Department of Defense

30:06.490 --> 30:07.920
define as family readiness?

30:07.920 --> 30:09.330
And then what does the Army

30:09.330 --> 30:11.230
define as family readiness?

30:11.230 --> 30:12.230
And what we found was

30:12.230 --> 30:14.230
that there were really three pieces

30:14.230 --> 30:15.280
that were important

30:15.280 --> 30:17.420
that we needed to really base

30:17.420 --> 30:19.840
that equation on.

30:19.840 --> 30:22.350
Families need to be knowledgeable.

30:22.350 --> 30:24.120
Families need to be aware of the resources.

30:24.120 --> 30:25.120
And they need to be able

30:25.120 --> 30:26.630
to make use of those resources.

30:26.630 --> 30:30.300
Do you think FRGs can be leveraged to do that?

30:30.300 --> 30:31.350
Absolutely.

30:31.350 --> 30:34.190
If our families are connected,

30:34.190 --> 30:36.740
if they have communication coming down

30:36.740 --> 30:37.740
from the command,

30:37.740 --> 30:39.830
if they're aware of what the mission is,

30:39.830 --> 30:41.260
if they're aware of what it is

30:41.260 --> 30:44.370
that their soldiers are being asked to do,

30:44.370 --> 30:47.140
if they have access to resources,

30:47.140 --> 30:48.920
if an FRG, if they call up somebody

30:48.920 --> 30:49.950
that human connection

30:49.950 --> 30:52.390
and say here's what I've got going on

30:52.390 --> 30:53.650
and that human connection

30:53.650 --> 30:55.790
can say here's a resource

30:55.790 --> 30:57.940
that can help you with that

30:57.940 --> 30:59.580
and somebody can help that new family

30:59.580 --> 31:01.120
get to that resource

31:01.120 --> 31:04.250
we develop an army of self-sufficient families

31:04.250 --> 31:05.760
that are resilient

31:05.760 --> 31:07.640
and that are able to support whatever.

31:07.640 --> 31:08.860
They're gonna be able to take

31:08.860 --> 31:10.450
whatever comes their way

31:10.450 --> 31:13.880
based on our current operational environment

31:13.880 --> 31:15.050
that our military has.

31:15.050 --> 31:17.710
So we really looked at these three things

31:17.710 --> 31:20.400
as being that's the mission of the FRG.

31:20.400 --> 31:22.630
So how do we help FRG leaders

31:22.630 --> 31:25.110
and commanders get there?

31:25.110 --> 31:28.380
Next slide.

31:28.380 --> 31:29.970
This is in the command team training

31:29.970 --> 31:32.460
and I put it in here because it really does tell you

31:32.460 --> 31:33.510
the bottom line up front.

31:33.510 --> 31:34.960
As I went and I talked to commanders

31:34.960 --> 31:36.340
one of the things that

31:36.340 --> 31:38.040
they all told me as I did the training

31:38.040 --> 31:39.630
cause I had some stuff like this.

31:39.630 --> 31:41.270
This is what the FRG in states going to be.

31:41.270 --> 31:42.840
They all said don't tell me at the end.

31:42.840 --> 31:43.890
Tell me at the beginning.

31:43.890 --> 31:44.890
Why do I need to be here?

31:44.890 --> 31:46.580
Why do I need to listen to you?

31:46.580 --> 31:48.490
And why is this important to me?

31:48.490 --> 31:49.490
So we said you know

31:49.490 --> 31:50.630
we'll put it at the very beginning

31:50.630 --> 31:52.480
so that commanders understand

31:52.480 --> 31:54.900
this is what the FRG is going to be

31:54.900 --> 31:57.200
and this is what it's going to do for them.

31:57.200 --> 31:58.820
So they get that equation

31:58.820 --> 32:00.370
and they get this bottom line up front

32:00.370 --> 32:02.290
from the very beginning

32:02.290 --> 32:05.620
and it tells them that their FRGs

32:05.620 --> 32:06.620
really have to do

32:06.620 --> 32:08.300
with a network of communication

32:08.300 --> 32:10.830
in order to help mitigate potential risks

32:10.830 --> 32:13.250
and that's what family readiness groups do

32:13.250 --> 32:14.880
in order to support family readiness.

32:14.880 --> 32:18.880
Go ahead and go to the next slide for me.

32:21.409 --> 32:24.030
And there you see our equation again right.

32:24.030 --> 32:26.250
So what are FRG activities right?

32:26.250 --> 32:28.520
So yeah I'm talking to you all about

32:28.520 --> 32:29.860
we wanted to make sure that they focused

32:29.860 --> 32:32.160
on readiness, that they really looked

32:32.160 --> 32:33.910
at the family readiness piece

32:33.910 --> 32:36.340
and so we started to really boil down

32:36.340 --> 32:37.340
what's mission essential

32:37.340 --> 32:38.800
and this comes directly out of the AR.

32:38.800 --> 32:39.970
Now one of the things

32:39.970 --> 32:41.030
that I will tell you

32:41.030 --> 32:42.300
is that as I went through

32:42.300 --> 32:45.500
and we did all of this

32:45.500 --> 32:48.750
people had a lot of policy suggestions.

32:48.750 --> 32:50.380
We don't work policy.

32:50.380 --> 32:52.620
My counterparts at AKSUM weren't policy

32:52.620 --> 32:54.990
so I shared with them those things.

32:54.990 --> 32:56.550
So as we develop this training

32:56.550 --> 32:58.320
we had to work with what currently exists

32:58.320 --> 32:59.790
and best practices because

32:59.790 --> 33:02.630
that's what we really have the capability to train on

33:02.630 --> 33:03.970
and we don't want to step

33:03.970 --> 33:06.460
outside of what the AR says.

33:06.460 --> 33:07.690
So we looked in there

33:07.690 --> 33:10.150
and this is what the AR says

33:10.150 --> 33:12.790
our FRGs should be doing.

33:12.790 --> 33:14.350
Member meetings, committee meetings.

33:14.350 --> 33:17.940
So those are like your steering committees.

33:17.940 --> 33:20.170
Distribution of readiness information,

33:20.170 --> 33:21.170
education.

33:21.170 --> 33:24.140
Notice they all have to do with communication,

33:24.140 --> 33:25.340
right,

33:25.340 --> 33:26.800
and really informing families.

33:26.800 --> 33:28.070
So again that's where we said it

33:28.070 --> 33:29.210
but we also knew

33:29.210 --> 33:30.940
if you can go to the mission,

33:30.940 --> 33:33.280
non-mission essential there are a couple of things

33:33.280 --> 33:37.280
that we do in FRG's that help build esprit de core.

33:37.399 --> 33:38.970
And that is the social events

33:38.970 --> 33:40.250
and there is some fundraising

33:40.250 --> 33:41.620
to support those social events

33:41.620 --> 33:44.340
but we wanted to minimize that piece

33:44.340 --> 33:46.580
but also being aware

33:46.580 --> 33:47.690
that there is a need

33:47.690 --> 33:49.460
because we don't want our volunteers

33:49.460 --> 33:50.870
to be paying out of pocket

33:50.870 --> 33:52.660
which is why it was allowed

33:52.660 --> 33:54.570
for fundraising to begin with

33:54.570 --> 33:56.730
was to support FRG leaders

33:56.730 --> 33:57.730
and commanders

33:57.730 --> 33:58.730
who are paying out of pocket

33:58.730 --> 34:00.670
for pizza at the FRG meetings,

34:00.670 --> 34:03.120
paying for the small get together

34:03.120 --> 34:04.620
and the food that went with that

34:04.620 --> 34:07.980
or for something very simple

34:07.980 --> 34:09.860
to go along with that,

34:09.860 --> 34:13.200
not to have Christmas parties for the unit,

34:13.200 --> 34:17.170
not to have huge organizational day events.

34:17.170 --> 34:19.130
It really was to focus down on that.

34:19.130 --> 34:20.290
So we took it back

34:20.290 --> 34:21.990
and said that's really where you want it to be.

34:21.990 --> 34:23.070
So there is some in there

34:23.070 --> 34:26.020
but it's really looking at it from this perspective

34:26.020 --> 34:27.450
of how do you build esprit de core

34:27.450 --> 34:29.490
and how do you help new families

34:29.490 --> 34:30.620
build social networks

34:30.620 --> 34:32.940
because if they're not coming to the meetings

34:32.940 --> 34:35.550
but they're enticed to come to a social event

34:35.550 --> 34:36.550
we want that.

34:36.550 --> 34:38.340
But we also want our commands

34:38.340 --> 34:39.870
and our FRG leaders to recognize

34:39.870 --> 34:41.260
there's a lot of things that are going on

34:41.260 --> 34:42.670
out in our communities

34:42.670 --> 34:44.880
that are no cost that they can leverage

34:44.880 --> 34:48.240
and pull into the FRG and utilize that as well.

34:48.240 --> 34:52.040
Okay if we go to the next slide.

34:52.040 --> 34:55.640
As I said earlier the FRG is not alone

34:55.640 --> 34:57.210
in its mission of family readiness.

34:57.210 --> 34:59.350
It's an entire system that exists

34:59.350 --> 35:00.900
and so again

35:00.900 --> 35:02.760
throughout our command team training,

35:02.760 --> 35:05.310
our FRG leader and our FRL training

35:05.310 --> 35:07.700
we really want them to focus on

35:07.700 --> 35:08.790
what else is out there.

35:08.790 --> 35:10.070
So you're the FRG.

35:10.070 --> 35:11.650
You're one piece

35:11.650 --> 35:12.790
but what else exists?

35:12.790 --> 35:15.250
What what of MWR activities?

35:15.250 --> 35:16.660
What of your quality of life?

35:16.660 --> 35:18.840
Where's your ACS, your boss?

35:18.840 --> 35:20.280
DEARs is a part of that.

35:20.280 --> 35:22.350
Your AC facilities are a part of that.

35:22.350 --> 35:24.100
All these different things exist

35:24.100 --> 35:26.270
in order to help with soldier

35:26.270 --> 35:27.340
and family readiness.

35:27.340 --> 35:29.660
And so we talk to commanders, FRG leaders

35:29.660 --> 35:32.590
and FRLs about how they're one piece of that

35:32.590 --> 35:34.390
and they don't have to be the end-all be-all

35:34.390 --> 35:35.840
for our families.

35:35.840 --> 35:37.970
Alright, let's leverage what exists

35:37.970 --> 35:39.460
out in our communities

35:39.460 --> 35:42.020
whether it's our local communities,

35:42.020 --> 35:44.970
our installations, in order to provide

35:44.970 --> 35:46.200
the best for our families

35:46.200 --> 35:47.533
because the Army

35:47.840 --> 35:48.840
and the local community

35:48.840 --> 35:50.470
surrounding our army have a lot to offer

35:50.470 --> 35:52.310
that our FRGs can leverage

35:52.310 --> 35:55.270
rather than expecting our FRGs to duplicate efforts

35:55.270 --> 35:56.940
that are already out there.

35:56.940 --> 35:57.940
So we talked

35:57.940 --> 35:59.960
to our families our volunteers about that

35:59.960 --> 36:02.320
and then our next slide.

36:02.320 --> 36:05.490
This is one that I originally didn't have in here

36:05.490 --> 36:07.150
but I thought it was important to include

36:07.150 --> 36:11.150
because in every single one of our pilot programs

36:11.290 --> 36:14.860
this slide got a yes, yes and yes

36:14.860 --> 36:18.280
because so often readiness,

36:18.280 --> 36:20.010
family readiness has been pushed

36:20.010 --> 36:21.860
to our FRG volunteers

36:21.860 --> 36:24.050
saying you know this family needs

36:24.050 --> 36:25.200
or this is going on,

36:25.200 --> 36:26.380
take care of this, do this,

36:26.380 --> 36:28.860
and our demands on our volunteers have risen

36:28.860 --> 36:29.860
but if you listened

36:29.860 --> 36:33.300
to General Milly last year in this room

36:33.300 --> 36:34.400
he was asked a question

36:34.400 --> 36:36.240
about blended retirement

36:36.240 --> 36:37.480
and somebody said

36:37.480 --> 36:39.450
who is gonna let the spouse know

36:39.450 --> 36:41.060
about the new blended retirement program?

36:41.060 --> 36:43.270
And who remembers what he said?

36:43.270 --> 36:46.490
He said the soldier.

36:46.490 --> 36:48.120
So what does that mean?

36:48.120 --> 36:49.510
That doesn't mean, well it means

36:49.510 --> 36:51.770
that the soldier is aware,

36:51.770 --> 36:53.780
the soldier will provide information

36:53.780 --> 36:55.640
to the command so that the family

36:55.640 --> 36:58.190
can be reached out to in order to do that.

36:58.190 --> 37:00.550
The soldier can take the information

37:00.550 --> 37:01.550
and do that.

37:01.550 --> 37:02.750
Doesn't mean that the FRG

37:02.750 --> 37:04.150
still isn't going to outreach

37:04.150 --> 37:05.150
but one of the things

37:05.150 --> 37:06.960
is we talked to FRG leaders over and over again,

37:06.960 --> 37:07.960
one of their biggest challenges

37:07.960 --> 37:09.930
was soldiers were not giving them

37:09.930 --> 37:13.930
family information.

37:14.140 --> 37:15.700
And just kind of redundant question.

37:15.700 --> 37:16.700
Think to yourself

37:16.700 --> 37:18.230
those of you who've been in that role

37:18.230 --> 37:20.460
how much you've pulled your hair out

37:20.460 --> 37:23.770
trying to keep a roster updated

37:23.770 --> 37:24.770
because soldiers

37:24.770 --> 37:25.830
don't want to provide the information

37:25.830 --> 37:28.360
or they provide fake information

37:28.360 --> 37:29.360
or those things.

37:29.360 --> 37:30.950
So this is really to talk to the commanders

37:30.950 --> 37:33.940
about your soldiers needs to be transparent.

37:33.940 --> 37:35.110
They do have a responsibility

37:35.110 --> 37:36.500
and part of that responsibility

37:36.500 --> 37:38.410
is ensuring that their families

37:38.410 --> 37:40.570
have access to readiness services

37:40.570 --> 37:41.580
that exist

37:41.580 --> 37:42.730
and those readiness services,

37:42.730 --> 37:45.810
one of them is their FRG.

37:45.810 --> 37:48.050
Right so we need to make sure

37:48.050 --> 37:51.050
that our soldiers know what an FRG is,

37:51.050 --> 37:52.050
know how it is

37:52.050 --> 37:53.790
that it can be leveraged to help them

37:53.790 --> 37:55.990
and how it's going to support their families

37:55.990 --> 37:57.610
and connect their families.

37:57.610 --> 38:00.150
So that's a command talk with soldiers.

38:00.150 --> 38:01.560
That's the sergeant major talk

38:01.560 --> 38:04.190
or a first sergeant talk with soldiers

38:04.190 --> 38:06.210
about how they bear that responsibility

38:06.210 --> 38:07.570
and what that looks like.

38:07.570 --> 38:11.400
Let's go to the next slide.

38:11.400 --> 38:14.070
So why our diagrams were kind of controversial

38:14.070 --> 38:15.190
as we did this was because we said

38:15.190 --> 38:16.190
if you put that out there

38:16.190 --> 38:17.190
everybody's going to think

38:17.190 --> 38:18.290
that's how an FRG has to be.

38:18.290 --> 38:20.180
Well one of the things

38:20.180 --> 38:22.310
that we really encourage our trainers to do

38:22.310 --> 38:25.750
is to talk to their senior commanders

38:25.750 --> 38:27.000
on their installations

38:27.000 --> 38:29.700
to say what is your family readiness plan?

38:29.700 --> 38:30.720
What does it look like?

38:30.720 --> 38:31.720
What is your mission

38:31.720 --> 38:32.840
and how is it supported?

38:32.840 --> 38:34.430
Our WTBs for example,

38:34.430 --> 38:36.400
we've taken FRG and moved it

38:36.400 --> 38:37.440
from the company level

38:37.440 --> 38:39.020
to a battalion level

38:39.020 --> 38:41.330
because it makes sense for them

38:41.330 --> 38:42.630
based on the mission that they have

38:42.630 --> 38:44.940
and what they've got going on.

38:44.940 --> 38:47.330
In some instances this particular structure

38:47.330 --> 38:48.450
doesn't even work

38:48.450 --> 38:49.840
because that unit doesn't

38:49.840 --> 38:50.980
fall under this structure.

38:50.980 --> 38:52.510
When we look at Special Forces

38:52.510 --> 38:56.510
in some of our other units that exist

38:56.780 --> 38:57.780
but what we did

38:57.780 --> 38:59.580
is we put three different wire diagrams in

38:59.580 --> 39:01.990
that focus on the three different components

39:01.990 --> 39:04.060
and how the overall structure looks

39:04.060 --> 39:05.670
and then we told trainers

39:05.670 --> 39:07.180
work with your senior command

39:07.180 --> 39:08.320
if this doesn't work talk

39:08.320 --> 39:09.780
to them a little bit about it.

39:09.780 --> 39:10.890
But what you'll see here

39:10.890 --> 39:12.820
is we try to really draw a line

39:12.820 --> 39:14.800
between where family readiness sits

39:14.800 --> 39:16.880
and where FRG sits.

39:16.880 --> 39:19.040
Family readiness is the brigade,

39:19.040 --> 39:20.290
the division, the brigade

39:20.290 --> 39:22.770
and the battalion commanders responsibility.

39:22.770 --> 39:23.770
What is that plan?

39:23.770 --> 39:24.770
What does it look like?

39:24.770 --> 39:26.420
What are your orders, your operational orders

39:26.420 --> 39:28.410
to your company commanders

39:28.410 --> 39:29.420
when it comes to how they're going

39:29.420 --> 39:31.470
to support family readiness?

39:31.470 --> 39:35.470
FRG, most of the time lies at the company level.

39:35.490 --> 39:36.490
Why?

39:36.490 --> 39:38.450
Because FRGS are intended

39:38.450 --> 39:41.400
to help build a social support network

39:41.400 --> 39:43.140
and when you put it at a higher level

39:43.140 --> 39:44.820
it's too many people.

39:44.820 --> 39:46.280
They don't know who to go to.

39:46.280 --> 39:47.520
It's overwhelming.

39:47.520 --> 39:49.240
The missions might be different.

39:49.240 --> 39:50.630
I worked with an aviation unit

39:50.630 --> 39:52.410
that had different rotations

39:52.410 --> 39:54.940
of deployment for each of their companies

39:54.940 --> 39:56.770
and not only that they were task force organized

39:56.770 --> 39:58.910
and were all over the place.

39:58.910 --> 39:59.910
It wouldn't have worked

39:59.910 --> 40:01.240
to have had them at a battalion level

40:01.240 --> 40:03.350
but to have them at a company level

40:03.350 --> 40:04.700
they were able to truly get out

40:04.700 --> 40:07.030
the right information to those families

40:07.030 --> 40:08.930
and connect those families to their units

40:08.930 --> 40:10.540
and to the resources in the community

40:10.540 --> 40:12.220
based on the mission at hand.

40:12.220 --> 40:13.930
So that's really what we wanted to do here

40:13.930 --> 40:15.480
was just kind of talk about that

40:15.480 --> 40:16.900
and also look at what are some

40:16.900 --> 40:18.180
of those family readiness issues,

40:18.180 --> 40:19.210
if you're a commander,

40:19.210 --> 40:20.500
what are some of those other

40:20.500 --> 40:21.780
family readiness pieces?

40:21.780 --> 40:22.830
So you'll see care team.

40:22.830 --> 40:24.640
You'll see the brigade steering committee meeting.

40:24.640 --> 40:26.290
You'll see FRG social media.

40:26.290 --> 40:27.660
Right those are things

40:27.660 --> 40:29.430
that at a battalion level

40:29.430 --> 40:30.690
you can take care of

40:30.690 --> 40:31.800
that are part of readiness

40:31.800 --> 40:34.230
that don't need to be pushed down to the company

40:34.230 --> 40:36.520
that can provide that overarching

40:36.520 --> 40:38.580
fundamental kind of that foundation

40:38.580 --> 40:40.780
if you will for how family readiness

40:40.780 --> 40:43.740
is going to operate at the lowest level.

40:43.740 --> 40:45.150
And then in the foundation's training

40:45.150 --> 40:46.360
we'll go through each

40:46.360 --> 40:48.480
of those different positions

40:48.480 --> 40:49.960
including the family readiness advisor

40:49.960 --> 40:51.720
at the battalion or brigade level,

40:51.720 --> 40:52.910
the FRL position,

40:52.910 --> 40:54.680
how steering committee meetings work,

40:54.680 --> 40:56.150
all of which were not included

40:56.150 --> 40:57.410
in the old training at all.

40:57.410 --> 40:59.040
So we wanted to provide...

40:59.040 --> 41:00.240
And while senior advisors

41:00.240 --> 41:02.340
are not in the current regulation

41:02.340 --> 41:04.130
we really felt that that added value

41:04.130 --> 41:06.290
to have mentorship coaching

41:06.290 --> 41:08.620
and that sort of relationship

41:08.620 --> 41:11.540
between our senior advisors

41:11.540 --> 41:13.910
and our FRG leaders who were up and coming.

41:13.910 --> 41:15.180
I've had people ask

41:15.180 --> 41:16.180
why didn't you develop

41:16.180 --> 41:17.700
a senior leader advisor training

41:17.700 --> 41:18.810
to go along with this?

41:18.810 --> 41:21.050
And that's because the foundation's training

41:21.050 --> 41:23.140
is intended to provide that brusher up

41:23.140 --> 41:24.140
but then we felt

41:24.140 --> 41:25.770
that there were already existing programs

41:25.770 --> 41:27.450
out there that senior advisors

41:27.450 --> 41:29.290
could take such as professional

41:29.290 --> 41:30.310
and personal development

41:30.310 --> 41:31.850
out of army family team building

41:31.850 --> 41:33.980
which talks about coaching and mentoring

41:33.980 --> 41:35.150
as well as time management

41:35.150 --> 41:36.740
and other skills that senior advisors

41:36.740 --> 41:38.980
would need or family advisors would need

41:38.980 --> 41:40.750
and the resiliency training offered

41:40.750 --> 41:43.020
through comprehensive soldier family fitness

41:43.020 --> 41:44.870
provides a lot of resiliency skills

41:44.870 --> 41:46.470
that advisors would need to have

41:46.470 --> 41:48.300
in order to be effective in the position

41:48.300 --> 41:49.350
that they did.

41:49.350 --> 41:52.110
So we want rather than create new things

41:52.110 --> 41:53.650
we want to capitalize

41:53.650 --> 41:54.920
on what's already out there

41:54.920 --> 41:56.060
and what's already working

41:56.060 --> 41:58.820
rather than make something new

41:58.820 --> 42:00.610
when it's not necessarily needed.

42:00.610 --> 42:02.440
We're looking to reduce redundancies

42:02.440 --> 42:04.410
not increase them.

42:04.410 --> 42:05.990
So if we go to the next slide

42:05.990 --> 42:07.970
we're gonna kind of get into a little bit.

42:07.970 --> 42:10.820
So that's all kind of the foundational pieces

42:10.820 --> 42:11.820
and the things that we're looking at

42:11.820 --> 42:12.820
as we set it up

42:12.820 --> 42:13.920
and then we get into the mission

42:13.920 --> 42:15.180
and we talk to families

42:15.180 --> 42:16.930
about how they communicate.

42:16.930 --> 42:18.850
So here's where I want to do a short activity

42:18.850 --> 42:20.300
with you all real quick.

42:20.300 --> 42:21.530
You all have index cards

42:21.530 --> 42:22.910
that were placed on your tables.

42:22.910 --> 42:25.080
What I'd like for you to do

42:25.080 --> 42:27.480
is I'd like to just take a minute

42:27.480 --> 42:29.630
and I want you to write down

42:29.630 --> 42:32.300
how you prefer to be communicated to

42:32.300 --> 42:34.697
in a professional environment.

42:34.697 --> 42:35.530
Think about it for a minute.

42:35.530 --> 42:38.670
Write it down on your card.

42:38.670 --> 42:40.140
If you are in a professional environment

42:40.140 --> 42:41.480
what is your preferred method

42:41.480 --> 42:45.480
of communication?

42:46.349 --> 42:47.640
Now take a minute

42:47.640 --> 42:48.690
and just very quickly

42:48.690 --> 42:50.180
to the right in the left of you

42:50.180 --> 42:52.347
share what you wrote down.

42:56.770 --> 42:59.687
(audience murmurs)

43:06.877 --> 43:07.960
Very quickly.

43:11.477 --> 43:13.810
Right so here's my question.

43:14.980 --> 43:17.147
Did you all have the same?

43:20.482 --> 43:22.380
Right did you all have the same way?

43:22.380 --> 43:23.730
I'm hearing a lot of discussion.

43:23.730 --> 43:25.750
So that indicates to me

43:25.750 --> 43:27.520
you didn't all have the same way.

43:27.520 --> 43:28.990
How many of you?

43:28.990 --> 43:31.200
Let's see a raise of hands.

43:31.200 --> 43:34.117
How many of you chose face to face?

43:34.298 --> 43:36.548
Face to face communication?

43:36.780 --> 43:39.025
How many of you chose an email?

43:39.025 --> 43:41.942
How many of you chose social media?

43:42.398 --> 43:43.231
Nobody?

43:44.000 --> 43:46.667
How many of you chose a meeting?

43:50.574 --> 43:52.407
No, no meetings right?

43:53.582 --> 43:54.987
So interestingly enough

43:54.987 --> 43:55.820
as we look at that

43:55.820 --> 43:57.530
there are generational preferences

43:57.530 --> 43:58.860
that go with how we communicate.

43:58.860 --> 44:01.330
Would your answer have been different

44:01.330 --> 44:02.520
if I'd asked you to tell me

44:02.520 --> 44:06.230
how you like to communicate socially?

44:06.230 --> 44:07.230
Probably right?

44:07.230 --> 44:09.060
Interestingly enough how many people

44:09.060 --> 44:12.477
think that that a Gen Zer or a Millennial

44:13.260 --> 44:14.730
would have said

44:14.730 --> 44:17.480
that they want face to face

44:17.480 --> 44:20.310
professional communication?

44:20.310 --> 44:21.690
My daughter's a Gen Zer.

44:21.690 --> 44:23.090
She said face to face.

44:23.090 --> 44:24.340
My son is a Millennial.

44:24.340 --> 44:27.560
He said face to face in a professional setting.

44:27.560 --> 44:28.980
When I asked them socially

44:28.980 --> 44:30.360
my daughter said texting

44:30.360 --> 44:32.700
and my son said by phone.

44:32.700 --> 44:35.350
Okay so there's different ways.

44:35.350 --> 44:37.090
One of the things to keep in mind

44:37.090 --> 44:38.100
and I don't want to get too far

44:38.100 --> 44:39.100
into the training on this

44:39.100 --> 44:40.320
but very interestingly

44:40.320 --> 44:42.540
as we look at communication styles

44:42.540 --> 44:44.320
most of us that are taking

44:44.320 --> 44:47.110
on leadership roles right now tend to be

44:47.110 --> 44:49.070
in the Gen X or identified as Gen X

44:49.070 --> 44:50.720
and we know that

44:50.720 --> 44:52.920
people will cross generational boundaries,

44:52.920 --> 44:54.460
different people will identify

44:54.460 --> 44:56.420
different ways with different generations

44:56.420 --> 44:57.800
based on how they're raised,

44:57.800 --> 44:59.110
their family makeup and that

44:59.110 --> 45:01.980
but there are some basic stereotypes

45:01.980 --> 45:04.300
as you will of the generations.

45:04.300 --> 45:07.230
And so a lot of us our Gen Xers

45:07.230 --> 45:09.260
as we're moving into leadership roles

45:09.260 --> 45:10.780
and if you look at Gen Xers

45:10.780 --> 45:12.600
we hate meetings.

45:12.600 --> 45:14.380
There is no reason to have a meeting

45:14.380 --> 45:15.680
whatsoever because you can

45:15.680 --> 45:17.380
send it to me in an email.

45:17.380 --> 45:19.340
You can tell me over the phone.

45:19.340 --> 45:21.020
I can get it via text.

45:21.020 --> 45:22.190
I don't need a meeting

45:22.190 --> 45:23.190
but did you know

45:23.190 --> 45:25.420
that your Millennials like to go to meetings.

45:25.420 --> 45:26.610
They want to read ahead

45:26.610 --> 45:28.950
that says here's the basic information

45:28.950 --> 45:30.200
and then they want to come to a meeting

45:30.200 --> 45:33.250
to discuss it and share ideas.

45:33.250 --> 45:34.250
Your baby boomers

45:34.250 --> 45:35.770
if they go to a meeting

45:35.770 --> 45:37.440
they just want you to tell you what it is

45:37.440 --> 45:38.520
and get out the door.

45:38.520 --> 45:41.040
So do you see how that communication

45:41.040 --> 45:43.000
based on who you have in your group

45:43.000 --> 45:44.500
needs to be different

45:44.500 --> 45:46.310
and based on not only that

45:46.310 --> 45:47.310
but demographics.

45:47.310 --> 45:49.850
So at your table you have different demographics

45:49.850 --> 45:51.800
and I don't know if we'll get to the activity

45:51.800 --> 45:53.590
but I want you to think about

45:53.590 --> 45:54.590
that demographic

45:54.590 --> 45:56.140
that you have on your table

45:56.140 --> 45:58.280
because they're all a part of the FRG

45:58.280 --> 46:00.730
but they all have different needs.

46:00.730 --> 46:01.900
They all have different ways they want

46:01.900 --> 46:03.290
to be communicated

46:03.290 --> 46:05.260
and they all need different resources.

46:05.260 --> 46:06.820
And we need to keep that in mind.

46:06.820 --> 46:08.800
And so as we go through the training

46:08.800 --> 46:10.410
these are the things that we discuss.

46:10.410 --> 46:13.160
Let's go to the next slide.

46:13.160 --> 46:16.250
We also did want to make sure

46:16.250 --> 46:18.240
that we address the social media platforms

46:18.240 --> 46:21.220
that exist because it is one of the main topics

46:21.220 --> 46:22.220
of communication

46:22.220 --> 46:24.860
as I look on FRG information boards

46:24.860 --> 46:25.860
what can I do?

46:25.860 --> 46:26.860
What can't I do?

46:26.860 --> 46:27.860
Again remember the FRG

46:27.860 --> 46:29.520
is the commander's program

46:29.520 --> 46:31.630
and so we talked about FRG leaders

46:31.630 --> 46:32.630
about rather than developing

46:32.630 --> 46:35.560
a separate FRG Facebook platform,

46:35.560 --> 46:36.630
utilize the Facebook platform

46:36.630 --> 46:39.150
that currently exists by the unit

46:39.150 --> 46:40.820
because if the FRGs main purpose

46:40.820 --> 46:42.710
is to put out information

46:42.710 --> 46:43.710
that unit Facebook page

46:43.710 --> 46:45.990
should be meeting a majority of that need.

46:45.990 --> 46:47.710
There may be some additional pieces

46:47.710 --> 46:48.710
that you want to include

46:48.710 --> 46:49.780
and some people like to have

46:49.780 --> 46:52.100
the Facebook group for communication

46:52.100 --> 46:54.200
and to build kind of those social networks.

46:54.200 --> 46:55.800
So you need to look at that

46:55.800 --> 46:57.010
and also recognize

46:57.010 --> 46:59.040
that there are army specific platforms

46:59.040 --> 47:01.230
such as e-army messaging

47:01.230 --> 47:02.770
and army FRG which is currently

47:02.770 --> 47:04.540
undergoing a translation

47:04.540 --> 47:06.830
that can assist with that as well.

47:06.830 --> 47:10.830
We did not put in a full-blown training on this

47:11.550 --> 47:14.300
because PAO through SlideShare

47:14.300 --> 47:17.390
has a wonderful training that already exists

47:17.390 --> 47:19.330
and they have a social media handbook

47:19.330 --> 47:21.560
that is constantly being updated.

47:21.560 --> 47:22.560
We would not be able

47:22.560 --> 47:24.090
to keep our training up to date

47:24.090 --> 47:25.810
with what AKPA is putting out

47:25.810 --> 47:27.470
in terms of guidance

47:27.470 --> 47:29.170
because it's changing regularly

47:29.170 --> 47:30.670
based on mission,

47:30.670 --> 47:31.780
based on what's out there,

47:31.780 --> 47:33.160
based on what's going on.

47:33.160 --> 47:35.570
So we encourage our trainers in the field

47:35.570 --> 47:38.070
to work with their public affairs offices

47:38.070 --> 47:40.530
to put together at the installation level

47:40.530 --> 47:42.970
some sort of FRG forum

47:42.970 --> 47:44.280
that provides that additional training

47:44.280 --> 47:46.070
for FRG leaders that are interested

47:46.070 --> 47:48.380
in learning how to leverage social media

47:48.380 --> 47:52.350
to build that community in that virtual world.

47:52.350 --> 47:53.970
And then for the Reserve and National Guard

47:53.970 --> 47:55.430
they have specific information

47:55.430 --> 47:56.600
that they would put out

47:56.600 --> 47:57.750
through their channels as well

47:57.750 --> 47:59.610
that meets that mission.

47:59.610 --> 48:00.610
So we do address it

48:00.610 --> 48:01.670
but we address it briefly

48:01.670 --> 48:04.050
and then encourage additional training

48:04.050 --> 48:05.570
on that so that people

48:05.570 --> 48:06.600
are getting the right information

48:06.600 --> 48:09.270
from the subject matter experts at hand.

48:09.270 --> 48:11.420
So let's look at the next slide.

48:11.420 --> 48:15.420
FRG volunteers are the core

48:16.790 --> 48:19.080
at what FRG is right?

48:19.080 --> 48:20.910
It's about those people who step up

48:20.910 --> 48:23.010
and say I'm willing to do this.

48:23.010 --> 48:24.760
And when FRGs first started

48:24.760 --> 48:28.150
it was very much an FRG leader

48:28.150 --> 48:30.880
was the commander's spouse

48:30.880 --> 48:33.700
and the first sergeant's spouse

48:33.700 --> 48:34.740
and that was it.

48:34.740 --> 48:37.210
But that's not how we are today

48:37.210 --> 48:39.300
because again we're a changing army right?

48:39.300 --> 48:42.480
And our families have changed as well

48:42.480 --> 48:45.310
and so we have all kinds of people

48:45.310 --> 48:47.790
who are taking on the role of volunteer.

48:47.790 --> 48:48.790
We have soldiers.

48:48.790 --> 48:49.800
We have parents.

48:49.800 --> 48:50.920
We have siblings.

48:50.920 --> 48:51.940
We have aunts.

48:51.940 --> 48:53.970
We have fiances.

48:53.970 --> 48:55.600
We have all these different people

48:55.600 --> 48:56.970
who have stepped up into the role

48:56.970 --> 48:58.390
of volunteer because they have a passion

48:58.390 --> 49:00.170
for families and they have a passion

49:00.170 --> 49:02.490
for taking care of families.

49:02.490 --> 49:04.130
And so what we wanted to do here

49:04.130 --> 49:05.560
is we wanted to talk to each

49:05.560 --> 49:06.560
of those different groups,

49:06.560 --> 49:08.170
the command team, the FRL

49:08.170 --> 49:10.240
and the FRG leader

49:10.240 --> 49:11.790
about selecting volunteers.

49:11.790 --> 49:14.340
How do you recruit volunteers?

49:14.340 --> 49:15.590
Commanders how do you select volunteers?

49:15.590 --> 49:17.000
Because it's your role as a commander

49:17.000 --> 49:18.250
to select that volunteer,

49:18.250 --> 49:19.590
not the FRG leaders'.

49:19.590 --> 49:22.080
They may recruit, they may give advice

49:22.080 --> 49:24.500
but ultimately that volunteer is volunteering

49:24.500 --> 49:25.580
on behalf of the command

49:25.580 --> 49:28.260
and the commander needs to be aware of that.

49:28.260 --> 49:30.650
How do they retain those volunteers?

49:30.650 --> 49:32.490
How do they delegate responsibilities out?

49:32.490 --> 49:33.490
If you're an FRG leader

49:33.490 --> 49:36.470
how do you leverage those volunteers?

49:36.470 --> 49:37.470
What does that look like

49:37.470 --> 49:39.670
and what does that mean to you?

49:39.670 --> 49:40.730
Sometimes it's hard to figure out

49:40.730 --> 49:41.810
how to work with volunteers.

49:41.810 --> 49:43.880
It's hard to recruit volunteers these days right?

49:43.880 --> 49:46.180
I know a lot of FRG leaders

49:46.180 --> 49:47.490
who are doing three or four roles

49:47.490 --> 49:49.040
when it comes this kind of work

49:49.040 --> 49:51.260
but what we want to do is give you the tools

49:51.260 --> 49:52.690
and so in this smart book

49:52.690 --> 49:53.790
for each of those different groups

49:53.790 --> 49:55.680
there's actually a whole section

49:55.680 --> 49:57.750
on volunteer management.

49:57.750 --> 49:59.410
Everything from how to be

49:59.410 --> 50:01.610
an operational point of contact in VEMUS

50:01.610 --> 50:04.590
or how to use the joint services

50:04.590 --> 50:07.790
the JSS system for the National Guard

50:07.790 --> 50:09.540
and again VEMUS is also being translated.

50:09.540 --> 50:12.392
So it's going to be a much more user friendly...

50:12.392 --> 50:13.309
Yeah right.

50:14.233 --> 50:15.983
(audience applauds)

50:15.983 --> 50:18.397
So it's gonna be much more user friendly

50:18.397 --> 50:19.230
but what we've done is we put

50:19.230 --> 50:21.240
that information into that book for you

50:21.240 --> 50:22.870
so that you've got ideas

50:22.870 --> 50:24.280
on what you can do.

50:24.280 --> 50:25.280
How do you recruit?

50:25.280 --> 50:27.090
And then commanders

50:27.090 --> 50:28.570
how do you recognize?

50:28.570 --> 50:31.030
Because again a lot of times our FRG leaders

50:31.030 --> 50:32.940
are the ones that are putting those together

50:32.940 --> 50:34.330
but we want our commanders

50:34.330 --> 50:35.950
to really take on that responsibility.

50:35.950 --> 50:37.730
So we've provided them

50:37.730 --> 50:40.410
with all of the formal recognition,

50:40.410 --> 50:41.410
how that's done,

50:41.410 --> 50:43.670
as well as informal recognition techniques.

50:43.670 --> 50:45.600
So all those tools are in that book

50:45.600 --> 50:47.150
for them to use.

50:47.150 --> 50:49.400
And everybody leaves this section

50:49.400 --> 50:51.140
with a plan.

50:51.140 --> 50:52.140
Right how are you

50:52.140 --> 50:53.140
going to leverage your volunteers?

50:53.140 --> 50:54.140
And for commanders

50:54.140 --> 50:55.200
what is your volunteer plan?

50:55.200 --> 50:57.520
How are you going to recruit, select, retain,

50:57.520 --> 50:59.950
and recognize your volunteers?

50:59.950 --> 51:03.380
And take that plan and use it.

51:03.380 --> 51:06.190
So let's go to the next slide.

51:06.190 --> 51:08.790
So here we talk about funding streams.

51:08.790 --> 51:10.560
So much fun.

51:10.560 --> 51:11.560
Okay this is probably the part.

51:11.560 --> 51:14.140
That I think pulls people's hair out the most

51:14.140 --> 51:16.960
and has some of the biggest challenges

51:16.960 --> 51:18.180
associated with it

51:18.180 --> 51:20.110
is what are those funding streams?

51:20.110 --> 51:21.480
There is an in-depth for FRG.

51:21.480 --> 51:22.790
It does exist.

51:22.790 --> 51:24.230
There is appropriated funds

51:24.230 --> 51:25.230
that are available

51:25.230 --> 51:27.640
but it has to be included in a unit budget.

51:27.640 --> 51:29.560
So we want to talk to commanders about that

51:29.560 --> 51:30.610
and that they need to be aware

51:30.610 --> 51:32.320
and they need to be talking with their battalion

51:32.320 --> 51:33.320
and brigade commanders

51:33.320 --> 51:34.930
about where it is in the budget

51:34.930 --> 51:36.600
and how they can leverage appropriated funds

51:36.600 --> 51:38.770
and I want to talk about informal funds.

51:38.770 --> 51:40.090
And I said informal funds

51:40.090 --> 51:41.090
was the biggest training.

51:41.090 --> 51:42.390
So every training has this in it

51:42.390 --> 51:43.850
but this is where we start

51:43.850 --> 51:45.460
our informal funds training

51:45.460 --> 51:47.360
so that our informal offense custodians

51:47.360 --> 51:49.220
understand what those different

51:49.220 --> 51:50.520
funding streams are

51:50.520 --> 51:51.760
so that if they're being asked

51:51.760 --> 51:52.990
to use informal funds

51:52.990 --> 51:55.380
to buy mission essential items

51:55.380 --> 51:59.260
such as say predeployment packet information

51:59.260 --> 52:00.260
they're not doing that.

52:00.260 --> 52:01.480
There's saying that's not

52:01.480 --> 52:02.910
what the informal fund is for.

52:02.910 --> 52:04.300
There should be appropriated funds,

52:04.300 --> 52:06.290
money set aside for that.

52:06.290 --> 52:07.710
We need to look into that

52:07.710 --> 52:09.130
because the informal fund custodian,

52:09.130 --> 52:11.710
there the custodian of that account.

52:11.710 --> 52:14.460
They are ultimately responsible for that money

52:14.460 --> 52:17.300
and so they need to be able to recognize

52:17.300 --> 52:18.790
where the funding streams are,

52:18.790 --> 52:19.980
how it's used and what goes on.

52:19.980 --> 52:21.920
And then the FRG training

52:21.920 --> 52:23.480
for informal fund custodian

52:23.480 --> 52:26.320
goes into all of those different in-depth,

52:26.320 --> 52:27.380
into informal fund.

52:27.380 --> 52:28.900
How do you set up a new bank account

52:28.900 --> 52:30.040
if you don't have one?

52:30.040 --> 52:31.720
The information is in that smart book

52:31.720 --> 52:34.190
so that somebody can contact the IRS.

52:34.190 --> 52:35.720
Now Social Security numbers

52:35.720 --> 52:37.670
have to be tied to an EIN.

52:37.670 --> 52:39.860
So if you are setting up a new EIN

52:39.860 --> 52:41.160
and you have to have a Social Security number

52:41.160 --> 52:42.300
whose social Security Number

52:42.300 --> 52:44.090
should be associated with that.

52:44.090 --> 52:45.090
How do you change

52:45.090 --> 52:46.740
that Social Security number when you leave

52:46.740 --> 52:49.160
because you don't wantyour information

52:49.160 --> 52:50.980
tied to that account anymore right?

52:50.980 --> 52:52.850
So there's there's all these different nuances

52:52.850 --> 52:54.420
and those are included in there.

52:54.420 --> 52:56.010
The other thing that's included

52:56.010 --> 52:58.430
in the informal funds custodian training

52:58.430 --> 53:00.490
is very specific local guidance

53:00.490 --> 53:01.540
because what I found

53:01.540 --> 53:03.040
as I moved to headquarters

53:03.040 --> 53:04.370
was that there are a lot of things

53:04.370 --> 53:05.810
when it comes to fundraising

53:05.810 --> 53:07.790
and it comes to how informal funds

53:07.790 --> 53:09.560
are actually executed

53:09.560 --> 53:12.040
are local policy decisions.

53:12.040 --> 53:13.050
So we want our trainers

53:13.050 --> 53:14.600
to go talk to our JAGs

53:14.600 --> 53:17.790
and to our MWR staff on the installations

53:17.790 --> 53:19.030
at our family programs,

53:19.030 --> 53:20.030
talking to their JAGs

53:20.030 --> 53:21.820
and talking to their family programs offices

53:21.820 --> 53:23.100
and to those higher up

53:23.100 --> 53:24.480
about what are the policies

53:24.480 --> 53:26.050
when it comes to fundraising,

53:26.050 --> 53:27.540
when it comes to spending money,

53:27.540 --> 53:28.770
when it comes to reporting.

53:28.770 --> 53:30.210
How are the annual reports done?

53:30.210 --> 53:32.020
How are the monthly reports done?

53:32.020 --> 53:33.380
are ledgers required?

53:33.380 --> 53:35.060
A lot of that stuff is at a local level.

53:35.060 --> 53:37.560
It's not included in the regulatory guidance

53:37.560 --> 53:39.880
and so that's where this training

53:39.880 --> 53:42.220
becomes a little bit more locally specific

53:42.220 --> 53:44.270
because of some of those nuances

53:44.270 --> 53:46.060
that go with raising funds.

53:46.060 --> 53:49.550
Let's look at the next slide.

53:49.550 --> 53:51.040
So again one of the things

53:51.040 --> 53:52.210
that we really wanted to do

53:52.210 --> 53:53.540
as we did this training

53:53.540 --> 53:55.080
is we wanted to make sure

53:55.080 --> 53:56.300
that it was really set up

53:56.300 --> 53:59.860
for all of our different commands.

53:59.860 --> 54:02.160
And so everybody who goes through this training

54:02.160 --> 54:04.310
as a volunteer or as a command team,

54:04.310 --> 54:05.990
an FRL, whomever they may be,

54:05.990 --> 54:07.760
will leave with some kind of plan

54:07.760 --> 54:09.680
but we very deliberately spent

54:09.680 --> 54:12.110
about an hour of the command training

54:12.110 --> 54:14.360
is spent on this slide

54:14.360 --> 54:16.950
and on that smart book

54:16.950 --> 54:18.010
because what we're doing with them

54:18.010 --> 54:19.850
is we're saying what is your plan?

54:19.850 --> 54:21.070
How are you gonna move forward?

54:21.070 --> 54:22.780
You've taken this training.

54:22.780 --> 54:24.200
What does that mean to you

54:24.200 --> 54:26.590
and how do you want to move it forward?

54:26.590 --> 54:27.590
So we want them to leave

54:27.590 --> 54:28.750
with a course of action

54:28.750 --> 54:30.490
for their family readiness program

54:30.490 --> 54:31.930
whether they attend the training

54:31.930 --> 54:33.670
as a battalion commander

54:33.670 --> 54:34.670
or a brigade commander,

54:34.670 --> 54:36.730
whether they attend it as an FRL

54:36.730 --> 54:40.010
or an FRG leader we want them to have a plan.

54:40.010 --> 54:41.950
Okay next slide.

54:41.950 --> 54:43.230
So this is where I was gonna

54:43.230 --> 54:44.230
do an activity with you

54:44.230 --> 54:45.250
but my timers telling me

54:45.250 --> 54:46.860
I have just a little bit of time left

54:46.860 --> 54:48.970
so we're gonna skip the activity

54:48.970 --> 54:50.990
so that I can get you guys to the information.

54:50.990 --> 54:52.430
Alright but again

54:52.430 --> 54:53.880
you have table tents there

54:53.880 --> 54:54.880
and what I want you to remember

54:54.880 --> 54:56.720
with your table tents is that

54:56.720 --> 55:00.190
you have all these different demographics

55:00.190 --> 55:01.190
that can use your FRG

55:01.190 --> 55:02.500
and should have access to it.

55:02.500 --> 55:03.610
So take time on the break

55:03.610 --> 55:05.420
to look at all those different groups

55:05.420 --> 55:06.780
and consider how it is

55:06.780 --> 55:08.180
that you outreach to them.

55:08.180 --> 55:09.180
How do you make them feel

55:09.180 --> 55:11.320
as though they're a part of that team?

55:11.320 --> 55:12.410
And how do you make sure

55:12.410 --> 55:13.770
that they have the connections

55:13.770 --> 55:15.610
they need to be family ready?

55:15.610 --> 55:19.140
Let's look at the next slide.

55:19.140 --> 55:20.220
Go ahead to the next slide.

55:20.220 --> 55:21.980
So the way ahead.

55:21.980 --> 55:24.420
We're in the process of finalizing

55:24.420 --> 55:27.020
the final product with OT JAG.

55:27.020 --> 55:29.140
We have a goal of having this out

55:29.140 --> 55:31.290
by quarter two of this fiscal year

55:31.290 --> 55:32.940
but we need to make sure.

55:32.940 --> 55:34.900
We want to get you the product right.

55:34.900 --> 55:37.050
Okay so I don't want to over promise

55:37.050 --> 55:38.430
and under deliver.

55:38.430 --> 55:39.610
So please be aware that

55:39.610 --> 55:40.990
that may be a little sooner.

55:40.990 --> 55:42.040
Maybe a little later

55:42.040 --> 55:44.420
depending on how that team works.

55:44.420 --> 55:45.750
They also are the same team

55:45.750 --> 55:47.260
that are responding to all

55:47.260 --> 55:49.280
of the family assistance cases

55:49.280 --> 55:52.240
for the hurricanes and for the wildfires

55:52.240 --> 55:53.920
and everything else that's going on.

55:53.920 --> 55:56.210
So they they have a lot on their plate

55:56.210 --> 55:58.890
as they're working all these different pieces

55:58.890 --> 55:59.890
and then what we want to do,

55:59.890 --> 56:01.280
so that's kind of component specific

56:01.280 --> 56:04.080
as we did the initial publication

56:04.080 --> 56:05.310
and then we will codify it

56:05.310 --> 56:07.230
into regulatory guidance

56:07.230 --> 56:08.790
which will then require an army wide

56:08.790 --> 56:11.920
implementation of the program.

56:11.920 --> 56:13.900
And then we want to look at

56:13.900 --> 56:15.320
where are those key places.

56:15.320 --> 56:16.520
So Fort Benning for example

56:16.520 --> 56:19.730
does a really great spouse education program

56:19.730 --> 56:21.650
and they've taken some of this training

56:21.650 --> 56:22.710
and they're using it

56:22.710 --> 56:24.980
and those spouses that are attending ALC

56:24.980 --> 56:26.050
and some of their different programs

56:26.050 --> 56:27.100
are then going out

56:27.100 --> 56:29.470
because they have that education behind them

56:29.470 --> 56:30.470
and they're able as they go

56:30.470 --> 56:31.470
to their next duty station

56:31.470 --> 56:33.160
and they take on leadership roles

56:33.160 --> 56:34.160
they're doing that.

56:34.160 --> 56:35.160
So we're looking at

56:35.160 --> 56:36.840
where does it make sense in the Army

56:36.840 --> 56:38.360
for both our soldiers

56:38.360 --> 56:40.230
and our family members

56:40.230 --> 56:41.740
to have this training

56:41.740 --> 56:44.140
so that as they exit that duty station

56:44.140 --> 56:46.020
or that particular part of their life

56:46.020 --> 56:47.890
they go and they export good things

56:47.890 --> 56:49.223
across the Army.

56:49.670 --> 56:51.490
And finally I'm really excited to announce

56:51.490 --> 56:52.650
that I've been working with TRADOC

56:52.650 --> 56:54.400
for the last two years

56:54.400 --> 56:55.920
and all of this training,

56:55.920 --> 56:59.920
the TRADOC awarded a funding to me

57:01.819 --> 57:03.290
for to translate all this

57:03.290 --> 57:04.880
into computer-based training.

57:04.880 --> 57:06.730
So all of the REAL training

57:06.730 --> 57:07.730
will be computer-based.

57:07.730 --> 57:10.470
It will be in a housed in ALMS for soldiers

57:10.470 --> 57:12.920
so that it will translate onto their HRs

57:12.920 --> 57:15.550
and it will be housed on a portal,

57:15.550 --> 57:18.470
a public-facing portal for family members

57:18.470 --> 57:19.920
because they don't have a CAT card

57:19.920 --> 57:21.210
to get into ALMS.

57:21.210 --> 57:23.030
So people will be able to access it

57:23.030 --> 57:24.030
however they need

57:24.030 --> 57:25.040
and they'll be get a certificate

57:25.040 --> 57:26.580
that they can then print out,

57:26.580 --> 57:27.690
take to their commander

57:27.690 --> 57:30.320
and meet that for our geographically separated

57:30.320 --> 57:31.530
or for people who just can't

57:31.530 --> 57:32.530
get into the classroom.

57:32.530 --> 57:34.020
What we are encouraging

57:34.020 --> 57:36.220
is that they do take the time

57:36.220 --> 57:38.830
to get into their ACS, their family programs,

57:38.830 --> 57:39.990
whatever it might be

57:39.990 --> 57:41.400
to get those local resources

57:41.400 --> 57:42.510
and that local guidance

57:42.510 --> 57:43.840
because we can't put that

57:43.840 --> 57:45.490
into computer-based training.

57:45.490 --> 57:46.490
Army family team building

57:46.490 --> 57:48.030
is also being translated

57:48.030 --> 57:49.150
and will be included

57:49.150 --> 57:51.660
as a part of that as well.

57:51.660 --> 57:53.040
Right so everybody wants to know

57:53.040 --> 57:54.290
where they can go to get it right?

57:54.290 --> 57:55.290
Next slide.

57:55.290 --> 57:56.490
Go your local ACS

57:56.490 --> 58:00.490
or to your family programs offices.

58:00.790 --> 58:01.790
If you're an IMCOM

58:01.790 --> 58:02.790
and your at an IMCOM installation

58:02.790 --> 58:05.710
and you're at a major command level,

58:05.710 --> 58:07.680
an ASU or a DRU work through

58:07.680 --> 58:11.110
your installation management directorates.

58:11.110 --> 58:12.570
We all have functionals there.

58:12.570 --> 58:13.910
You can talk with them

58:13.910 --> 58:15.340
about how it's being put out.

58:15.340 --> 58:16.610
We will put information out that way.

58:16.610 --> 58:18.790
We will use social media

58:18.790 --> 58:20.110
and various ways to make sure

58:20.110 --> 58:21.710
that you all are getting the information

58:21.710 --> 58:23.450
as this goes into final production

58:23.450 --> 58:24.450
and we have it out.

58:24.450 --> 58:25.940
Like I said the digital smart book

58:25.940 --> 58:28.540
is available currently on armyfrg.org

58:28.540 --> 58:32.190
and that's where we'll continue to update it.

58:32.190 --> 58:33.190
I have some people

58:33.190 --> 58:35.130
that I need to thank very quickly.

58:35.130 --> 58:36.130
As we wrap up

58:36.130 --> 58:37.400
and I know I took more time.

58:37.400 --> 58:38.400
So I'm not sure if we'll be able

58:38.400 --> 58:39.400
to get to questions right now

58:39.400 --> 58:43.400
but I will be downstairs

58:43.430 --> 58:44.820
after family forum three

58:44.820 --> 58:46.400
down at the installation management

58:46.400 --> 58:48.660
community booth in the exhibition hall.

58:48.660 --> 58:50.030
So I can talk to you all then

58:50.030 --> 58:51.740
and of course I'll be here

58:51.740 --> 58:52.800
throughout the day as well

58:52.800 --> 58:54.190
to be able to answer questions.

58:54.190 --> 58:57.100
So if we go the next slide.

58:57.100 --> 58:59.040
The first group I need to thank...

58:59.040 --> 59:02.410
If we can go to the next slide please.

59:02.410 --> 59:04.320
You're going backwards.

59:04.320 --> 59:06.250
There we go.

59:06.250 --> 59:08.570
Nope go backwards one side.

59:08.570 --> 59:10.710
There you go.

59:10.710 --> 59:11.830
This was the original team

59:11.830 --> 59:12.930
that wrote this training

59:12.930 --> 59:14.050
and like you said earlier

59:14.050 --> 59:16.090
you had a mix of Guard, Reserve

59:16.090 --> 59:17.090
and active component.

59:17.090 --> 59:19.040
There was over 300 years

59:19.040 --> 59:21.020
of family programs experienced

59:21.020 --> 59:22.080
and there was more passion

59:22.080 --> 59:25.460
in that room than you could possibly imagine.

59:25.460 --> 59:27.540
And then I also need to thank...

59:27.540 --> 59:31.060
So if we can go to the next slide.

59:31.060 --> 59:32.070
These were the initial units

59:32.070 --> 59:34.580
that the draft training was sent out to.

59:34.580 --> 59:36.180
We had four commands,

59:36.180 --> 59:37.180
four National Guard state

59:37.180 --> 59:39.140
seven installations in 24 units

59:39.140 --> 59:41.130
at varying levels and varying methods

59:41.130 --> 59:42.320
to support the initial feedback

59:42.320 --> 59:43.320
of the draft materials.

59:43.320 --> 59:45.520
It is because of these commands

59:45.520 --> 59:47.410
and the dedication that these families

59:47.410 --> 59:48.920
and these commanders had

59:48.920 --> 59:51.030
in providing us this that we have it.

59:51.030 --> 59:52.320
I have a special thank you

59:52.320 --> 59:53.430
for Lieutenant General

59:53.430 --> 59:55.110
and Mrs. Vandal of 8th Army,

59:55.110 --> 59:56.110
Lieutenant General

59:56.110 --> 59:57.770
and Mrs. MacFarlane of 3rd Corps,

59:57.770 --> 01:00:00.340
Major General and Mrs. Flynn of 25th ID,

01:00:00.340 --> 01:00:01.490
Brigade General and Mrs. Rochell

01:00:01.490 --> 01:00:03.780
of US forces Korea J4,

01:00:03.780 --> 01:00:05.850
Colonel Retired and Mrs. Brush,

01:00:05.850 --> 01:00:07.850
secretary to the US Republic of Korea

01:00:07.850 --> 01:00:11.030
SOFA Joint Committee US forces Korea,

01:00:11.030 --> 01:00:12.280
and Colonel and Mrs. Donahue

01:00:12.280 --> 01:00:14.100
at the Center of Excellence in Maneuver

01:00:14.100 --> 01:00:15.890
for unprecedented access

01:00:15.890 --> 01:00:18.530
to their soldiers to their volunteers

01:00:18.530 --> 01:00:19.530
and to their passion

01:00:19.530 --> 01:00:21.560
to make sure that we had something

01:00:21.560 --> 01:00:23.490
that met the needs across the Army

01:00:23.490 --> 01:00:25.800
and represented every single person

01:00:25.800 --> 01:00:26.830
not only in this room

01:00:26.830 --> 01:00:29.330
but who is at any duty station

01:00:29.580 --> 01:00:31.810
and any component across the Army.

01:00:31.810 --> 01:00:33.290
So thank you for your time

01:00:33.290 --> 01:00:34.957
and attention today.

01:00:35.957 --> 01:00:38.957
(audience applauds)

01:00:48.092 --> 01:00:49.460
- [Questioner] A quick question about the process.

01:00:49.460 --> 01:00:51.520
It still needs to go through legal doesn't it?

01:00:51.520 --> 01:00:52.520
- Yes ma'am.

01:00:52.520 --> 01:00:53.520
- [Questioner] And it still needs to be approved

01:00:53.520 --> 01:00:55.040
by the senior leaders

01:00:55.040 --> 01:00:56.040
before it becomes...

01:00:56.040 --> 01:00:58.830
- So yes, so it will go through ASCIM.

01:00:58.830 --> 01:01:00.640
ASCIM will look at it from a policy

01:01:00.640 --> 01:01:02.110
and senior leader perspective

01:01:02.110 --> 01:01:04.130
and that's the assistant secretary

01:01:04.130 --> 01:01:07.670
of oh I'm gonna get it wrong.

01:01:07.670 --> 01:01:09.410
Installation management

01:01:09.410 --> 01:01:11.680
that would look at it from that perspective

01:01:11.680 --> 01:01:14.150
and then OT JAG at the Army level

01:01:14.150 --> 01:01:15.280
will also review it.

01:01:15.280 --> 01:01:17.300
The pilot was reviewed by both those teams

01:01:17.300 --> 01:01:19.140
but because we made changes.

01:01:19.140 --> 01:01:20.210
We need to take it back through them

01:01:20.210 --> 01:01:21.210
to make sure that's okay.

01:01:21.210 --> 01:01:22.210
- [Questioner] And then it goes

01:01:22.210 --> 01:01:23.210
through the senior leadership

01:01:23.210 --> 01:01:25.381
for proofing as well, senior.

01:01:25.381 --> 01:01:26.214
- Yes.

01:01:26.214 --> 01:01:27.241
- [Questioner] Yes, okay thank you so much.

01:01:27.241 --> 01:01:28.658
- You're welcome.

01:01:29.977 --> 01:01:30.810
Alright.

01:01:44.485 --> 01:01:46.000
- So Heather thank you so much.

01:01:46.000 --> 01:01:47.640
If there's the kind of passion

01:01:47.640 --> 01:01:50.210
that you showed in briefing us

01:01:50.210 --> 01:01:52.710
in the book we really are in for quite a treat.

01:01:52.710 --> 01:01:54.310
They're an awful lot of work that went into that

01:01:54.310 --> 01:01:56.390
and I know they still have a few more steps to go

01:01:56.390 --> 01:01:58.230
but I think that everyone's going

01:01:58.230 --> 01:01:59.760
to be looking forward to 2018

01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:01.350
and getting their hands

01:02:01.350 --> 01:02:02.580
on the final product.

01:02:02.580 --> 01:02:04.530
Thank you so much.

01:02:04.530 --> 01:02:05.530
So we're gonna go ahead

01:02:05.530 --> 01:02:06.600
and take a five-minute break.

01:02:06.600 --> 01:02:08.020
Allow everybody kind of have a chance

01:02:08.020 --> 01:02:09.090
to talk a little bit about

01:02:09.090 --> 01:02:10.090
what they just heard

01:02:10.090 --> 01:02:11.550
because I know I've got lots of questions

01:02:11.550 --> 01:02:14.967
and we will regroup here in five minutes.

01:02:20.710 --> 01:02:23.627
(audience murmurs)

01:02:28.067 --> 01:02:31.484
Would everyone get to their seats please?

01:02:32.260 --> 01:02:36.260
(audience mumurs)

01:02:38.210 --> 01:02:39.210
Thank you.

01:02:39.210 --> 01:02:40.430
It's time to get back to your seats.

01:02:40.430 --> 01:02:41.263
Thank you.

01:02:42.393 --> 01:02:45.226
(audience mumurs)

01:02:53.150 --> 01:02:55.298
(taps mic)

01:02:55.298 --> 01:02:57.030
We'll be introducing our next speaker

01:02:57.030 --> 01:02:59.520
and you'll need to get back to your seats please.

01:02:59.520 --> 01:03:00.353
Thank you.

01:03:01.448 --> 01:03:04.281
(audience mumurs)

01:03:09.960 --> 01:03:12.390
Thank you so much.

01:03:12.390 --> 01:03:15.170
That was really great.

01:03:15.170 --> 01:03:16.790
So Heather again thank you very much

01:03:16.790 --> 01:03:19.220
and I put a little packet on your chair there.

01:03:19.220 --> 01:03:21.010
I appreciate it.

01:03:21.010 --> 01:03:22.080
So now it is my honor

01:03:22.080 --> 01:03:24.990
to introduce to you Ms. Diane Randon.

01:03:24.990 --> 01:03:26.430
Ms. Randon was inducted

01:03:26.430 --> 01:03:30.020
into the senior executive service in June 2007.

01:03:30.020 --> 01:03:32.360
She has served in her current role

01:03:32.360 --> 01:03:33.910
as the deputy chief of staff

01:03:33.910 --> 01:03:35.010
for installation management

01:03:35.010 --> 01:03:37.090
since October 2012.

01:03:37.090 --> 01:03:40.300
Since July 2017 she is temporarily assigned

01:03:40.300 --> 01:03:41.300
performing the duties

01:03:41.300 --> 01:03:43.300
of principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

01:03:43.300 --> 01:03:46.340
of the Army Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

01:03:46.340 --> 01:03:47.800
In this temporary position

01:03:47.800 --> 01:03:49.470
Ms. Randon supports the principal

01:03:49.470 --> 01:03:51.140
who is responsible for the supervision

01:03:51.140 --> 01:03:51.973
of manpower, personnel

01:03:51.973 --> 01:03:54.390
and reserve component affairs

01:03:54.640 --> 01:03:56.760
for the Department of the Army.

01:03:56.760 --> 01:03:58.840
She serves as the Army's point for policy

01:03:58.840 --> 01:03:59.960
and performance oversight

01:03:59.960 --> 01:04:01.840
of Human Resources, military, civilian

01:04:01.840 --> 01:04:04.600
and contractor, training ,readiness,

01:04:04.600 --> 01:04:07.090
mobilization, military health affairs,

01:04:07.090 --> 01:04:09.050
for structure manpower management,

01:04:09.050 --> 01:04:10.190
equal opportunity,

01:04:10.190 --> 01:04:11.900
equal employment opportunity

01:04:11.900 --> 01:04:12.980
and other critical matters

01:04:12.980 --> 01:04:14.740
as part of the Army leadership.

01:04:14.740 --> 01:04:16.270
She's a very busy woman.

01:04:16.270 --> 01:04:17.687
Ms. Diane Randon.

01:04:18.716 --> 01:04:21.716
(audience applauds)

01:04:29.407 --> 01:04:31.074
- Well good morning.

01:04:31.182 --> 01:04:32.140
Yes we're still in morning.

01:04:32.140 --> 01:04:34.300
It's great to see all of you.

01:04:34.300 --> 01:04:35.690
It's a pleasure to be here today

01:04:35.690 --> 01:04:38.900
and have this time to talk with all of you.

01:04:38.900 --> 01:04:42.290
Patty thank you for such a warm welcome

01:04:42.290 --> 01:04:44.020
and this invitation and as always

01:04:44.020 --> 01:04:46.640
the association of the United States Army

01:04:46.640 --> 01:04:48.500
has done a tremendous job

01:04:48.500 --> 01:04:50.280
putting together this year's meeting

01:04:50.280 --> 01:04:54.280
and exposition and these family forums.

01:04:54.490 --> 01:04:57.290
I was here for the family forum yesterday.

01:04:57.290 --> 01:04:58.290
Wow.

01:04:58.290 --> 01:05:00.610
I don't know if any of you also joined me.

01:05:00.610 --> 01:05:02.670
Our Surgeon General's remarks on wellness

01:05:02.670 --> 01:05:03.980
were compelling

01:05:03.980 --> 01:05:05.910
as well as that Canadian commercial

01:05:05.910 --> 01:05:07.790
on how we live our life.

01:05:07.790 --> 01:05:09.910
I reinforced the invitation from yesterday

01:05:09.910 --> 01:05:12.960
for our soldiers, families and civilians

01:05:12.960 --> 01:05:14.480
to explore and use

01:05:14.480 --> 01:05:17.040
those increasing number of wellness centers

01:05:17.040 --> 01:05:18.350
across our installations.

01:05:18.350 --> 01:05:20.760
I want to start by framing

01:05:20.760 --> 01:05:23.540
today's theme, identifying needs

01:05:23.540 --> 01:05:26.210
and leveling expectations.

01:05:26.210 --> 01:05:27.390
Today's army is comprised

01:05:27.390 --> 01:05:30.090
of about a million soldiers

01:05:30.090 --> 01:05:31.520
across all components

01:05:31.520 --> 01:05:35.260
and roughly 1.3 million family members.

01:05:35.260 --> 01:05:36.520
And the strength of our army

01:05:36.520 --> 01:05:39.940
hinges on their collective readiness.

01:05:39.940 --> 01:05:40.940
Soldiers and families

01:05:40.940 --> 01:05:42.330
tend to be self-sufficient

01:05:42.330 --> 01:05:44.030
but as Dr. Sams from Rand

01:05:44.030 --> 01:05:45.700
will discuss later

01:05:45.700 --> 01:05:47.340
unmet needs can translate

01:05:47.340 --> 01:05:49.170
into wider range of challenges

01:05:49.170 --> 01:05:51.150
for families because problems

01:05:51.150 --> 01:05:55.150
in one area of life often spill into others.

01:05:55.900 --> 01:05:58.020
Consequently understanding those needs

01:05:58.020 --> 01:05:59.740
and investing in the right programs

01:05:59.740 --> 01:06:01.890
and services at the right levels

01:06:01.890 --> 01:06:04.650
is our priority and our goal.

01:06:04.650 --> 01:06:05.650
I'm going to fill you in

01:06:05.650 --> 01:06:07.240
on some things that the Army is doing

01:06:07.240 --> 01:06:09.400
to take care of soldiers and families

01:06:09.400 --> 01:06:12.510
and anticipate needs, balance resources ,

01:06:12.510 --> 01:06:13.880
and leverage partnerships

01:06:13.880 --> 01:06:15.940
that I'm looking forward to hearing

01:06:15.940 --> 01:06:17.300
what's on your mind.

01:06:17.300 --> 01:06:19.330
Let me start by telling you a little bit

01:06:19.330 --> 01:06:21.030
about myself so you get an idea

01:06:21.030 --> 01:06:22.820
of my perspective.

01:06:22.820 --> 01:06:24.580
I've been a Department of Army civilian

01:06:24.580 --> 01:06:28.530
for 28 of my 32 years of civil service.

01:06:28.530 --> 01:06:29.530
The other four years

01:06:29.530 --> 01:06:32.410
were inside LSD but not with army.

01:06:32.410 --> 01:06:36.310
I am proud of my service to our army.

01:06:36.310 --> 01:06:37.530
Most of my professional career

01:06:37.530 --> 01:06:39.050
has been as a comptroller

01:06:39.050 --> 01:06:40.490
and for the last eight years

01:06:40.490 --> 01:06:42.760
I have had the privilege of shepherding

01:06:42.760 --> 01:06:46.150
and advocating for the resources

01:06:46.150 --> 01:06:48.460
invested in soldier and family readiness.

01:06:48.460 --> 01:06:51.400
I did not wander into service associated

01:06:51.400 --> 01:06:54.150
with the military by happenstance.

01:06:54.150 --> 01:06:57.220
It's been more of a vacation or calling for me.

01:06:57.220 --> 01:06:59.030
I grew up in a military family.

01:06:59.030 --> 01:07:01.050
Both of my parents served.

01:07:01.050 --> 01:07:03.200
My brother was a career army soldier

01:07:03.200 --> 01:07:04.750
and I was married to an army soldier

01:07:04.750 --> 01:07:06.510
for ten years.

01:07:06.510 --> 01:07:07.770
So I understand the challenges

01:07:07.770 --> 01:07:09.060
faced by military families

01:07:09.060 --> 01:07:12.040
from many different sides of the conversation.

01:07:12.040 --> 01:07:14.330
I will tell you that the old French saying

01:07:14.330 --> 01:07:15.600
that the more things change

01:07:15.600 --> 01:07:17.270
the more they stay the same

01:07:17.270 --> 01:07:20.400
is certainly true in my experience.

01:07:20.400 --> 01:07:21.400
My father passed away

01:07:21.400 --> 01:07:23.070
just two years ago.

01:07:23.070 --> 01:07:25.010
My dad was a bit of a pack rat

01:07:25.010 --> 01:07:26.890
but an organized one

01:07:26.890 --> 01:07:28.330
and meticulously saved

01:07:28.330 --> 01:07:29.880
even the most minor records

01:07:29.880 --> 01:07:31.850
of our family's life,

01:07:31.850 --> 01:07:35.850
letters, receipts, programs, expired ID cards,

01:07:35.880 --> 01:07:37.320
lots of little pieces of paper

01:07:37.320 --> 01:07:39.790
that capture moments in time.

01:07:39.790 --> 01:07:41.510
I was probably most appreciative

01:07:41.510 --> 01:07:43.930
of my mother saved wedding dress,

01:07:43.930 --> 01:07:45.750
her uniform as a Navy sailor,

01:07:45.750 --> 01:07:47.220
along with the reel-to-reel tapes

01:07:47.220 --> 01:07:49.960
and 35 millimeter slides,

01:07:49.960 --> 01:07:52.060
including the appropriate devices for viewing

01:07:52.060 --> 01:07:54.310
and they worked.

01:07:54.310 --> 01:07:55.310
So as I worked my way

01:07:55.310 --> 01:07:56.530
through the stacks of papers

01:07:56.530 --> 01:07:58.850
and memories earlier this year

01:07:58.850 --> 01:07:59.850
I began to remember

01:07:59.850 --> 01:08:01.300
what it was like to feel like a child

01:08:01.300 --> 01:08:02.650
of a service member.

01:08:02.650 --> 01:08:04.000
I remember the apprehension

01:08:04.000 --> 01:08:05.690
of the first day at a new school.

01:08:05.690 --> 01:08:07.180
I remembered waiting for my dad

01:08:07.180 --> 01:08:09.010
to find us a place to live.

01:08:09.010 --> 01:08:11.810
I remembered him being gone

01:08:11.810 --> 01:08:13.280
and feeling anxiety,

01:08:13.280 --> 01:08:16.230
not knowing when he was going to come back.

01:08:16.230 --> 01:08:18.430
I also saw really for the first time

01:08:18.430 --> 01:08:19.870
my parents point of view

01:08:19.870 --> 01:08:21.740
and what they had to do for our family.

01:08:21.740 --> 01:08:23.720
I recalled as a military spouse

01:08:23.720 --> 01:08:26.180
how I would leave a perfectly good job

01:08:26.180 --> 01:08:29.040
in search of another one at our new destination

01:08:29.040 --> 01:08:30.120
and how I would volunteer

01:08:30.120 --> 01:08:33.250
for the unit family support group,

01:08:33.250 --> 01:08:34.600
supporting each other in times of need

01:08:34.600 --> 01:08:36.470
and stress.

01:08:36.470 --> 01:08:37.620
As I went through this little journey

01:08:37.620 --> 01:08:38.720
down memory lane

01:08:38.720 --> 01:08:40.350
I realized two things.

01:08:40.350 --> 01:08:42.890
The first military families

01:08:42.890 --> 01:08:44.470
still deal with the same challenges

01:08:44.470 --> 01:08:46.220
my family did.

01:08:46.220 --> 01:08:47.220
Where will we live?

01:08:47.220 --> 01:08:50.120
Where will the kids go to school?

01:08:50.120 --> 01:08:52.290
Can we get the services we need?

01:08:52.290 --> 01:08:54.730
Will we have to be separated?

01:08:54.730 --> 01:08:56.180
Will the spouse of the military member

01:08:56.180 --> 01:08:57.890
be able to find a job?

01:08:57.890 --> 01:08:59.720
And second family programs

01:08:59.720 --> 01:09:02.640
and services have come a long way.

01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:03.640
When my dad served

01:09:03.640 --> 01:09:04.640
the military didn't talk much

01:09:04.640 --> 01:09:06.290
about family services.

01:09:06.290 --> 01:09:07.290
You've heard the adage

01:09:07.290 --> 01:09:10.060
if the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines

01:09:10.060 --> 01:09:11.370
wanted you to have a family

01:09:11.370 --> 01:09:14.060
they would have given you one.

01:09:14.060 --> 01:09:15.140
Families mostly just figured out

01:09:15.140 --> 01:09:18.180
on their own often as a distractor

01:09:18.180 --> 01:09:19.200
for the military member

01:09:19.200 --> 01:09:20.390
sometimes taking time

01:09:20.390 --> 01:09:22.970
and attention away from their mission.

01:09:22.970 --> 01:09:24.970
Today we realize that the well-being

01:09:24.970 --> 01:09:26.770
of army families is integral

01:09:26.770 --> 01:09:28.430
to our ability to recruit

01:09:28.430 --> 01:09:31.240
and retain the all-volunteer force

01:09:31.240 --> 01:09:34.350
and to maintain the readiness of that force.

01:09:34.350 --> 01:09:37.220
We also realize it's just the right thing to do

01:09:37.220 --> 01:09:40.260
to take care of our most valuable assets,

01:09:40.260 --> 01:09:41.660
our people.

01:09:41.660 --> 01:09:42.660
As our chief

01:09:42.660 --> 01:09:44.520
says our number one priority is readiness

01:09:44.520 --> 01:09:47.280
and there is no other number one.

01:09:47.280 --> 01:09:49.440
I also heard from the Secretary of Defense

01:09:49.440 --> 01:09:51.580
at yesterday's opening session

01:09:51.580 --> 01:09:53.540
that everything that we do

01:09:53.540 --> 01:09:56.810
must contribute to readiness and lethality.

01:09:56.810 --> 01:09:58.030
We strongly believe

01:09:58.030 --> 01:10:00.060
that investing in family programs

01:10:00.060 --> 01:10:03.080
is a direct contribution to readiness.

01:10:03.080 --> 01:10:04.890
We know that soldiers cannot fully focus

01:10:04.890 --> 01:10:06.470
on their duties unless they know

01:10:06.470 --> 01:10:08.580
that families are taken care of.

01:10:08.580 --> 01:10:11.430
So soldier readiness plus family readiness

01:10:11.430 --> 01:10:14.390
equals mission readiness.

01:10:14.390 --> 01:10:15.390
Before we go further

01:10:15.390 --> 01:10:17.830
I do want to give you a little historical perspective

01:10:17.830 --> 01:10:19.330
on this portfolio.

01:10:20.700 --> 01:10:22.080
In 2007 the Army chief of staff

01:10:22.080 --> 01:10:23.850
called the Army out of balance

01:10:23.850 --> 01:10:26.370
and created a series of army wide initiatives

01:10:26.370 --> 01:10:28.910
to bring the Army back into balance.

01:10:28.910 --> 01:10:29.910
One of those initiatives

01:10:29.910 --> 01:10:32.140
was the Army Family Covenant.

01:10:32.140 --> 01:10:35.140
At that time the Army nearly doubled

01:10:35.430 --> 01:10:38.770
the investment in soldier and family programs.

01:10:38.770 --> 01:10:39.950
Before the Army family covenant

01:10:39.950 --> 01:10:42.560
this portfolio was funded at about 65%

01:10:42.560 --> 01:10:45.240
of its recognized requirement.

01:10:45.240 --> 01:10:46.620
Another way to look at it,

01:10:46.620 --> 01:10:48.560
soldier and family readiness programs

01:10:48.560 --> 01:10:50.290
were underfunded

01:10:50.290 --> 01:10:52.970
and it had been that way for a long time.

01:10:52.970 --> 01:10:54.450
One major focus of the covenant

01:10:54.450 --> 01:10:57.310
was to standardize programs across the Army

01:10:57.310 --> 01:10:59.580
and strategically convey that message

01:10:59.580 --> 01:11:01.550
of commitment.

01:11:01.550 --> 01:11:04.060
Fast-forward to March 2013.

01:11:04.060 --> 01:11:06.140
We were confronted with significant reductions

01:11:06.140 --> 01:11:07.910
from the Budget Control Act

01:11:07.910 --> 01:11:09.370
and were bracing for the impacts

01:11:09.370 --> 01:11:10.970
of sequestration.

01:11:10.970 --> 01:11:12.890
Soldier and family readiness programs

01:11:12.890 --> 01:11:15.580
were impacted so army senior leaders

01:11:15.580 --> 01:11:17.490
inked Total Army Strong

01:11:17.490 --> 01:11:18.890
to replace the covenant

01:11:18.890 --> 01:11:22.040
as their commitment to soldiers and families.

01:11:22.040 --> 01:11:23.890
This provided a platform to balance

01:11:23.890 --> 01:11:26.140
and reshape soldier and family programs

01:11:26.140 --> 01:11:29.300
in a constrained resource environment.

01:11:29.300 --> 01:11:31.430
Total Army Strong shifted the focus of soldier

01:11:31.430 --> 01:11:34.660
and family programs to readiness

01:11:34.660 --> 01:11:35.870
and meeting the most critical needs

01:11:35.870 --> 01:11:38.080
of soldiers and families.

01:11:38.080 --> 01:11:40.310
Total Army Strong also provided commanders

01:11:40.310 --> 01:11:44.310
some flexibility to adjust and prioritize programs

01:11:44.540 --> 01:11:48.540
based on the needs of their soldiers and families.

01:11:49.580 --> 01:11:50.640
While the Budget Control Act

01:11:50.640 --> 01:11:52.640
was a bit of a forcing function

01:11:52.640 --> 01:11:55.830
the Army Family Covenant had served effectively

01:11:55.830 --> 01:11:58.310
but it did need an update.

01:11:58.310 --> 01:11:59.700
However this was not the first time

01:11:59.700 --> 01:12:00.910
we assessed the investment

01:12:00.910 --> 01:12:04.620
of resources against the portfolio of programs.

01:12:04.620 --> 01:12:05.980
We have a team dedicated

01:12:05.980 --> 01:12:08.450
to managing this portfolio.

01:12:08.450 --> 01:12:10.250
Many of who are in this room

01:12:10.250 --> 01:12:12.300
and they continuously evaluate

01:12:12.300 --> 01:12:14.280
the efficacy of our programs

01:12:14.280 --> 01:12:17.060
and commensurate investment levels.

01:12:17.060 --> 01:12:19.050
So while we have protected the goodness

01:12:19.050 --> 01:12:20.390
of family programs

01:12:20.390 --> 01:12:22.310
I don't want anyone leaving here today

01:12:22.310 --> 01:12:23.830
believing we have not sought out

01:12:23.830 --> 01:12:27.830
to continuously balance, collaborate and hone

01:12:28.960 --> 01:12:32.450
and especially calibrate with precision

01:12:32.450 --> 01:12:34.150
on how we invest every taxpayer

01:12:34.150 --> 01:12:36.330
and nav profit dollar.

01:12:36.330 --> 01:12:37.950
We continue to evolve programs

01:12:37.950 --> 01:12:40.510
to meet intended capability.

01:12:40.510 --> 01:12:43.810
So sometimes that means investing

01:12:43.810 --> 01:12:46.070
and sometimes that means

01:12:46.070 --> 01:12:48.120
decreasing the investment.

01:12:48.120 --> 01:12:51.200
For example we have resized programs

01:12:51.200 --> 01:12:52.570
and reduced investments

01:12:52.570 --> 01:12:54.580
as we've decreased deployments

01:12:54.580 --> 01:12:56.690
and downsized our army.

01:12:56.690 --> 01:12:59.080
Equally we have increased some areas

01:12:59.080 --> 01:13:01.070
like financial readiness training

01:13:01.070 --> 01:13:02.690
especially with the implementation

01:13:02.690 --> 01:13:05.470
of the blended retirement system.

01:13:05.470 --> 01:13:06.470
Today we continue

01:13:06.470 --> 01:13:08.640
the Total Army Strong commitment.

01:13:08.640 --> 01:13:09.940
We continue to give commanders

01:13:09.940 --> 01:13:12.950
the flexibility to adjust programs

01:13:12.950 --> 01:13:15.610
based on the needs of their location populations

01:13:15.610 --> 01:13:18.220
and ensure they meet readiness levels.

01:13:18.220 --> 01:13:21.360
So how do we define family readiness?

01:13:21.360 --> 01:13:24.580
Officially the Department of Defense

01:13:24.580 --> 01:13:25.600
defines family readiness

01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:27.070
as a state of being prepared

01:13:27.070 --> 01:13:29.160
to effectively navigate the challenges

01:13:29.160 --> 01:13:32.330
of daily living, experienced

01:13:32.330 --> 01:13:35.890
in the unique context of military service.

01:13:35.890 --> 01:13:38.150
More specifically prepared families

01:13:38.150 --> 01:13:39.420
understand the challenges

01:13:39.420 --> 01:13:41.410
they may face such as relocation

01:13:41.410 --> 01:13:42.940
and deployments.

01:13:42.940 --> 01:13:44.970
They have the skills needed to function

01:13:44.970 --> 01:13:46.710
in the face of these challenges.

01:13:46.710 --> 01:13:50.260
They are aware of available supportive resources

01:13:50.260 --> 01:13:52.840
such as army community service,

01:13:52.840 --> 01:13:56.020
family readiness groups and MWR activities

01:13:56.020 --> 01:13:57.900
and use their skills and resources

01:13:57.900 --> 01:13:59.840
to manage the unique challenges

01:13:59.840 --> 01:14:01.460
of military life.

01:14:01.460 --> 01:14:03.570
As such we remain committed

01:14:03.570 --> 01:14:04.900
to a system of programs

01:14:04.900 --> 01:14:07.470
and services that build readiness,

01:14:07.470 --> 01:14:09.250
foster life skills,

01:14:09.250 --> 01:14:12.340
and mitigate the challenges of military life.

01:14:12.340 --> 01:14:14.220
These programs are valuable investments

01:14:14.220 --> 01:14:15.220
in our families

01:14:15.220 --> 01:14:17.740
and the readiness of the force.

01:14:17.740 --> 01:14:19.830
Readiness cannot be produced overnight.

01:14:19.830 --> 01:14:23.830
It requires predictable funding over time

01:14:24.080 --> 01:14:25.480
and steady effort of leaders

01:14:25.480 --> 01:14:26.500
and professionals.

01:14:26.500 --> 01:14:29.980
If the Budget Control Act funding levels return

01:14:29.980 --> 01:14:30.980
the Army will face

01:14:30.980 --> 01:14:34.220
increasingly difficult fiscal decisions.

01:14:34.220 --> 01:14:36.450
We must leverage informed decision-making

01:14:36.450 --> 01:14:38.270
and evidence of effectiveness

01:14:38.270 --> 01:14:40.270
to validate that programs contribute

01:14:40.270 --> 01:14:42.010
to army readiness.

01:14:42.010 --> 01:14:43.920
We continue to conduct internal

01:14:43.920 --> 01:14:46.070
and external program evaluations

01:14:46.070 --> 01:14:47.630
to ensure the most effective

01:14:47.630 --> 01:14:50.390
and efficient delivery of service.

01:14:50.390 --> 01:14:51.750
We also use processes

01:14:51.750 --> 01:14:54.780
like the Army Family Action Plan or AFAP

01:14:54.780 --> 01:14:56.010
as a readiness multiplier

01:14:56.010 --> 01:14:59.970
to communicate quality of life issues facing

01:14:59.970 --> 01:15:02.970
soldiers, civilians, families, survivors,

01:15:02.970 --> 01:15:06.410
wounded warriors and retirees.

01:15:06.410 --> 01:15:09.040
In July 12 new AFAP issues

01:15:09.040 --> 01:15:10.350
chosen by constituents

01:15:10.350 --> 01:15:11.800
from 19 commands

01:15:11.800 --> 01:15:14.890
entered the issue resolution process.

01:15:14.890 --> 01:15:16.220
Some of these issues include

01:15:16.220 --> 01:15:18.250
creating a soldier voluntary

01:15:18.250 --> 01:15:20.220
leave transfer program,

01:15:20.220 --> 01:15:23.630
enhancing the post 9/11 GI Bill

01:15:23.630 --> 01:15:24.930
and authorizing soldiers

01:15:24.930 --> 01:15:27.010
alternative medical tricare coverage

01:15:27.010 --> 01:15:29.427
to include chiropractic care.

01:15:29.570 --> 01:15:31.670
the Army will continue to work these issues

01:15:31.670 --> 01:15:34.390
over the next several months.

01:15:34.390 --> 01:15:35.390
While working these issues

01:15:35.390 --> 01:15:37.920
we must also continue to evaluate soldier

01:15:37.920 --> 01:15:39.650
and family readiness

01:15:39.650 --> 01:15:40.760
to ensure they meet the needs

01:15:40.760 --> 01:15:42.820
of our soldiers and families.

01:15:42.820 --> 01:15:44.460
We have three critical program groups

01:15:44.460 --> 01:15:46.210
to serve those needs.

01:15:46.280 --> 01:15:49.110
The first is the Army community service centers

01:15:49.110 --> 01:15:50.340
and they provide a broad array

01:15:50.340 --> 01:15:52.900
of life skills, education, prevention

01:15:52.900 --> 01:15:54.510
and intervention services

01:15:54.510 --> 01:15:56.120
to strengthen self-reliance

01:15:56.120 --> 01:15:58.450
and personal readiness.

01:15:58.450 --> 01:16:01.430
Morale welfare and recreation programs,

01:16:01.430 --> 01:16:02.740
MWR improve readiness

01:16:02.740 --> 01:16:04.470
by increasing physical, social

01:16:04.470 --> 01:16:06.590
and mental well-being.

01:16:06.590 --> 01:16:07.700
Single soldiers are often away

01:16:07.700 --> 01:16:09.320
from home, friends and family

01:16:09.320 --> 01:16:11.770
for the first time in their lives.

01:16:11.770 --> 01:16:13.600
This is what makes MWR programs

01:16:13.600 --> 01:16:14.840
very important.

01:16:14.840 --> 01:16:18.470
Child youth school services support readiness

01:16:18.470 --> 01:16:20.740
by reducing lost duty time

01:16:20.740 --> 01:16:23.480
due to conflict between parental responsibilities

01:16:23.480 --> 01:16:25.860
and mission requirements.

01:16:25.860 --> 01:16:26.860
Last year there were more

01:16:26.860 --> 01:16:29.370
than 245 thousand children

01:16:29.370 --> 01:16:31.610
and youth enrolled in our programs.

01:16:31.610 --> 01:16:34.450
Child development and care

01:16:34.450 --> 01:16:36.240
in a safe healthy environment

01:16:36.240 --> 01:16:39.720
is a key factor in soldier and family readiness.

01:16:39.720 --> 01:16:42.390
While we are convinced of the value

01:16:42.390 --> 01:16:43.770
of our family programs

01:16:43.770 --> 01:16:46.060
our constrained budgetary environment

01:16:46.060 --> 01:16:48.260
means we must do our best

01:16:48.260 --> 01:16:49.520
to shape our investments

01:16:49.520 --> 01:16:51.160
to meet our family's needs

01:16:51.160 --> 01:16:52.660
when our strategic environment

01:16:52.660 --> 01:16:54.840
continues to change.

01:16:54.840 --> 01:16:56.850
For example just a few years ago

01:16:56.850 --> 01:16:57.850
we developed a plan

01:16:57.850 --> 01:16:59.600
to downsize the Army.

01:17:00.360 --> 01:17:01.360
Now we are planning

01:17:01.360 --> 01:17:04.070
to support an increased end strength.

01:17:04.070 --> 01:17:05.290
The size of our military

01:17:05.290 --> 01:17:08.530
and its family population is a major driver

01:17:08.530 --> 01:17:12.530
in determining our investment levels.

01:17:14.050 --> 01:17:16.280
How do we fund warfighting capabilities

01:17:16.280 --> 01:17:19.830
and deter threat in an international situation

01:17:19.830 --> 01:17:22.110
and according to the Secretary of Defense's

01:17:22.110 --> 01:17:24.870
words yesterday is more complex

01:17:24.870 --> 01:17:27.360
and demanding than he's ever seen

01:17:27.360 --> 01:17:29.350
while also funding all the programs

01:17:29.350 --> 01:17:32.790
and services that enable readiness?

01:17:32.790 --> 01:17:34.270
It is truly a balancing act

01:17:34.270 --> 01:17:37.270
that requires give-and-take on all sides.

01:17:37.270 --> 01:17:40.110
We already know that soldiers

01:17:40.110 --> 01:17:42.650
and families are resilient and self-sufficient

01:17:42.650 --> 01:17:44.460
and will figure it out

01:17:44.460 --> 01:17:46.430
and we are committed

01:17:46.430 --> 01:17:47.980
to ensuring that we help

01:17:47.980 --> 01:17:50.980
through the delivery of these programs.

01:17:50.980 --> 01:17:52.930
We are increasingly using partnerships

01:17:52.930 --> 01:17:55.500
to leverage organizational resources,

01:17:55.500 --> 01:17:57.700
expertise, and experience

01:17:57.700 --> 01:17:59.510
to deliver services and creative

01:17:59.510 --> 01:18:02.430
and cost-effective ways.

01:18:02.430 --> 01:18:04.610
Partnerships serve to maximize every dollar

01:18:04.610 --> 01:18:05.610
and help us deliver

01:18:05.610 --> 01:18:07.530
high quality products and services

01:18:07.530 --> 01:18:11.060
in the most efficient manner possible.

01:18:11.060 --> 01:18:12.250
We already have very strong

01:18:12.250 --> 01:18:14.010
community partnerships

01:18:14.010 --> 01:18:15.790
and we continue to learn from communities

01:18:15.790 --> 01:18:17.530
where our geographically dispersed

01:18:17.530 --> 01:18:19.090
Reserve and National Guard members

01:18:19.090 --> 01:18:20.560
live and work

01:18:20.560 --> 01:18:21.560
and the support

01:18:21.560 --> 01:18:23.700
the communities provide to them.

01:18:23.700 --> 01:18:24.730
Here are a couple examples

01:18:24.730 --> 01:18:27.540
of what we consider success stories.

01:18:27.540 --> 01:18:29.560
the Army's residential communities initiative

01:18:29.560 --> 01:18:31.410
or RCI is a perfect example

01:18:31.410 --> 01:18:33.270
of a public/private partnership

01:18:33.270 --> 01:18:37.270
through RCI the Army transferred 85,000

01:18:37.290 --> 01:18:40.290
previously owned homes to private developers.

01:18:40.290 --> 01:18:42.140
The private partners renovate, build

01:18:42.140 --> 01:18:43.680
and maintain quality homes

01:18:43.680 --> 01:18:47.520
in return for basic housing allowance or BAH.

01:18:47.520 --> 01:18:50.140
When we started this program in 1998

01:18:50.140 --> 01:18:51.140
the average age

01:18:51.140 --> 01:18:54.130
of our housing inventory was 48 years.

01:18:54.130 --> 01:18:56.620
That statistic is now down to 12 years

01:18:56.620 --> 01:18:59.120
thanks to this innovative partnership.

01:18:59.120 --> 01:19:01.450
These new homes are often Energy Star compliant

01:19:01.450 --> 01:19:03.830
including wireless internet capability

01:19:03.830 --> 01:19:06.300
and larger bedrooms and closets.

01:19:06.300 --> 01:19:07.430
All these features contribute

01:19:07.430 --> 01:19:09.410
to improved quality of life for soldiers

01:19:09.410 --> 01:19:11.680
and their families.

01:19:11.680 --> 01:19:12.990
Another example.

01:19:12.990 --> 01:19:14.230
Fort Sill in the city of Lawton

01:19:14.230 --> 01:19:16.330
have partnered to help transitioning soldiers

01:19:16.330 --> 01:19:18.610
as they prepare to leave the Army.

01:19:18.610 --> 01:19:19.660
The Lawton Workforce Center

01:19:19.660 --> 01:19:22.290
embedded counselors at Fort Sill

01:19:22.290 --> 01:19:24.660
to offer a full range of transition services

01:19:24.660 --> 01:19:26.700
including employment assistance.

01:19:26.700 --> 01:19:28.490
A result of this program

01:19:28.490 --> 01:19:30.150
is that unemployment compensation

01:19:30.150 --> 01:19:32.810
for soldiers transitioning at Fort Sill

01:19:32.810 --> 01:19:35.120
has reduced from 20% in 2014

01:19:35.120 --> 01:19:37.580
to about 12% now.

01:19:37.580 --> 01:19:39.250
And there are many other examples

01:19:39.250 --> 01:19:40.750
of programs and partnerships

01:19:40.750 --> 01:19:43.480
supporting our transitioning soldiers

01:19:43.480 --> 01:19:45.190
at every installation.

01:19:45.190 --> 01:19:48.100
A third example through partnerships

01:19:48.100 --> 01:19:49.890
with organizations such as Boys

01:19:49.890 --> 01:19:52.370
and Girls Clubs of America

01:19:52.370 --> 01:19:53.980
Kids Included Together,

01:19:53.980 --> 01:19:56.270
Child Care Aware of America,

01:19:56.270 --> 01:19:59.370
4-H and countless other organizations,

01:19:59.370 --> 01:20:01.080
our child and youth programs

01:20:01.080 --> 01:20:03.680
are able to deliver quality education programs

01:20:03.680 --> 01:20:06.330
and develop a new generation of leaders

01:20:06.330 --> 01:20:07.560
who are prepared to live

01:20:07.560 --> 01:20:10.240
and lead in a global environment.

01:20:10.240 --> 01:20:11.910
It's clear that community partnerships

01:20:11.910 --> 01:20:13.410
can create efficiencies

01:20:13.410 --> 01:20:15.330
and increased cost savings

01:20:15.330 --> 01:20:17.370
while also providing essential soldier

01:20:17.370 --> 01:20:18.400
and family services.

01:20:18.400 --> 01:20:21.120
I believe we have only just started

01:20:21.120 --> 01:20:22.910
to see what we can achieve

01:20:22.910 --> 01:20:25.320
when non-federal entities, cities, states

01:20:25.320 --> 01:20:27.903
and the Army all work together.

01:20:29.120 --> 01:20:31.530
Regardless of the challenges the Army faces

01:20:31.530 --> 01:20:32.620
through shifting budgets

01:20:32.620 --> 01:20:34.720
and strategic priorities

01:20:34.720 --> 01:20:37.650
I will continue to be a champion for our soldiers

01:20:37.650 --> 01:20:39.040
and families.

01:20:39.040 --> 01:20:41.220
We cannot lose sight of the imperative

01:20:41.220 --> 01:20:42.940
to keep faith with our soldiers

01:20:42.940 --> 01:20:44.760
and their families.

01:20:44.760 --> 01:20:46.140
This is key to our readiness

01:20:46.140 --> 01:20:49.100
and our success in defending our nation now

01:20:49.100 --> 01:20:51.720
and for generations to come.

01:20:51.720 --> 01:20:55.720
You see we know that today's army's kids

01:20:56.680 --> 01:20:59.410
often grow up to be tomorrow's soldiers.

01:20:59.410 --> 01:21:03.180
In fact nearly 80% of today's soldiers

01:21:03.180 --> 01:21:06.200
come from military families.

01:21:06.200 --> 01:21:07.620
This tells me that individuals

01:21:07.620 --> 01:21:09.410
considering joining the Army

01:21:09.410 --> 01:21:12.700
think the Army is a good place to raise a family

01:21:12.700 --> 01:21:15.350
based on their own experiences.

01:21:15.350 --> 01:21:16.600
And based on my experience

01:21:16.600 --> 01:21:18.390
as a military member, spouse,

01:21:18.390 --> 01:21:22.000
and civilian I have to agree.

01:21:22.000 --> 01:21:24.460
I want to close by thanking all of you

01:21:24.460 --> 01:21:26.020
for your commitment to our army

01:21:26.020 --> 01:21:27.640
and our nation.

01:21:27.640 --> 01:21:29.170
For those of you in this audience

01:21:29.170 --> 01:21:31.980
in doing at distant sites

01:21:31.980 --> 01:21:34.350
who have served, been a family member

01:21:34.350 --> 01:21:36.660
in support, been a volunteer,

01:21:36.660 --> 01:21:40.410
a DA civilian providing the service delivery,

01:21:41.110 --> 01:21:44.480
a public servant a private partner,

01:21:44.480 --> 01:21:46.450
and friend to our community

01:21:46.450 --> 01:21:47.810
thank you for your service

01:21:47.810 --> 01:21:49.820
and contributions.

01:21:49.820 --> 01:21:52.820
(audience applauds)

01:21:59.910 --> 01:22:01.827
Am I to take questions?

01:22:02.220 --> 01:22:05.803
Does anyone have any questions or comments?

01:22:14.213 --> 01:22:16.180
Okay I will take that as a no.

01:22:16.180 --> 01:22:18.180
Thank you for your time.

01:22:18.208 --> 01:22:21.208
(audience applauds)

01:22:30.850 --> 01:22:32.570
- Ms. Randon thank you so very much.

01:22:32.570 --> 01:22:35.660
Your comments were very very

01:22:35.660 --> 01:22:36.660
appreciated by the audience

01:22:36.660 --> 01:22:37.660
and especially by me.

01:22:37.660 --> 01:22:38.730
Thank you.

01:22:38.730 --> 01:22:40.700
So we're going to go on

01:22:40.700 --> 01:22:43.200
and I'm gonna bring up our next speaker

01:22:43.200 --> 01:22:45.270
but before I do I wanted to point out

01:22:45.270 --> 01:22:46.970
that there is a table in the back

01:22:46.970 --> 01:22:49.040
that has a lot of different handouts.

01:22:49.040 --> 01:22:50.620
If you haven't had a chance to go

01:22:50.620 --> 01:22:53.000
by the table to check them out please do.

01:22:53.000 --> 01:22:55.100
And you'll see a really nice little banner there

01:22:55.100 --> 01:22:58.390
that has a soldier with his back to you

01:22:58.390 --> 01:23:01.160
and there's vet ticks written across his back.

01:23:01.160 --> 01:23:02.350
That's a wonderful organization

01:23:02.350 --> 01:23:04.340
that many of you should check out

01:23:04.340 --> 01:23:06.910
because they provide free tickets

01:23:06.910 --> 01:23:09.140
to many many events all across the country

01:23:09.140 --> 01:23:12.150
and veterans and currently serving soldiers

01:23:12.150 --> 01:23:14.880
and families are entitled to receive them.

01:23:14.880 --> 01:23:17.110
So right now I'm going to bring up

01:23:17.110 --> 01:23:18.670
our next speaker.

01:23:18.670 --> 01:23:22.670
And, hold on a second there, is Dr. Cara Sims

01:23:22.790 --> 01:23:24.580
and Dr. Sims is a senior behavioral

01:23:24.580 --> 01:23:26.970
and social scientist at the Rand Corporation

01:23:26.970 --> 01:23:29.300
working primarily in project Air Force

01:23:29.300 --> 01:23:31.370
and Arroyo Center on the US Air Force

01:23:31.370 --> 01:23:33.770
and US Army manpower and wellness.

01:23:33.770 --> 01:23:35.120
Her current and past research

01:23:35.120 --> 01:23:36.740
includes investigating the effects

01:23:36.740 --> 01:23:38.620
of workplace stressors,

01:23:38.620 --> 01:23:40.650
including military deployment discrimination

01:23:40.650 --> 01:23:43.360
and sexual harassment on job attitudes

01:23:43.360 --> 01:23:44.650
and performance,

01:23:44.650 --> 01:23:46.130
assessing quality of life issues faced

01:23:46.130 --> 01:23:48.030
by wounded warriors, military families,

01:23:48.030 --> 01:23:49.030
and caregivers,

01:23:49.030 --> 01:23:51.910
evaluating employee selection systems.

01:23:51.910 --> 01:23:53.760
She also has worked on exploring the effects

01:23:53.760 --> 01:23:54.970
of organizational climate

01:23:54.970 --> 01:23:57.550
and culture on job attitudes and behaviors

01:23:57.550 --> 01:23:59.810
and how best to change organizational climate

01:23:59.810 --> 01:24:02.310
and culture and determining the knowledge skills

01:24:02.310 --> 01:24:03.940
and abilities required for success

01:24:03.940 --> 01:24:06.090
in various military and civilian jobs.

01:24:06.090 --> 01:24:07.270
She's going to talk to us

01:24:07.270 --> 01:24:09.110
about the soldier needs survey

01:24:09.110 --> 01:24:10.110
that they recently did

01:24:10.110 --> 01:24:11.110
and we're really excited

01:24:11.110 --> 01:24:13.693
about listening to the outcome.

01:24:16.317 --> 01:24:19.317
(audience applauds)

01:24:27.435 --> 01:24:30.685
- Thank You Patty for that introduction

01:24:31.180 --> 01:24:33.310
and thank you all for the opportunity to be here

01:24:33.310 --> 01:24:35.893
and talk to you about the study

01:24:36.350 --> 01:24:40.100
that we did for the Army at Rand Corporation.

01:24:40.310 --> 01:24:44.290
So if you'll bring up my...

01:24:44.290 --> 01:24:46.690
No slides?

01:24:46.690 --> 01:24:48.076
Technical difficulties.

01:24:48.076 --> 01:24:48.909
Okay.

01:24:49.089 --> 01:24:51.172
(laughs)

01:24:52.830 --> 01:24:56.480
Okay well that's gonna be interesting

01:24:56.480 --> 01:24:59.590
because I'll try to describe for you

01:24:59.590 --> 01:25:02.210
what I was what I was gonna show

01:25:02.210 --> 01:25:03.740
to you in charts.

01:25:03.740 --> 01:25:06.810
But first I want to mention my co-authors.

01:25:06.810 --> 01:25:09.227
Obviously this is not a study

01:25:10.110 --> 01:25:12.351
that I put together myself.

01:25:12.351 --> 01:25:14.270
Dr. Tom Trail is also in the audience.

01:25:14.270 --> 01:25:17.580
Emily Chen, Laura Miller, Beth Lachman.

01:25:17.580 --> 01:25:18.680
Many people within Rand

01:25:18.680 --> 01:25:20.290
and within the Arroyo Center

01:25:20.290 --> 01:25:24.290
helped me put this together.

01:25:24.310 --> 01:25:28.310
So the Army has a lot

01:25:28.880 --> 01:25:31.140
of available survey information

01:25:31.140 --> 01:25:34.180
but they tend to ask soldiers

01:25:34.180 --> 01:25:35.590
and families about what services

01:25:35.590 --> 01:25:36.780
and programs they use

01:25:36.780 --> 01:25:38.410
and whether or not they like it.

01:25:38.410 --> 01:25:41.520
You've probably seen some of these surveys,

01:25:41.520 --> 01:25:44.890
probably taking them yourselves.

01:25:44.890 --> 01:25:46.980
And it's sort of like ok,

01:25:46.980 --> 01:25:50.650
you've used the bowling alley do you like it?

01:25:50.650 --> 01:25:52.900
Right?

01:25:52.900 --> 01:25:55.817
Before the survey effort no service

01:25:55.930 --> 01:25:57.830
including the Army had any perspective

01:25:57.830 --> 01:26:00.840
on what I like to call the demand signal.

01:26:00.840 --> 01:26:02.420
So whether or not the bowling alley

01:26:02.420 --> 01:26:06.020
is actually helping you solve a problem.

01:26:06.020 --> 01:26:07.040
The way we got at that

01:26:07.040 --> 01:26:08.040
is we looked

01:26:08.040 --> 01:26:10.290
at an entirely different framework for surveys.

01:26:10.290 --> 01:26:11.290
Rather than asking

01:26:11.290 --> 01:26:13.920
about a program centric perspective

01:26:13.920 --> 01:26:14.920
we took a step back

01:26:14.920 --> 01:26:17.670
and said what are you facing?

01:26:17.670 --> 01:26:19.350
Right now some of these problems

01:26:19.350 --> 01:26:21.850
and challenges that soldiers

01:26:21.850 --> 01:26:25.850
and families face are very well known

01:26:27.000 --> 01:26:28.210
but nobody had asked them

01:26:28.210 --> 01:26:30.440
in a comprehensive fashion.

01:26:30.440 --> 01:26:31.910
And when I say comprehensive

01:26:31.910 --> 01:26:33.980
I mean that people have the opportunity

01:26:33.980 --> 01:26:36.670
to choose up to 83 different things

01:26:36.670 --> 01:26:37.850
that might apply to them.

01:26:37.850 --> 01:26:40.420
I'll talk a little bit about this

01:26:40.420 --> 01:26:42.520
as we go through.

01:26:42.520 --> 01:26:44.410
But we stepped away

01:26:44.410 --> 01:26:47.520
and said okay let's take soldiers

01:26:47.520 --> 01:26:49.750
and families through the coping process

01:26:49.750 --> 01:26:52.330
and see how they're addressing their problems,

01:26:52.330 --> 01:26:55.440
see what their problems are first

01:26:55.440 --> 01:26:56.690
over the past year

01:26:56.690 --> 01:26:58.100
and ask them to prioritize

01:26:58.100 --> 01:27:00.330
which are the most important for them,

01:27:00.330 --> 01:27:02.600
which had the most effect on them,

01:27:02.600 --> 01:27:05.980
and which had the most influence on their lives

01:27:05.980 --> 01:27:08.850
and their readiness.

01:27:08.850 --> 01:27:12.340
Then we asked again at a very general level

01:27:12.340 --> 01:27:14.030
what kind of needs they had

01:27:14.030 --> 01:27:16.070
to address those problems.

01:27:16.070 --> 01:27:17.120
When I say general level

01:27:17.120 --> 01:27:19.340
we didn't say tell me about

01:27:19.340 --> 01:27:21.420
how you use the bowling alley.

01:27:21.420 --> 01:27:24.160
We said tell me about whether

01:27:24.160 --> 01:27:25.840
or not you need activities

01:27:25.840 --> 01:27:27.860
to help you address these problems.

01:27:27.860 --> 01:27:29.840
Tell me about whether you needed advice

01:27:29.840 --> 01:27:30.890
from somebody with experience,

01:27:30.890 --> 01:27:32.410
with similar challenges

01:27:32.410 --> 01:27:35.800
as you're facing now.

01:27:35.800 --> 01:27:38.230
If they had a lot of needs for their problems

01:27:38.230 --> 01:27:41.050
we also asked them to prioritize again.

01:27:41.050 --> 01:27:44.690
Right because as Ms. Randon just mentioned

01:27:44.690 --> 01:27:46.980
we're in a constrained environment

01:27:46.980 --> 01:27:49.270
and we have to prioritize.

01:27:49.270 --> 01:27:51.500
So it's important to prioritize the things

01:27:51.500 --> 01:27:52.500
that soldiers and families

01:27:52.500 --> 01:27:53.570
are finding most important

01:27:53.570 --> 01:27:57.570
to help them address their problems and needs.

01:27:58.420 --> 01:28:01.460
So they prioritize the types of help they needed

01:28:01.460 --> 01:28:03.270
and then and only then

01:28:03.270 --> 01:28:04.270
did we say okay

01:28:04.270 --> 01:28:08.030
now let's go to resources.

01:28:08.030 --> 01:28:10.010
Tell me what you used

01:28:10.010 --> 01:28:12.080
to help you address those problems.

01:28:12.080 --> 01:28:15.120
Even then we were still at a fairly general level.

01:28:15.120 --> 01:28:17.590
We were asking about morale, rec

01:28:17.590 --> 01:28:19.590
and leisure resources

01:28:19.590 --> 01:28:20.940
rather than the bowling alley.

01:28:20.940 --> 01:28:24.940
Child and youth services, ACS.

01:28:25.150 --> 01:28:27.080
These things people find is useful

01:28:27.080 --> 01:28:29.980
and the Army provides to help soldiers

01:28:29.980 --> 01:28:33.980
and families solve their problems.

01:28:34.380 --> 01:28:37.570
We asked not only about military resources.

01:28:37.570 --> 01:28:41.570
We also asked about non-military resources

01:28:41.570 --> 01:28:43.170
because of course

01:28:43.170 --> 01:28:44.730
you use everything available

01:28:44.730 --> 01:28:46.420
as long as you know what's out there right.

01:28:46.420 --> 01:28:48.320
So we wanted to get a comprehensive picture

01:28:48.320 --> 01:28:52.320
of that as well.

01:28:52.630 --> 01:28:56.070
The idea here was to start a conversation

01:28:56.070 --> 01:28:58.770
and get insight in how soldiers

01:28:58.770 --> 01:29:01.690
and families were being resilient,

01:29:01.690 --> 01:29:03.420
how they were facing problems,

01:29:03.420 --> 01:29:05.380
what problems they were facing

01:29:05.380 --> 01:29:07.690
and how they were addressing them

01:29:07.690 --> 01:29:09.840
and help make sure that the Army

01:29:09.840 --> 01:29:12.340
was providing resources

01:29:12.340 --> 01:29:14.750
that addressed the most important problems

01:29:14.750 --> 01:29:18.750
and needs for soldiers and families.

01:29:20.670 --> 01:29:24.650
So I had only one methodology slide anyway.

01:29:24.650 --> 01:29:28.650
So it should be easy to go through.

01:29:28.900 --> 01:29:31.150
This is the first time a survey like this

01:29:31.150 --> 01:29:34.670
had been done on any kind of scale.

01:29:34.670 --> 01:29:37.050
So we did focus it in on CONUS,

01:29:37.050 --> 01:29:38.910
continental US

01:29:38.910 --> 01:29:42.380
and we did focus it in on active duty soldiers.

01:29:42.380 --> 01:29:46.380
Obviously this is not the total army

01:29:46.800 --> 01:29:50.800
but even then we had over 7,000 respondents.

01:29:51.820 --> 01:29:52.960
The sample was weighted

01:29:52.960 --> 01:29:54.570
to represent the population.

01:29:54.570 --> 01:29:57.490
So when I'm speaking of junior enlisted

01:29:57.490 --> 01:30:00.590
said this etc.,

01:30:00.590 --> 01:30:03.840
that's reflecting the population that we surveyed.

01:30:03.840 --> 01:30:06.660
Bottom line up front

01:30:06.660 --> 01:30:10.660
I'll go over these in more detail as we go through

01:30:12.030 --> 01:30:15.690
but I did want to provide an overview to start.

01:30:15.690 --> 01:30:18.480
When asked to prioritize their problems

01:30:18.480 --> 01:30:19.480
the top three

01:30:19.480 --> 01:30:22.250
most frequently prioritized problems

01:30:22.250 --> 01:30:25.450
were military practices and culture,

01:30:25.450 --> 01:30:29.090
work-life balance and their own well-being.

01:30:29.090 --> 01:30:30.270
This is soldiers we asked.

01:30:30.270 --> 01:30:31.880
So soldiers' well-being

01:30:31.880 --> 01:30:34.850
for themselves and their families.

01:30:34.850 --> 01:30:38.850
I'll describe what those included in a little bit.

01:30:39.250 --> 01:30:41.270
Not all soldiers reported problems

01:30:41.270 --> 01:30:42.270
in the past year.

01:30:42.270 --> 01:30:46.270
Actually 9% said they did not have problems.

01:30:46.750 --> 01:30:48.300
For those who did the top types

01:30:48.300 --> 01:30:49.880
have help needed to address problems

01:30:49.880 --> 01:30:53.150
included advice from someone with experience

01:30:53.150 --> 01:30:54.700
in a similar situation.

01:30:54.700 --> 01:30:57.040
Also education.

01:30:57.040 --> 01:31:01.030
24% of those who had problems didn't indicate

01:31:01.030 --> 01:31:04.300
that they had any needs to help address them.

01:31:04.300 --> 01:31:05.730
So they were they were doing okay.

01:31:05.730 --> 01:31:07.040
They had problems

01:31:07.040 --> 01:31:09.870
but they're fine.

01:31:09.870 --> 01:31:11.070
Looking at the types of resources

01:31:11.070 --> 01:31:12.890
that soldiers actually reached out to

01:31:12.890 --> 01:31:15.070
they used a lot.

01:31:15.070 --> 01:31:16.710
The majority reached out

01:31:16.710 --> 01:31:18.790
and to many different resources.

01:31:18.790 --> 01:31:19.940
On average about seven

01:31:19.940 --> 01:31:22.610
across their problems and needs.

01:31:22.610 --> 01:31:26.610
They often reached out to military resources.

01:31:26.750 --> 01:31:27.820
Of those who reached out

01:31:27.820 --> 01:31:29.460
some said that none of the resources

01:31:29.460 --> 01:31:31.890
they contacted met their needs well

01:31:31.890 --> 01:31:33.910
or very well.

01:31:33.910 --> 01:31:34.910
They were dissatisfied

01:31:34.910 --> 01:31:36.920
with everything they reached out to

01:31:36.920 --> 01:31:39.160
and so we considered those soldiers

01:31:39.160 --> 01:31:41.770
to have their needs unmet.

01:31:41.770 --> 01:31:45.770
That was about 11% of soldiers.

01:31:46.380 --> 01:31:47.650
In simple numbers

01:31:47.650 --> 01:31:48.920
which without charts

01:31:48.920 --> 01:31:50.140
is actually much more helpful

01:31:50.140 --> 01:31:54.140
than it normally is 9 out of 10

01:31:54.190 --> 01:31:57.670
soldiers reported problems in the past year.

01:31:57.670 --> 01:32:00.170
7 out of 10 needed some type of help

01:32:00.170 --> 01:32:01.610
to address those problems.

01:32:01.610 --> 01:32:05.510
6 out of 10 reached out to resources.

01:32:05.510 --> 01:32:08.520
And 1 out of 10 had unmet needs

01:32:08.520 --> 01:32:10.550
after reaching out.

01:32:10.550 --> 01:32:14.550
Paging through my agenda slide which...

01:32:19.400 --> 01:32:20.630
So I said I would unpack

01:32:20.630 --> 01:32:22.800
our problem categories for you,

01:32:22.800 --> 01:32:25.050
what we call problem areas.

01:32:25.050 --> 01:32:26.360
We ask soldiers to consider

01:32:26.360 --> 01:32:28.110
a broad list of potential problems

01:32:28.110 --> 01:32:29.110
they might encounter.

01:32:29.110 --> 01:32:31.560
I mentioned 83 earlier.

01:32:31.560 --> 01:32:33.430
(audience applauds)

01:32:33.430 --> 01:32:34.263
Oh hey.

01:32:36.918 --> 01:32:39.251
Alright, I'm on slide seven.

01:32:39.990 --> 01:32:42.810
There we go.

01:32:42.810 --> 01:32:44.340
Okay and now you see the one slide

01:32:44.340 --> 01:32:48.340
with lots and lots of type

01:32:48.500 --> 01:32:49.500
but we did this as a way

01:32:49.500 --> 01:32:50.670
of providing options

01:32:50.670 --> 01:32:53.400
that people might feel comfortable with right?

01:32:53.400 --> 01:32:55.600
So if you think about you're taking a survey

01:32:55.600 --> 01:32:57.340
and somebody asks you if you have...

01:32:57.340 --> 01:32:58.590
Well the survey asks you

01:32:58.590 --> 01:33:00.820
if you have a relationship problems.

01:33:00.820 --> 01:33:02.690
You might not feel comfortable saying

01:33:02.690 --> 01:33:04.500
I have relationship problems

01:33:04.500 --> 01:33:06.190
but if the survey asks you a little bit

01:33:06.190 --> 01:33:08.400
more specifically did you have trouble

01:33:08.400 --> 01:33:09.670
communicating with your spouse

01:33:09.670 --> 01:33:11.380
when you came back from deployment,

01:33:11.380 --> 01:33:13.250
you can say yeah

01:33:13.250 --> 01:33:17.090
that fits my experience.

01:33:17.090 --> 01:33:18.730
Alternately for some of the categories

01:33:18.730 --> 01:33:20.210
that are a little bit more obscure

01:33:20.210 --> 01:33:21.820
and might not be clear on their face

01:33:21.820 --> 01:33:22.820
what we mean by them

01:33:22.820 --> 01:33:25.530
like military practices and culture,

01:33:25.530 --> 01:33:29.530
giving these issues helps soldiers

01:33:30.020 --> 01:33:32.830
understand what we're asking about.

01:33:32.830 --> 01:33:36.580
So in terms of examples that we provided,

01:33:36.580 --> 01:33:37.740
military practices and culture

01:33:37.740 --> 01:33:40.390
includes things like poor sponsorship

01:33:40.390 --> 01:33:44.390
or guidance or poor communication

01:33:44.420 --> 01:33:47.680
with coworkers and supervisors

01:33:47.680 --> 01:33:50.470
or having trouble finding out what's available

01:33:50.470 --> 01:33:53.350
and how to access it.

01:33:53.350 --> 01:33:54.850
Work-life balance includes

01:33:54.850 --> 01:33:58.460
finding time for healthy activities,

01:33:58.460 --> 01:34:01.770
long work hours or an inconvenient schedule.

01:34:01.770 --> 01:34:02.770
And soldier well-being

01:34:02.770 --> 01:34:05.880
includes feeling stressed, overwhelmed,

01:34:05.880 --> 01:34:09.880
tired, trouble sleeping, things like that.

01:34:11.630 --> 01:34:14.590
I won't go through all of these

01:34:14.590 --> 01:34:18.000
because we have the slides now

01:34:18.000 --> 01:34:22.000
but I will go to the next slide.

01:34:22.750 --> 01:34:25.050
So I mentioned we had soldiers

01:34:25.050 --> 01:34:29.050
prioritize the problem areas.

01:34:29.340 --> 01:34:32.060
They could prioritize their top two.

01:34:32.060 --> 01:34:33.640
So when you're thinking about the past year

01:34:33.640 --> 01:34:35.600
that's a long time frame.

01:34:35.600 --> 01:34:38.790
Obviously if you're experiencing challenges

01:34:38.790 --> 01:34:40.540
you might have more than one.

01:34:40.540 --> 01:34:43.860
So we gave them their top two.

01:34:43.860 --> 01:34:45.280
These are the most frequent

01:34:45.280 --> 01:34:47.130
and I have boxed the ones

01:34:47.130 --> 01:34:48.940
that were most frequently chosen.

01:34:48.940 --> 01:34:51.160
The top three military practices

01:34:51.160 --> 01:34:53.800
and culture, work-life balance

01:34:53.800 --> 01:34:57.230
and soldier well-being.

01:34:57.230 --> 01:34:58.240
These were shown.

01:34:58.240 --> 01:35:00.570
The issues that people could choose

01:35:00.570 --> 01:35:04.240
were shown as they were applicable.

01:35:04.240 --> 01:35:06.020
So for example if you didn't have kids

01:35:06.020 --> 01:35:07.570
we didn't ask you about challenges

01:35:07.570 --> 01:35:09.330
you faced with your kids.

01:35:09.330 --> 01:35:11.010
If you didn't have a spouse

01:35:11.010 --> 01:35:13.600
we refrained from asking those questions

01:35:13.600 --> 01:35:15.000
because surveys are long

01:35:15.000 --> 01:35:18.230
and your time is short.

01:35:18.230 --> 01:35:21.270
Again I'll stress that 9% identified no problems

01:35:21.270 --> 01:35:24.680
in the past year.

01:35:24.680 --> 01:35:26.950
We did also have a write-in option

01:35:26.950 --> 01:35:29.730
in case we missed anything.

01:35:29.730 --> 01:35:31.330
We did hope we were comprehensive

01:35:31.330 --> 01:35:34.300
but that's not always the case

01:35:34.300 --> 01:35:35.810
and so we recognized

01:35:35.810 --> 01:35:38.260
that even after going through all of the options

01:35:38.260 --> 01:35:40.110
some people might feel

01:35:40.110 --> 01:35:44.110
that their experience was not quite captured.

01:35:44.750 --> 01:35:46.650
Our write-ins generally reflected

01:35:46.650 --> 01:35:49.730
the problem areas that we had

01:35:49.730 --> 01:35:51.360
but some specific themes

01:35:51.360 --> 01:35:52.950
included healthcare issues

01:35:52.950 --> 01:35:56.950
that people had and things like toxic leadership

01:35:57.520 --> 01:36:01.520
which we didn't quite capture.

01:36:05.590 --> 01:36:06.590
Next slide.

01:36:06.590 --> 01:36:08.100
And here's the agenda slide

01:36:08.100 --> 01:36:10.800
that I'll skip over really quickly.

01:36:10.800 --> 01:36:12.780
This is just to help signpost where we are

01:36:12.780 --> 01:36:16.770
in the presentation.

01:36:16.770 --> 01:36:20.150
After having soldiers prioritize the challenges

01:36:20.150 --> 01:36:21.150
that they and their families

01:36:21.150 --> 01:36:22.150
faced in the past year

01:36:22.150 --> 01:36:23.770
we asked what types of help

01:36:23.770 --> 01:36:25.500
they needed to address them.

01:36:25.500 --> 01:36:26.500
So these were asked

01:36:26.500 --> 01:36:28.960
in a very general sense,

01:36:28.960 --> 01:36:31.650
a little bit less general than is presented here

01:36:31.650 --> 01:36:34.300
for room purposes

01:36:34.300 --> 01:36:36.040
but still pretty general.

01:36:36.040 --> 01:36:37.500
So advice was advice

01:36:37.500 --> 01:36:38.770
from someone who had been

01:36:38.770 --> 01:36:42.040
in the same situation before.

01:36:42.040 --> 01:36:43.270
Activities included activities

01:36:43.270 --> 01:36:45.640
for fitness, recreation, stress relief

01:36:45.640 --> 01:36:48.880
and family bonding.

01:36:48.880 --> 01:36:50.290
General information included things

01:36:50.290 --> 01:36:51.290
like what's available

01:36:51.290 --> 01:36:53.460
and how to access it.

01:36:53.460 --> 01:36:56.590
Counseling was professional counseling

01:36:56.590 --> 01:36:58.360
to distinguish it from emotional

01:36:58.360 --> 01:37:01.010
and social support.

01:37:01.010 --> 01:37:03.180
You can see in terms of things

01:37:03.180 --> 01:37:05.400
people said that they needed

01:37:05.400 --> 01:37:06.720
a lot of them were endorsed

01:37:06.720 --> 01:37:08.440
at about the same rate.

01:37:08.440 --> 01:37:11.840
So advice, activities, general information,

01:37:11.840 --> 01:37:15.010
counseling, emotional social support.

01:37:15.010 --> 01:37:18.710
These are all things that a lot of people needed.

01:37:18.710 --> 01:37:19.730
Some things were more likely

01:37:19.730 --> 01:37:22.750
to be endorsed by junior enlisted soldiers,

01:37:22.750 --> 01:37:26.070
including loans donations and specific help

01:37:26.070 --> 01:37:28.340
and specific information.

01:37:28.340 --> 01:37:31.360
They tended to have more needs overall

01:37:31.360 --> 01:37:35.360
and some of the less common ones.

01:37:36.550 --> 01:37:40.550
Next slide.

01:37:40.750 --> 01:37:44.750
Next slide.

01:37:44.800 --> 01:37:45.960
So this is the chart that,

01:37:45.960 --> 01:37:46.960
when the charts weren't up,

01:37:46.960 --> 01:37:50.960
I was really worried about presenting.

01:37:51.380 --> 01:37:52.960
We looked at the intersection

01:37:52.960 --> 01:37:54.980
of problems and needs.

01:37:54.980 --> 01:37:57.170
Right so obviously it's nice

01:37:57.170 --> 01:37:58.550
to have a list of problems.

01:37:58.550 --> 01:38:00.520
It's nice to have a list of things

01:38:00.520 --> 01:38:02.050
people say they needed

01:38:02.050 --> 01:38:04.170
but in order to actually direct resources

01:38:04.170 --> 01:38:05.690
it's really helpful to know

01:38:05.690 --> 01:38:08.020
what that combination is.

01:38:08.020 --> 01:38:09.920
So these are just the top ones.

01:38:09.920 --> 01:38:13.000
For military practices and culture

01:38:13.000 --> 01:38:15.090
you can think about this means issues

01:38:15.090 --> 01:38:18.000
like lack of proper guidance or sponsorship

01:38:18.000 --> 01:38:19.860
or problems communicating with co-workers

01:38:19.860 --> 01:38:21.480
and supervisors.

01:38:21.480 --> 01:38:22.480
The types of things

01:38:22.480 --> 01:38:24.020
people are saying they needed

01:38:24.020 --> 01:38:25.690
are things like general information

01:38:25.690 --> 01:38:28.360
about what's available and how to access it

01:38:28.360 --> 01:38:30.270
or advice from somebody

01:38:30.270 --> 01:38:32.130
who's been, there maybe had some trouble

01:38:32.130 --> 01:38:33.710
with superiors before,

01:38:33.710 --> 01:38:35.130
and can give them advice

01:38:35.130 --> 01:38:36.130
on how to deal with that

01:38:36.130 --> 01:38:37.910
in a productive manner.

01:38:37.910 --> 01:38:41.210
For work-life issues people were saying

01:38:41.210 --> 01:38:43.110
that they needed activities

01:38:43.110 --> 01:38:45.900
to help them manage that.

01:38:45.900 --> 01:38:47.960
And for soldier well-being

01:38:47.960 --> 01:38:49.190
people were saying they needed things

01:38:49.190 --> 01:38:52.130
like emotional support.

01:38:52.130 --> 01:38:55.990
Next slide.

01:38:55.990 --> 01:38:59.680
Okay, so here's another agenda slide.

01:38:59.680 --> 01:39:03.680
We'll skip right over that.

01:39:03.810 --> 01:39:05.750
Next slide.

01:39:05.750 --> 01:39:08.020
So we asked about resources.

01:39:08.020 --> 01:39:10.000
I'll give you the list in a moment

01:39:10.000 --> 01:39:13.210
but this is a general presentation.

01:39:13.210 --> 01:39:14.340
Of those who have problems

01:39:14.340 --> 01:39:15.360
for which they had a need

01:39:15.360 --> 01:39:19.360
85% sought resources

01:39:20.000 --> 01:39:21.540
and they sought a lot of them.

01:39:21.540 --> 01:39:25.110
On average 7 overall.

01:39:25.110 --> 01:39:26.570
Respondents reported reaching out

01:39:26.570 --> 01:39:28.570
to four military contacts

01:39:28.570 --> 01:39:31.610
and two non-military contacts.

01:39:31.610 --> 01:39:33.070
And 94% of them

01:39:33.070 --> 01:39:36.800
reported seeking military resources.

01:39:36.800 --> 01:39:38.330
One thing we were a little surprised about

01:39:38.330 --> 01:39:40.820
was things like distance from posts

01:39:40.820 --> 01:39:43.360
that they lived did not predict

01:39:43.360 --> 01:39:46.120
whether or not the total number

01:39:46.120 --> 01:39:47.270
of resources they sought

01:39:47.270 --> 01:39:51.050
or military only resources.

01:39:51.050 --> 01:39:52.660
We asked about what they used

01:39:52.660 --> 01:39:54.650
or tried to use.

01:39:54.650 --> 01:39:56.750
Most did not stop at one.

01:39:56.750 --> 01:39:58.320
It wasn't clear from the survey

01:39:58.320 --> 01:40:00.500
if it was because they had complex problems

01:40:00.500 --> 01:40:02.540
and needed a lot of help

01:40:02.540 --> 01:40:04.230
or if they were being referred

01:40:04.230 --> 01:40:05.610
to one to the other

01:40:05.610 --> 01:40:09.610
until they found what they needed.

01:40:10.280 --> 01:40:13.730
Next slide.

01:40:13.730 --> 01:40:15.800
So how did it work?

01:40:15.800 --> 01:40:17.800
In general across resources

01:40:17.800 --> 01:40:18.860
the average response

01:40:18.860 --> 01:40:21.210
was that needs were adequately met.

01:40:21.210 --> 01:40:23.550
We asked this for the resources you used

01:40:23.550 --> 01:40:25.000
and here's the complete list

01:40:25.000 --> 01:40:28.840
from FRGs to religious or spiritual group

01:40:28.840 --> 01:40:31.820
or leader on the non-military side

01:40:31.820 --> 01:40:33.270
did it meet your needs

01:40:33.270 --> 01:40:37.270
on a scale from not at all to very well?

01:40:37.690 --> 01:40:39.560
On this graph military resources

01:40:39.560 --> 01:40:40.990
are on the top

01:40:40.990 --> 01:40:44.310
and non-military resources are on the bottom.

01:40:44.310 --> 01:40:45.310
You can see that chaplain

01:40:45.310 --> 01:40:46.500
or military religious groups

01:40:46.500 --> 01:40:48.690
are the high point in terms of ratings

01:40:48.690 --> 01:40:52.690
for satisfaction for military resources.

01:40:54.820 --> 01:40:58.820
We use this rating to determine unmet needs.

01:40:58.940 --> 01:41:01.990
For all the resources used for a particular problem

01:41:01.990 --> 01:41:03.800
and a particular need

01:41:03.800 --> 01:41:05.050
we considered a resource

01:41:05.050 --> 01:41:06.050
to have met that need

01:41:06.050 --> 01:41:08.730
if it was rated well or very well.

01:41:08.730 --> 01:41:12.230
Of not a single one of their resources

01:41:12.230 --> 01:41:13.290
they reached out to,

01:41:13.290 --> 01:41:15.610
and remember they reached up to a lot,

01:41:15.610 --> 01:41:17.400
not a single one of those

01:41:17.400 --> 01:41:19.110
met the need that level.

01:41:19.110 --> 01:41:20.830
We said they had an unmet need.

01:41:20.830 --> 01:41:21.920
Right because as long

01:41:21.920 --> 01:41:24.530
as you eventually solve the problem

01:41:24.530 --> 01:41:27.380
you've solved the problem.

01:41:27.380 --> 01:41:31.380
Analysis of differences by pay grade group

01:41:32.070 --> 01:41:33.920
and family status,

01:41:33.920 --> 01:41:35.980
controlling for urbanicity with the posts,

01:41:35.980 --> 01:41:37.420
how urban it was

01:41:37.420 --> 01:41:38.440
and distanced from the post

01:41:38.440 --> 01:41:42.440
yielded a significant effect of pay grade group

01:41:42.540 --> 01:41:44.160
such that junior enlisted soldiers

01:41:44.160 --> 01:41:45.160
were more likely to say

01:41:45.160 --> 01:41:48.340
that they had unmet needs.

01:41:48.340 --> 01:41:51.410
No other differences for pay grade

01:41:51.410 --> 01:41:55.410
or family status were significant.

01:41:56.420 --> 01:41:57.420
The problem domains

01:41:57.420 --> 01:41:58.420
that had the highest percentage

01:41:58.420 --> 01:41:59.850
of soldiers with unmet needs

01:41:59.850 --> 01:42:02.290
were health care system problems,

01:42:02.290 --> 01:42:04.300
military practices and culture

01:42:04.300 --> 01:42:08.180
and legal problems and financial problems.

01:42:08.180 --> 01:42:09.480
More than 10% of soldiers

01:42:09.480 --> 01:42:10.730
who had a top two problem

01:42:10.730 --> 01:42:12.820
within each of these domain

01:42:12.820 --> 01:42:16.820
did not have their needs met.

01:42:18.770 --> 01:42:20.280
We also asked about challenges

01:42:20.280 --> 01:42:23.920
with the resources they accessed.

01:42:23.920 --> 01:42:25.590
Some of these are pretty well known

01:42:25.590 --> 01:42:26.710
especially if you're looking

01:42:26.710 --> 01:42:28.530
into behavioral health.

01:42:28.530 --> 01:42:31.630
Long wait times are pretty common,

01:42:31.630 --> 01:42:33.960
not just in the Army, in all the services

01:42:33.960 --> 01:42:36.780
and in the VA in society.

01:42:36.780 --> 01:42:39.890
Child and youth services

01:42:39.890 --> 01:42:42.640
reported long wait times as well.

01:42:42.640 --> 01:42:44.440
One of the interesting things

01:42:44.440 --> 01:42:46.190
that we found was that

01:42:46.190 --> 01:42:47.460
even people who are using

01:42:47.460 --> 01:42:50.250
the chain of command 19% of those said

01:42:50.250 --> 01:42:51.300
it might hurt their career

01:42:51.300 --> 01:42:53.830
and 18% reported

01:42:53.830 --> 01:42:55.410
they were maybe a little unwelcoming

01:42:55.410 --> 01:42:56.540
or unfriendly.

01:42:56.540 --> 01:42:59.240
So a little hard to approach.

01:42:59.240 --> 01:43:01.440
18% reported difficulty

01:43:01.440 --> 01:43:03.460
in finding information for contacting

01:43:03.460 --> 01:43:07.130
the Family Readiness Groups.

01:43:07.130 --> 01:43:09.640
Next.

01:43:09.640 --> 01:43:12.150
Ok.

01:43:12.150 --> 01:43:13.960
Top problem areas we've covered.

01:43:13.960 --> 01:43:15.390
Junior enlisted soldiers

01:43:15.390 --> 01:43:16.900
were more likely than others

01:43:16.900 --> 01:43:19.420
to choose military practices and culture

01:43:19.420 --> 01:43:22.980
as well as financial and legal issues.

01:43:22.980 --> 01:43:24.690
In terms of top types of help needed

01:43:24.690 --> 01:43:26.360
to address problems

01:43:26.360 --> 01:43:27.360
there were several.

01:43:27.360 --> 01:43:30.610
Junior enlisted needed more help

01:43:30.610 --> 01:43:32.050
and you can see here

01:43:32.050 --> 01:43:33.690
that there's an interpersonal flavour

01:43:33.690 --> 01:43:34.900
to a lot of the things

01:43:34.900 --> 01:43:38.340
that people are saying they need.

01:43:38.340 --> 01:43:40.650
In terms of write-ins of problems

01:43:40.650 --> 01:43:42.260
they tended to fit into

01:43:42.260 --> 01:43:45.550
the existing categories that we had

01:43:45.550 --> 01:43:49.360
but one thing that emerged

01:43:49.360 --> 01:43:51.690
was toxic and poor leadership

01:43:51.690 --> 01:43:55.690
and health care system challenges.

01:43:59.420 --> 01:44:01.900
Of people with problems and needs

01:44:01.900 --> 01:44:04.733
many are accessing many resources.

01:44:05.060 --> 01:44:07.780
So that's a sign that the Army system is working.

01:44:07.780 --> 01:44:11.780
94% made military contacts.

01:44:11.910 --> 01:44:13.840
In general across resources used, needs

01:44:13.840 --> 01:44:15.940
were adequately met

01:44:15.940 --> 01:44:19.330
but 11% of soldiers responding

01:44:19.330 --> 01:44:23.330
to the survey reported at least one unmet need.

01:44:23.900 --> 01:44:25.940
In terms of barriers to service

01:44:25.940 --> 01:44:27.810
some are well known

01:44:27.810 --> 01:44:30.400
and have been worked on for a while.

01:44:30.400 --> 01:44:32.650
The users of the chain of command,

01:44:32.650 --> 01:44:35.020
that was a little bit of a novel finding.

01:44:35.020 --> 01:44:38.970
They were concerned about career effects.

01:44:38.970 --> 01:44:42.970
How does this help?

01:44:44.020 --> 01:44:45.820
So military practices and culture

01:44:45.820 --> 01:44:47.770
is the most frequent problem area

01:44:47.770 --> 01:44:50.590
that people endorsed.

01:44:50.590 --> 01:44:51.980
Write-ins are speaking about things

01:44:51.980 --> 01:44:54.180
like toxic and poor leadership

01:44:54.180 --> 01:44:55.450
but we're also getting at issues

01:44:55.450 --> 01:44:59.450
like not understanding how to use the system.

01:44:59.900 --> 01:45:01.210
In terms of toxic leadership

01:45:01.210 --> 01:45:02.210
there were perceptions

01:45:02.210 --> 01:45:04.190
that leaders were uncaring,

01:45:04.190 --> 01:45:05.670
focused on their own career

01:45:05.670 --> 01:45:07.840
rather than their soldiers

01:45:07.840 --> 01:45:10.760
and that there was a lack of mentoring trust

01:45:10.760 --> 01:45:14.150
and communication.

01:45:14.150 --> 01:45:15.150
There was not an item

01:45:15.150 --> 01:45:17.050
that really captured that.

01:45:17.050 --> 01:45:18.070
The closest we got

01:45:18.070 --> 01:45:22.070
was lack of proper guidance or sponsorship.

01:45:22.590 --> 01:45:23.860
Some of the perceived barriers

01:45:23.860 --> 01:45:25.830
related to the chain of command

01:45:25.830 --> 01:45:27.710
sort of speak to this theme

01:45:27.710 --> 01:45:28.710
and shed some light

01:45:28.710 --> 01:45:31.000
on the balancing act soldiers and their families

01:45:31.000 --> 01:45:33.300
can face when engaging their leadership

01:45:33.300 --> 01:45:36.570
in problem-solving.

01:45:36.570 --> 01:45:38.240
Army resources were widely used

01:45:38.240 --> 01:45:40.160
and for a given problem in need

01:45:40.160 --> 01:45:41.350
soldiers typically sought

01:45:41.350 --> 01:45:43.130
several different resources

01:45:43.130 --> 01:45:44.970
which suggests they might have trouble

01:45:44.970 --> 01:45:47.400
navigating the system,

01:45:47.400 --> 01:45:48.780
finding information about it

01:45:48.780 --> 01:45:51.080
and navigating it.

01:45:51.080 --> 01:45:53.780
We got a closer perspective on that

01:45:53.780 --> 01:45:55.180
on some following work

01:45:55.180 --> 01:45:58.350
that I'm not presenting here.

01:45:58.350 --> 01:45:59.350
Our recommendations

01:45:59.350 --> 01:46:00.730
tended to focus on helping leaders

01:46:00.730 --> 01:46:02.730
help their soldiers.

01:46:02.730 --> 01:46:04.820
So help them get connected

01:46:04.820 --> 01:46:07.310
to everything that's available for them

01:46:07.310 --> 01:46:08.830
and what that looks like

01:46:08.830 --> 01:46:10.890
and that's part of communication,

01:46:10.890 --> 01:46:14.530
being open and just help navigating.

01:46:14.530 --> 01:46:17.440
Sometimes leaders especially junior leaders

01:46:17.440 --> 01:46:19.450
are not as aware of the system yet

01:46:19.450 --> 01:46:22.820
because they haven't spent a life in the Army.

01:46:22.820 --> 01:46:25.830
So other things that might be considered

01:46:25.830 --> 01:46:29.660
include partnering with civilian organizations

01:46:29.660 --> 01:46:30.680
to help address things

01:46:30.680 --> 01:46:32.570
like capacity with the healthcare system,

01:46:32.570 --> 01:46:36.570
things like that.

01:46:37.100 --> 01:46:41.100
Now one thing I didn't really speak to a lot.

01:46:43.530 --> 01:46:45.610
We asked soldiers for themselves

01:46:45.610 --> 01:46:47.280
and for their families

01:46:47.280 --> 01:46:49.570
and some of the things that we found

01:46:49.570 --> 01:46:51.530
made us think hmm

01:46:51.530 --> 01:46:53.690
we're definitely asking soldiers here.

01:46:53.690 --> 01:46:55.150
It's really better to ask the spouses

01:46:55.150 --> 01:46:57.410
some of these questions.

01:46:57.410 --> 01:47:01.320
So our next step is to field the spouse survey.

01:47:01.320 --> 01:47:03.340
The Today's Army Spouse Survey

01:47:03.340 --> 01:47:05.530
and it will be fielding this fall.

01:47:05.530 --> 01:47:06.890
If you're selected to participate

01:47:06.890 --> 01:47:09.010
you will get a postcard in the mail

01:47:09.010 --> 01:47:11.820
and there will be an incentive for your time.

01:47:11.820 --> 01:47:13.310
We'll have gift cards.

01:47:13.310 --> 01:47:15.990
So just in time for the holidays.

01:47:15.990 --> 01:47:17.970
So we'd like you to spread the word

01:47:17.970 --> 01:47:18.970
because it's important

01:47:18.970 --> 01:47:20.600
to get the spouse perspective

01:47:20.600 --> 01:47:22.350
on these kinds of things

01:47:22.350 --> 01:47:25.183
as well as soldiers' perspectives.

01:47:25.360 --> 01:47:29.360
So I think I have a little bit of time for questions.

01:47:35.440 --> 01:47:36.680
It will be online.

01:47:36.680 --> 01:47:38.110
You'll be mailed a postcard

01:47:38.110 --> 01:47:42.110
you'll have a PIN to access it as you

01:47:43.390 --> 01:47:47.390
and it'll be online, non-military site.

01:47:49.310 --> 01:47:51.500
We don't have the site yet.

01:47:51.500 --> 01:47:52.590
It's not up yet

01:47:52.590 --> 01:47:56.430
but the address will be on the postcard.

01:47:56.430 --> 01:48:00.430
(questioner speaks off mic)

01:48:04.670 --> 01:48:08.670
5.5% of write-ins.

01:48:12.960 --> 01:48:13.960
Total number of write-ins.

01:48:13.960 --> 01:48:16.880
I don't remember that off the top of my head.

01:48:16.880 --> 01:48:18.500
A lot of people found things

01:48:18.500 --> 01:48:20.260
that they felt were comfortable

01:48:20.260 --> 01:48:23.760
in the options that we provided.

01:48:23.760 --> 01:48:27.230
So if there are any copies of the report

01:48:27.230 --> 01:48:29.440
it's bound to be in the 200 pages

01:48:29.440 --> 01:48:31.523
of the report back there.

01:48:39.937 --> 01:48:41.820
Yeah we will do a random selection

01:48:41.820 --> 01:48:45.190
of spouses.

01:48:45.190 --> 01:48:49.190
(questioner speaks off mic)

01:48:51.930 --> 01:48:53.940
In order to facilitate comparisons

01:48:53.940 --> 01:48:55.150
with the soldier survey

01:48:55.150 --> 01:48:56.750
that's gone before at this time

01:48:56.750 --> 01:48:59.570
we're not doing the total army

01:48:59.570 --> 01:49:01.070
but that's certainly something

01:49:01.070 --> 01:49:03.820
that we think would be important.

01:49:06.503 --> 01:49:08.100
- [Kathy] This is Kathy with Blue Star families.

01:49:08.100 --> 01:49:10.560
Is this presentation available online?

01:49:10.560 --> 01:49:12.300
Can you share that with us?

01:49:12.300 --> 01:49:14.410
- The whole report, all 200 pages

01:49:14.410 --> 01:49:16.440
and some of it is available online.

01:49:16.440 --> 01:49:18.920
Actually I don't know if there are any sheets left

01:49:18.920 --> 01:49:21.290
but the sheet with the link to the report

01:49:21.290 --> 01:49:24.790
which is freely downloadable is available.

01:49:34.227 --> 01:49:36.894
And I think we're about at time.

01:49:38.397 --> 01:49:39.230
- [Questioner] One more.

01:49:39.230 --> 01:49:40.300
- One more.

01:49:40.300 --> 01:49:42.300
- [Questioner] Your questions

01:49:42.300 --> 01:49:44.170
sound like you're asking

01:49:44.170 --> 01:49:45.940
that you asked the soldier

01:49:45.940 --> 01:49:46.950
to talk about themselves

01:49:46.950 --> 01:49:48.280
and their family.

01:49:48.280 --> 01:49:49.470
Do you have the ability

01:49:49.470 --> 01:49:52.170
on some to drill down?

01:49:52.170 --> 01:49:54.760
The healthcare piece for example.

01:49:54.760 --> 01:49:56.880
It's important for army leadership

01:49:56.880 --> 01:49:59.900
to know if it's soldiers having trouble

01:49:59.900 --> 01:50:02.740
accessing health care versus soldiers

01:50:02.740 --> 01:50:06.530
and families or just families.

01:50:06.530 --> 01:50:08.320
The number was a little disturbing

01:50:08.320 --> 01:50:10.200
if you think that service members,

01:50:10.200 --> 01:50:12.720
if that soldiers who can't access healthcare.

01:50:12.720 --> 01:50:14.410
So how can you...

01:50:14.410 --> 01:50:16.840
I don't know how you phrase the question

01:50:16.840 --> 01:50:18.800
but can you comment just on

01:50:18.800 --> 01:50:21.420
how the Army leadership can kind of drill down

01:50:21.420 --> 01:50:23.530
on some of these issues?

01:50:23.530 --> 01:50:26.770
- So we asked soldiers generally

01:50:26.770 --> 01:50:28.440
about problems that they

01:50:28.440 --> 01:50:29.530
and their families faced

01:50:29.530 --> 01:50:33.320
and one of our category areas

01:50:33.320 --> 01:50:35.650
was healthcare system problems.

01:50:35.650 --> 01:50:37.590
So that was like trouble finding a time

01:50:37.590 --> 01:50:40.460
for an appointment etc., etc.,

01:50:40.460 --> 01:50:41.460
things like that.

01:50:41.460 --> 01:50:44.650
So they endorsed those

01:50:44.650 --> 01:50:47.380
and that included family members

01:50:47.380 --> 01:50:51.000
helping family members get an appointment.

01:50:51.000 --> 01:50:53.250
I don't think that quite answers your question.

01:50:53.250 --> 01:50:54.920
- [Questioner] So there wasn't one question

01:50:54.920 --> 01:50:57.340
that was just soldiers specific,

01:50:57.340 --> 01:50:58.940
what's your experience in getting

01:50:58.940 --> 01:51:01.273
the healthcare help you need

01:51:02.060 --> 01:51:03.880
versus soldiers and families?

01:51:03.880 --> 01:51:06.000
- Right it was it soldiers and families pretty much.

01:51:06.000 --> 01:51:07.000
- [Questioner] Thank you.

01:51:07.000 --> 01:51:08.450
- Especially for the follow-on questions

01:51:08.450 --> 01:51:12.200
where we were asking about the problem areas.

01:51:19.857 --> 01:51:20.690
Thank You.

01:51:21.150 --> 01:51:24.150
(audience applauds)

01:51:31.493 --> 01:51:32.940
- Dr. Sims thank you so much.

01:51:32.940 --> 01:51:34.840
I really do truly believe

01:51:34.840 --> 01:51:35.840
you deserve a gold medal

01:51:35.840 --> 01:51:37.300
for going through half of your briefing

01:51:37.300 --> 01:51:38.300
without your slides

01:51:38.300 --> 01:51:40.870
but you're a real trooper.

01:51:40.870 --> 01:51:42.250
Also we will have the slides

01:51:42.250 --> 01:51:44.030
that folks allow us to put

01:51:44.030 --> 01:51:46.630
on our website at ausa.org

01:51:46.630 --> 01:51:48.910
under military families meetings

01:51:48.910 --> 01:51:50.530
and you'll have access

01:51:50.530 --> 01:51:53.670
to all of the recordings of the forums

01:51:53.670 --> 01:51:55.990
as well as all the slides that were presented

01:51:55.990 --> 01:51:57.970
just so that you know.

01:51:57.970 --> 01:51:59.800
So we're gonna take a quick stretch break.

01:51:59.800 --> 01:52:01.030
I don't want you leaving your chair.

01:52:01.030 --> 01:52:04.070
I just want you to stand up and stretch.

01:52:04.070 --> 01:52:06.970
Okay get a chance to stretch a little bit.

01:52:06.970 --> 01:52:08.690
There you go.

01:52:08.690 --> 01:52:11.520
(audience mumurs)

01:52:11.520 --> 01:52:14.687
Alright because we're in for a real...

01:52:18.185 --> 01:52:19.185
OK terrific.

01:52:19.262 --> 01:52:21.595
You could sit back down now.

01:52:27.039 --> 01:52:27.872
Alright.

01:52:30.163 --> 01:52:32.996
See as soon as I let you all go...

01:52:35.360 --> 01:52:36.900
Okay we're in for a real treat

01:52:36.900 --> 01:52:38.810
and I'd love to be able to bring

01:52:38.810 --> 01:52:40.710
some folks up on the stage.

01:52:40.710 --> 01:52:43.190
So I'm going to ask

01:52:43.190 --> 01:52:44.540
all the command sergeant majors

01:52:44.540 --> 01:52:48.540
to come up on stage now with us.

01:52:50.980 --> 01:52:51.980
And they will be introduced

01:52:51.980 --> 01:52:53.690
by our moderator who I will introduce

01:52:53.690 --> 01:52:57.690
to come up on stage.

01:53:08.830 --> 01:53:09.663
How are you?

01:53:09.663 --> 01:53:11.080
I'm Patty Barron.

01:53:23.507 --> 01:53:26.520
Alright, so we've got our CSMs up here

01:53:26.520 --> 01:53:27.520
up on stage.

01:53:27.520 --> 01:53:30.140
This is a real treat for us.

01:53:30.140 --> 01:53:31.280
My husband has always said

01:53:31.280 --> 01:53:33.500
the backbone of the Army are our NCOs

01:53:33.500 --> 01:53:36.430
and I firmly believe that to be true.

01:53:36.430 --> 01:53:39.050
We have some very distinguished gentleman

01:53:39.050 --> 01:53:41.990
and lady here on our podium

01:53:41.990 --> 01:53:44.560
and this panel will be moderated

01:53:44.560 --> 01:53:47.200
by sergeant major Rodney J. Rhodes

01:53:47.200 --> 01:53:48.750
who is the senior enlisted advisor

01:53:48.750 --> 01:53:49.770
to the United States Army

01:53:49.770 --> 01:53:50.950
Assistant Chief of Staff

01:53:50.950 --> 01:53:52.820
for installation management.

01:53:52.820 --> 01:53:53.820
He assumed his duties

01:53:53.820 --> 01:53:54.920
as a senior enlisted advisor

01:53:54.920 --> 01:53:56.980
on March 24th 2016.

01:53:56.980 --> 01:54:00.780
Sergeant Major Rhodes.

01:54:00.780 --> 01:54:04.780
(audience applauds)

01:54:06.630 --> 01:54:09.610
- Good morning.

01:54:09.610 --> 01:54:11.470
So I know there's NCOs in the room

01:54:11.470 --> 01:54:12.590
and that was really weak.

01:54:12.590 --> 01:54:13.590
So good morning.

01:54:13.590 --> 01:54:14.590
- [Audience] Good morning.

01:54:14.590 --> 01:54:16.710
Yeah that's that's a whole lot better.

01:54:16.710 --> 01:54:18.360
So I can't see much out here with the light.

01:54:18.360 --> 01:54:19.530
So please forgive me

01:54:19.530 --> 01:54:21.320
if I don't look directly at you

01:54:21.320 --> 01:54:24.500
but it is truly a pleasure to be here with you.

01:54:24.500 --> 01:54:26.340
So in front of you

01:54:26.340 --> 01:54:27.340
you have representation

01:54:27.340 --> 01:54:30.440
from every leadership command pretty much

01:54:30.440 --> 01:54:32.630
that touches the initial entry training,

01:54:32.630 --> 01:54:34.260
the training, the development,

01:54:34.260 --> 01:54:38.260
the care while deployed OCONUS

01:54:38.500 --> 01:54:39.610
from the Total Army

01:54:39.610 --> 01:54:42.360
sitting to my to my left.

01:54:42.360 --> 01:54:44.730
So I really think that you're in for a treat

01:54:44.730 --> 01:54:47.300
and you're going to get a very broad perspective

01:54:47.300 --> 01:54:48.500
of family readiness

01:54:48.500 --> 01:54:51.190
and how it is impacting or our soldiers

01:54:51.190 --> 01:54:52.940
across the board.

01:54:52.940 --> 01:54:54.360
So thank you Patty for the introduction

01:54:54.360 --> 01:54:55.950
and thank you for inviting this panel

01:54:55.950 --> 01:54:59.210
of sergeants majors to be here with us today.

01:54:59.210 --> 01:55:00.790
To discuss soldier and family readiness.

01:55:00.790 --> 01:55:02.740
I am Sargeant Major Rodney Rhodes

01:55:02.740 --> 01:55:05.880
and as Patty introduced I have the privilege

01:55:05.880 --> 01:55:07.360
to work with Lieutenant General Bingham

01:55:07.360 --> 01:55:09.630
on a daily basis

01:55:09.630 --> 01:55:12.800
but you know more important than that

01:55:12.800 --> 01:55:15.810
I'm the father of a soldier.

01:55:15.810 --> 01:55:19.810
And that's probably

01:55:20.250 --> 01:55:21.960
one of the greatest things,

01:55:21.960 --> 01:55:23.040
greatest accomplishments,

01:55:23.040 --> 01:55:25.900
greatest experiences that I've had

01:55:25.900 --> 01:55:27.980
as a soldier.

01:55:27.980 --> 01:55:30.210
My son grew up living in army housing

01:55:30.210 --> 01:55:32.400
with the support of Army family programs

01:55:32.400 --> 01:55:35.480
like after-school care, sports programs,

01:55:35.480 --> 01:55:39.030
use center lock-ins and many others.

01:55:39.030 --> 01:55:40.320
Those programs were important

01:55:40.320 --> 01:55:43.000
but they were only one very small part

01:55:43.000 --> 01:55:45.030
of the support that he and my Ms.

01:55:45.030 --> 01:55:47.180
And other families received.

01:55:47.180 --> 01:55:49.200
The other critical support

01:55:49.200 --> 01:55:51.560
came from family readiness groups,

01:55:51.560 --> 01:55:54.610
our neighbors, our military families,

01:55:54.610 --> 01:55:56.460
our surrounding communities

01:55:56.460 --> 01:55:58.310
that bonded together to ensure

01:55:58.310 --> 01:56:00.170
that our families were supported

01:56:00.170 --> 01:56:02.500
and cared for while we were training

01:56:02.500 --> 01:56:04.500
and deployed.

01:56:04.500 --> 01:56:05.500
After three years of college,

01:56:05.500 --> 01:56:07.690
and I wish he had to decided earlier,

01:56:07.690 --> 01:56:08.690
while I was deployed

01:56:08.690 --> 01:56:11.357
my son finally convinced his mom

01:56:11.590 --> 01:56:14.590
that the Army was where he belonged.

01:56:14.840 --> 01:56:15.920
When I returned home

01:56:15.920 --> 01:56:18.530
we discussed the decision as a family.

01:56:18.530 --> 01:56:20.940
I was very proud of my son's decision

01:56:20.940 --> 01:56:23.070
but I understood the concerns

01:56:23.070 --> 01:56:25.670
that his mother had.

01:56:25.670 --> 01:56:26.950
As I looked at my wife

01:56:26.950 --> 01:56:28.410
I reassured her that the Army

01:56:28.410 --> 01:56:30.080
would ensure our son

01:56:30.080 --> 01:56:32.100
receive the very best training,

01:56:32.100 --> 01:56:33.800
the very best leadership,

01:56:33.800 --> 01:56:35.920
and the very best equipment available,

01:56:35.920 --> 01:56:39.170
and beyond that I couldn't promise anything.

01:56:39.170 --> 01:56:40.730
And for her as a mother

01:56:40.730 --> 01:56:43.440
that was enough.

01:56:43.440 --> 01:56:46.530
As we all know people are the foundation.

01:56:46.530 --> 01:56:48.380
They are the bedrock of all that we do.

01:56:48.380 --> 01:56:50.520
Soldiers, civilians and families.

01:56:50.520 --> 01:56:53.360
And they are also the strength of our nation.

01:56:53.360 --> 01:56:55.170
As you heard many times this week

01:56:55.170 --> 01:56:56.360
the strategic environment

01:56:56.360 --> 01:56:59.590
in which the Army operates is changing.

01:56:59.590 --> 01:57:01.540
In addition generational

01:57:01.540 --> 01:57:02.840
and technological change

01:57:02.840 --> 01:57:05.900
requires us to think differently about the soldiers

01:57:05.900 --> 01:57:07.630
and family services we provide

01:57:07.630 --> 01:57:09.550
and how we provide them.

01:57:09.550 --> 01:57:11.530
While we champion services for ready

01:57:11.530 --> 01:57:12.530
and resilient soldiers

01:57:12.530 --> 01:57:14.880
and families where they live work and play,

01:57:14.880 --> 01:57:16.960
we also continually assess soldier

01:57:16.960 --> 01:57:18.630
and family programs

01:57:18.630 --> 01:57:21.690
and optimize readiness.

01:57:21.690 --> 01:57:22.690
One of the Army's

01:57:22.690 --> 01:57:24.250
oldest installation partnerships,

01:57:24.250 --> 01:57:26.710
the Residential Communities Initiative,

01:57:26.710 --> 01:57:29.960
not the Army housing that my son grew up in

01:57:29.960 --> 01:57:30.960
continues to thrive.

01:57:30.960 --> 01:57:33.293
In 2017 soldiers at 85%

01:57:34.047 --> 01:57:36.230
of the Army installations surveyed

01:57:36.230 --> 01:57:39.710
rated the RCI program as good or outstanding.

01:57:39.710 --> 01:57:42.340
So for that 30% living on our installations

01:57:42.340 --> 01:57:44.320
it's gotten much better.

01:57:44.320 --> 01:57:46.030
The number of installations rated outstanding

01:57:46.030 --> 01:57:48.500
has more than quadrupled in the last two years.

01:57:48.500 --> 01:57:52.200
And we got about a 92% occupancy.

01:57:52.200 --> 01:57:53.200
This is the third year in a row

01:57:53.200 --> 01:57:55.570
that we've seen increases in soldier

01:57:55.570 --> 01:57:57.240
and family satisfaction

01:57:57.240 --> 01:57:59.840
for those that live on base.

01:57:59.840 --> 01:58:02.360
As Dr. Sims recent study found

01:58:02.360 --> 01:58:05.110
religious and spiritual communities,

01:58:05.110 --> 01:58:06.940
personal networks, private doctors

01:58:06.940 --> 01:58:08.780
and counselors, private clubs

01:58:08.780 --> 01:58:11.400
and recreation resources off-post

01:58:11.400 --> 01:58:13.150
are four of the top five

01:58:13.150 --> 01:58:16.260
most requested services by soldiers.

01:58:16.260 --> 01:58:18.320
Did I get that right mam?

01:58:18.320 --> 01:58:19.750
Thank you.

01:58:19.750 --> 01:58:23.750
70% of our soldiers reside off-base.

01:58:24.630 --> 01:58:26.410
So we must seek innovative ways

01:58:26.410 --> 01:58:28.130
to partner with communities

01:58:28.130 --> 01:58:29.930
and businesses to provide

01:58:29.930 --> 01:58:33.930
quality services for soldiers and our families.

01:58:34.010 --> 01:58:37.420
Amazon or similar on-demand services

01:58:37.420 --> 01:58:39.860
can deliver anything we want

01:58:39.860 --> 01:58:42.320
that we wait in line for today.

01:58:42.320 --> 01:58:44.340
Here in DC Peapod, Blue Apron

01:58:44.340 --> 01:58:45.380
and several other companies

01:58:45.380 --> 01:58:47.410
routinely deliver groceries

01:58:47.410 --> 01:58:48.910
to busy families.

01:58:48.910 --> 01:58:50.380
Starbucks, Subway,

01:58:50.380 --> 01:58:52.930
you can order via your app your meal

01:58:52.930 --> 01:58:54.280
and just wander on in

01:58:54.280 --> 01:58:58.270
and pick up your breakfast or your dinner

01:58:58.270 --> 01:59:00.290
if that's what you like.

01:59:00.290 --> 01:59:02.700
We need to use these examples of innovation

01:59:02.700 --> 01:59:04.320
and many others to drive change

01:59:04.320 --> 01:59:06.900
in the way we provision services

01:59:06.900 --> 01:59:08.690
and the support we provide to our soldiers

01:59:08.690 --> 01:59:10.840
and families.

01:59:10.840 --> 01:59:12.380
On stage with me is a panel

01:59:12.380 --> 01:59:13.970
of command sergeants major

01:59:13.970 --> 01:59:15.340
who get after the readiness

01:59:15.340 --> 01:59:16.920
of the total force each

01:59:16.920 --> 01:59:19.130
and every day by leading change

01:59:19.130 --> 01:59:22.530
for soldiers and their families.

01:59:22.530 --> 01:59:24.590
Together they work tirelessly

01:59:24.590 --> 01:59:26.610
to improve the quality of life

01:59:26.610 --> 01:59:29.940
for our army families.

01:59:29.940 --> 01:59:31.170
They champion the issues

01:59:31.170 --> 01:59:33.940
and concerns of our all-volunteer force

01:59:33.940 --> 01:59:35.090
with their commanders.

01:59:35.090 --> 01:59:37.340
Following their opening remarks.

01:59:37.340 --> 01:59:38.880
I will lead us through the questions

01:59:38.880 --> 01:59:39.990
and answer session.

01:59:39.990 --> 01:59:42.110
Now let me introduce our distinguished panel

01:59:42.110 --> 01:59:43.600
of command sergeants major

01:59:43.600 --> 01:59:45.960
who represent well over 130 years

01:59:45.960 --> 01:59:49.960
of combined army service.

01:59:52.700 --> 01:59:55.180
They are leaders that are on the ground each

01:59:55.180 --> 01:59:56.240
and every day training

01:59:56.240 --> 01:59:58.460
and developing our soldiers,

01:59:58.460 --> 02:00:01.440
our nation's sons and daughters.

02:00:01.440 --> 02:00:03.360
They are where the rubber meets the road

02:00:03.360 --> 02:00:05.780
with all things readiness.

02:00:05.780 --> 02:00:06.820
So with a quick introduction

02:00:06.820 --> 02:00:07.960
to my immediate left

02:00:07.960 --> 02:00:09.660
we have Command Sargeant Major

02:00:09.660 --> 02:00:10.690
David Davenport,

02:00:10.690 --> 02:00:12.380
Senior Command Sargeant Major

02:00:12.380 --> 02:00:16.290
US Army Training And Doctrine Command.

02:00:16.290 --> 02:00:18.140
To his immediate left

02:00:18.140 --> 02:00:19.720
we have Command Sargeant Major

02:00:19.720 --> 02:00:20.720
Christopher Kepner,

02:00:20.720 --> 02:00:21.720
Command Sargeant Major

02:00:21.720 --> 02:00:23.910
of the National Guard.

02:00:23.910 --> 02:00:27.130
To his left we have Command Sargeant Major

02:00:27.130 --> 02:00:28.180
Michael A Grinston,

02:00:28.180 --> 02:00:29.840
Command Sargeant Major

02:00:29.840 --> 02:00:33.130
US Army Forces Command.

02:00:33.130 --> 02:00:34.630
Next to him we have Command Sargeant Major

02:00:34.630 --> 02:00:37.530
Ted L Copland Command Sargeant Major

02:00:37.530 --> 02:00:39.970
US Army Reserve Command,

02:00:39.970 --> 02:00:43.970
and finally our overseas component,

02:00:44.420 --> 02:00:48.070
our overseas flavor to this panel,

02:00:48.070 --> 02:00:49.090
we have Command Sargeant Major

02:00:49.090 --> 02:00:51.360
Cheryl D Lyon Command Sargeant Major

02:00:51.360 --> 02:00:54.010
US Army Europe.

02:00:54.010 --> 02:00:55.010
So with that

02:00:55.010 --> 02:00:56.860
Command Sargeant Major Davenport.

02:00:56.860 --> 02:00:58.150
- Well thanks.

02:00:58.150 --> 02:01:01.470
I have to say it's great

02:01:01.470 --> 02:01:03.360
to have the TRADOC Sargeant Major

02:01:03.360 --> 02:01:04.580
but after the couple of days up

02:01:04.580 --> 02:01:05.580
here I'm probably known

02:01:05.580 --> 02:01:07.290
as Claudia's husband so

02:01:07.290 --> 02:01:10.690
that's what I'm most proud of.

02:01:10.690 --> 02:01:13.090
So I just came from the leading

02:01:13.090 --> 02:01:15.710
the Sargeant Major of the Army discussion

02:01:15.710 --> 02:01:19.650
about future of how we're going to develop NCOs

02:01:19.650 --> 02:01:21.880
and that was a lot less scary

02:01:21.880 --> 02:01:24.190
than talking to you all about family.

02:01:24.190 --> 02:01:25.890
So bear with me.

02:01:25.890 --> 02:01:28.310
But I am thankful for the opportunity

02:01:28.310 --> 02:01:32.310
to share a couple of ideas or thoughts

02:01:32.670 --> 02:01:34.060
about I think what NCOs

02:01:34.060 --> 02:01:35.910
are really known for.

02:01:35.910 --> 02:01:37.470
And what we really are known for

02:01:37.470 --> 02:01:41.120
is taking care of soldiers and their families.

02:01:41.120 --> 02:01:42.830
It goes without saying

02:01:42.830 --> 02:01:45.690
that in the TRADOC formation

02:01:45.690 --> 02:01:48.040
we have soldiers serving in some very key

02:01:48.040 --> 02:01:50.460
but unique jobs in our army

02:01:50.460 --> 02:01:53.100
such as drill sergeants,

02:01:53.100 --> 02:01:56.280
recruiters, ROTC instructors

02:01:56.280 --> 02:01:59.880
and of course those require greater flexibility

02:01:59.880 --> 02:02:02.420
in our family and community program

02:02:02.420 --> 02:02:05.350
in terms of operating hours, costs

02:02:05.350 --> 02:02:08.020
and of course the ability to react

02:02:08.020 --> 02:02:10.190
to a very dynamic environment

02:02:10.190 --> 02:02:12.820
that we live in in TRADOC.

02:02:12.820 --> 02:02:16.320
Today like any other day inside of TRADOC

02:02:16.320 --> 02:02:18.380
drill sergeants began the day

02:02:18.380 --> 02:02:21.340
by waking up those young trainees

02:02:21.340 --> 02:02:23.590
getting them ready for PT

02:02:23.590 --> 02:02:26.460
usually 4:30, 5 o'clockish

02:02:26.460 --> 02:02:27.910
but some of those drill sergeants

02:02:27.910 --> 02:02:29.820
are single parents

02:02:29.820 --> 02:02:32.630
and they serve as the early man as we call it

02:02:32.630 --> 02:02:34.480
in the drill sergeant community.

02:02:34.480 --> 02:02:36.860
They're the ones they have to come in

02:02:36.860 --> 02:02:39.050
and do that initial wake up

02:02:39.050 --> 02:02:41.280
to get those soldiers moving.

02:02:41.280 --> 02:02:44.050
So that requires their children

02:02:44.050 --> 02:02:46.990
need to have the ability to go to the CDC

02:02:46.990 --> 02:02:49.610
a little bit earlier than others.

02:02:49.610 --> 02:02:52.720
Our recruiters begin the morning by going out

02:02:52.720 --> 02:02:53.900
and finding that talent that we need

02:02:53.900 --> 02:02:55.900
to sustain our army

02:02:55.900 --> 02:02:58.300
by going to various gyms

02:02:58.300 --> 02:03:00.900
where we buy them community memberships

02:03:00.900 --> 02:03:01.900
because they're spread out

02:03:01.900 --> 02:03:04.300
in over 1,200 different locations

02:03:04.300 --> 02:03:05.710
across our country

02:03:05.710 --> 02:03:08.280
and they just can't go to the local posts

02:03:08.280 --> 02:03:11.113
to go to the gym or do platoon PT.

02:03:11.690 --> 02:03:14.050
So we need programs

02:03:14.050 --> 02:03:18.030
that understand the uniqueness of what we do

02:03:18.030 --> 02:03:19.560
in TRADOC.

02:03:19.560 --> 02:03:22.510
So we do have to accept

02:03:22.510 --> 02:03:24.920
some certain level of risk

02:03:24.920 --> 02:03:27.220
in our separated organization,

02:03:27.220 --> 02:03:29.403
recruiters, drill sergeants

02:03:29.403 --> 02:03:32.486
and ROTC soldiers and their families.

02:03:33.870 --> 02:03:36.310
But we need that access to those programs.

02:03:36.310 --> 02:03:38.580
And we need access to them

02:03:38.580 --> 02:03:41.900
to work around the challenges that we face.

02:03:41.900 --> 02:03:43.640
This is a little unique.

02:03:43.640 --> 02:03:44.810
And of course the Guard

02:03:44.810 --> 02:03:46.470
and Reserve hove there's as well

02:03:46.470 --> 02:03:48.780
but really I need to understand

02:03:48.780 --> 02:03:50.300
of what we're asking the men

02:03:50.300 --> 02:03:52.260
and women in TRADOC to do.

02:03:52.260 --> 02:03:53.590
I don't think that we can do

02:03:53.590 --> 02:03:55.360
a cookie cutter approach

02:03:55.360 --> 02:03:56.360
and when we're walking

02:03:56.360 --> 02:04:00.360
into the last presentation

02:04:00.590 --> 02:04:02.120
you know I had a whole set of remarks

02:04:02.120 --> 02:04:03.120
that I was going to use

02:04:03.120 --> 02:04:05.010
but you're exactly right.

02:04:05.010 --> 02:04:07.370
It's about finding the best practices,

02:04:07.370 --> 02:04:09.510
finding out what works,

02:04:09.510 --> 02:04:12.640
sharing that so there's a common understanding

02:04:12.640 --> 02:04:14.230
so that our soldiers know

02:04:14.230 --> 02:04:17.320
how to plug into it to use those sources.

02:04:17.320 --> 02:04:18.700
So I'll just stop there because

02:04:18.700 --> 02:04:20.480
that I think is what

02:04:20.480 --> 02:04:24.010
will make the TRADOC teammates resilient.

02:04:24.010 --> 02:04:26.030
I think that's what will help their soldiers

02:04:26.030 --> 02:04:27.150
and our families

02:04:27.150 --> 02:04:29.950
is finding those resources that have IU.

02:04:29.950 --> 02:04:31.120
How do we plug into it

02:04:31.120 --> 02:04:33.120
and how do we share that word

02:04:33.120 --> 02:04:34.450
to our soldiers

02:04:34.450 --> 02:04:38.450
as they go about their daily job in TRADOC.

02:04:41.080 --> 02:04:42.610
- Well good morning everybody.

02:04:42.610 --> 02:04:44.580
My name is Commander Sargeant Major Kepner

02:04:44.580 --> 02:04:45.770
and I'm the senior enlisted advisor

02:04:45.770 --> 02:04:47.260
to the Chief Of The National Guard.

02:04:47.260 --> 02:04:50.990
So I just want to talk a little bit this morning

02:04:50.990 --> 02:04:51.990
for my five minutes

02:04:51.990 --> 02:04:55.020
about some anecdotal examples

02:04:55.020 --> 02:04:56.270
and some of the challenges

02:04:56.270 --> 02:04:59.220
that we see as National Guardsmen

02:04:59.220 --> 02:05:03.070
when we talk about access to benefits

02:05:03.070 --> 02:05:04.650
and things like that.

02:05:04.650 --> 02:05:07.350
And I just I couldn't help.

02:05:07.350 --> 02:05:08.810
I was listening to the previous question

02:05:08.810 --> 02:05:10.000
about access to health care

02:05:10.000 --> 02:05:11.310
and I thought you know

02:05:11.310 --> 02:05:12.690
that's a great segway

02:05:12.690 --> 02:05:15.630
into really kind of what I want to talk about

02:05:15.630 --> 02:05:19.210
which is a real challenge for our Guardsmen

02:05:19.210 --> 02:05:22.530
when they deploy for a number of reasons.

02:05:22.530 --> 02:05:24.300
And you know when you talk to soldiers

02:05:24.300 --> 02:05:25.960
it's really one of their biggest concerns

02:05:25.960 --> 02:05:26.960
whenever they deploy

02:05:26.960 --> 02:05:30.260
because you know while Tricare

02:05:30.260 --> 02:05:33.550
works very well around large urban areas

02:05:33.550 --> 02:05:34.830
or around places

02:05:34.830 --> 02:05:36.930
where there's large military installations.

02:05:36.930 --> 02:05:38.540
When you get into rural Pennsylvania

02:05:38.540 --> 02:05:40.690
or rural Nebraska

02:05:40.690 --> 02:05:43.870
there are there aren't many doctors that accept it

02:05:43.870 --> 02:05:44.870
and it's difficult.

02:05:44.870 --> 02:05:46.760
So many of our soldiers have to change

02:05:46.760 --> 02:05:47.760
their medical coverage

02:05:47.760 --> 02:05:50.420
whenever they deploy with Tricare.

02:05:50.420 --> 02:05:51.980
And that's one of the things you know

02:05:51.980 --> 02:05:54.450
that General Egel and General Canape

02:05:54.450 --> 02:05:55.980
are really looking at

02:05:55.980 --> 02:05:59.980
is how do we help our soldiers with that

02:06:00.040 --> 02:06:02.750
with the geographic dispersion of our units

02:06:02.750 --> 02:06:04.780
and getting access to that health care.

02:06:04.780 --> 02:06:06.430
And so for 27 years

02:06:06.430 --> 02:06:09.810
I was a traditional en day soldier, not full-time.

02:06:09.810 --> 02:06:11.050
I worked for Snyder National

02:06:11.050 --> 02:06:13.680
and so I just have to share this with you

02:06:13.680 --> 02:06:14.680
as an example.

02:06:14.680 --> 02:06:15.840
So whenever I deployed,

02:06:15.840 --> 02:06:18.520
I live in a rural Pennsylvania,

02:06:18.520 --> 02:06:20.700
and I was at the MOBE site

02:06:20.700 --> 02:06:23.690
and you know so I had to transfer into Tricare.

02:06:23.690 --> 02:06:24.870
And my wife calls me

02:06:24.870 --> 02:06:26.130
and she says hey I got this thing

02:06:26.130 --> 02:06:27.380
in the mail from Tricare

02:06:27.380 --> 02:06:29.690
and we need to change our doctor

02:06:29.690 --> 02:06:33.430
and they assigned me a doctor in Manhattan.

02:06:33.430 --> 02:06:35.640
And I said okay.

02:06:35.640 --> 02:06:38.160
I said call the doctor in Manhattan.

02:06:38.160 --> 02:06:40.490
So Mrs. Kepner calls the doctor Manhattan

02:06:40.490 --> 02:06:43.400
and she says hey we just got a sign here

02:06:43.400 --> 02:06:44.680
and she said by the way

02:06:44.680 --> 02:06:48.680
where is Manhattan, Pennsylvania anyway?

02:06:50.000 --> 02:06:52.170
And as Mrs. Kepner relays the story

02:06:52.170 --> 02:06:54.110
the lady on the other hand said

02:06:54.110 --> 02:06:56.090
this is Manhattan, New York.

02:06:56.090 --> 02:06:59.550
Is that a problem?

02:06:59.550 --> 02:07:01.330
Which my wife told me

02:07:01.330 --> 02:07:02.610
the conversation went south

02:07:02.610 --> 02:07:03.980
pretty quick after.

02:07:03.980 --> 02:07:07.540
That so I can't really rely exactly what she said

02:07:07.540 --> 02:07:11.360
but those are just some of the examples

02:07:11.360 --> 02:07:14.810
that's just one example of the challenges

02:07:14.810 --> 02:07:18.810
that we have when we think about our Guardsmen

02:07:19.260 --> 02:07:21.920
and how geographically dispersed that we are

02:07:21.920 --> 02:07:24.010
and I sort of want to dovetail

02:07:24.010 --> 02:07:25.660
onto one of the things

02:07:25.660 --> 02:07:26.800
that Sargeant Major Davenport,

02:07:26.800 --> 02:07:28.730
Sargeant Major Rhodes had said.

02:07:28.730 --> 02:07:32.730
As we look at the problems of family readiness

02:07:33.670 --> 02:07:35.940
and family support to a force

02:07:35.940 --> 02:07:38.050
that is very geographically dispersed

02:07:38.050 --> 02:07:41.460
even within our own companies

02:07:41.460 --> 02:07:42.510
there are communities.

02:07:42.510 --> 02:07:44.070
You know we have Guardsmen oftentimes

02:07:44.070 --> 02:07:45.840
traveling three and four hours.

02:07:45.840 --> 02:07:48.310
And so those families are even separated.

02:07:48.310 --> 02:07:50.140
And so we have family action centers

02:07:50.140 --> 02:07:51.360
that do a great job

02:07:51.360 --> 02:07:54.530
but it's difficult to get to all of the rural areas

02:07:54.530 --> 02:07:55.530
for our Guardsmen

02:07:55.530 --> 02:07:57.960
to make sure that they have access to that.

02:07:57.960 --> 02:08:00.390
And as Sargeant Major Davenport's point

02:08:00.390 --> 02:08:02.050
and Sargeant Major Rhodes

02:08:02.050 --> 02:08:05.590
we really got to look at different ways

02:08:05.590 --> 02:08:07.400
to get to those soldiers

02:08:07.400 --> 02:08:09.640
and their families whenever we're deployed

02:08:09.640 --> 02:08:10.640
as well and something

02:08:10.640 --> 02:08:11.640
that we're always thinking about

02:08:11.640 --> 02:08:12.640
from a guard perspective.

02:08:12.640 --> 02:08:15.057
So I'll just hold there then.

02:08:20.188 --> 02:08:21.855
- Well good morning.

02:08:21.890 --> 02:08:24.390
And I want to say first of all

02:08:24.460 --> 02:08:27.070
I'm proud to be a United States soldier

02:08:27.070 --> 02:08:28.630
serving in the United States Army

02:08:28.630 --> 02:08:30.710
forces command because I know

02:08:30.710 --> 02:08:33.970
the strength of our nation is our army.

02:08:33.970 --> 02:08:35.760
The strength of our army is our soldiers.

02:08:35.760 --> 02:08:37.730
And the strength of our soldiers

02:08:37.730 --> 02:08:39.200
are our families.

02:08:39.200 --> 02:08:41.820
So I will start with saying thank you

02:08:41.820 --> 02:08:43.660
for your service.

02:08:43.660 --> 02:08:46.570
So most of the spouses in this room

02:08:46.570 --> 02:08:48.390
have been in the military

02:08:48.390 --> 02:08:49.390
probably a lot.

02:08:49.390 --> 02:08:52.580
You know there's probably 30 or 40 years

02:08:52.580 --> 02:08:54.690
worth of service in one individual

02:08:54.690 --> 02:08:57.110
sitting in this crowd right now.

02:08:57.110 --> 02:08:58.120
And often times

02:08:58.120 --> 02:08:59.560
we don't say thank you

02:08:59.560 --> 02:09:01.030
for your support and service

02:09:01.030 --> 02:09:02.690
that you served your nation

02:09:02.690 --> 02:09:04.700
and I just want to say

02:09:04.700 --> 02:09:07.870
on behalf of all the forces command

02:09:07.870 --> 02:09:09.590
and my spouse who could not be here

02:09:09.590 --> 02:09:11.860
thank you for your service.

02:09:11.860 --> 02:09:14.010
So let's see I've got a slide.

02:09:14.010 --> 02:09:15.910
Yeah, I'm an overachiever I guess.

02:09:15.910 --> 02:09:16.910
(audience laughs)

02:09:16.910 --> 02:09:19.460
I just want to say that.

02:09:19.460 --> 02:09:21.500
And before I even say anything else

02:09:21.500 --> 02:09:22.500
I'm gonna challenge you

02:09:22.500 --> 02:09:24.390
to give us really hard questions at the end.

02:09:24.390 --> 02:09:27.170
And there is no question

02:09:27.170 --> 02:09:29.020
that you can stump this panel.

02:09:29.020 --> 02:09:30.020
Because if I can't answer it

02:09:30.020 --> 02:09:32.060
Sargeant Major Davenport will.

02:09:32.060 --> 02:09:33.960
(audience laughs)

02:09:33.960 --> 02:09:36.880
I have thrown out the gauntlet already

02:09:36.880 --> 02:09:39.270
because his spouse is right there.

02:09:39.270 --> 02:09:41.960
Okay and I really want to tell you

02:09:41.960 --> 02:09:44.610
and listening to a little bit the other brief before

02:09:44.610 --> 02:09:47.780
how the information goes.

02:09:47.780 --> 02:09:49.420
And I'm the classic soldier.

02:09:49.420 --> 02:09:53.380
So my wife gets no information from me

02:09:53.380 --> 02:09:54.960
just like all the others.

02:09:54.960 --> 02:09:56.730
Everybody in here is going yep Sargeant Major

02:09:56.730 --> 02:09:57.730
you're not alone.

02:09:57.730 --> 02:10:01.690
So that's why the photos of the families

02:10:01.690 --> 02:10:03.170
are so important.

02:10:03.170 --> 02:10:04.920
And what you do is so important.

02:10:04.920 --> 02:10:07.070
And how we share information.

02:10:07.070 --> 02:10:10.300
But really we don't understand

02:10:10.300 --> 02:10:13.770
how about how valuable your input is.

02:10:13.770 --> 02:10:15.610
And I can tell you from my own failures

02:10:15.610 --> 02:10:18.100
to tell my spouse anything

02:10:18.100 --> 02:10:20.900
that your information and how you interact

02:10:20.900 --> 02:10:22.980
with the families at all levels

02:10:22.980 --> 02:10:24.430
is extremely important.

02:10:24.430 --> 02:10:27.120
And I know we talked about sponsorship

02:10:27.120 --> 02:10:28.400
but I think over the years

02:10:28.400 --> 02:10:30.590
when we talk about deployments

02:10:30.590 --> 02:10:31.880
we have to really define that

02:10:31.880 --> 02:10:33.000
and I'm just going to talk

02:10:33.000 --> 02:10:34.850
about that in a minute.

02:10:34.850 --> 02:10:36.460
Because our readiness is very important.

02:10:36.460 --> 02:10:39.200
It's our number one priority.

02:10:39.200 --> 02:10:40.660
And when you look at some of the issues

02:10:40.660 --> 02:10:42.380
and the slides in the Rand study

02:10:42.380 --> 02:10:44.200
and what was a lot of that

02:10:44.200 --> 02:10:47.060
was you know dealing with family problems.

02:10:47.060 --> 02:10:48.640
And we got a look at that

02:10:48.640 --> 02:10:50.100
and one of the things she talks about

02:10:50.100 --> 02:10:51.380
was a toxic leadership.

02:10:51.380 --> 02:10:53.160
And again I ground everything

02:10:53.160 --> 02:10:56.260
in a little bit of story.

02:10:56.260 --> 02:10:57.260
So don't don't think poorly of me.

02:10:57.260 --> 02:10:58.260
So my wife went on.

02:10:58.260 --> 02:10:59.570
She was working.

02:10:59.570 --> 02:11:02.000
And she never put her last name

02:11:02.000 --> 02:11:03.290
on her desk.

02:11:03.290 --> 02:11:05.560
She would never do that.

02:11:05.560 --> 02:11:07.080
And then one day one of the soldiers

02:11:07.080 --> 02:11:10.030
found out that you know I was her husband

02:11:10.030 --> 02:11:12.205
and she looks at him and goes

02:11:12.205 --> 02:11:13.788
but you're so nice.

02:11:15.567 --> 02:11:18.900
(sargeant major laughs)

02:11:18.930 --> 02:11:22.738
Okay then why did I put that with toxic leadership?

02:11:22.738 --> 02:11:23.571
I don't know.

02:11:23.571 --> 02:11:24.404
(audience laughs)

02:11:24.404 --> 02:11:25.237
Okay.

02:11:25.255 --> 02:11:26.780
But you won't forget that story.

02:11:26.780 --> 02:11:27.780
What I'm saying is

02:11:27.780 --> 02:11:29.650
that sometimes spouses

02:11:29.650 --> 02:11:31.360
really do need to be approachable

02:11:31.360 --> 02:11:34.310
and they can bring some readiness issues

02:11:34.310 --> 02:11:38.310
I think to the other side of that equation

02:11:38.690 --> 02:11:40.840
that is invaluable.

02:11:40.840 --> 02:11:43.180
And your leadership at all levels

02:11:43.180 --> 02:11:44.180
is very important

02:11:44.180 --> 02:11:45.660
and it can help us.

02:11:45.660 --> 02:11:47.530
And then we have another slide.

02:11:47.530 --> 02:11:48.530
Next slide.

02:11:48.530 --> 02:11:50.150
And here's why.

02:11:50.150 --> 02:11:52.900
We still have a 180,000 people

02:11:52.900 --> 02:11:55.930
spread across the world.

02:11:55.930 --> 02:11:58.180
And I think I need to say that all the time

02:11:58.180 --> 02:12:01.120
because when we define some of the problems

02:12:01.120 --> 02:12:02.480
of our readiness

02:12:02.480 --> 02:12:05.010
nowadays we only think,

02:12:05.010 --> 02:12:06.010
sometimes people say,

02:12:06.010 --> 02:12:07.010
well they're deployed.

02:12:07.010 --> 02:12:08.010
I heard it.

02:12:08.010 --> 02:12:09.010
I read it.

02:12:09.010 --> 02:12:10.010
Deployed.

02:12:10.010 --> 02:12:11.010
But what does that mean?

02:12:11.010 --> 02:12:12.460
It means different things.

02:12:12.460 --> 02:12:14.440
For most to everybody in this room

02:12:14.440 --> 02:12:17.110
it only means one thing.

02:12:17.110 --> 02:12:20.170
My spouse is gone

02:12:20.170 --> 02:12:22.750
but to other leaders in the world

02:12:22.750 --> 02:12:23.750
when they say deployed

02:12:23.750 --> 02:12:26.250
they think Iraq and Afghanistan.

02:12:26.250 --> 02:12:28.680
So as we've pulled people back

02:12:28.680 --> 02:12:30.460
to the company in the United States

02:12:30.460 --> 02:12:33.190
and then we forward deployed them

02:12:33.190 --> 02:12:35.610
and they do nine months in this area

02:12:35.610 --> 02:12:37.890
or they go do nine months in Korea

02:12:37.890 --> 02:12:41.890
all you know is there's a same deployment.

02:12:42.480 --> 02:12:44.600
But the entitlements sometimes are different

02:12:44.600 --> 02:12:46.770
depending on the region that you go to.

02:12:46.770 --> 02:12:48.910
And I'm sure you've talked about those

02:12:48.910 --> 02:12:50.860
but that's part of the problem

02:12:50.860 --> 02:12:53.020
is because all we hear is deployment

02:12:53.020 --> 02:12:55.380
and my spouse is gone.

02:12:55.380 --> 02:12:57.630
But we say we have to be ready now

02:12:57.630 --> 02:12:59.980
and it takes a lot of communication

02:12:59.980 --> 02:13:01.730
because of these issues.

02:13:01.730 --> 02:13:04.030
And we need you more than ever

02:13:04.030 --> 02:13:05.780
to talk about these issues

02:13:05.780 --> 02:13:06.780
and where they're going

02:13:06.780 --> 02:13:09.900
because the entitlements may be different.

02:13:09.900 --> 02:13:12.040
So I just wanted to show that slide

02:13:12.040 --> 02:13:14.400
as a reminder of how far we've gone

02:13:14.400 --> 02:13:17.060
and again I welcome those hard questions

02:13:17.060 --> 02:13:18.360
to Sargeant Major Davenport.

02:13:18.360 --> 02:13:19.193
Thank you.

02:13:22.046 --> 02:13:22.879
- Good morning.

02:13:22.879 --> 02:13:24.295
My name's Ted Copeland,

02:13:24.295 --> 02:13:25.128
Command Sargeant Major

02:13:25.128 --> 02:13:26.350
of America's Army Reserve,

02:13:26.350 --> 02:13:27.850
your Army Reserve.

02:13:29.720 --> 02:13:30.830
A lot of things to talk about

02:13:30.830 --> 02:13:33.600
but I tell you I like to dovetail a little bit

02:13:33.600 --> 02:13:34.767
on force comm.

02:13:35.420 --> 02:13:38.780
We're almost 199,000 soldiers and families

02:13:38.780 --> 02:13:41.110
across 24 time zones.

02:13:41.110 --> 02:13:42.680
Some are deployed forward.

02:13:42.680 --> 02:13:44.090
Some just lived there.

02:13:44.090 --> 02:13:47.850
As Lieutenant General Likey would like to say

02:13:47.850 --> 02:13:51.850
we're in 7/8 of the earth's service.

02:13:52.640 --> 02:13:54.780
So you know same with the National Guard.

02:13:54.780 --> 02:13:57.280
We had that dispersed problem.

02:13:59.641 --> 02:14:00.474
You know over those of my history

02:14:00.474 --> 02:14:01.307
of my 30-some years,

02:14:01.307 --> 02:14:03.260
a lot of it being in the Army Reserve,

02:14:03.260 --> 02:14:07.260
we all know we enlist soldiers

02:14:07.981 --> 02:14:11.980
but really reenlist families.

02:14:12.190 --> 02:14:14.710
That's how important it is for our soldiers

02:14:14.710 --> 02:14:16.370
and our families.

02:14:16.370 --> 02:14:17.780
You know we have a unique problem.

02:14:17.780 --> 02:14:20.190
You know I've heard all the panelists

02:14:20.190 --> 02:14:21.440
talk about being dispersed.

02:14:21.440 --> 02:14:24.670
Ours is a day-to-day problem.

02:14:24.670 --> 02:14:26.280
Most our soldiers travel hours.

02:14:26.280 --> 02:14:29.320
You know most of our senior soldiers now

02:14:29.320 --> 02:14:30.530
are traveling states,

02:14:30.530 --> 02:14:34.330
four or five states to their battle assemblies.

02:14:34.330 --> 02:14:38.497
And it's a really hard challenge for our families.

02:14:39.480 --> 02:14:41.750
You know most of our families have children,

02:14:41.750 --> 02:14:44.360
full-time jobs, school events,

02:14:44.360 --> 02:14:46.410
so that to ask spouse and family

02:14:46.410 --> 02:14:47.970
to either get in a car and drive three states

02:14:47.970 --> 02:14:51.420
or get on an airplane which is very expensive

02:14:51.420 --> 02:14:53.120
and go to a battle assembly

02:14:53.120 --> 02:14:57.120
because of a Family Readiness Group.

02:14:57.320 --> 02:15:00.090
It's kind of unrealistic.

02:15:00.090 --> 02:15:01.570
So that challenge is difficult.

02:15:01.570 --> 02:15:03.240
We've had it for years.

02:15:03.240 --> 02:15:05.590
We know it's always extremely important

02:15:05.590 --> 02:15:07.110
when that unit gets alerted 10 months out.

02:15:07.110 --> 02:15:10.030
Hey you're going to deploy forward.

02:15:10.030 --> 02:15:14.030
And then it becomes very critical to us.

02:15:14.240 --> 02:15:16.860
But we have to figure out a better way ahead.

02:15:16.860 --> 02:15:18.440
As the Army Reserve moves

02:15:18.440 --> 02:15:22.440
from a strategic to an operational force

02:15:23.090 --> 02:15:25.130
what does that really mean?

02:15:25.130 --> 02:15:27.680
It means the readiness requirements go up.

02:15:27.680 --> 02:15:29.870
So it's more time month-to-month.

02:15:29.870 --> 02:15:31.953
You know two days a month

02:15:32.312 --> 02:15:35.985
is probably not happening for anybody anymore.

02:15:35.985 --> 02:15:36.818
Two weeks in the summers

02:15:36.818 --> 02:15:38.583
probably not happened for anybody anymore

02:15:38.583 --> 02:15:41.250
even the lowest ranking soldier.

02:15:41.504 --> 02:15:42.921
But it also means

02:15:43.288 --> 02:15:45.915
quicker mobilization timeframes.

02:15:45.915 --> 02:15:47.684
So from the time you know

02:15:47.684 --> 02:15:48.517
the unit gets alerted

02:15:48.517 --> 02:15:51.200
to the time you know it's leaving

02:15:51.200 --> 02:15:52.360
it's very short.

02:15:52.360 --> 02:15:55.770
You know those six months, 10 months

02:15:55.770 --> 02:15:58.774
not going to happen for a lot of our units now.

02:15:58.774 --> 02:15:59.779
It's going to be could be

02:15:59.779 --> 02:16:00.880
as quick as a week

02:16:00.880 --> 02:16:02.856
from the time they get the phone call at home,

02:16:02.856 --> 02:16:05.377
they turn around, tell their spouse, I'm leaving,

02:16:05.377 --> 02:16:08.830
they're gonna be going two, three days later.

02:16:08.830 --> 02:16:10.950
So there's a real problem

02:16:10.950 --> 02:16:12.770
that as we're moving forward

02:16:12.770 --> 02:16:14.937
into the operational world

02:16:14.950 --> 02:16:18.860
is how do we really get the word out

02:16:18.860 --> 02:16:21.370
to our family members.

02:16:21.370 --> 02:16:24.130
Just how important this is to us?

02:16:24.130 --> 02:16:25.420
Our soldiers are busy.

02:16:25.420 --> 02:16:26.960
We know as Sargeant Major says

02:16:26.960 --> 02:16:28.500
they don't talk to their spouses.

02:16:28.500 --> 02:16:29.990
I was one of those.

02:16:29.990 --> 02:16:31.500
She'd ask, I'd tell her.

02:16:31.500 --> 02:16:33.730
She don't ask, I don't tell her.

02:16:33.730 --> 02:16:35.380
That's just you know, it's not because

02:16:35.380 --> 02:16:36.490
I didn't want her to know

02:16:36.490 --> 02:16:39.130
but you know we had a good agreement.

02:16:39.130 --> 02:16:40.700
She wanted to know, she'd ask.

02:16:40.700 --> 02:16:41.840
I'm more than happy to tell you

02:16:41.840 --> 02:16:43.840
but you know usually when I got home

02:16:43.840 --> 02:16:46.290
she wanted to talk about what the kids did today

02:16:46.290 --> 02:16:47.290
and you know

02:16:47.290 --> 02:16:49.670
and how I'm responsible for it.

02:16:49.670 --> 02:16:50.840
(audience laughs)

02:16:50.840 --> 02:16:52.300
you know so I didn't bring up that

02:16:52.300 --> 02:16:53.730
because then she just looked at me

02:16:53.730 --> 02:16:55.990
like well my day was different.

02:16:55.990 --> 02:16:57.130
So how do we get that out?

02:16:57.130 --> 02:16:58.810
And I'm not sure how it's gonna work.

02:16:58.810 --> 02:17:00.090
I need that help.

02:17:00.090 --> 02:17:01.960
So as we move forward with this

02:17:01.960 --> 02:17:04.040
you know I will talk to soldiers of course.

02:17:04.040 --> 02:17:05.340
That's what Command Sargeant Majors do

02:17:05.340 --> 02:17:07.700
but I'm going to try to really talk

02:17:07.700 --> 02:17:08.700
to family members

02:17:08.700 --> 02:17:11.940
because that's where we really get the truth,

02:17:11.940 --> 02:17:15.380
not the truth but really get what's needed.

02:17:15.380 --> 02:17:17.120
We are looking at something real quick

02:17:17.120 --> 02:17:21.037
and it's just starting to be in the pilot phase

02:17:21.195 --> 02:17:22.028
as we're calling it.

02:17:22.028 --> 02:17:24.013
We're not sure what the file name is going to be

02:17:24.013 --> 02:17:25.170
but the initial name's

02:17:25.170 --> 02:17:28.520
Zip Code Base Family Readiness.

02:17:28.520 --> 02:17:30.630
We're not sure exactly what that means yet.

02:17:30.630 --> 02:17:32.630
Our 108 train command's

02:17:32.630 --> 02:17:35.110
gonna be piloting it soon.

02:17:35.110 --> 02:17:37.240
So we're not sure how the geographical area

02:17:37.240 --> 02:17:38.520
is gonna be, how big,

02:17:38.520 --> 02:17:42.520
but we're gonna break the command in areas.

02:17:42.980 --> 02:17:44.530
The senior unit

02:17:44.530 --> 02:17:46.300
that has a family readiness coordinator

02:17:46.300 --> 02:17:49.010
will lead that family readiness group

02:17:49.010 --> 02:17:50.340
and we're going to try

02:17:50.340 --> 02:17:52.934
to connect families geographically.

02:17:52.934 --> 02:17:54.601
So that way you know

02:17:54.734 --> 02:17:55.617
family don't have to try to pack up

02:17:55.617 --> 02:17:57.090
and move eight states

02:17:57.090 --> 02:18:00.200
to a family readiness group.

02:18:00.200 --> 02:18:01.900
So that's kind of still in the initial phase.

02:18:01.900 --> 02:18:03.900
So we're going to really test it out

02:18:03.900 --> 02:18:05.590
and see how big or how small

02:18:05.590 --> 02:18:07.170
that area is gonna be.

02:18:07.170 --> 02:18:08.480
I would have to assume

02:18:08.480 --> 02:18:09.820
it's gonna have to be pretty small

02:18:09.820 --> 02:18:10.820
geographically because otherwise

02:18:10.820 --> 02:18:13.300
we're just right back to the distance

02:18:13.300 --> 02:18:15.300
and time and travel

02:18:15.300 --> 02:18:17.280
and around families time.

02:18:17.280 --> 02:18:18.800
So that's coming and that's something

02:18:18.800 --> 02:18:20.190
we're gonna work hard on

02:18:20.190 --> 02:18:23.840
to try to really get after our families

02:18:23.840 --> 02:18:24.950
being very involved

02:18:24.950 --> 02:18:28.950
at least as much as their busy lives will allow.

02:18:29.719 --> 02:18:31.590
So appreciate the few minutes.

02:18:31.590 --> 02:18:34.670
Those hard questions, please ask the others.

02:18:34.670 --> 02:18:36.340
I'll try to answer

02:18:36.340 --> 02:18:38.136
but I'll be the first one to tell you

02:18:38.136 --> 02:18:38.969
if I don't know.

02:18:38.969 --> 02:18:40.975
I'm not gonna try to tell you something

02:18:40.975 --> 02:18:42.058
I don't know.

02:18:42.061 --> 02:18:43.322
I'll just say I don't know

02:18:43.322 --> 02:18:44.646
and I'll figure it out.

02:18:44.646 --> 02:18:45.729
So thank you.

02:18:49.281 --> 02:18:52.614
- Okay I guess that means that I'm next.

02:18:52.890 --> 02:18:54.492
Thank You Ms. Barron

02:18:54.492 --> 02:18:55.633
and Sargeant Major Rhodes

02:18:55.633 --> 02:18:57.210
for having all of us here.

02:18:57.210 --> 02:18:58.260
As I look across the audience

02:18:58.260 --> 02:18:59.540
one of the things that I see

02:18:59.540 --> 02:19:02.420
is part of one of the best assets that we have

02:19:02.420 --> 02:19:05.550
and that is our family readiness

02:19:05.550 --> 02:19:07.320
and those who make it happen.

02:19:07.320 --> 02:19:11.270
So without you we are not a success.

02:19:11.270 --> 02:19:12.270
And I do have to admit

02:19:12.270 --> 02:19:13.280
I'm one of the anomalies

02:19:13.280 --> 02:19:15.020
because I have pretty much

02:19:15.020 --> 02:19:17.150
been a single soldier my whole career.

02:19:17.150 --> 02:19:19.520
Although I brought a daughter up

02:19:19.520 --> 02:19:21.340
and apparently as someone mentioned earlier

02:19:21.340 --> 02:19:24.370
it must be a pretty good life

02:19:24.370 --> 02:19:25.370
because my daughter

02:19:25.370 --> 02:19:26.370
has followed in my footsteps

02:19:26.370 --> 02:19:30.070
and is now in serving in the military also.

02:19:30.070 --> 02:19:33.440
But as a part EUSER you know our mission

02:19:33.440 --> 02:19:35.070
is to assure our allies

02:19:35.070 --> 02:19:36.770
and partners of all of Europe

02:19:36.770 --> 02:19:39.170
and to include parts of AFRICOM now

02:19:39.170 --> 02:19:40.800
as well as parts of CENTCOM

02:19:40.800 --> 02:19:43.290
when the need is required.

02:19:43.290 --> 02:19:46.330
We have assets all over the place

02:19:46.330 --> 02:19:48.080
like many of my counters here,

02:19:48.080 --> 02:19:50.180
many of my peers.

02:19:50.180 --> 02:19:51.620
And so I'm the entity

02:19:51.620 --> 02:19:53.930
that uses the TRADOC assets,

02:19:53.930 --> 02:19:56.240
that uses the reserve assets,

02:19:56.240 --> 02:19:58.900
that uses the National Guard assets,

02:19:58.900 --> 02:20:00.560
and uses the force comm assets

02:20:00.560 --> 02:20:03.750
to make our mission happen in Europe.

02:20:03.750 --> 02:20:06.480
So five to seven years ago

02:20:06.480 --> 02:20:07.700
Europe was downsizing

02:20:07.700 --> 02:20:09.580
and a few years ago in 2014

02:20:09.580 --> 02:20:13.580
to be precise we saw that there was a need

02:20:13.641 --> 02:20:16.830
to remain strong in Europe.

02:20:16.830 --> 02:20:19.430
And so we had to switch gears

02:20:19.430 --> 02:20:23.300
and changed from downsizing to resizing

02:20:23.300 --> 02:20:25.080
and to maintaining what we had.

02:20:25.080 --> 02:20:27.980
Well that in itself created a challenge

02:20:27.980 --> 02:20:30.270
for United States Army Europe.

02:20:30.270 --> 02:20:33.350
And the reason why I say that is

02:20:33.350 --> 02:20:34.440
back in the heyday of Europe,

02:20:34.440 --> 02:20:35.870
and some of you might remember this,

02:20:35.870 --> 02:20:38.030
there were upwards of 300,000 soldier

02:20:38.030 --> 02:20:40.110
and family members all over Europe.

02:20:40.110 --> 02:20:42.700
You couldn't turn without seeing a sign

02:20:42.700 --> 02:20:43.783
to a kaserna.

02:20:44.470 --> 02:20:45.780
Now that is not the case.

02:20:45.780 --> 02:20:46.780
You see the signs

02:20:46.780 --> 02:20:48.480
where those kasernas were located

02:20:48.480 --> 02:20:50.760
but there's no longer a base there.

02:20:50.760 --> 02:20:53.900
So we are down to seven garrison assets

02:20:53.900 --> 02:20:56.210
managing 99 entities

02:20:56.210 --> 02:20:57.290
and they are spread

02:20:57.290 --> 02:20:59.000
from northern Germany of course

02:20:59.000 --> 02:21:01.550
Wiesbaden being the highest

02:21:01.550 --> 02:21:02.550
which is where I'm at

02:21:02.550 --> 02:21:04.000
in the headquarters of EUSER

02:21:04.000 --> 02:21:05.000
and down to Italy.

02:21:05.000 --> 02:21:06.560
So those are still there.

02:21:06.560 --> 02:21:09.190
But the other thing that we have are that

02:21:09.190 --> 02:21:10.770
we have small teams.

02:21:10.770 --> 02:21:12.220
We have small companies,

02:21:12.220 --> 02:21:15.100
size elements that are dispersed

02:21:15.100 --> 02:21:18.570
throughout Europe and we have soldiers

02:21:18.570 --> 02:21:20.510
and their families

02:21:20.510 --> 02:21:21.900
who are all the way

02:21:21.900 --> 02:21:24.550
from the northern Scandinavian countries

02:21:24.550 --> 02:21:28.550
down to Turkey to Great Britain on the West

02:21:29.370 --> 02:21:32.240
as far as Ukraine on the East.

02:21:32.240 --> 02:21:34.200
So it takes a small army

02:21:34.200 --> 02:21:35.200
to make that happen

02:21:35.200 --> 02:21:38.830
and with only 30,000 soldiers left in Europe

02:21:38.830 --> 02:21:40.390
I have to use the assets

02:21:40.390 --> 02:21:43.690
of all these individuals sitting to my right.

02:21:43.690 --> 02:21:46.400
So we depend upon them greatly.

02:21:46.400 --> 02:21:48.480
And as I mentioned it creates a challenge

02:21:48.480 --> 02:21:50.290
when you bring those entities in.

02:21:50.290 --> 02:21:54.290
Now the only one who really has a need

02:21:56.310 --> 02:21:59.170
or a requirement for family readiness

02:21:59.170 --> 02:22:01.400
on our side of the pond,

02:22:01.400 --> 02:22:04.120
of course it is here back on this side of the pond,

02:22:04.120 --> 02:22:06.400
is the reservist because they will stay with us

02:22:06.400 --> 02:22:08.160
for an extended amount of time.

02:22:08.160 --> 02:22:09.970
They will go active for upwards

02:22:09.970 --> 02:22:11.560
of three years at a time

02:22:11.560 --> 02:22:14.560
and we rely upon them heavily.

02:22:14.560 --> 02:22:18.560
So our set is a little different in Europe.

02:22:19.001 --> 02:22:20.610
And I have to admit

02:22:20.610 --> 02:22:23.250
that one of the things that I find best about this

02:22:23.250 --> 02:22:25.970
as I listen to everyone talk

02:22:25.970 --> 02:22:29.970
is when we identify the needs.

02:22:30.260 --> 02:22:32.750
So identifying the needs is part of it

02:22:32.750 --> 02:22:34.120
but taking the action

02:22:34.120 --> 02:22:36.080
to make the requirement

02:22:36.080 --> 02:22:38.470
or meet the requirement of the challenges

02:22:38.470 --> 02:22:40.120
that we face.

02:22:40.120 --> 02:22:42.010
For instance, and I'll give you a few,

02:22:42.010 --> 02:22:45.330
you're moving to a new country right?

02:22:45.330 --> 02:22:47.650
You don't live at home anymore.

02:22:47.650 --> 02:22:49.830
The first challenge that you face,

02:22:49.830 --> 02:22:51.750
now thankfully we usually fly in

02:22:51.750 --> 02:22:53.770
Patriot Express with our families

02:22:53.770 --> 02:22:54.770
to include the pets

02:22:54.770 --> 02:22:56.130
and everything else

02:22:56.130 --> 02:22:58.260
but many times you will find

02:22:58.260 --> 02:22:59.410
the first big challenge is

02:22:59.410 --> 02:23:01.000
that you're in a foreign country

02:23:01.000 --> 02:23:02.630
needing to speak a foreign language

02:23:02.630 --> 02:23:04.230
or at least understand it

02:23:04.230 --> 02:23:06.710
and to understand a foreign culture.

02:23:06.710 --> 02:23:08.530
And those have significant impacts

02:23:08.530 --> 02:23:12.110
especially on young single soldiers

02:23:12.110 --> 02:23:14.900
or young families moving for the first time

02:23:14.900 --> 02:23:16.800
out of the United States.

02:23:16.800 --> 02:23:18.930
So that is the first challenge that they face

02:23:18.930 --> 02:23:22.170
when they come to United States Army Europe.

02:23:22.170 --> 02:23:23.220
EUSERPAC I would assume,

02:23:23.220 --> 02:23:24.370
I won't speak on their behalf

02:23:24.370 --> 02:23:25.500
but I'm pretty sure they face

02:23:25.500 --> 02:23:27.833
some of the same challenges.

02:23:29.662 --> 02:23:30.880
Geographical dispersion.

02:23:30.880 --> 02:23:31.990
We have all mentioned it

02:23:31.990 --> 02:23:33.900
and as I said we're from the far north

02:23:33.900 --> 02:23:36.030
to the south, east, and west.

02:23:36.030 --> 02:23:37.030
And in any of those

02:23:37.030 --> 02:23:38.670
they speak a different language

02:23:38.670 --> 02:23:41.070
at any of those different locations.

02:23:41.070 --> 02:23:43.930
Small teams that do not have FRGs

02:23:43.930 --> 02:23:45.620
where they are at,

02:23:45.620 --> 02:23:49.540
who depend upon our State Department

02:23:49.540 --> 02:23:51.460
when they go into work

02:23:51.460 --> 02:23:53.340
to be received by them,

02:23:53.340 --> 02:23:55.200
to integrate them into the communities

02:23:55.200 --> 02:23:57.020
and help them assimilate

02:23:57.020 --> 02:24:00.990
and so that they can be contributing members.

02:24:00.990 --> 02:24:02.280
But one of the greatest challenges,

02:24:02.280 --> 02:24:03.880
and somebody else already mentioned it,

02:24:03.880 --> 02:24:06.560
is medical care.

02:24:06.560 --> 02:24:09.510
How do you provide medical care to soldiers

02:24:09.510 --> 02:24:11.590
and their families in locations

02:24:11.590 --> 02:24:15.590
where there is not an army or military hospital?

02:24:15.680 --> 02:24:18.000
You depend upon a different number of things

02:24:18.000 --> 02:24:19.530
and as I talked about innovation

02:24:19.530 --> 02:24:21.300
one of the things that we have seen

02:24:21.300 --> 02:24:24.217
and MEDCOM has promoted is TeleMed.

02:24:25.030 --> 02:24:27.190
So soldiers or family members

02:24:27.190 --> 02:24:30.490
will get on modern technology

02:24:30.490 --> 02:24:34.040
on a videoconference with a doctor

02:24:34.040 --> 02:24:36.620
and so naturally they can see each other

02:24:36.620 --> 02:24:38.960
and they can present cases,

02:24:38.960 --> 02:24:40.830
things that they are experiencing,

02:24:40.830 --> 02:24:42.440
and they can give them feedback.

02:24:42.440 --> 02:24:43.760
And that doctor or the PA

02:24:43.760 --> 02:24:45.760
or whoever might be on the other side

02:24:45.760 --> 02:24:47.510
on the other camera

02:24:47.510 --> 02:24:49.160
can determine at that point

02:24:49.160 --> 02:24:51.060
whether that soldier or the family member

02:24:51.060 --> 02:24:52.210
needs to be pulled back

02:24:52.210 --> 02:24:53.260
for further treatment

02:24:53.260 --> 02:24:54.940
or whether they have what is available

02:24:54.940 --> 02:24:57.130
to them right there so TeleMed

02:24:57.130 --> 02:25:00.240
has been a great benefit to us in Europe

02:25:00.240 --> 02:25:01.940
with our dispersion

02:25:01.940 --> 02:25:03.650
to help take care of our soldiers

02:25:03.650 --> 02:25:04.940
and their families.

02:25:04.940 --> 02:25:08.150
So when I mentioned innovation

02:25:08.150 --> 02:25:10.000
we have been truly truly blessed

02:25:10.000 --> 02:25:13.000
by people not saying oh that's a problem,

02:25:13.000 --> 02:25:15.226
I don't know how we're going to fix it

02:25:15.226 --> 02:25:17.290
but oh that is a problem let's fix it

02:25:17.290 --> 02:25:18.800
and they immediately address it.

02:25:18.800 --> 02:25:19.800
And they have made

02:25:19.800 --> 02:25:22.090
some monumental advances in things

02:25:22.090 --> 02:25:23.570
that take care of us.

02:25:23.570 --> 02:25:25.020
Another is specialty care.

02:25:25.020 --> 02:25:26.710
We are down to one Hospital

02:25:26.710 --> 02:25:29.200
in all of EUSER and that is Landstuhl

02:25:29.200 --> 02:25:30.510
which is still functioning

02:25:30.510 --> 02:25:32.050
but for some of our soldiers

02:25:32.050 --> 02:25:33.660
that's an eight-hour trip

02:25:33.660 --> 02:25:36.430
to get to Landstuhl for treatment.

02:25:36.430 --> 02:25:39.480
You're not going to make an eight-hour trip.

02:25:39.480 --> 02:25:42.940
For our mothers, our spouses

02:25:42.940 --> 02:25:46.540
if you're having a child

02:25:46.540 --> 02:25:48.130
you're not going to make it to Landstuhl

02:25:48.130 --> 02:25:49.130
to have your baby

02:25:49.130 --> 02:25:50.910
unless you know exactly when it's coming.

02:25:50.910 --> 02:25:53.620
You are going to go on the local economy

02:25:53.620 --> 02:25:55.590
to deliver your baby.

02:25:55.590 --> 02:25:58.980
So many young couples

02:25:58.980 --> 02:26:00.500
are sometimes uncomfortable with that

02:26:00.500 --> 02:26:01.800
but I will tell you that we have

02:26:01.800 --> 02:26:03.470
some of the best medical assets out there

02:26:03.470 --> 02:26:05.380
available to us.

02:26:05.380 --> 02:26:08.370
It's more of an intrepidation

02:26:08.370 --> 02:26:11.280
about not being able to speak or communicate

02:26:11.280 --> 02:26:12.470
exactly what you're feeling

02:26:12.470 --> 02:26:14.230
and thinking with that person

02:26:14.230 --> 02:26:16.570
who is providing you medical care

02:26:16.570 --> 02:26:17.570
but I will guarantee you

02:26:17.570 --> 02:26:21.570
that they are some of the best in the world.

02:26:21.761 --> 02:26:22.760
One of the other things

02:26:22.760 --> 02:26:24.500
about the United States Army Europe

02:26:24.500 --> 02:26:27.180
is being proactive.

02:26:27.180 --> 02:26:30.760
With the downsizing we lost many assets.

02:26:30.760 --> 02:26:33.260
We are able to take care of our families

02:26:33.260 --> 02:26:36.130
and we do our best that we can by them

02:26:36.130 --> 02:26:37.420
but we have to pre-screen.

02:26:37.420 --> 02:26:40.480
Exceptional family members.

02:26:40.480 --> 02:26:42.560
We oftentimes do not have the assets

02:26:42.560 --> 02:26:44.970
available to take care of them.

02:26:44.970 --> 02:26:47.260
So therefore the number of folks

02:26:47.260 --> 02:26:51.260
who can come to us is limited and restricted.

02:26:51.440 --> 02:26:53.920
So we have to know ahead of time

02:26:53.920 --> 02:26:54.920
and make sure

02:26:54.920 --> 02:26:57.810
that we are taking care of the families for sure.

02:26:57.810 --> 02:26:59.830
And those exceptional family members

02:26:59.830 --> 02:27:01.497
with what they need.

02:27:01.795 --> 02:27:02.628
OK.

02:27:04.920 --> 02:27:06.710
So just one last thing.

02:27:06.710 --> 02:27:10.670
The other thing special employment.

02:27:10.670 --> 02:27:11.990
Because of agreements that we have

02:27:11.990 --> 02:27:13.570
all spouses who want to work

02:27:13.570 --> 02:27:15.800
don't always have the opportunity.

02:27:15.800 --> 02:27:17.200
So those are some of the challenges

02:27:17.200 --> 02:27:18.200
that we face.

02:27:18.200 --> 02:27:20.240
And like I said we have lots of individuals

02:27:20.240 --> 02:27:22.510
who are working endeavors for us

02:27:22.510 --> 02:27:23.950
to take care of those things.

02:27:23.950 --> 02:27:26.240
And so I have been cut off.

02:27:26.240 --> 02:27:27.073
Time is up.

02:27:27.073 --> 02:27:28.590
(laughs)

02:27:28.590 --> 02:27:29.590
Very nicely

02:27:29.590 --> 02:27:33.470
but thank you all again for being here.

02:27:33.470 --> 02:27:36.227
- So a round of applause for our...

02:27:36.227 --> 02:27:39.227
(audience applauds)

02:27:46.217 --> 02:27:47.392
Okay so we're gonna pause real quick

02:27:47.392 --> 02:27:48.808
while they change the tape

02:27:48.808 --> 02:27:51.040
but while they're changing the tape

02:27:51.040 --> 02:27:52.040
you know I'm gonna

02:27:52.040 --> 02:27:53.360
follow Sargeant Major Crasland's lead

02:27:53.360 --> 02:27:55.420
and say that my wife has told me

02:27:55.420 --> 02:27:58.100
many many times that the life of a soldier is easy.

02:27:58.100 --> 02:28:00.420
It is the family members who pick up the slack

02:28:00.420 --> 02:28:03.620
and take on four, five, six, 20 different tasks

02:28:03.620 --> 02:28:05.220
while we're deployed

02:28:05.220 --> 02:28:08.400
and focused on our duties

02:28:08.400 --> 02:28:09.400
and responsibilities.

02:28:09.400 --> 02:28:10.870
So with that can I get a round of applause

02:28:10.870 --> 02:28:13.830
for our family members please?

02:28:13.830 --> 02:28:16.830
(audience applauds)

02:28:19.348 --> 02:28:22.000
So I've got some questions already

02:28:22.000 --> 02:28:25.020
that the team brought up from Facebook.

02:28:25.020 --> 02:28:27.590
If you have a question

02:28:27.590 --> 02:28:28.690
please raise your hand

02:28:28.690 --> 02:28:30.260
and the team will bring you a mic.

02:28:30.260 --> 02:28:32.670
I'm gonna hit these couple questions real quick

02:28:32.670 --> 02:28:34.980
because I think they're pretty good ones

02:28:34.980 --> 02:28:36.160
for the panel to answer.

02:28:36.160 --> 02:28:37.540
And the first one I've heard

02:28:37.540 --> 02:28:39.410
just many many times over my career.

02:28:39.410 --> 02:28:42.490
"I am an FRG leader for a company.

02:28:42.490 --> 02:28:44.880
"How can I get our young soldiers

02:28:44.880 --> 02:28:48.840
"to provide information to their families?"

02:28:48.840 --> 02:28:50.310
So who would like to start?

02:28:50.310 --> 02:28:51.510
- I got it.

02:28:51.510 --> 02:28:53.410
I threw down the gauntlet

02:28:53.410 --> 02:28:56.900
just because how can I get more information

02:28:56.900 --> 02:28:59.290
to our families?

02:28:59.290 --> 02:29:00.510
My wife and I actually

02:29:00.510 --> 02:29:01.720
talked about this several times.

02:29:01.720 --> 02:29:04.450
You know do you make it fun?

02:29:04.450 --> 02:29:06.680
How do you bring people together

02:29:06.680 --> 02:29:08.970
and how do you make it you know

02:29:08.970 --> 02:29:10.720
worth the while to get information

02:29:10.720 --> 02:29:11.910
to the spouses?

02:29:11.910 --> 02:29:15.910
Well sometimes it was having a fun activity.

02:29:16.450 --> 02:29:17.450
And some people say

02:29:17.450 --> 02:29:19.160
well that's not the purpose of the FRG.

02:29:19.160 --> 02:29:20.520
It's information only.

02:29:20.520 --> 02:29:23.310
I can understand that.

02:29:23.310 --> 02:29:26.060
So but how do you get the soldier

02:29:27.320 --> 02:29:29.570
motivated to bring it home?

02:29:29.730 --> 02:29:32.560
I don't think I've ever solved that problem.

02:29:32.560 --> 02:29:36.560
I think it's still gonna have to go through spouses

02:29:36.630 --> 02:29:39.360
and the family readiness groups

02:29:39.360 --> 02:29:41.710
and then they have to get the information.

02:29:41.710 --> 02:29:43.100
There are so many especially, you know

02:29:43.100 --> 02:29:45.560
you got the question through Facebook,

02:29:45.560 --> 02:29:47.550
but there's Facebook pages.

02:29:47.550 --> 02:29:49.410
We hold the community update briefs.

02:29:49.410 --> 02:29:51.210
Every senior installation

02:29:51.210 --> 02:29:54.370
that I've been on has a community update brief.

02:29:54.370 --> 02:29:56.700
They just have to attend those briefings,

02:29:56.700 --> 02:29:58.240
get that information

02:29:58.240 --> 02:30:00.550
because it's all available.

02:30:00.550 --> 02:30:02.310
Sometimes it's too much information

02:30:02.310 --> 02:30:04.340
but the information is there

02:30:04.340 --> 02:30:06.270
if you attend some of the things.

02:30:06.270 --> 02:30:07.270
You can get it off Facebook

02:30:07.270 --> 02:30:08.270
and then they'll announce

02:30:08.270 --> 02:30:09.960
when they're having those community updates

02:30:09.960 --> 02:30:11.880
but that's probably the best source

02:30:11.880 --> 02:30:12.880
that I've found

02:30:12.880 --> 02:30:15.610
to get most of your post wide information

02:30:15.610 --> 02:30:18.113
is the community update briefs.

02:30:18.113 --> 02:30:19.288
- Tony's exactly right.

02:30:19.288 --> 02:30:22.205
It's the environment of encouraging

02:30:22.330 --> 02:30:24.230
to participate, to get them there,

02:30:24.230 --> 02:30:26.740
get them involved, get them engaged,

02:30:26.740 --> 02:30:28.090
and you know it starts

02:30:28.090 --> 02:30:29.090
with that command teams

02:30:29.090 --> 02:30:31.220
whether it's company battery troop level,

02:30:31.220 --> 02:30:33.200
battalion brigade etc.

02:30:33.200 --> 02:30:34.990
Get them and set an environment

02:30:34.990 --> 02:30:36.500
where they want to be a part of

02:30:36.500 --> 02:30:39.260
and inclusion.

02:30:39.260 --> 02:30:42.010
You know really you want the very best for them.

02:30:42.010 --> 02:30:45.100
So once they feel that I think that they'll

02:30:45.100 --> 02:30:46.100
more likely want

02:30:46.100 --> 02:30:47.670
to be a part of something like that

02:30:47.670 --> 02:30:48.670
other than just getting browbeaten

02:30:48.670 --> 02:30:52.430
about here's your slide deck.

02:30:52.430 --> 02:30:54.220
- Anybody else?

02:30:54.220 --> 02:30:55.970
Okay second question.

02:30:56.340 --> 02:30:57.340
"How do you make,"

02:30:57.340 --> 02:30:58.340
and this is very similar,

02:30:58.340 --> 02:30:59.970
and this is coming from Fort Hood,

02:30:59.970 --> 02:31:02.010
the previous came from Fort Myer.

02:31:02.010 --> 02:31:04.093
"How do you make soldiers

02:31:04.150 --> 02:31:08.050
"voluntarily provide family contact information?"

02:31:08.050 --> 02:31:10.050
So before, I'd like to start

02:31:10.050 --> 02:31:11.480
with Sargeant Major Kempner

02:31:11.480 --> 02:31:12.980
or Sargeant Major Copland

02:31:12.980 --> 02:31:16.550
to get a different perspective.

02:31:16.550 --> 02:31:17.670
- So whoever asked that question

02:31:17.670 --> 02:31:20.790
they said how do you make soldiers voluntarily...

02:31:20.790 --> 02:31:22.630
- I read it exactly how it came in.

02:31:22.630 --> 02:31:26.630
- So I'm not sure that means voluntarily.

02:31:27.521 --> 02:31:30.390
Look I'll be quite honest with you.

02:31:30.390 --> 02:31:31.390
In the Army National Guard

02:31:31.390 --> 02:31:34.600
we have soldiers who are owed a retirement

02:31:34.600 --> 02:31:35.970
and don't give us information

02:31:35.970 --> 02:31:38.720
to reach them to get their retirement benefits

02:31:38.720 --> 02:31:41.300
and so I'm not sure how you crack a nut

02:31:41.300 --> 02:31:43.010
with a 22 year old young man or a woman

02:31:43.010 --> 02:31:45.610
to say hey you know give us this information

02:31:45.610 --> 02:31:46.940
but I do want to say this.

02:31:46.940 --> 02:31:50.410
So I was talking to a platoon sergeant one time

02:31:50.410 --> 02:31:52.230
about how do we communicate

02:31:52.230 --> 02:31:55.650
with our soldiers between drills

02:31:55.650 --> 02:31:57.260
because that's very very key.

02:31:57.260 --> 02:31:58.420
And he told me something

02:31:58.420 --> 02:32:00.970
that I thought it was pretty profound.

02:32:00.970 --> 02:32:02.250
He said you know what Sargeant Major

02:32:02.250 --> 02:32:04.250
he said for the National Guard

02:32:04.250 --> 02:32:05.980
he said Facebook is the barracks

02:32:05.980 --> 02:32:08.110
and I thought about that for a little bit

02:32:08.110 --> 02:32:11.080
and he's right I believe

02:32:11.080 --> 02:32:15.020
that for us that communication piece

02:32:15.020 --> 02:32:18.560
has to be in other methods besides face-to-face.

02:32:18.560 --> 02:32:19.560
And so as I go around

02:32:19.560 --> 02:32:20.560
and I talk to people

02:32:20.560 --> 02:32:23.310
what I will tell you is the most successful leaders

02:32:23.310 --> 02:32:24.470
and the most successful FRGs

02:32:24.470 --> 02:32:26.970
for us have done something

02:32:26.970 --> 02:32:29.560
like established social media venues

02:32:29.560 --> 02:32:31.270
for that communication piece.

02:32:31.270 --> 02:32:34.120
And once that's out there

02:32:34.120 --> 02:32:37.590
you know people participate in that

02:32:37.590 --> 02:32:40.110
but as far as making somebody

02:32:40.110 --> 02:32:42.770
voluntarily give you information

02:32:42.770 --> 02:32:45.437
I just don't see that happening.

02:32:47.008 --> 02:32:48.070
- I'd actually like to follow on

02:32:48.070 --> 02:32:50.960
because we talked about it, sponsorship.

02:32:50.960 --> 02:32:52.500
Sometimes the way we're asking the question

02:32:52.500 --> 02:32:55.680
is maybe were going about it the wrong way.

02:32:55.680 --> 02:32:58.060
It's not actually making them voluntary...

02:32:58.060 --> 02:32:59.520
Just you know a technique.

02:32:59.520 --> 02:33:01.530
We get so busy

02:33:01.530 --> 02:33:03.770
and really at the company barracks to though

02:33:03.770 --> 02:33:05.210
we gotta find some time

02:33:05.210 --> 02:33:07.810
where it says hey I'm going to come out,

02:33:07.810 --> 02:33:10.430
I would like to come out to your house.

02:33:10.430 --> 02:33:11.430
And I'm not doing an inspection.

02:33:11.430 --> 02:33:13.090
I want to visit

02:33:13.090 --> 02:33:15.050
to say welcome to my organization

02:33:15.050 --> 02:33:16.990
and then at that point

02:33:16.990 --> 02:33:18.430
normally they're gonna give you

02:33:18.430 --> 02:33:21.070
the phone number in the address.

02:33:21.070 --> 02:33:24.150
It's amazing but normally they say no.

02:33:24.150 --> 02:33:26.750
You know I very rarely had somebody

02:33:26.750 --> 02:33:29.180
said nope you cannot come by

02:33:29.180 --> 02:33:31.760
and say welcome to my organization.

02:33:31.760 --> 02:33:33.340
That's never happened.

02:33:33.340 --> 02:33:36.680
So it's how we present ourselves

02:33:36.680 --> 02:33:39.590
that I think we need to do better.

02:33:39.590 --> 02:33:42.110
We just gotta take some time to say

02:33:42.110 --> 02:33:44.130
I want to welcome you to my organization

02:33:44.130 --> 02:33:45.920
and I'd like to stop by.

02:33:45.920 --> 02:33:47.330
And then you'll normally have

02:33:47.330 --> 02:33:50.390
all the communication means that you need

02:33:50.390 --> 02:33:51.610
but it's how you present it.

02:33:51.610 --> 02:33:53.090
If you sit back in your office,

02:33:53.090 --> 02:33:54.090
you're so busy

02:33:54.090 --> 02:33:56.380
and you don't want to reach out the first time

02:33:56.380 --> 02:33:58.980
and you say give me your spouse information

02:33:58.980 --> 02:34:01.590
then sometimes I found them

02:34:01.590 --> 02:34:04.423
to be very reluctant in that case.

02:34:05.422 --> 02:34:06.422
Over to you.

02:34:07.780 --> 02:34:09.540
- I think for some of our family members

02:34:09.540 --> 02:34:11.940
it's a scary proposition you know.

02:34:11.940 --> 02:34:15.940
They've not been tied to the military before.

02:34:15.990 --> 02:34:17.850
They're not sure what you're gonna be asking

02:34:17.850 --> 02:34:19.140
and they're not sure

02:34:19.140 --> 02:34:20.920
what that interaction is gonna be.

02:34:20.920 --> 02:34:23.500
So you know we always try to in the military

02:34:23.500 --> 02:34:25.110
rely on well it's leadership.

02:34:25.110 --> 02:34:27.050
Yeah sitting down with a soldier

02:34:27.050 --> 02:34:28.710
spelling it out, talking to them.

02:34:28.710 --> 02:34:30.180
I found a lot of times,

02:34:30.180 --> 02:34:31.900
well give me their cell phone number.

02:34:31.900 --> 02:34:33.120
We're not going to call.

02:34:33.120 --> 02:34:34.120
We'll send a text.

02:34:34.120 --> 02:34:35.990
And just kind of send a text hey

02:34:35.990 --> 02:34:37.360
welcome to the unit.

02:34:37.360 --> 02:34:39.880
Usually you get a better result.

02:34:39.880 --> 02:34:41.250
You know now if you start using that text

02:34:41.250 --> 02:34:42.510
for general broadcasting

02:34:42.510 --> 02:34:44.940
and put out a lot of information

02:34:44.940 --> 02:34:46.910
sometimes some of these families

02:34:46.910 --> 02:34:48.750
are very separate from the military

02:34:48.750 --> 02:34:49.780
will really shrink

02:34:49.780 --> 02:34:52.500
but I think you got to phase it in.

02:34:52.500 --> 02:34:54.720
You got to kind of welcome them in

02:34:54.720 --> 02:34:56.660
a little bit like Tony said

02:34:56.660 --> 02:34:58.950
but just slowly because I've really seen

02:34:58.950 --> 02:35:01.380
that when families are very far away

02:35:01.380 --> 02:35:03.370
they just don't know anything about the military.

02:35:03.370 --> 02:35:05.850
They're a little scared of the military.

02:35:05.850 --> 02:35:06.850
What's gonna be asked.

02:35:06.850 --> 02:35:07.900
They're afraid you're gonna be asked

02:35:07.900 --> 02:35:09.090
to do something.

02:35:09.090 --> 02:35:10.090
And well it's true.

02:35:10.090 --> 02:35:11.090
Asked to do something

02:35:11.090 --> 02:35:13.370
that they won't know much about.

02:35:13.370 --> 02:35:15.510
So it's a slow process.

02:35:15.510 --> 02:35:16.510
It's kind of you know

02:35:16.510 --> 02:35:17.990
it's the chicken and egg thing

02:35:17.990 --> 02:35:18.990
which comes first?

02:35:18.990 --> 02:35:20.180
You get you got to have the program

02:35:20.180 --> 02:35:21.180
to bring the families in

02:35:21.180 --> 02:35:22.690
but if you can't bring the families in

02:35:22.690 --> 02:35:24.280
to start the program,

02:35:24.280 --> 02:35:25.770
so it's a challenge.

02:35:25.770 --> 02:35:28.187
I'm not sure if nobody I know

02:35:28.314 --> 02:35:29.981
has ever cracked it.

02:35:30.980 --> 02:35:33.630
- We call it strategic messaging and buy-in.

02:35:33.630 --> 02:35:37.380
And it kind of resounds with what both Tony said

02:35:37.380 --> 02:35:39.080
and Sargeant Major Copland.

02:35:39.080 --> 02:35:41.180
You want that family to have buy-in

02:35:41.180 --> 02:35:42.920
but it's also what the soldier tells them

02:35:42.920 --> 02:35:43.920
when they go home.

02:35:43.920 --> 02:35:44.920
This is what we're looking for

02:35:44.920 --> 02:35:46.000
and this is what we're doing

02:35:46.000 --> 02:35:48.583
and this is why it's important.

02:35:49.187 --> 02:35:50.935
- And I can't be the only one not to speak.

02:35:50.935 --> 02:35:52.340
(audience laughs)

02:35:52.340 --> 02:35:54.100
So one of the things

02:35:54.100 --> 02:35:56.470
that we're doing in our education system

02:35:56.470 --> 02:35:59.130
and especially at the young sergeant level,

02:35:59.130 --> 02:36:01.470
you know everyone has a sergeant,

02:36:01.470 --> 02:36:03.200
is we're teaching them the value

02:36:03.200 --> 02:36:04.200
of these programs.

02:36:04.200 --> 02:36:06.790
There's a whole section of training now

02:36:06.790 --> 02:36:08.700
that we're going to incorporate

02:36:08.700 --> 02:36:10.390
just on army programs

02:36:10.390 --> 02:36:13.430
so that they have the ability

02:36:13.430 --> 02:36:17.040
to not necessarily know everything

02:36:17.040 --> 02:36:18.300
but be familiar enough

02:36:18.300 --> 02:36:19.830
so when they present our problem

02:36:19.830 --> 02:36:21.660
knowing how to plug in.

02:36:21.660 --> 02:36:23.750
And in our communications model

02:36:23.750 --> 02:36:26.320
that were that we're putting in place

02:36:26.320 --> 02:36:27.350
we're teaching them how

02:36:27.350 --> 02:36:28.970
to adjust their leadership styles

02:36:28.970 --> 02:36:29.970
you know not to be the demanding type

02:36:29.970 --> 02:36:33.340
but really set the conditions

02:36:33.340 --> 02:36:35.890
in order to really get to know their soldiers

02:36:35.890 --> 02:36:37.920
and I would say that would even expand

02:36:37.920 --> 02:36:41.260
to their families.

02:36:41.260 --> 02:36:43.180
- Okay so I have two more questions here

02:36:43.180 --> 02:36:44.180
from Facebook.

02:36:44.180 --> 02:36:46.340
Before I read this I want to take

02:36:46.340 --> 02:36:48.510
a couple questions from the audience

02:36:48.510 --> 02:36:50.310
because I think we still have about 20 minutes

02:36:50.310 --> 02:36:51.330
and I think we're good.

02:36:51.330 --> 02:36:53.040
So first question from the audience.

02:36:53.040 --> 02:36:53.873
Ma'am.

02:36:54.040 --> 02:36:55.230
- [Denise] Yes my name is Denise Lahmbert.

02:36:55.230 --> 02:36:58.180
I'm a proud Army Reserve military spouse

02:36:58.180 --> 02:36:59.920
and I wanted to talk

02:36:59.920 --> 02:37:01.670
about the Military Spouse

02:37:01.670 --> 02:37:04.260
Employee Partnership.

02:37:04.260 --> 02:37:06.470
Last week I was able to be a part

02:37:06.470 --> 02:37:08.920
of the induction ceremony

02:37:08.920 --> 02:37:12.920
and how you all can help to further that

02:37:13.260 --> 02:37:15.420
for those spouses that want to work.

02:37:15.420 --> 02:37:18.130
What a great program that is.

02:37:18.130 --> 02:37:19.130
And I encourage everyone

02:37:19.130 --> 02:37:20.310
to look that up.

02:37:20.310 --> 02:37:22.380
Military Spouse Employee Partnership.

02:37:22.380 --> 02:37:26.380
Great program.

02:37:27.380 --> 02:37:29.547
- Anybody want to respond?

02:37:29.930 --> 02:37:31.626
- I want to talk to her afterwards

02:37:31.626 --> 02:37:34.890
so I can see wherever it's over in the OCUNUS also.

02:37:34.890 --> 02:37:36.750
- Okay any more questions from the audience?

02:37:36.750 --> 02:37:37.750
I want to take one more

02:37:37.750 --> 02:37:39.240
before I read the other two Facebook.

02:37:39.240 --> 02:37:41.600
Back here to my right.

02:37:41.600 --> 02:37:42.600
Ma'am.

02:37:42.600 --> 02:37:44.170
- [Kelly] Hi my name is Kelly Koppelman

02:37:44.170 --> 02:37:45.690
and I had a question since

02:37:45.690 --> 02:37:48.660
we've got such an August panel here.

02:37:48.660 --> 02:37:51.900
For those units that are compiled overseas

02:37:51.900 --> 02:37:53.240
as YS taskers

02:37:53.240 --> 02:37:55.090
so they have soldiers who are

02:37:55.090 --> 02:37:57.850
from each of your units, force comm,

02:37:57.850 --> 02:38:01.200
TRADOC, not National Guard, Reserves,

02:38:01.200 --> 02:38:04.170
heck they even have Marines

02:38:04.170 --> 02:38:05.170
and Navy and whatnot,

02:38:05.170 --> 02:38:06.850
what have you found works best

02:38:06.850 --> 02:38:08.110
for family readiness?

02:38:08.110 --> 02:38:09.630
You know do they maybe rely

02:38:09.630 --> 02:38:11.090
on their home stations

02:38:11.090 --> 02:38:14.010
or do they create maybe a Facebook

02:38:14.010 --> 02:38:16.190
virtual family readiness?

02:38:16.190 --> 02:38:19.107
What have you seen that works best?

02:38:20.981 --> 02:38:23.481
- I can go ahead and start up.

02:38:24.900 --> 02:38:27.520
I think the best model is twofold.

02:38:27.520 --> 02:38:29.100
They really need to link in

02:38:29.100 --> 02:38:30.840
with the unit that is deployed.

02:38:30.840 --> 02:38:32.770
And normally the unit that deploys

02:38:32.770 --> 02:38:34.960
that they go on those YS taskers

02:38:34.960 --> 02:38:37.830
will have their Facebook page

02:38:37.830 --> 02:38:41.830
as when I deployed and many times I blew it

02:38:42.550 --> 02:38:46.170
we had several was an SFAB model.

02:38:46.170 --> 02:38:47.660
So we had people come in TDY

02:38:47.660 --> 02:38:48.660
from all over

02:38:48.660 --> 02:38:50.480
and we had our own Facebook page

02:38:50.480 --> 02:38:51.800
and they joined it

02:38:51.800 --> 02:38:53.920
but then we needed to know their location

02:38:53.920 --> 02:38:57.310
because there was some support group

02:38:57.310 --> 02:38:59.140
that they would have back here

02:38:59.140 --> 02:39:01.510
but if they deploy out of the unit

02:39:01.510 --> 02:39:03.310
and that units not deployed

02:39:03.310 --> 02:39:05.340
so no one else can go through that.

02:39:05.340 --> 02:39:07.650
They're not going through the same emotions.

02:39:07.650 --> 02:39:10.630
So linking in with the social network

02:39:10.630 --> 02:39:11.730
of the unit deployed

02:39:11.730 --> 02:39:13.310
but also reminding

02:39:13.310 --> 02:39:16.010
that's why I keep hammering on that slide

02:39:16.010 --> 02:39:17.100
over and over

02:39:17.100 --> 02:39:19.230
is that we have to remind everybody

02:39:19.230 --> 02:39:21.490
you may be sitting right next to a person

02:39:21.490 --> 02:39:22.930
and their spouse is gone

02:39:22.930 --> 02:39:24.080
and they're going through

02:39:24.080 --> 02:39:26.010
so many different emotions

02:39:26.010 --> 02:39:28.380
that you just don't understand.

02:39:28.380 --> 02:39:29.980
So that's why I keep throwing up

02:39:29.980 --> 02:39:31.840
that second slide about how many people

02:39:31.840 --> 02:39:33.330
we do have forward.

02:39:33.330 --> 02:39:36.050
But my opinion it's the linking in

02:39:36.050 --> 02:39:38.470
with the unit that is forward deployed

02:39:38.470 --> 02:39:40.510
in their social media networks

02:39:40.510 --> 02:39:43.496
and then kind of just reminding everybody

02:39:43.496 --> 02:39:46.210
that you have a soldier that's out there too.

02:39:46.210 --> 02:39:48.973
That's the technique I've seen work.

02:39:48.973 --> 02:39:50.833
- So, I agree with Tony.

02:39:50.833 --> 02:39:53.583
It's that combination of support,

02:39:53.700 --> 02:39:55.850
supporting a relationship.

02:39:55.850 --> 02:39:57.230
So you know they are foredeployed

02:39:57.230 --> 02:40:01.230
on a YS tasker and when we give our soldiers

02:40:01.590 --> 02:40:03.600
to other units we want them

02:40:03.600 --> 02:40:07.600
to be integrated just like that leadership

02:40:08.000 --> 02:40:09.610
wraps our arms around them as well.

02:40:09.610 --> 02:40:11.160
So we want them to be integrated,

02:40:11.160 --> 02:40:13.920
a part of that support system

02:40:13.920 --> 02:40:15.950
but we also want them to know

02:40:15.950 --> 02:40:17.270
that we still got them

02:40:17.270 --> 02:40:19.353
when they come back home.

02:40:19.722 --> 02:40:20.670
We're still looking after for their families.

02:40:20.670 --> 02:40:22.620
So it's that combination I think

02:40:22.620 --> 02:40:25.953
that you strive to have for YS taskings.

02:40:29.304 --> 02:40:31.590
- I think for us it's really the local units

02:40:31.590 --> 02:40:33.880
that the soldiers have been a part of

02:40:33.880 --> 02:40:35.970
and the units that are you know

02:40:35.970 --> 02:40:39.560
still back in you know in the states

02:40:39.560 --> 02:40:43.040
that really the families begin to depend on

02:40:43.040 --> 02:40:44.590
and of course they're,

02:40:44.590 --> 02:40:46.650
I think they do a very very good job.

02:40:46.650 --> 02:40:48.240
The units do a very very good job

02:40:48.240 --> 02:40:49.920
at reaching out when we have soldiers

02:40:49.920 --> 02:40:51.420
deployed like that

02:40:51.420 --> 02:40:52.580
because everybody knows that

02:40:52.580 --> 02:40:54.650
in that local unit

02:40:54.650 --> 02:40:57.240
and so I would say

02:40:57.240 --> 02:41:00.823
that's our biggest support mechanism there.

02:41:01.940 --> 02:41:03.260
- There's a combination.

02:41:03.260 --> 02:41:05.690
Home near is probably the best for it

02:41:05.690 --> 02:41:09.080
cause you know we're not near post most of time

02:41:09.080 --> 02:41:10.710
but that's up to that soldier again.

02:41:10.710 --> 02:41:12.770
If that soldier walked his family

02:41:12.770 --> 02:41:14.260
into that home unit

02:41:14.260 --> 02:41:15.820
before they took off to go

02:41:15.820 --> 02:41:17.060
across the state somewhere

02:41:17.060 --> 02:41:20.060
to hook up with that unit deploying.

02:41:21.218 --> 02:41:23.580
You know if you really walk your spouse in,

02:41:23.580 --> 02:41:25.770
meet the full-time individuals

02:41:25.770 --> 02:41:27.900
that are sitting in those reserve centers

02:41:27.900 --> 02:41:28.900
that's the key.

02:41:28.900 --> 02:41:29.900
You know we know

02:41:29.900 --> 02:41:31.510
the command leadership is important

02:41:31.510 --> 02:41:34.340
but the full time you know unit administrator,

02:41:34.340 --> 02:41:36.540
the trained NCO, the personnel sergeant,

02:41:36.540 --> 02:41:39.590
is the key for us in the Army Reserves

02:41:39.590 --> 02:41:40.640
because they're there.

02:41:40.640 --> 02:41:42.440
Now of course they may not know everything

02:41:42.440 --> 02:41:45.090
but Lisa's a point of contact.

02:41:45.090 --> 02:41:47.810
We do have a system called Fort Family.

02:41:47.810 --> 02:41:48.950
And there's an 800 number

02:41:48.950 --> 02:41:51.880
that you can call in the Army Reserve

02:41:51.880 --> 02:41:53.490
and they'll help connect you

02:41:53.490 --> 02:41:56.630
to resources locally which helps

02:41:56.630 --> 02:41:58.990
but I'm not sure there's ever a great...

02:41:58.990 --> 02:42:00.480
It's a combination

02:42:00.480 --> 02:42:02.580
but I think I'm with Sargeant Major Kepner.

02:42:02.580 --> 02:42:05.570
Our home unit has to be that continuity

02:42:05.570 --> 02:42:08.570
that'll take charge you know,

02:42:08.570 --> 02:42:09.820
really care about your family

02:42:09.820 --> 02:42:12.090
because if the other headquarters

02:42:12.090 --> 02:42:14.070
in that home unit's in California,

02:42:14.070 --> 02:42:16.440
you're in Pennsylvania or Ohio,

02:42:16.440 --> 02:42:17.510
they care about you

02:42:17.510 --> 02:42:19.380
but you're just not there.

02:42:19.380 --> 02:42:23.380
They don't know what's local for you.

02:42:23.640 --> 02:42:25.750
- Okay so next question from Stephanie

02:42:25.750 --> 02:42:27.680
that's coming from Fort Hood.

02:42:27.680 --> 02:42:29.347
"Commanders see FRLs

02:42:29.480 --> 02:42:32.000
"as essentially a forced tasking

02:42:32.000 --> 02:42:35.750
"and not an asset to enhance family readiness

02:42:35.930 --> 02:42:38.847
"until a disaster or crisis happens

02:42:39.410 --> 02:42:41.670
"and then they are reactive in nature

02:42:41.670 --> 02:42:43.087
"to the disaster.

02:42:43.640 --> 02:42:47.223
"How do we change this culture of thought?"

02:42:50.471 --> 02:42:51.910
- Shame on them.

02:42:51.910 --> 02:42:55.910
Yeah because that's not the purpose of it.

02:42:56.020 --> 02:42:58.180
And I don't know if that's a culture

02:42:58.180 --> 02:43:02.180
or a particularly leadership challenge

02:43:02.410 --> 02:43:04.710
but they have someone above them.

02:43:04.710 --> 02:43:06.470
And the way I look at it,

02:43:06.470 --> 02:43:08.740
and I don't want to get emotional about it,

02:43:08.740 --> 02:43:09.740
but it's our duty

02:43:09.740 --> 02:43:13.050
to let the next higher leader know

02:43:13.050 --> 02:43:14.070
that that's going on

02:43:14.070 --> 02:43:16.711
or that's how the view of the program is

02:43:16.711 --> 02:43:18.461
in that organization.

02:43:18.536 --> 02:43:20.869
I mean it's just hard for me

02:43:22.439 --> 02:43:24.590
to believe that that's a culture in our army.

02:43:24.590 --> 02:43:27.170
We've been at this for so long

02:43:27.170 --> 02:43:28.650
and we've gone through so much

02:43:28.650 --> 02:43:31.790
as an army to say that that's in our culture.

02:43:31.790 --> 02:43:32.790
I just disagree.

02:43:32.790 --> 02:43:34.400
I think that's a particular leader

02:43:34.400 --> 02:43:35.400
that needs to be addressed

02:43:35.400 --> 02:43:39.400
through the next level chain of command

02:43:39.540 --> 02:43:42.220
- And so I would agree

02:43:42.220 --> 02:43:43.490
with Sargeant Major Davenport.

02:43:43.490 --> 02:43:45.280
I've seen some very successful

02:43:45.280 --> 02:43:46.470
family readiness groups

02:43:46.470 --> 02:43:48.180
that don't feel forced.

02:43:48.180 --> 02:43:51.260
So I don't agree necessarily

02:43:51.260 --> 02:43:52.530
that it's in our culture

02:43:52.530 --> 02:43:53.947
that it's forced.

02:43:55.819 --> 02:43:58.652
I think that's an individual unit,

02:43:58.980 --> 02:44:01.260
an individual unit thing

02:44:01.260 --> 02:44:02.290
but I would disagree

02:44:02.290 --> 02:44:03.840
that from what I have seen

02:44:03.840 --> 02:44:05.320
I don't believe it is cultural

02:44:05.320 --> 02:44:09.260
across our formation.

02:44:09.260 --> 02:44:10.260
- Okay I'm gonna throw

02:44:10.260 --> 02:44:11.710
in some controversy here.

02:44:11.710 --> 02:44:13.480
And Sargeant Major Davenport

02:44:13.480 --> 02:44:14.880
knows I like to do this every once in a while.

02:44:14.880 --> 02:44:18.150
So I'm gonna kind of slightly disagree.

02:44:18.150 --> 02:44:21.200
Is that it's it's part of what we...

02:44:21.200 --> 02:44:23.650
I said it and General Abrham says all time.

02:44:23.650 --> 02:44:24.983
We say ready now

02:44:26.100 --> 02:44:28.683
but we've gotten used to a lag.

02:44:29.130 --> 02:44:31.720
You know this is when my spouse

02:44:31.720 --> 02:44:34.470
will deploy on this date and until then

02:44:34.470 --> 02:44:37.420
I don't have to worry about anything

02:44:37.420 --> 02:44:38.490
and then when they come back

02:44:38.490 --> 02:44:40.840
okay it's just human nature.

02:44:40.840 --> 02:44:42.550
When I come back...

02:44:42.550 --> 02:44:45.280
You know okay I ground everything

02:44:45.280 --> 02:44:46.310
in a good story.

02:44:46.310 --> 02:44:48.790
So my wife sends me a note.

02:44:48.790 --> 02:44:49.790
I'm deployed.

02:44:49.790 --> 02:44:50.940
And she says so when do you come back?

02:44:50.940 --> 02:44:53.330
And I said yeah I should be back by this time.

02:44:53.330 --> 02:44:54.870
She said okay that's great.

02:44:54.870 --> 02:44:56.666
Well I just need you to watch kids

02:44:56.666 --> 02:44:58.510
cause I'm going to go run a marathon.

02:44:58.510 --> 02:44:59.701
I was like okay that's not how I saw

02:44:59.701 --> 02:45:01.784
that conversation coming.

02:45:02.286 --> 02:45:03.470
I thought she'd be excited

02:45:03.470 --> 02:45:05.230
that I'm gonna be back.

02:45:05.230 --> 02:45:07.384
(audience laughs)

02:45:07.384 --> 02:45:08.384
but she was.

02:45:08.889 --> 02:45:09.722
You're recording this

02:45:09.722 --> 02:45:10.610
and I'll be in trouble later.

02:45:10.610 --> 02:45:14.610
But the reason I say that is because sometimes

02:45:15.380 --> 02:45:17.330
when the spouse comes back

02:45:17.330 --> 02:45:19.090
where you had that close tie

02:45:19.090 --> 02:45:20.970
to someone before

02:45:20.970 --> 02:45:22.670
because it was a friendship

02:45:22.670 --> 02:45:24.500
and a bond now you're gonna reconnect

02:45:24.500 --> 02:45:26.330
with your family member.

02:45:26.330 --> 02:45:29.330
So those FRG ties were like super tight

02:45:29.330 --> 02:45:30.840
and everybody was ready to go

02:45:30.840 --> 02:45:32.720
and when I came back

02:45:32.720 --> 02:45:34.150
you know we kind of separated

02:45:34.150 --> 02:45:38.150
and then the spousal ties weren't as strong.

02:45:38.530 --> 02:45:41.450
But now we're saying ready now.

02:45:41.450 --> 02:45:43.050
And that's that mindset

02:45:43.050 --> 02:45:46.120
that I don't think we've completely transitioned to.

02:45:46.120 --> 02:45:47.170
Ready now means I need

02:45:47.170 --> 02:45:49.810
to have my FRG ready now

02:45:49.810 --> 02:45:51.870
and I can't wait till the lag comes up

02:45:51.870 --> 02:45:54.080
and I've got that crisis.

02:45:54.080 --> 02:45:57.230
So I think I agree that yeah

02:45:57.230 --> 02:45:58.690
it's part of the leadership

02:45:58.690 --> 02:46:02.470
but some of this is us in this room

02:46:02.470 --> 02:46:05.870
is that we have to build these things,

02:46:05.870 --> 02:46:08.460
systems so when it becomes a crisis

02:46:08.460 --> 02:46:09.900
it's not really a crisis.

02:46:09.900 --> 02:46:11.520
You got the plan.

02:46:11.520 --> 02:46:12.580
Even when the spouse is there

02:46:12.580 --> 02:46:14.820
that you do take the time

02:46:14.820 --> 02:46:16.000
to attend those meetings

02:46:16.000 --> 02:46:18.710
but I know soon as everybody comes back

02:46:18.710 --> 02:46:19.920
when everybody's deployed

02:46:19.920 --> 02:46:22.920
the attendance in the meeting is way up right?

02:46:22.920 --> 02:46:24.400
And when everybody comes back

02:46:24.400 --> 02:46:26.900
the attendance of the meetings are what?

02:46:26.900 --> 02:46:28.590
They're very low.

02:46:28.590 --> 02:46:30.080
So I acknowledge

02:46:30.080 --> 02:46:31.660
that there's some leadership there

02:46:31.660 --> 02:46:33.690
but again we have to continuously

02:46:33.690 --> 02:46:36.170
beat the drum because you don't know

02:46:36.170 --> 02:46:38.000
when the next one's going to come.

02:46:38.000 --> 02:46:39.000
And that's the difference

02:46:39.000 --> 02:46:41.170
between sustained readiness model

02:46:41.170 --> 02:46:42.590
and you know our force in

02:46:42.590 --> 02:46:44.060
where you knew were you're going in nine month.

02:46:44.060 --> 02:46:46.260
So this is one thing I can click the button on

02:46:46.260 --> 02:46:47.700
and I'll be gone.

02:46:47.700 --> 02:46:50.750
So that's a long explanation of that

02:46:50.750 --> 02:46:52.050
but I think there is

02:46:52.050 --> 02:46:53.920
some fundamental mental changes

02:46:53.920 --> 02:46:55.960
in all the leadership's mindset

02:46:55.960 --> 02:46:57.650
of being ready now.

02:46:57.650 --> 02:47:00.280
And yes there's some fault in leadership

02:47:00.280 --> 02:47:01.640
but I think for all of us

02:47:01.640 --> 02:47:03.957
we have to continuously beat those drums

02:47:03.957 --> 02:47:06.273
of what those folks in the different mindset

02:47:06.273 --> 02:47:07.190
of that is.

02:47:07.300 --> 02:47:09.010
- So we go show you a glimpse behind

02:47:09.010 --> 02:47:10.010
how things get done

02:47:10.010 --> 02:47:11.960
at Sargeant Major Army meetings.

02:47:11.960 --> 02:47:13.750
So what you say,

02:47:13.750 --> 02:47:16.580
I agree about sustained readiness.

02:47:16.580 --> 02:47:19.740
We need sustainment in our FRGs.

02:47:19.740 --> 02:47:20.830
You know that needs

02:47:20.830 --> 02:47:21.990
to be a part of our culture

02:47:21.990 --> 02:47:23.940
regardless of what cycle it is

02:47:23.940 --> 02:47:25.520
because it's ready tonight.

02:47:25.520 --> 02:47:27.560
I mean it's a readiness issue.

02:47:27.560 --> 02:47:28.800
Commanders and First Sergeant's

02:47:28.800 --> 02:47:32.800
don't focus on the PT test a week before.

02:47:34.120 --> 02:47:35.400
They have a PT program

02:47:35.400 --> 02:47:37.210
that they work on whether it's doing

02:47:37.210 --> 02:47:40.170
the WOD of the day or the Army doctor.

02:47:40.170 --> 02:47:41.610
So if we're going to be serious

02:47:41.610 --> 02:47:43.790
about caring for our families

02:47:43.790 --> 02:47:46.220
we need to have a sustainable

02:47:46.220 --> 02:47:48.460
family readiness group

02:47:48.460 --> 02:47:50.793
that's not seen as force on.

02:47:53.317 --> 02:47:54.150
- If I could add also

02:47:54.150 --> 02:47:56.320
the FRLs are a part

02:47:56.320 --> 02:47:58.080
or have been for me in the past,

02:47:58.080 --> 02:47:59.460
a part of that command

02:47:59.460 --> 02:48:02.990
and staff meetings on a regular basis.

02:48:02.990 --> 02:48:04.710
As both have mentioned

02:48:04.710 --> 02:48:07.210
you don't wait until the day before you leave

02:48:07.210 --> 02:48:08.870
to make them a part of that.

02:48:08.870 --> 02:48:10.340
You keep them there as a part of that

02:48:10.340 --> 02:48:11.860
the whole time.

02:48:11.860 --> 02:48:13.950
That way when a crisis does occur

02:48:13.950 --> 02:48:15.470
they've already been integrated

02:48:15.470 --> 02:48:17.740
and you're not doing it at the last minute.

02:48:17.740 --> 02:48:20.250
So that's buy-in again from the command teams

02:48:20.250 --> 02:48:21.917
to make that happen.

02:48:23.390 --> 02:48:25.400
- [Rodney] Okay so do I have any more questions

02:48:25.400 --> 02:48:26.400
from the audience?

02:48:26.400 --> 02:48:27.400
Because we have five minutes.

02:48:27.400 --> 02:48:29.300
I have three more questions here.

02:48:29.300 --> 02:48:30.133
Ma'am.

02:48:31.475 --> 02:48:32.650
- [Kathy] Hi my name is Kathy Hurley

02:48:32.650 --> 02:48:35.140
and I'm from Fort Lee.

02:48:35.140 --> 02:48:37.650
Recently I worked at school system

02:48:37.650 --> 02:48:38.970
out of Fort Bragg

02:48:38.970 --> 02:48:40.820
and about five or six years ago

02:48:40.820 --> 02:48:42.980
the Army did one of the best programs

02:48:42.980 --> 02:48:44.420
I think they've ever done

02:48:44.420 --> 02:48:45.960
which is the Army Youth Programs

02:48:45.960 --> 02:48:47.870
In Your Neighborhood, ATHAN

02:48:47.870 --> 02:48:49.480
but right now those programs

02:48:49.480 --> 02:48:52.420
are only at major installations

02:48:52.420 --> 02:48:56.070
with a high percentage of military children.

02:48:56.070 --> 02:48:57.530
Do you know if that program

02:48:57.530 --> 02:48:59.220
will ever be expanded because just?

02:48:59.220 --> 02:49:00.640
Because just because you're at a smaller post

02:49:00.640 --> 02:49:02.650
doesn't mean that the children

02:49:02.650 --> 02:49:06.817
still don't need you know after-school activities.

02:49:07.897 --> 02:49:10.634
Are you familiar with the program?

02:49:10.634 --> 02:49:11.551
- I am not.

02:49:12.840 --> 02:49:14.180
Please I know I have

02:49:14.180 --> 02:49:17.013
my subject matter experts in here.

02:49:20.384 --> 02:49:21.217
- Ma'am you are right.

02:49:21.217 --> 02:49:22.050
The programs are only

02:49:22.050 --> 02:49:23.860
at designated installations

02:49:23.860 --> 02:49:27.110
where there are capacity issues.

02:49:27.110 --> 02:49:29.680
We can certainly look at our metrics

02:49:29.680 --> 02:49:32.710
for where those programs are located

02:49:32.710 --> 02:49:33.910
and see if there's a need

02:49:33.910 --> 02:49:34.920
at a place like Fort Lee

02:49:34.920 --> 02:49:38.170
to go ahead and institute that program.

02:49:38.572 --> 02:49:39.405
- [Kathy] But you know

02:49:39.405 --> 02:49:41.140
when you only have 20 to 30%

02:49:41.140 --> 02:49:42.770
of your families living on post

02:49:42.770 --> 02:49:44.750
you know it's not very easy

02:49:44.750 --> 02:49:45.820
for a mom or dad

02:49:45.820 --> 02:49:47.610
who works to get their kids

02:49:47.610 --> 02:49:49.260
to the youth center on post

02:49:49.260 --> 02:49:51.060
by 4:30 to go to karate.

02:49:51.060 --> 02:49:53.170
You know you see what I'm saying?

02:49:53.170 --> 02:49:54.700
You know I understand

02:49:54.700 --> 02:49:57.110
that there's only a limited amount of funds

02:49:57.110 --> 02:49:59.110
but when you're you know

02:50:00.330 --> 02:50:02.450
you have a very small percentage

02:50:02.450 --> 02:50:03.860
of military families living on posts

02:50:03.860 --> 02:50:05.590
that probably utilize

02:50:05.590 --> 02:50:08.500
those after-school activities on a weekly basis.

02:50:08.500 --> 02:50:10.670
And that's why I was just wondering

02:50:10.670 --> 02:50:11.880
if it will ever be expanded

02:50:11.880 --> 02:50:13.400
because I think it's the best thing

02:50:13.400 --> 02:50:14.400
that the Army's ever done.

02:50:14.400 --> 02:50:16.010
- Right it's a very successful program.

02:50:16.010 --> 02:50:17.010
You are correct

02:50:17.010 --> 02:50:19.420
and there are about 3,000 children now

02:50:19.420 --> 02:50:21.320
who take part in that across the Army.

02:50:21.320 --> 02:50:22.510
So we'll go ahead.

02:50:22.510 --> 02:50:25.220
We'll take a look at expanding our metrics

02:50:25.220 --> 02:50:26.290
and seeing what we can do

02:50:26.290 --> 02:50:29.660
in some of those smaller locations.

02:50:29.660 --> 02:50:31.220
- Okay so real quick

02:50:31.220 --> 02:50:32.630
we have one question here

02:50:32.630 --> 02:50:34.470
and then I'll come to the audience member.

02:50:34.470 --> 02:50:36.840
So for the Guard And Reserve.

02:50:36.840 --> 02:50:38.980
"What are you doing to ensure

02:50:38.980 --> 02:50:40.800
"that your shoulders take blended retirement

02:50:40.800 --> 02:50:42.883
"system option training?"

02:50:44.310 --> 02:50:46.893
Specific for Guard And Reserve.

02:50:47.147 --> 02:50:48.388
- Its mandatory

02:50:48.388 --> 02:50:49.670
and we have to report it.

02:50:49.670 --> 02:50:50.830
(audience laughs)

02:50:50.830 --> 02:50:52.580
I mean that's for us.

02:50:53.370 --> 02:50:54.203
Yeah we...

02:50:56.360 --> 02:50:58.270
It's mandatory to take

02:50:58.270 --> 02:51:00.390
and we're being checked.

02:51:00.390 --> 02:51:01.390
Oh yeah.

02:51:01.390 --> 02:51:03.223
That's an easy answer.

02:51:04.430 --> 02:51:07.412
- We're very concerned there's a 174,000

02:51:07.412 --> 02:51:09.520
army reservists that can opt in

02:51:09.520 --> 02:51:12.590
that has to have the training.

02:51:12.590 --> 02:51:16.130
The main system of record is joint JKO.

02:51:16.130 --> 02:51:19.060
So we understand in our world

02:51:19.060 --> 02:51:21.410
not all the soldiers have a CAT card reader

02:51:21.410 --> 02:51:23.470
at home on their computer

02:51:23.470 --> 02:51:24.470
to get on JKO.

02:51:24.470 --> 02:51:26.310
So we're doing more mass training

02:51:26.310 --> 02:51:28.350
but in the classroom

02:51:28.350 --> 02:51:30.250
how we're reporting it

02:51:30.250 --> 02:51:32.420
is not 100% clear.

02:51:32.420 --> 02:51:33.940
So we're a little behind

02:51:33.940 --> 02:51:36.930
and of course we owe this.

02:51:36.930 --> 02:51:38.610
So something that you know the CG

02:51:38.610 --> 02:51:40.090
and I are very concerned with

02:51:40.090 --> 02:51:42.260
and we're really trying to get after.

02:51:42.260 --> 02:51:43.260
My biggest concern is

02:51:43.260 --> 02:51:45.880
even after the training I took it

02:51:45.880 --> 02:51:47.850
and I'm still confused.

02:51:47.850 --> 02:51:49.880
So I told the boss.

02:51:49.880 --> 02:51:50.880
I said I'm really concerned

02:51:50.880 --> 02:51:53.160
because we don't have the post

02:51:53.160 --> 02:51:55.150
to go to a counselor that really knows

02:51:55.150 --> 02:51:56.850
what the system is.

02:51:56.850 --> 02:51:57.850
We hired some.

02:51:57.850 --> 02:51:58.870
They're located at our RSCs

02:51:58.870 --> 02:52:00.840
which there's four of them.

02:52:00.840 --> 02:52:01.880
So trying to call in

02:52:01.880 --> 02:52:02.880
get to that person.

02:52:02.880 --> 02:52:05.590
It's just another one of those dispersed

02:52:05.590 --> 02:52:06.930
problems that we're dealing with.

02:52:06.930 --> 02:52:09.160
So we we know it's a problem.

02:52:09.160 --> 02:52:10.220
We're working hard at it

02:52:10.220 --> 02:52:13.840
because it is a can be a real big life decision

02:52:13.840 --> 02:52:14.920
that our young 20-some-thing-year-olds,

02:52:14.920 --> 02:52:17.087
you know how that is so...

02:52:17.982 --> 02:52:19.090
- And I just want to illustrate

02:52:19.090 --> 02:52:21.300
one of the challenges for us too

02:52:21.300 --> 02:52:22.300
for things like that

02:52:22.300 --> 02:52:23.690
from a Guard and Reserve perspective

02:52:23.690 --> 02:52:25.890
we had the same suspense state

02:52:25.890 --> 02:52:27.370
as the active component.

02:52:27.370 --> 02:52:29.520
We had one year.

02:52:29.520 --> 02:52:32.550
So for us that means we have 39 days

02:52:32.550 --> 02:52:34.530
to get 100% of our force trained

02:52:34.530 --> 02:52:37.130
which is a significant difference.

02:52:37.130 --> 02:52:39.540
So you know we're intimately aware of

02:52:39.540 --> 02:52:40.540
that requirement.

02:52:40.540 --> 02:52:41.540
- Thank you gentlemen.

02:52:41.540 --> 02:52:42.890
So sir I want to come out here.

02:52:42.890 --> 02:52:44.030
This gentleman had his hand up.

02:52:44.030 --> 02:52:45.090
You want to go back there?

02:52:45.090 --> 02:52:46.720
Okay ma'am go.

02:52:46.720 --> 02:52:48.690
We have one minute.

02:52:48.690 --> 02:52:52.357
(questioner speaks off mic)

02:53:11.082 --> 02:53:13.999
- Okay well you may or may not know

02:53:14.082 --> 02:53:16.582
I've done many live town halls

02:53:17.922 --> 02:53:20.505
across the force once a quarter

02:53:21.010 --> 02:53:23.040
to talk about the changes

02:53:23.040 --> 02:53:24.040
that we're doing

02:53:24.040 --> 02:53:25.040
to how we're going to develop them,

02:53:25.040 --> 02:53:27.040
assign them, remind them

02:53:27.137 --> 02:53:29.304
of their role in our army.

02:53:30.453 --> 02:53:31.620
We've touched over 4 million

02:53:31.620 --> 02:53:33.810
social media accounts

02:53:33.810 --> 02:53:35.118
and I will tell you

02:53:35.118 --> 02:53:38.035
that I learned something every time

02:53:38.880 --> 02:53:40.640
that we did it.

02:53:40.640 --> 02:53:42.880
Thought that we had it right.

02:53:42.880 --> 02:53:44.510
Would get data to back up.

02:53:44.510 --> 02:53:45.970
We were doing it right

02:53:45.970 --> 02:53:49.380
and then just a comment will come in

02:53:49.380 --> 02:53:51.170
on a chat board or a question.

02:53:51.170 --> 02:53:53.730
Like wow we didn't think of that.

02:53:53.730 --> 02:53:56.150
So personally from where I sit

02:53:56.150 --> 02:53:57.910
they're very valuable

02:53:57.910 --> 02:53:59.690
especially as you look at things over

02:53:59.690 --> 02:54:00.910
and over again.

02:54:00.910 --> 02:54:02.820
Those fresh set of eyes.

02:54:02.820 --> 02:54:03.870
But more importantly

02:54:03.870 --> 02:54:06.240
through the eyes of those young soldiers

02:54:06.240 --> 02:54:07.880
and those young family members.

02:54:07.880 --> 02:54:11.630
I think you will be surprised what you learn.

02:54:11.630 --> 02:54:14.400
- I going I've done a few

02:54:14.400 --> 02:54:16.580
and probably haven't been done

02:54:16.580 --> 02:54:18.140
as many as Sargeant Major Davenport

02:54:18.140 --> 02:54:21.390
but I really see the value in it

02:54:21.390 --> 02:54:23.310
but there's one thing that I don't like

02:54:23.310 --> 02:54:26.550
is that you can't see emotion

02:54:26.550 --> 02:54:30.550
and feelings in a social media chatroom.

02:54:30.990 --> 02:54:33.370
And I value emotions

02:54:33.370 --> 02:54:36.070
because your facial expressions

02:54:36.070 --> 02:54:38.590
and your mannerisms usually tell me

02:54:38.590 --> 02:54:41.220
more about the question

02:54:41.220 --> 02:54:44.450
than just typing the words.

02:54:44.450 --> 02:54:48.450
So it's a great technique

02:54:48.750 --> 02:54:51.730
but I don't think it should be the only issue

02:54:51.730 --> 02:54:54.670
because what you said was a sensitive topic.

02:54:54.670 --> 02:54:57.560
A sensitive topic written in a question form

02:54:57.560 --> 02:54:58.920
you don't see the emotion

02:54:58.920 --> 02:55:00.870
and sometimes you can't relate

02:55:00.870 --> 02:55:03.430
that there's a family member behind that.

02:55:03.430 --> 02:55:06.190
And that these are these are people

02:55:06.190 --> 02:55:08.670
and their lives matter.

02:55:08.670 --> 02:55:11.510
And sometimes you can't get that

02:55:11.510 --> 02:55:15.430
when you do it through a social media or a VTC.

02:55:15.430 --> 02:55:16.590
And that's why again

02:55:16.590 --> 02:55:18.320
you know you heard me talk about sponsorship

02:55:18.320 --> 02:55:20.590
and getting to see your folks

02:55:20.590 --> 02:55:22.300
because then when you see their emotions

02:55:22.300 --> 02:55:25.090
I think sometimes you put a loop

02:55:25.090 --> 02:55:27.090
especially on the harder issues.

02:55:27.090 --> 02:55:31.090
It's hard to express that passion that you have

02:55:32.150 --> 02:55:33.990
and you can't convey the right things.

02:55:33.990 --> 02:55:36.470
So I think there's a great value in

02:55:36.470 --> 02:55:37.930
to reach millions

02:55:37.930 --> 02:55:39.740
but when it's come to our time

02:55:39.740 --> 02:55:42.540
I'd like to do a little bit of a face to face.

02:55:42.540 --> 02:55:43.540
- So we're out of time.

02:55:43.540 --> 02:55:44.590
So we're out of time

02:55:44.590 --> 02:55:46.910
and remember Dr. Sims mentioned early

02:55:46.910 --> 02:55:47.910
that our soldiers look

02:55:47.910 --> 02:55:49.640
for five to seven different venues

02:55:49.640 --> 02:55:51.470
to gather information

02:55:51.470 --> 02:55:53.400
to look for different approaches.

02:55:53.400 --> 02:55:54.940
So I'd ask you to remember that.

02:55:54.940 --> 02:55:56.010
We'll collect the questions

02:55:56.010 --> 02:55:57.010
that were out of here in the audience.

02:55:57.010 --> 02:55:58.340
We had two others on Facebook

02:55:58.340 --> 02:55:59.340
that we'll get back.

02:55:59.340 --> 02:56:00.990
One was to Sargeant Major Lyon

02:56:00.990 --> 02:56:04.300
about victim advocacy services

02:56:04.300 --> 02:56:05.300
and then another one

02:56:05.300 --> 02:56:06.390
to Sargeant Major Davenport

02:56:06.390 --> 02:56:10.160
about how he's training our AIT soldiers

02:56:10.160 --> 02:56:12.840
on family resources and support

02:56:12.840 --> 02:56:14.890
before they leave their training.

02:56:14.890 --> 02:56:15.890
So with that team

02:56:15.890 --> 02:56:16.890
can I get one more round of applause

02:56:16.890 --> 02:56:18.480
for our panel?

02:56:18.480 --> 02:56:21.480
(audience applauds)

02:56:21.564 --> 02:56:22.397
It's been a pleasure

02:56:22.397 --> 02:56:23.730
to share the last hour with you.

02:56:23.730 --> 02:56:27.730
Have a great afternoon.