When we send our soldiers off to far away lands to fight for freedom and defend our way of life, we too often neglect their families asking them to “suck it up.” The families of our soldiers make up a very special group in society that deserves better. In recent years we’ve learned to place more emphasis on the value of family readiness and have made concerted efforts to improve their well being and quality of life, especially during deployments. The special operations community has cracked this nut long ago and typically do an outstanding job of taking care of their families. It looks like more improvements to the rest of the Army’s Family Readiness Groups are on the way.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 17, 2005) — About $43 billion has been earmarked this fiscal year for Army family programs, fully funding family readiness groups and other programs for the first time, said the Army’s top personnel officer.

“We’ve been pushing this for years and it’s gotten better and better every year,” said Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck, deputy chief of staff, Army G-1, one of numerous speakers during a three-day family forum Oct. 3-5.

Hagenbeck and other military leaders speaking at the family forum, part of the Association of United States Army’s annual meeting, stressed the importance of supporting Soldiers and their families during the Army’s transformation.

“Too often we focus exclusively on those of us wearing uniforms, but I will tell you that all of you in this room recognize full well that it’s much, much more than that,” Hagenbeck said. “We need in many instances to do a better job than we do today in recognizing all the families, spouses and supporting agencies that reside inside our Army and all their components.”

This initiative is vital to the continued successes of our operations, as well as, improving retention in the ranks. As proud as I am of our soldiers, I cannot begin to describe the pride I have and esteem I hold for our Army families. Nobody sacrifices more than our spouses, children, moms, and dads. This We’ll Defend. Sgt Hook out.

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Posted by Hook @ 2318 zulu | | Permalink
This post is filed under: Army Times

Mudville Gazette linked with Dawn Patrol
The Patriette linked with Good news for the FRGs
Just A Girl linked with Day Off

You, as usual, are right… How the military families get through the hard times… amazes me. “Hats off” to all of the wives, husbands, children, moms and dads… We should always remember the soldiers… BUT… we also need to remember and give thanks to their families as well…

Comment by Girl on the Blog — 19 October 2005 @ 0138

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I am so glad they are doing this. I’ve often thought that as tough as a deployment may be on military personnel, they at least have the comraderie and support of their brothers/sisters in uniform and an entire military structure. It’s tougher. however, for their families. Though they do get support, a spouce caring for a small child with a fever may not always feels she does, especially if she’s not in base housing. Those can be scary and lonely times for a spouse and a very tough time for a kid.

I’m really, really glad to read this. Thanks for posting it!

Comment by Michele — 19 October 2005 @ 0333

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As an Army brat and a Vietnam Vet I’m glad to see the military as a whole getting it “stuff” together. Desert Storm alone was a good indication of great strides to that end.

Comment by Jim216 — 19 October 2005 @ 1017

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As a Vietnam vet with a daughter currently in service in Iraq, it has been great to have the chance to work with the FRG for her unit. When I went I was newly married, young, no kids, just starting out. Now we’re asking many more established families to sacrifice, and it is great to see the support that is being provided. I’m proud of our troops and proud of the families that are allowing them to do their jobs!

Comment by Rich D. — 19 October 2005 @ 1337

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Hey Sgt,

so good to have you back. Feels like meeting an old friend again, since yours was one of the first good blogs I started to read. Glad you’re sound & safe back in the states.
Carry on!

greetings from Germany

Jakob

Comment by Jakob Lang — 19 October 2005 @ 1456

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I just wish the FRGs would work a little more with the girlfriends. I know it would have helped me a lot. We girlfriends had to create our own little network and try to figure things out on our own for the most part.

Comment by Joan — 19 October 2005 @ 1646

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Sgt Hook, Thanks for this information. We support our soldiers/miitary 100% and being a parent to a soldier, I realize how important it is for the support of their families at home too. I hope you don’t mind me sharing this great news with the ScreamingeaglesinIraq Group sites. Our 101st soldiers have just been deploying again for a 2nd long year term in Iraq. So many of our families are saddened and worried with this new deployment. They reach out for help and we try to give them support and encouragment on our sites. Our military deserves the best support around. They are doing their jobs for ours and the worlds freedoms. Thanks, B Connolly

Comment by B Connolly — 19 October 2005 @ 1731

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Joan–sorry you had a rough time of it, but I’m glad you and your network got together.

When my sweetie got called up we’d only been dating for about a year. He was terrified I might let him go, and he worried about how I would handle the situation if I stayed.

Fortunately, I was raised in the military (Dad is retired Air Force) and I had worked for the military for 25 years at that time. I knew all about the sacrifices one makes for one’s country, and considering we live in the age of cell phones and e-mail I knew we’d have very few problems keeping in touch, so one year apart wasn’t a big deal to me. I collected and forwarded his mail, I checked on his house regularly, and I relayed messages to and from friends and family. A few months into his hitch we decided to get married.

As far as the FRGs are concerned, I went to one orientation where I collected a bunch of stuff that I never looked at again. The Major and I have eachother, and we both thank god that was all we needed at the time.

Comment by Lornkanaga — 19 October 2005 @ 1902

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[…] Long over due to annouce this (I’m always slow on the uptake) - but one of my favorite bloggers is back to blogging again, after taking a long hiatus upon his return from his tour of duty in Afghanistan. Welcome back, Jim - happy to read you again! […]

Pingback by Just A Girl » Blog Archive » Day Off — 19 October 2005 @ 2126

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Thank you to all of you.

The spouses, the parents, the children, the extended families, the friends, the communities.

I don’t know what we would do without you.

Honestly.

We would be lost to our enemies without you.

Thank you for the bottom of my heart.

Comment by Texas Gal — 20 October 2005 @ 0439

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This is wonderful news. Does it work for the National Guard also? I’ve heard they have to buy their own ticket back home once in the states. We donate our frequent flyer miles, and whatever else we can do. Many of us said to ourselves, “We’ll be damned if we are going to let our men and women and their families down, or let anyone else do so!” It has been amazing. You guys are so amazingly wonderful, and I stand in appreciative awe of you. Thank you all.

Comment by Rosemary — 20 October 2005 @ 0513

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Good news for the FRGs

Sgt Hook shares good news regarding the Army’s support for our Family Readiness Groups (FRGs): Not Alone in this Fight…

Trackback by The Patriette — 21 October 2005 @ 0659

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Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you’re a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link…

Trackback by Mudville Gazette — 21 October 2005 @ 1149

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When I think about the support that my wife and family has lovingly provided to me during my military career, the first thing that always comes to my mind is this song…(OK, so it’s corny, but the movie itself was pretty good, and Carly Simon has always had an awesome voice!)

Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best

And nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why’d you have to be so good?

Where would we be without them? We wouldn’t be dedicated to the mission, I can guarantee that!

Comment by cas — 26 October 2005 @ 0206

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I just wanted to pop in and say hi… so… Hi!

Comment by Mavis — 11 January 2006 @ 0522

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Hi, I think you are totally right. Great! - Susan.

Comment by hypotheken — 6 February 2006 @ 0925

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