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You may be new to this military life. You may be a spouse, parent, brother, sister, or friend of a Soldier.
You may be experienced with this military life. You may have been married to a Soldier for many years.
You may have been a Soldier yourself at one time. You know how different this lifestyle is for us, and you have learned how to adapt.
If you fit into any of these categories, then welcome to your Spartan Brigade adventure. Your life will never be the same again.
The connection is, for newbie or seasoned Family member, for friend, retiree, or significant other - is that you are not alone. And, if you choose to be an active member of a Family Readiness Group (FRG), you may find that all your military life experiences, good and/or less than ideal are all the richer for it.
Got your attention yet? Read on, there’s more to come…
According to the Army FRG Leader's Handbook, the Family Readiness Groups were first formally organized among Army families who saw the benefit in joining together in times of war, overseas duty assignments or other isolated duty stations with the basic idea to provide information, moral support and social networking opportunities.
In theory, and more times than not in practice, FRGs are all about keeping the lines of communication flowing in a given unit throughout its mission, be it at home or deployed. Providing genuine family support when and where it is needed is at the very heart of the purpose of an FRG.
In a perfect world, they offer support and outreach, promote unit and family member involvement and prevent you from feeling all alone when your significant other is living large far away from home or working 24/7 in support of those who are.
Serving a multitude of functions, FRGs may exist as a referral venue and many organize and host social events for fun and networking purposes. While they are designed to ensure family readiness (and likewise mission readiness), well run FRGs end up being so much more as the people you meet often become your own extended family, where friendships formed are lasting and true. They offer classes, workshops and volunteer recognition. FRGs organize unit send-off and welcome home festivities.
The actual success of an FRG depends on the level of commitment provided to it by the command, the family member and civilian volunteers who make it up. YOU make the difference in the FRG! Give us a try - you’ll like what you see! |
