Rhode Island National Guard Family State Family Readiness Program

Program Description

Family Readiness is a critical issue for the Department of Defense. Quality of life and family matters are priority issues for the Secretary and the services. The Department's ability to assist service members and their families to prepare for separations during short and long term deployments is paramount to sustaining mission capabilities and mission readiness. The Reserve components have worked closely with their parent services to develop seamless, integrated family readiness and support programs that provide information and services to all members, regardless of the parent service or component of the member-Active, Guard or Reserve.

To enhance support for Guard families and maintain a Total Force approach to family readiness, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs and the DoD Office of Family Policy formed a strategic partnership. The results of this partnership cemented the Department's commitment to eliminate all barriers to providing quality family support program across the force. This partnership will continue to nurture the philosophy and reinforce the practices of working together to share information and resources to better prepare and support military families.

This has proven to be a very productive partnership, which has resulted in publications that will assist RC families, a strategic plan for the future and integrated efforts to support all families.

Family Readiness is a force multiplier for successful deployments.

Service Member/Family Readiness is a key factor in unit, service member, and family morale.

Family Readiness helps to increase retention of service members, encourages family participation and ultimately contributes to successful achievement of the mission.

Family readiness programs are a command responsibility. The command’s leadership (which includes senior unit enlisted personnel as its most vital element) and demonstrated concern for families before, during, and after a deployment/mobilization can directly impact the success of many of your unit’s efforts. Commanders must clearly articulate their goals and vision for family readiness. Senior non-commissioned officers’ full support of this command vision is also critical. Empowering families to be self-sufficient, especially during times of mobilization and training, pays immeasurable dividends to unit commands and personnel.

Family readiness cannot be achieved through “catch-up” activities conducted just before or during training or a unit deployment. Instead, family readiness must be continuously promoted through a well-planned and thoughtfully executed program. Family readiness has a direct impact on:

• Overall unit morale
• Unit retention
• Participation in family related unit activities
• Common understanding and access to available government benefits/entitlement programs (e.g., SGLI, TRICARE, and Exchange/Commissary benefits)

All too often, family readiness programs mistakenly over-focus on the immediate family (spouse and children) to the exclusion of others. Every individual has personal concerns outside of your command, whether it is with parents, siblings, significant others or even a pet. While it is not specifically your command’s task to yield to all of the details in your member’s lives, it is extremely important to be all-inclusive in the efforts you make to ensure everyone in your unit is ready to deploy whenever and wherever required.

Senior Family Readiness Support Assistant (Room 115)

Bob Long

401-275-1249 Work

401-258-5996 Cell

robert.w.long3@ngphp.com

Family Readiness Support Asst, 43rd MP BDE (Room 115)

Lynn StGermain-Lundh

401-275-4418 Work

401-477-3679 Cell

lynn.stgermain-lundh.ctr@mail.mil

Eligibility

• Active Duty Military and their families

Contact Info

Lynn StGermain-Lundh

401-275-4418

401-477-3679

lynn.stgermain-lundh.ctr@mail.mil

541 Airport Road

Warwick, RI 02886-2424