WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 18, 2007) - The Army Integrated Family Support Network, a new program to provide assistance to Soldiers and their Families in geographically dispersed areas was announced today by Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey.
"In this era of persistent conflict, we can expect continuing deployments and to sustain this effort, we have to eliminate the old way of supporting Families, and replace it with a system to support all Army Families with means that respond to a globally networked society communicating in mobile ways," Sec. Geren said.
When fully implemented sometime in fiscal year 2008, the global network will address Family issues head on by providing a single, holistic institutional network of standardized services. The network is being specifically designed with geographically dispersed Soldiers and their families in mind, in both the active and reserve component, from mobilized Soldiers, to recruiters, to Families located outside reasonable driving distances of military facilities.
Thus far, the Army has invested more than $7 million on training and technology for AIFSN, which will link Soldiers and Families to the Family services and programs traditionally found on installations such pre-deployment support, training for family readiness groups, TriCare information and referral, child and youth resource referral, help with obtaining identification cards. Soldiers and Families will also be linked to local community services and programs in their geographical areas.
"We are transforming the way Families receive services and doing what is right in the process," said Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, command of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command. "It is a collective effort by the active, Guard and Reserve and a huge culture change that will yield great dividends for Army Soldiers and Families."
(Bill Bradner serves as deputy public affairs officer with Family and Morale, Welfare, Recreation Command.)
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