FORT CARSON, Colo.---Five Fort Carson members were among 56 delegates in Atlanta March 23-26 to vote on the top five quality-of-life issues affecting today's Army family.
Delegates from installations across the country attended the annual weeklong U.S. Army Forces Command Army Family Action Plan conference to prioritize 72 issues - eight from Fort Carson - identified during last year's installation-level AFAP conferences.
The importance FORSCOM places on the AFAP process is evident by the amount of time its commanding general dedicated to the conference, said Command Sgt. Maj. Ted Taala, senior enlisted leader for the 242nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group (EOD), who served as a delegate on the Child, Youth and School Services panel.
"You consider yourself lucky to get a couple of minutes of (a general's) time," said Taala. "When you see a four-star (general) sit down and spend three to four hours talking over (quality-of-life issues) ... he obviously considers it very important."
Planned and facilitated by Well-Being Division personnel from FORSCOM G-1, the delegates were assigned to five workgroups and tasked with prioritizing issues, ultimately presenting the group's top two issues to FORSCOM's senior leaders. The top 10 issues were briefed prior to the delegates voting to establish the top five concerns to be evaluated by the FORSCOM leadership and staff to determine which can - and cannot - be resolved at the command level. Issues that cannot be resolved at the FORSCOM level will be elevated to Department of the Army level for evaluation through the ongoing AFAP process. The issues were divided into five categories - benefits and entitlements; CYSS; Family support/civilian issues; force support; and medical and dental.
Fort Carson Family member Valarie Adams served as a facilitator for the medical and dental group which saw its two issues make the top five cut.
The top issue calls for amending the regulation concerning Soldier and Family member travel reimbursement when accessing off-post specialty care. Currently, TRICARE only reimburses if the specialty-care facility is at least 100 miles from an installation. Citing Fort Drum Families have to travel 68 miles each way to access specialty care, Adams said the recommendation calls to lower the required distance to 50 miles each way.
She said having to travel this distance for care several times "is a huge deal" for junior enlisted Families who have to take time off work and absorb the cost of the trip.
"So our recommendation was to take it from 100 miles and drop it down to 50 miles so that way they could be reimbursed."
The group's second recommendation would eliminate parents and legal guardians from having to present their child's identification card in order to pick up prescriptions for those older than 10 years old. Adams said this change would alleviate problems where children attend school off post but live on post and must show their ID card to gain access to the installation.
The pool of delegates represent the Army's diverse demographics, to include active-duty and Reserve Soldiers of various ranks and marital status, military and civilian leaders, Family members, retirees, DA civilians, and surviving spouses and Family members of deceased Soldiers.
"The nice thing about (having representation from the many) demographics is ... (that) there is always somebody on each of the panels that has some personal experience with that (particular) issue," Taala said. "What really impressed me ... was how passionate all of the delegates were. You could hear some of the discussions from quite a ways outside the room. People were excited, they were motivated."
Taala said his AFAP experience assured him that issues raised at the installation level are not ignored. He said people run into issues or difficulties with some aspect of dealing with military life and they voice their concern but often feel like that's the end of it.
"They voiced their displeasure and (feel) it's never going to be addressed, dealt with or even looked at," he said. "(The AFAP conference) was a very graphic demonstration of how those issues are not ignored. If they can't be addressed at the local level they get brought up to the highest levels of government to get fixed," he said.
Adams agreed: "It's pretty powerful process knowing that anyone in the Army Family has a voice."
And, this includes Single Soldiers, said Spc. Victor Favero, a Fort Carson Warrior Transition Unit Soldier who served as a delegate.
"(Single Soldiers) hear ... family plan and think it has nothing to do with them," he said. "It's the Army family. It's not just for people with families, with children, it's (for) the entire Army Family. So (Single Soldiers) have a voice too ... if they have problems they need to bring them forward."
All 72 issues addressed at the FORSCOM conference started at the installation level. Every issue submitted through the Fort Carson AFAP program is considered at the installation conference, said Nancy Montville, program manager.
Fort Carson community members can find out more about the AFAP program by visiting http://community.carson.army.mil/ACS. Click on the "Army Family Action Plan" link for program details which include a "Great Ideas Wanted" link where people can voice their concerns.
Social Sharing