For more than 39 years, the Army Family Action Plan program has been the voice of Soldiers and their families, civilians, survivors and retirees. AFAP addresses quality of life issues and provides a grassroots mechanism to identify concerns from the Total Army and work those issues though a formal resolution process.
Local commanders see to it that the issues are worked toward resolution. About 90% of AFAP issues are retained and worked at a local level, resulting in ongoing community improvements. Some issues are applicable beyond the local level. These are sent up to Installation Management Command and headquarters Department of Army for further consideration. The issues that are selected for the AFAP are worked toward resolution by Army staff and Department of Defense agencies.
AFAP issues are categorized into six demographic areas: Soldier support, family support, military health care, civilian support, retiree support, and survivor support. There is a format/form used to submit an issue. Each issue must have a title section, scope section and recommendation section.
Don’t know where to start … here are a few tips:
Title section: This is not a sentence! Make it short and summarize the issue. This section should include the issue topic and demographic group your issue falls into.
Scope section: This paragraph should be at least three but no more than 10 sentences in length. Identify and state the problem so that it is easily understood. Validate this problem with facts or information. What is the impact? Why should senior leaders resolve this problem?
Recommendation section: Tell what exactly it is you want, not how to make it happen. Focus on one topic. Include the demographic group and topic used in the title and scope section.
These issues may be submitted in two ways. You may contact Army Community Service for a form or you may log into the Issue Management System by going to the top left hand corner drop down box at armyfamilywebportal.com. When issues are received, each will be validated, identified if they can be resolved at a local level and elevated to higher headquarters if the issue is attainable and not local in nature.
The needs of the Army community remain in the forefront of Army senior leadership. AFAP is the primary tool to communicate the important issues facing Soldiers, Army civilians, families, survivors and retirees. If you would like more information on AFAP, would like to request a submission form or need assistance with the Army Family Web Portal, contact Stephanie Young at 256-876-5397 or stephanie.l.young42.civ@army.mil.
The Commander's Ready and Resilient Council serves as the Redstone senior commander's platform to fulfill the Army's ready and resilient objectives. The council includes four working groups: Physical Health, Behavioral Health, Spiritual Resiliency, and Family and Social Resiliency.
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