SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Nearly two years after Army senior leaders convened here to sign the Army Family Covenant (AFC), the promise continues to resonate and its quality of life services thrive in the lives of Hawaii's Soldiers and family members.
Fourteen of the original 15 initiatives for U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii (USAG-HI) are still in operation, with more services planned in the not-so-distant future for the ever-expanding AFC.
In addition, the garrison recently announced the implementation of a new transportation service for children living in geographically dispersed areas.
Introduced in the fall of 2007, the AFC promise provides active, Guard and Reserve service members, and their loved ones, with uniform family programs commensurate to their service and sacrifice.
Locally, the agreement was signed Nov. 1, 2007, with now-retired Gen. Richard Cody, then the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and with Col. Matthew Margotta, commander, USAG-HI, among the senior leaders present at the ceremony.
In recent weeks, military leaders at installations across the nation have been recommitting themselves to the Armywide agreement by holding re-signing ceremonies of the AFC. Even the new Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, conducted a reaffirmation signing ceremony of the AFC, Monday, at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting.
"The Army's most sacred promise - made particularly to those spouses and children whose Soldiers are currently downrange - is alive and well here in Hawaii and Armywide" said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Terry, senior commander of U.S. Army-Hawaii and commanding general, 8th Theater Sustainment Command.
"The Army is fully committed to the quality of life initiatives established in 2007 and will continue to improve programs and services that support the readiness of our Soldiers and families," he continued.
"Families with deployed Soldiers are, by far, the biggest beneficiaries of these programs," said Kelly Andrews, AFC program coordinator and marketing assistant for the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR).
"Prior to the covenant, there were programs in place to try and make spouses' lives easier, to try to help them deal with their Soldiers being gone," she said. "But it was kind of haphazard, and it wasn't really consistent, because services were implemented different across posts.
"What the covenant did was, it took all of the prior programs and it made it more of a consistent, cohesive package," continued Andrews, adding that the AFC has worked hand-in-hand with the FMWR Blue Star Card program, which provides spouses of deployed Soldiers with discounts at FMWR facilities, as well as free or low-cost child care services.
"So now, wherever it is you are, whatever post you're at, and whatever unit your Soldier is in, you can count on these benefits to be able to help you through the deployment," Andrews added.
To USAG-HI's credit, it did more than simply follow what was prescribed after the Army committed $40 billion over a six-year period in support of the covenant. In fact, the local garrison chose not only to adopt the nationally mandated programs under the AFC, but also to use a portion of the $2.3 billion budget earmarked for Hawaii toward its own local initiatives.
"In Hawaii, we took the information that came down from the powers-that-be in Washington, looked at it, and said, this is a fantastic start," Andrews further explained. "But we felt that our population here deserved and needed more, and because our families are so geographically isolated, they can't do things during deployment like Army families do on the mainland. ...We felt like we had to go above and beyond."
That they did. For example, the free fitness classes held on post are just one of the initiatives borne out of feedback from spouses of deployed Soldiers. As a result, the classes are now considered the most popular among the AFC initiatives in Hawaii.
"Oh, hands down," said Andrews, when asked if the fitness classes rank at the top. "Anecdotally, we hear every single time we're out there how wonderful the fitness classes are."
Running a close second to the fitness classes is the initiative for child care benefits - a boon to the group Andrews affectionately refers to as "de facto single parents."
"The people who get the most out of this service are the spouses of deployed Soldiers," she said. "We consistently hear that they need a break, that they need to get away, de-stress and recharge their batteries. ...These childcare benefits provide them with somewhat of a relief."
Still, parents aren't the only beneficiaries of this initiative
"They're actually just one piece of the puzzle," Andrews admitted. "The service also improves the lives of the children themselves, in terms of giving them outlets or extracurricular activities to do, while mom or dad is away."
Assisting in the absence of a parent is the AFC's newest program, which involves transporting elementary- and middle school-aged children to activities held at neighboring posts. In the past, children living in outlying posts such as Helemano or Aliamanu military reservations, for example, might have missed out on planned activities at, say, Schofield.
No more, Andrews said. USAG-HI recently acquired 14 small buses that will be used to transport children from post to post to attend scheduled programs.
"Because the populations were so different at the various posts, the services they were provided with were also very different. And frankly, we felt it wasn't right for children to miss out on activities just because they lived in a smaller community," Andrews explained. "So as part of a centrally funded initiative, the Department of the Army came out and said, 'Do you need transportation'' We, as a garrison, raised our hands and said, 'Yes. And we need lots of it.'"
The busses, which seat about 20 children, have been in service for the past few weeks. "So, no matter where you live, we can bus you to the post where the activity is taking place," Andrews said.
Other initiatives still provided through the local AFC include extended gym hours and new gym fitness equipment; free registration and re-registration at Child, Youth &Aca,!E+School Services; free pet care for spouses of deployed Soldiers; extended hours at Sgt. Yano Library and the Information, Ticketing and Registration (ITR) office; and coupons for golf ($5) and bowling ($1).
The lone casualty among the original initiatives was the service to provide free towels at all gyms. Andrews called that service a victim of "budget realities," adding that the projected cost of $160,000 was too pricey to continue offering that initiative.
The AFC also provides for several construction projects, Andrews noted:
Aca,!Ac Schofield Barracks School Age Services. The building is currently under construction, with a projected completion date of December 2009.
Aca,!Ac Fort Shafter Youth Center. The contract was awarded last month, and construction is expected to begin shortly. The project should be finished in January 2010.
Aca,!AcSchofield Barracks Child Development Center. The contract was also awarded last month. The project is expected to be completed in March 2010.
Aca,!AcFort Shafter School Age Center. The contract won't be awarded until 2011-2012.
Aca,!AcRenovated Aliamanu Military Reservation Teen Center. The contract won't be awarded until 2011-2012.
"This covenant is our most solemn pledge to our Soldiers and their families, who are our most treasured assets," said Margotta, stressing the garrison's unwavering support of the AFC. "Rest assured, we, as a garrison, will continue to do all within our power to support them through the finest services the Army can provide.
The Army Family Covenant
We recognize the commitment and increasing sacrifices that our families are making every day.
We recognize the strength of our Soldiers comes from the strength of their families.
We are committed to providing Soldiers and families a quality of life that is commensurate with their service.
We are committed to providing our families a strong, supportive environment where they can thrive.
We are committed to building a partnership with Army families that enhances their strength and resilience.
We are committed to improving family readiness by:
Aca,!Ac Standardizing and funding existing family programs and services.
Aca,!Ac Increasing accessibility and quality of health care.
Aca,!Ac Improving Soldier and family housing.
Aca,!Ac Ensuring excellence in schools, youth services and child care.
Aca,!Ac Expanding education and employment opportunities for family members.
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