Lessons Learned

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COMMANDERS COURSE UNIT PERSONAL FAMILY
READINESS PROGRAM Feb 09
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Unit Personal and Family Readiness Program

• What is it?
• Personal and family readiness is the ability of
  the individual Marine and his family to
  successfully balance the challenges of a military
  lifestyle, family, career, and mission events
• Empowerment
• Equivalent to operational readiness
• Commanders Program

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Unit Personal and Family Readiness Program

• What is it not?
• Personal and family readiness is not the ability
  of the individual Marine and his family to call
  someone to take care of them
• Entitlement
• Spouses Program

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Family Readiness Command Team
Commanding Officer
CO Spouse
Family Readiness Command Team Leadership
Family Readiness Advisor(s)
SgtMaj/Sr Enlisted
Chaplain
Executive Officer
Family Readiness Officer
SgtMaj Spouse
Deputy FRO(s)
Family Readiness Assistant(s)
Marines, Spouses, Children, Designated
Parents/Extended Family
Morale Support Volunteer(s)
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The Commander

• Commanders are ultimately accountable for
  everything their unit does or fails to do
• Establish and maintain a robust, dynamic,
  accessible and applicable Unit Personal and
  Family Readiness Program
• The person primarily responsible to accomplish
  COs vision and intent is the Family Readiness
  Officer (FRO)

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The FRO

• The FRO is the face of the unit commanders
  Personal and Family Readiness Program. As such,
  your FRO will manage
• Readiness and Deployment Support
• Information and Referral
• Official Communication
• Volunteer Management
• How will your FRO do this?

The Four Pillars of a Functioning Unit PFRP
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The FRO

• First the FRO must be trained
• FRO, Technology, L.I.N.K.S., etc.
• Two-way communication
• Establish rapport and personal relationships with
  the Marines and families of the unit
• Possess knowledge of the supporting programs
• Use the technological tools available

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The FRO

• Mass Communication Tool
• Simultaneous communication, real time tracking
• Retooled training to include skills assessments
• Available now!
• Volunteer Tracking Tool
• Web-based tracking of volunteer service hours and
  training, allows for portability of information
• Available now!
• Family Readiness Assessment Tool
• Web-based assessment of family readiness posture
• Scheduled to be available in Mar 09

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The FRO

• Who can be a FRO?
• A full-time primary duty NAF civilian
• An active duty member of the unit in the rank of
  E6 or higher who is assigned as the full-time
  primary duty FRO
• Retire/Retain
• What are some commander dos and donts regarding
  the selection of this special staff member?

The FRO is a special staff officer who will not
deploy or be in charge of the RBE
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The FRO
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Readiness and Deployment Support

• Definition
• The capability of the command to ensure the
  Marine and his family are empowered to
  successfully balance the challenges of a military
  lifestyle, family, career, and mission events
• Methodology
• Assess the needs
• Leverage assets/resources
• Use the MCCS functions and public/private
  capabilities available
• Family Readiness Assessment Tool

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Information and Referral

• Definition
• Proactive marketing and promotion of the
  programs, agencies and organizations available to
  Marines and families
• Methodology
• Everyone on your Family Readiness Command Team
  can provide information and referral to the
  professionals
• IR is continuous
• Training

Not counselors. Always refer!
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Resources

• MCCS resources
• Marine Corps Family Team Building
• Children Youth Teen Program
• Marine and Family Services
• Semper Fit
• School Liaison
• MCCS Area Coordinator
• Combat Operational Stress Control
• Military OneSource
• Additional resources
• Red Cross
• Navy Marine Corps Relief Society
• Local community support

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Official Communication

• Definition
• Communication from or on behalf of the commander
• Methodology
• Official communication is continuous
• Newsletters
• Mass Communication Tool
• Unit website
• Family Readiness
• events

Dont let this become spam
Must be updated
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Volunteer Management

• Definition
• Standardized program developed to provide a
  formal model to manage volunteers
• Methodology
• FRO and Family Readiness Volunteers in place NLT
  October 09
• Formal relationship with Marine Corps
• Guided in duties by position description
• Volunteer Tracking Tool

Do not stray from formal relationship
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Funding Units Aboard Marine Corps Installations
Plan for it! Use it!

• Funding Sources
• NAF (1 Feb 31 Jan)
• 25/service member/year
• The service member number is determined by the
  quarterly strength report
• Used according to NAF spending rules (food,
  beverages, entertainment)
• Swept annually
• APF (1 Oct 30 Sep)
• May be used to supplement the NAF allocation
• Used according to APF spending rules (no food,
  beverages, entertainment)
• Fundraising
• Follows NAF spending rules
• Stays with the unit (is not swept)

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Funding Units Off Marine Corps Installations

• Independent Duty
• NAF 130 or 40/service member/year
• Joint Commands
• APF 10/service member/year
• NAF provided by the host service (DODI 1015.10)
• Reserves
• NAF 17.50/service member/year

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Conclusion

• Why is Family Readiness important to you the
  commander?
• Mission
• People
• It is important to the Commandant! This is HIS
  program. CMC recognizes the importance of
  personal and family readiness and has spearheaded
  the transition effort

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Points of Contact

• Maj Melinda Sumner, HQMC FRO
• 703-784-0296
• Gail Reed, UPFRP Specialist
• 703-784-0296
• Unit Family Readiness representatives will be
  available for questions at the Resource Fair

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Information Packet

• Unit Family Readiness Information Packet is
  available at the following link
• http//www.usmc-mccs.org/family/