FRG - Family Readiness Group
Introduction
The FRG, Family Readiness Group, is an organization within the Army to promote family wellbeing as well as insight into soldiers’ lives. The FRG, Family Readiness Group, is a group that is based within each company in the Army. The FRG is made up of service members, family members (including spouses, siblings, parents, extended family members), as well as volunteers. The purpose of the FRG is to provide support, answers, and information to family members. The FRG is a volunteer organization that is depended upon the family members support. The FRG has a leader, secretary, treasurer, as well as POCs (point of contacts). The task of the POCs is to contact every family member who is authorized to be given information about deployments.
The FRG is an important part of families because if there is any information that needs to be given to families during deployments, then the FRG is there to verify information and inform families. However, even if the company isn’t deployed, the FRG still has a purpose of bringing families closer together. As an organization, the FRG holds events for families so that families will be able to be with their spouses while also having fun and getting to know other spouses.
Analysis
The commander of the company is responsible for making sure that the FRG stays on its tasks and regulates them and makes sure that everything they are doing is something that is approved by the commander. The commander has the final say in who is involved with the FRG as well as the events that they are holding. If the commander doesn’t like something, then he doesn’t have to approve it. It is the commander’s discretion on who is in the FRG since he works closely with the spouses of the soldiers.
The FRG leader is the one that is responsible for all FRG members as well as the POCs. The leader is the one who decides what activities we want to do as well as making sure that everyone is doing their job right. Although, the leader doesn’t really have anything specific they need to do except to make sure that plans run smoothly.
The job of the secretary is to take notes as well as the minutes of any meeting that takes place. This information is just for reference so if something is misunderstood, then it can be looked back upon. The treasurer is responsible for the money. What money goes in and out of the bank account as well as the monthly statements.
The FRG is civically intelligent because it involves the families of the soldiers by keeping them informed and involved with their lives. Although it only involves a particular group of people, the FRG is civically intelligent since it also involves more than the soldiers. While the group isn’t one for the public since it is limited to specific people.
I’m involved with the FRG for my husband’s engineer company and I am the treasurer. I just deal with the money and make sure that all money is accounted for. While we also have a co-leader for our FRG, the FRG doesn’t run at its best. The leader we have only became leader because she was always around so the commander knew that she was available to do the work. Our FRG doesn’t work that great because of the lack of communication from the leader.
While there are some FRGs that are very well organized and very informative, the one I am involved in is not. The leader has no communication and has a lack of respect for people’s schedules. I have received plenty of same day notices from her and she assumes that everyone is available when she is.
I know that the co-leader of our FRG group is more enthused and open minded than our leader. I think that in order for the group to run better, the selection of leaders should be based upon availability as well as attitude. While the FRG is a very good civically intelligent group to a select group of people but there are a lot of people who use it as a way to gain social standing. If the FRG is selected better and taken more seriously, then there is a great use for them.
Conclusion
The FRG is an important part of Army but without the proper people in charge of it, it loses its purpose. The FRG has its own bank account but the FRG isn’t about having a bunch of money in it’s account, its about using the money to fund family activities.
