Family Readiness Liaison
Serves as the Battalion Family Readiness Liaison; assists the battalion commander in maintaining an active and effective FRG and overall Family Readiness Program; provides support communicating command-level care for the well being of 300 soldiers and their families; refers family members with issues or concerns to the applicable community and or military resource; coordinates supplies and logistical support for the FRG from the unit to include commander approved use of government property and facilities; oversees daily operations and administration.
Family Readiness Liaison (FRL)
Position Objective: Soldier assigned the additional duty as the commander's representative to provide support for the Total Army Family Program per Army Regulation 600-20, Army Command Policy, to support quality of life, Family readiness, and retention and meet the Army's obligation to Soldiers, civilian employees, and their Families by ensuring effective Family assistance and support. The FRL serves as a communication link between the Families, Family Readiness Group and its leaders, and the commander by providing administrative support for the FRG as well as providing guidance, technical assistance, and community resource expertise and referrals for all aspects of Family readiness. The FRL works directly for the commander and may have additional responsibilities and duties assigned by the commander, in addition to maintaining Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) skills.
Major Responsibilities:
1. Assist the commander in maintaining an active and effective FRG and overall Family Readiness program.
2. Provide support communicating command-level care and concern for the well-being of Soldiers, civilian employees, and their Families.
3. Prepare and maintain FRG rosters, telephone trees, and email distribution lists, that may include the eARMY Family Messaging System and the FRG Deployment Information Database. Obtain Personnel Accountability Report (AAA-162) from S-1 and compare with FRG rosters, telephone trees, and email distribution lists to ensure departing and arriving Families are added or deleted accordingly. Ensure privacy and confidentiality of all Soldier and Family member data / information.
4. Inprocess new Soldiers and civilian employees to assist the FRG timely obtain contact information on newly assigned Soldiers and civilians in order to welcome their Family members to the FRG. May make initial telephone and email contact to verify Family member contact information.
5. Provide clerical support for the Family readiness program to include: typing, updating, and editing Family readiness Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs), Farmly Readiness Group Informal Fund SOP, CARE Team SOPs, FRG volunteer job descriptions, volunteer appointment orders, FRG informal fund annual report, award nominations, memorandums, newsletters, calendars, etc.
6. Maintain copies of FRG informal fund records (e.g., Fund Custodian notebook) and FRG continuity books.
7. Coordinate Family readiness training for commanders, volunteers, and Family members.
8. Request and coordinate for briefings, trainings, guest speakers, locations / venues, and childcare to support the Family readiness program to include FRG meetings; pre deployment, redeployment / reunion, post deployment briefings; etc.
9. Serve as Organizational Point of Contact (OPOC) for FRG volunteers in the Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS). Prepare and maintain volunteer files on all FRG volunteers to include and original, signed job description; Department of Defense Form 2793, Volunteer Service Record; Department of the Army Form 4162, Volunteer Agreement; copies of all training certificates; and copies of awards presented by the unit or installation. Ensure all FRG volunteers are registered in VMIS. Accept volunteer applications in VMIS following commander's approval of volunteer. Ensure volunteers submit FRG volunteer hours NLT the 10th of each month. Approve FRG volunteer hours submitted in VMIS NLT the 15th of every month. Close out volunteers FRG position in VMIS and provide hard copy of volunteer file to the volunteer when the volunteer separates from volunteering with the FRG.
10. Serve as administrator or assistant administrator for unit and / or FRG Facebook pages or Web sites upon completion of Department of the prescribed training. Upload unit, FRG, community information, and photos to the Facebook pages or Web sites.
11. Assist commander and FRG with Command Inspection Program / Phantom Warrior Inspection Program to ensure all suggested materials, documents, rosters, forms, etc. that are inspection items are current and up to date.
12. Attend battalion / squadron and brigade / regiment steering committee meetings upon request of the commander. May take notes for the commander at such meetings.
13. Attend battalion / squadron and brigade / regiment command and staff meetings, upon request of the commander, to provide information on Family readiness program, events, and / or calendar.
14. Attend monthly Community Service Council meetings held the fourth Wednesday of each month and provide information presented to Family members.
15. Attend FRG meetings as requested with approval from commander.
16. Gather and consolidate any Family member issues identified by FRG leaders and / or telephone tree / key callers and elevate up the chain of command.
17. Obtain feedback and information from the FRG and provide an opportunity for ongoing open communication between the FRG and commander.
18. Coordinate supplies and logistical support for FRG from the unit to include commander-approved use of government property (office supplies, printer, copier, projector, etc.).
19. Distribute to Family members the available training opportunities and community resource / event information.
20. Refer Family members with concerns to the applicable community and / or military resource.
Prohibited Duties:
1. Engage in FRG fundraising, or handling FRG informal fund in any manner.
2. Conduct FRG informal fund audits.
3. Participate in casualty notification, assistance, or response; provide direct support to affected Families, or become personally involved with CARE Teams (CARE Team coordination, facilitation of training for volunteers, and volunteer roster maintenance is permissible).
4. Duplicate duties of an FRG volunteer.
5. Duplicate services provided by existing resources in the military community (e.g., providing or conducting training currently provided by Army Community Service [ACS], Chaplain, Army Substance Abuse Program, etc.).
6. Engage in planning of social functions, create social rosters, or create social invitations.
7. Maintain personal calendars for commanders, spouses, or volunteers.
Time required: Up to 40 hours per week depending on activity level of the FRG and the unit's phase in the Army Forces Generation Cycle; commander must permit FRL sufficient time in the duty day to maintain MOS skills and requirements.
Qualifications: Recommend FRL be an officer or noncommissioned officer knowledgeable of the unit Family Readiness Plan. Possess effective communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. The FRL should not have additional duties such as Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, Command Finance Specialist / Family Advocacy Specialist, Equal Opportunity, or Safety. Understand unit mission and be knowledgeable of unit Family readiness plan and activities. Possess effective communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Maintain close working relationship with unit leadership and Family members.
Required training:
Attend Family Readiness Support Assistant / FRL New Employee Training Course offered quarterly by Fort Hood ACS. Highly recommended ACS classes include: Rear Detachment Operations Course, Community Resource Course, FRG Leader Course, FRG Fund Custodian Course, FRG Key Caller Course, Facebook for FRGs, CARE Team Course, and Army Family Team Building Levels K (Military Knowledge), G (Personal Growth and Resiliency), and L (Leadership Development).
