Family Readiness

Family Readiness is a critical issue for the Department of Defense. Quality of life and family matters are priority issues for the Secretary and the services. The Department's ability to assist service members and their families to prepare for separations during short and long term deployments is paramount to sustaining mission capabilities and mission readiness. The Reserve components have worked closely with their parent services to develop seamless, integrated family readiness and support programs that provide information and services to all members, regardless of the parent service or component of the member-Active, Guard or Reserve.

To enhance support for Guard and Reserve families and maintain a Total Force approach to family readiness, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs and the DoD Office of Family Policy formed a strategic partnership. The results of this partnership cemented the Department's commitment to eliminate all barriers to providing quality family support program across the force. This partnership will continue to nurture the philosophy and reinforce the practices of working together to share information and resources to better prepare and support military families.

This has proven to be a very productive partnership, which has resulted in publications that will assist RC families, a strategic plan for the future and integrated efforts to support all families.