AW2 delegates gather with GEN Casey and a wounded warrior's service dog after the AFAP closing ceremony.
By Sarah Greer, WTC Stratcom
This morning, I attended the closing ceremony of the AFAP Worldwide Conference. I was impressed at how efficiently and effectively the Army listens to and addresses Soldier and Family issues. I had never seen an organization able to respond to its grass-roots base in such an effective and organized system.
Even more extraordinary was the attention it got from Army senior leadership – the Secretary, Chief of Staff, Vice Chief, and Sergeant Major of the Army all attended the report-out of the top five issues. Now, each of these issues will be assigned to an action officer, and the General Officer Steering Committee will regularly track the progress in resolving each of these issues.
Today was a great day for Army wounded warrior care. The top three issues directly affect wounded warriors and their Families and will make a significant difference in years to come.
The top five issues include:
- Monthly Stipend to Ill/Injured Soldiers for Non-Medical Caregivers
- Funding Service Dogs for Wounded Warriors
- Behavioral Health Service Shortages
- Family Readiness Group External Fundraising Restrictions
- Exceptional Family Member Program Enrollment Eligibility for Reserve Component Soldiers
GEN George W. Casey, Jr., Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, included warrior care in his remarks. He noted that the Army has made great progress, and that the Army has an important mission to return Soldiers to active duty or transition productive Veterans to civilian life. BG Cheek discusses this on a regular basis, and it’s very encouraging to see it echoed from such a high-ranking leader.
Army leadership also emphasized a new online tool, the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program (CSF), to develop a holistic fitness program with modules for Soldiers, Families, and Army civilians. The program focuses on five dimensions of strength: Physical, Emotional, Social, Family, and Spiritual. After taking an online assessment, Soldiers, Families, and Civilians will be able to use online training modules for the various dimensions of strength. The Soldier module has been online for a few weeks, and it’s only fitting that the Family module went live today, the same day as the AFAP Closing Ceremony. More information is available at: http://www.army.mil/csf/.
Attending AFAP was an eye-opening experience that helped me understand the wide variety of challenges facing Soldiers and Families, including the wounded warrior community. I am especially excited to see that the Army is standing behind wounded warriors and their recovery, and these AFAP issues are an important step in helping them have a more productive transition to life post-injury.
