Helping You Prepare
Ready for what, you ask? Anything. The National Guard Family Program strives to
make sure that you, the Family, are prepared for whatever may be ahead of you, no
matter what phase you are currently traveling through. Through training and education
with the National Guard Family Program, Guard Members and Guard Families are fully
prepared for that challenge, whether it is before, during or after deployment.
Family Readiness is the level of awareness Families and their Guard Members have
in preparation for that call to state or federal active duty. Whether your Guardsman
is attending a military school, providing state or local disaster relief, or defending
freedom, our Family Readiness Program is invaluable in providing the concentrated
military support that is critical throughout the deployment cycle.
To aid you in navigating through this military life, the Six Steps to Family Readiness
have been developed. Each step addresses challenges, victories, and support networks
provided to you, the Families, and the Guard Members. We believe
if Steps 1 through 3 are followed, Steps 4 through 6 will be much smoother for the
Families and the Guard Members.
We know that your welfare and well-being are contributing factors in a Guard Member's
ability to effectively perform their assigned mission. In-Processing kicks off your
partnership with the National Guard.
The Welcome Briefing introduces you to the basics of working with the unit command
and the Family Readiness Group (FRG)/Key Volunteer Program. It is designed to help
you learn more about life as part of the National Guard Family and your loved one’s
unit and mission.
Training, or Military Lifestyle, is an ongoing process that permeates each step
of your Guard Member’s military career. This step prepares you for Step 4, Pre-Deployment,
but it is also a step in Family Readiness that can be taken before, during, or after
deployment.
Sending your Guard Member off on their mission can be a rollercoaster of emotions.
Knowing everyone is taken care of and all paperwork is in order brings the Family
together, and helps Guard Members prepare to serve.
It's a time of changes and challenges, and you'll need to ensure that all the information
you organized in Step 4 is readily available and clear for every member of your
Family. There are easy, every day things you can do to meet the responsibilities
of deployment.
Questions and concerns of what to expect are mingled with the excitement of seeing
your Guard Member again. With this in mind, the military offers Reunion briefings
to both you and your Guard Member that can assist in this process.