Establishing a Family Support Liaison Center
Abstract
As a result of Operation Desert Shield/Storm (DS/S), much has been written about the participation of Family Support Groups and spousal Chains of Concern. However, minimal information is available on establishing and effectively managing an installation Family Support Liaison Center (FSLC) to coordinate support for family members of deployed military and civilian personnel during periods of extended absences. This paper is a DS/S Personal Experience Monograph written to provide prospective family support program coordinators basic instructions on How to organize and manage an effective FSLC , and convey family support lessons learned from DS/S. Having directed a CONUS FSLC which supported 2,200 families in excess of a year, the author sites practical experiences in discussing the five phases of a family support operation: Predeployment, Deployment, Sustainment, Redeployment and Deactivation. The expected outcome of this paper is two fold. First, Commanders should understand they are responsible and accountable for establishing an effective Family Support Program. Second, the current philosophical mind set of Taking Care of Our own should be revised to emphasize family member self sufficiency in lieu of dependency on the sponsor's unit during periods of extended absences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 22, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA263671
Entities
People
- John C. Welch
Organizations
- United States Army War College