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Unit Family Readiness

Unit Family Readiness programs exist to assist families with the unique challenges associated with military lifestyle. They create a support network full of community resources for military families allowing them to collaborate, open channels of communicate and enhance resiliency to promote military family readiness.

Air Force Key Spouses
Air Force Key Spouse Logo

The Key Spouse Program is an official unit family program designed to enhance readiness and establish a sense of Air Force community. The program has been standardized across the Air Force to address the needs of all military families with special emphasis on support to families across the deployment cycle.

Key Spouses are trained volunteers hand-selected by their unit leadership to provide personal, peer-to-peer support for their squadron's families. Their role is to care for families by providing them with information from their squadron's leadership about events, programs, and other available resources during periods of separation. They are a critical team member of each squadron's leadership, and they are informed, equipped, and empowered to make a difference on base and in the lives of their squadron's families.

If you are interested in having an active role in your squadron as a Key Spouse, please schedule a meeting with your squadron commander in order to obtain an official appointment. Volunteers of any gender, age, or rank are encouraged to become Key Spouses. All newly appointed volunteers must attend the Key Spouses Initial Training.

Army Soldier & Family Readiness Group (FRG)
Army SFRG Family Readiness Group logo


The Army Solider & Family Readiness Group is a command-sponsored organization of family members, volunteers, soldiers and civilian DoD employees associated with a particular unit n the Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Membership is automatic and participation is voluntary. Extended families, fiancées, boy/girlfriends, retirees, DA civilians, and even interested community members can and should be included, as well. It provides a way to develop friendships, share important information, obtain referrals to needed Army resources, and share moral support during unit deployments. For the long-term, involvement in SFRG activities can foster more positive attitudes among Army families and provide a better understanding of military life, the unit, and its mission.

SFRG’s provide support to enhance the flow of information, increase resiliency of a soldier and their family, providing practical tools for pre/post deployments and separation, enhance the well-being and esprit de corps within the unit. Since the goal is to support the military mission and keep information flowing, it’s essential for SFRG activities to include meetings, staff and committee meetings, distribute newsletters, maintain a virtual SFRG website, maintenance of updated rosters and readiness information.

Soldiers can be assured that their family members will be more self-sufficient and will have reliable and friendly support while they are deployed. This peace of mind can help Soldiers focus on their work, perform better, relate better to other Soldiers, and be safer while they’re on a training or real-world mission.

Navy Ombudsman
Navy Ombudsmen Logo

An Ombudsman is an official representative of the Commanding Officer; he/she plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining current and accurate communication between the command and its family members. The Navy Family Ombudsman Program promotes healthy, self-reliant families. Ombudsman also provides resource referrals when needed. They are instrumental in resolving family issues before the issues require extensive command attention.

The Ombudsman is a volunteer, appointed by the commanding officer, to serve as an information link between command leadership and Navy families. Ombudsmen are trained to disseminate information both up and down the chain of command, including official Department of the Navy and command information, command climate issues, local quality of life (QOL) improvement opportunities and “good deals” around the community.

Contact

JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
(210) 221-2705

JBSA-Lackland
(210) 671-3722

JBSA-Randolph
(210) 652-5321

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