After Basic, I remember being so excited to be reunited with Adam only to find out I had to wait another 4-6 weeks for him to get out of a certain "phase." But we eventually got the ok to come on over to Monterey, CA. Oh Monterey, how I miss you! It's not often that you get an ocean view from your living room window. I digress...
So, getting to your first base is kind of exciting. For me it was a completely new world with a completely new language. Most of you know what I'm talking about. I heard things like DLI, MOS, LES, BAH, PX, CDC, CQ, MWR, NCO, TDY, and to learn all about them we "get to" (I use that phrase lightly) be a part of an FRG! sorry if you're not army and you really haae no idea what any of those acronyms mean
Question: Did you take part in your first FRG (Family Readiness Group)? Did you enjoy it? Do you still do it?
7 comments:
When we got to our first duty station (in Germany!)I was recruited to be the FRG LEADER.
So, here I am, new to military life, in a foreign country and my husband was barely a Specialist.
For those who don't know, FRG leaders are normally seasoned military spouses, often the Commander or the First Sergeant's wife. You know, people who actually know how the military works.
So I started taking Army Family Team Building (AFTB) classes at ACS (Army Community Service). They taught me the basics of what I needed to know. And there I also met a few kindly seasoned spouses who were willing to help me out.
So, I was likely the most inexperienced FRG leader ever, but I did it and I LOVED it. FRGs can be horrible,clique-y things, but if you get a good one they can be great, especially if you're overseas or if your spouse's unit is deployed.
I went on to become an instructor in the AFTB program, and then eventually a "master trainer," who is someone who trains the instructors for the program.
Then I had a second kid and dropped out of all of it and haven't returned in 5 years. So, you know...
Anyway, I would say to get involved with FRG. They can be helpful, especially if you're new to it all. I would also highly recommend the AFTB classes offered through ACS. One of the very first classes is about what all those acronyms mean. And there's a really fun class about military ball etiquette (because you don't want to look like a fool holding a drink in your hand in the reception line and things like that).
yes. no. no. who needs FRG if you're LDS?
Our circumstance was a little different. At least when I joined, there was no training really for scientists, all of our training is on-the-job, so we came straight to our first duty station together. (The Air Force is trying to get to the point where all 2Lt's go to ASBC training out of college at Maxwell AFB, AL -- I don't know if they are there yet -- and where all acquisitions, used loosely to include scientists as well, go to a 3-week training at Wright-Patt, so it may be that things have changed even for my career field now...and if not, I know they want to get to that point soon.
I must say, the AF doesn't have FRG's, but I think you mean whatever the local spouse's group is, and she's gone some, including plans to go to the local AFIT Spouse's Association activity tomorrow, but it hasn't been something regular, although I would have no problem at all with her wanting to get out of the house and enjoy it. There were a few AF briefings where the whole family was invited as well, so that was good for us to all go to. I think it was harder at FM because the AF had its own things, even at FM they tried to do things more like an Air Force Base but it didn't always work.
Anyway, if it sounds like I'm dodging the question somewhat, that's just because the AF has different systems, and because Lindsay is really more qualified than me to answer the rest of the question :) Eventually all the foreign terms become second nature, but the transition does take time.
Jill, while that's mostly true, no one in the ward can tell you what's going on when you don't hear from your husband for 4 days after you found out on the news that his camp was hit by mortars and numerous were dead. An FRG leader has a line of communication with the rear detachment command and can get info that you might not be given otherwise.
No one in the ward can arrange for a tele-video conference with your husband when he's been gone for a year and has no internet to use a webcam with.
There's no guarantee that someone in the ward will have the knowledge to guide you through the paperwork if there was an evacuation, a medical emergency requiring med-evac services, or even the death of the service member.
FRGs aren't just about friends and socializing and fundraisers. It's about having a knowledgeable person to turn to for help to deal with the red tape of military life.
(And all the examples I gave above were things that I either dealt with as an FRG leader, or received help with from and FRG leader).
FRG leaders are on official military orders (or should be if the commander does what he/or should). There is a tremendous amount of training required of FRG leaders to be able to do the job. Not all do it. Not all take it seriously. For some it really is all about socializing. But that's not how it was designed to be.
I did go to one meeting when we first got to Monterrey, after that,I wasn't really involved. In retrospect, I would have stayed on base and stayed involved through the deployment. I felt very out of the loop while Joe was gone and wish I had more contact then.
I also meant to tell you how much I loved your family pictures! I can't believe how our kids have grown. Bryson and Ben could totally be twins! They look so alike to me.
We had the socializing type of FRG when I first started. We were in training so no one was deployed. I made some good friends, but it quickly turned into a fundraising thing for more social events. I guess I'm just not a fundraiser type person so this seriously annoyed me (the same reason PTA annoys me).
But now, being in a unit where my husband does deploy, it's nice to know I can call on anyone from the unit to help, but mostly I depend on church friends or suffer through it on my own. Yeah...mostly that last one.
So, for me, I can take it or leave it. I like the FRG for support,info, stuff like that, but not friendshipping or fundraising.
Emily, I thought the same thing when I saw pictures of Ben. Totally twins! They sound like the same personality, too. I'll be in Utah in a couple weeks, maybe we could get them together. :)
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