Stand-To!- Soldier and Family Assistance Centers on Track - Jan. 2, 2008

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TODAY'S FOCUS

Soldier and Family Assistance Centers on Track

What is it? Soldier and Family Assistance Centers (SFACs) are user-friendly centers offering critical support services to Warriors in Transition (WTs), following injuries or combat wounds, while defending our nation. This holistic approach to attending to the needs of Warriors in Transition (WTs) and their Families brings their most frequently needed services, to one location, near their medical treatment facility.

Why should the Army have SFACs?
• Cut time—give soldiers quicker access to help
• One-Stop: employment assistance, social services, legal assistance, military personnel, finance, and education services
• More Than One-Stop—the SFAC also gives WTs and Family members access to travel claims processing, Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) resources, and a friendly, helping hand
• Nurturing, morale-building, and convenient place to help WTs heal.

What has the Army done? Army Leadership mandated improvement in services for WTs and Families; SFACs are one of many essential responses to that mandate. Many facilities have been set up and new directors have been assigned, throughout the United States and in Europe. Those directors and their Army Community Services (ACS) Directors met early in December to map their plans for the future.

What’s planned for the future? Installations are currently building or renovating structures that will become the SFAC hubs, and most report being on track to operate fully by the end of January 2008. Europe will also serve a widely-dispersed population of warriors in transition through garrison assets.

Coming to an SFAC near you:
• Extensive training for all SFAC staff on care, support, and services
• Additional services as the SFAC mission grows to meet greater demand

What is this important to the Army? SFAC facilities, often referred to as campuses, are a user-friendly environment where WTs and their Families can devote all their energies to the mission of healing and transitioning — either back to their units or to new lives as productive citizens. This helps the Army by taking care of Soldiers and Families, as well as by showing the Army’s commitment to those whose sacrifices make the Army Strong.

For more information click here.


INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

• 2007 Strategic Communication Guide - Read the 2007 Army Strategic Communication Guide for key messages and updates.
• Strategic Communication Coordination Group (SCCG) Workspace
• Army Public Affairs Portal
• Stories of Valor

NEWS ABOUT THE ARMY

• Reflection brings pain relief (EB | BS)
• 'Sanctuary' would help Guard, Reserve Families (SPI)
• Coordinators give Guardsmen 'support that they need' (EB | HC)
• Team helps troops in Afghanistan fight stress (AFIS)
• Shock wave: when the Guard comes home (SPI)

WAR ON TERROR NEWS

• Operation Raider Reaper concludes with tribal reconciliation (ARNews)
• Local governance center opens south of Baghdad (AFIS)
• Citizen forces seen key to driving out violence (WT)
• The battle of ideas (WT)

OF INTEREST

• Soldiers at war can escape blast shrapnel, yet suffer brain injuries (SPI)
• Mental toll of war hitting female servicemembers (EB | USA)
• Editorial: Gays and the military (WT)
• Department engages Congress for full 3.5 percent troop pay raise (AFIS)

WORLD VIEW

• Neighbourhood patrols hit in Iraq (AJZ | Story)
• Defiant Iraqis end bloody year with a party (SMH | Story)
• Death toll rises to 30 in suicide bombing attack at Baghdad funeral (XIN | Story)
• Doubts raised on sales of U.S. high-tech equipment to China (IHT | Story)
• Bomber strikes Iraq Sunni militia (BBC | Story)

WHAT'S BEING SAID IN BLOGS

• Fisher House continues to enhance the lives of military Families (SM)
• Immigration - a law not a wall (BF)
• Trolling for contact (ND)
• Badgers Forward 2007 year in review (BF)