MWR is for All of Your Life

AFTB About:

AFTB is a volunteer-led organization with a central tenet: provide training and knowledge to spouses and family members to support the total Army effort. Strong families are the pillar of support behind strong Soldiers. It is AFTB's mission to educate and train all of the Army in knowledge, skills, and behaviors designed to prepare our Army families to move successfully into the future.

AFTB Contributes:
AFTB contributes to the Army mission by educating and training the Army family to be self-sufficient leaders within their communities. AFTB Level I focuses on the basic skills and knowledge needed to live the military life. Level II allows the participant to grow into a community leader. Finally, Level III goes into inspiring and mentoring others into leadership positions.

AFTB Operations:
AFTB is organized along the command line of the US Army Installation Management Agency (for installation based programs) and by Major Command (MACOM) lines for all others. There are currently 221 active programs world-wide with more than 20,000 volunteers and paid staff all with one commitment at heart: Connecting Families to the Army ….One Class at a Time!

      Now that your soldier is in the Army at Fort Leonard Wood, he or she will be learning about the structure of the Army and its traditions. Soldiers receive training that will enable them to meet the many challenges of military service--rapid deployment, field training exercises and other tasks involved in carrying out the mission of the United States Army. They WILL be well trained and therefore prepared for the next assignment, whether overseas or within the continental United States!

      What about YOU, the family member? How will you get trained to help cope with the challenges of a military lifestyle? How will you learn about military benefits, and about facilities available to you? What is the commissary, PX, PCS or an LES? These questions, and more, will be answered in Army Family Team Building (AFTB) classes. AFTB is a program developed BY family members FOR family members-a program that has been developed just for you. It is Basic Training for family members…without the Drill Sergeants!

      Army leaders recognize the important role the entire family team plays in the success of the Army mission. It is not "just the soldier" that is in the Army. It is husband and wife, parents and children, grandparents and other loved ones. It is each member of the family working to support each other professionally and emotionally. Our focus at Army Family Team Building is on the family member as a player on the whole Army TEAM! The classes are designed to enhance personal and family readiness for all of America's Army.

      In addition to the Army information--which will help you to better understand the military organization, traditions and benefits--our classes deal with such topics as stress and time management, problem solving, group dynamics and leadership development.

      The Army Family Team Building classes are standardized throughout the entire Army. So wherever you and your soldier might be assigned, you can take advantage of the information offered through our AFTB classes. The classes are free of charge and not only provide information about the military lifestyle you are now a part of, but you will also have great opportunities to meet others who are also new to the Army way of life.

           Our ultimate goal at AFTB is family preparedness through education. We truly believe, Together Everyone Achieves More!

AFTB Program Description

· Army Family Team Building is not a new idea or concept. It's the formal recognition and naming of something that Army and Army families have been doing for over 200 years - sustaining and nurturing the force and serving the Nation.

· Army Family Team Building is a serious business. It's about READINESS… Mission Readiness AND Family Readiness. Helping families in adapting to Army life, accepting challenges, dealing with change, and developing life skills.

· Army Family Team Building has three separate tracks: one for soldiers (active and reserve component); one for Department of Army (DA) Civilians; and one for family members.

It is the goal of Army Family Team Building to inform our soldiers of the benefits of the program to them personally and to them as leaders of soldiers and families. Army Family Team Building will teach them that the more informed their spouse is about the military environment, the better their chances for a successful career. The better prepared the spouses are to handle the challenges of military living, the more the soldiers can concentrate on the mission.
    Often we forget that our civilian counterparts deploy with our soldiers. It is just as important that they have a basic understanding of the military. Army Family Team Building provides them that opportunity.

· In the past it was said, "The Army takes care of its own." Today's saying is more appropriately: "The Army takes care of its own by teaching its own to take care of themselves."

· Our volunteer force makes up the FLW AFTB core. Fort Leonard Wood has an strong AFTB volunteer force with over 30 active volunteers working as instructors and office staff. Several of our volunteer instructors have also gone on to additional training provided by the Department of the Army to receive the classification of Master Trainer. Our volunteers are spouses of the Active Force, Guard and Reserve, retirees, and Foreign Liaison Officers. Our volunteers are also from the active duty and DA civilian sector of our population.

· We are always looking for volunteers whether for 1 hour or 20 hours per week…in all aspects of the program to include administrative (hospitality, answering phones, setting up for classes), marketing, fundraising, or instructing.

· Army Family Team Building is a volunteers program developed BY family members FOR family members. Basic Training for family members….without the Drill Sergeants!!

LEVEL I   Designed to enhance basic knowledge of Army life.

· Military Terms, Acronyms, Customs & Courtesies

· The Chain of Command and the Chain of Concern

· Intro to Military and Civilian Resources

· Basic Problem Solving

· The impact of unit mission and family life

 

LEVEL II   Classes targeted toward emerging leaders within the community.

· Coping, Crisis and Grieving

· Management Skills: Communication

· Management Skills: Conflict Management

· FRG and the Deployment Cycle

· Team Dynamics

 

LEVEL III   Enhances the skills of those who assume mentoring and leadership roles. Most have prerequisites.

· Building Cohesive Teams

· Coaching and Mentoring 

· Delegation for Leaders

· Group Conflict Management

Contact Information

Address: Army Community Service Center

486 Replacement Ave

Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

Telephone: 573-596-0212    Fax: 573-329-4545    Toll Free: 1-866-802-6707

 

 

E-mail: General Information : leon.dmwr@conus.army.mil

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Updated April 2010