WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 17, 2007) - The Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, at the request of senior Army leadership, is expanding the Family Readiness Support Assistant program to reach all the way to the battalion level, Army-wide, to support deployed Soldiers and their Families.

Currently, there are slightly less than 400 FRSAs Army-wide, including Guard and Reserve units. They are primarily contract, term or temporary over-hire positions, funded by war on terror supplemental funding or unit funds, and managed by their respective Army commands. Under the new program, recently approved by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr., the positions will be added to unit manning documents, centrally funded, and FMWRC will provide program oversight.

"Commanders had already identified the need and we’re responding," said Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, FMWRC commander. "We’re not inventing anything new here. We’re taking something that works well and expanding it, providing a uniform level of support to Soldiers and Families Army-wide."   ….more