European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pagala kit it the stars and stripes april 1985 military embraces families continued from Page Iii family members arriving at a base to improving medical care for the Ball was the air Force held similar conferences in 1980 and the army reacted More so army family members set up their own conferences in 1981 and families were demanding and the brass was giving we flew by the seat of our but instinctively we did it All said Carolyn who participated in army family sym Posia in 1981 and the third symposium was by far the most and that scared them to families wanted More reimbursement for the costs of moving to new duty they wanted More and better housing and Day better medical care for and More employment opportunities for especially for those they wanted better sponsorship More information about installations and living conditions and services available on they wanted programs to help families such As marital parenting and family the Navy and the air Force were the first to translate conference results into their approach was to consolidate most family related programs under one the Navy in 1980 and the air Force in 1981 created similar family centers that would serve As an umbrella for a Host of new services and Navy family service centers and the air forces family support centers differ but both serve As base information and referral help with financial management and offer a variety of family sup port and education programs such As classes in parenting and couples and provide Short term coun seling for families with the centers can offer other depending on the needs of the for some Navy fecs have return and reunion teams that go to ships returning to Home port and prepare sailors for reunions with their fam the air Force also is setting up family action information chaired by the base a in meet Ings allow family members to complain or suggest changes directly to the people responsible for service officials from base service agencies discuss and coordinate All air bases Are expected to have fails by the end of this since most bases still dont have fair meetings Are the Only Way Many air Force families can seek special in the Navy will have 62 fecs at bases with at least Active duty members available to 85 percent of the Active duty the air Force has 34 fecs and Hopes to have 123 by air Force and Navy studies show that commanders at bases with fecs strongly support they report slightly increased retention improved family morale and Job the army reacted More but when it the army did not copy the air forces and navys family Center first came in the army published a White including a cover letter by chief of staff that outlined a new army philosophy toward it followed that up by declaring 1984 As the year of the army As a officials released the army family action a general officer steering committee meets about four times a year to Check Progress on family add new issues and delete solved problems from the action in in 1984 they created the army Community and family support Center and put Robert Joyce in its Job is to making sure pro family policy is translated into and helping major support commands get the programs off the ground yet plans and committees and new offices can Only do so the rest takes funding for family programs has but so far not of the army current billion nearly billion is being spent on the army family but the Lions share of that More than billion is for housings main tenant and that leaves million that is being spent on projects such As new child care youth army Community services programs and the funding for family programs has inched Forward since when the army spent billion on its family much of the increase in 1985 went to the air forces family program is built around its fam ily support funding for them is the air Force spent million on fecs in fiscal this it is spending million with no Hope for More next is that enough it was More than was Ever Korb if it is enough we will find comparative costs Are yet Korb and service officials have asked Congress for More family Money in their 1986 budget con Gress and the defense department now Are at loggerheads Over defense until a budget decision is the services Are trying to do the Best they can with what Money they we never told i that we Are going to do Edmund Deputy commander of the army Community and family support we will do As much As we can with the resources we those resources Are pushing family programs but not quickly enough to meet the one example is army child the army has renovated Many childcare centers including about 130 in officials plan to spend nearly million this photo by Stephanie Jamett