What is Army Family Team Building?
Army Family Team Building, better known as AFTB, is not a new idea or concept. It is the formal way of recognizing and naming something the 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 serious business. It is about READINESS: mission readiness and family readiness, adapting to Army life, accepting challenges, dealing with change, and developing life skills. The mission of AFTB is to educate and train America’s Army in knowledge, skills, and behaviors designed to prepare our Army Families to move successfully into the 21st century.
It is the goal of AFTB to inform our Soldiers of the benefits of the program to them, both personally and as leaders of Soldiers and families. Army Family Team Building will teach them that the more informed their spouses are about the military and its environment, the better their chances are for a successful career; and the better prepared their spouses are to handle the challenges of military living, the more Soldiers can concentrate on the mission.
Army Family Team Building is divided into three levels of training. When or where a family member enters into AFTB training is based on his/her experience or choice of course enrollment, not rank or grade of sponsor. Level I courses are expanded upon in Level II, and some in Level II are elaborated upon in Level III.
There are many reasons why family members should attend AFTB classes. Aside from the tangible benefits of receiving training on the Army’s mission, family preparedness, and learning about community resources, AFTB classes are fun! They provide an opportunity to meet new friends and to get involved in the community. An increase in knowledge strengthens self-confidence and independence which gives the family member more control over stressful situations such as alerts, deployments, and long term exercises. However, the most important reason for a family member to take AFTB classes is that they teach practical life management skills which can always be used!
The Army Family Team Building Program currently is in need of volunteers to conduct classes! All course materials are provided with a complete, step-by-step outline on how and what to teach including training handouts and class involvement ideas.
If you or someone you know wishes to gain some great instructor experience, make a positive impact within the Total Army Family and Fort McCoy, and is experienced in military and life management topics, please contact Army Community Service at (608) 388-6507 for more information.
LEVEL I-INTRODUCTION
Level I courses are targeted toward people new to the Army or anyone interested in updating personal skills or basic knowledge. Level I courses are given below:1.1 Expectations and Impact of the Mission on Family Life Length: 60 minutes
Explores expectations Family members have of the Army and the impact of the Army mission on Family life. It will also provide tips to assist in developing realistic expectations.1.2 Military Acronyms and Terms Length: 45 minutes
Introduces many of the military acronyms and terms most frequently used as well as the military phonetic alphabet and military time.1.3 The Chain of Command Length: 45 minutes
Explains the military chain of command through explanation of rank, discussing the various branches of the Army, and exploring the Army’s organizational structure.1.4 Introduction to Military Customs and Courtesies Length: 45 minutes
Reviews some of the customs and courtesies that are basic to the day to day functioning of the military and to the social aspects of the military lifestyle.1.5 Basic Military Benefits and Entitlements Length: 45 minutes
Introduces the basic benefits and entitlements received by military personnel.1.6 Introduction to Military and Civilian Community Resources Length: 60 minutes
Provides an overview of the resources in both the military and civilian communities.1.7 Introduction to Family Readiness Groups Length: 45 minutes
Provides an introduction to the mission, structure and benefits of Family Readiness Groups (FRG).1.8 Supporting Your Child’s Education Length: 45 minutes
Reinforces the importance of parent involvement in child’s education. It also provides an overview of the School Liaison Officer’s (SLO) role to assist Army Families in obtaining a good educational experience for their children particularly when they are transitioning from school to school.1.9 Introduction to Family Financial Readiness Length: 45 minutes
Introduces basic money management and financial planning techniques. It illustrates the advantages and techniques of creating a Family financial plan, how to save wisely, and information on credit. It defines savings and investment and reinforces the importance of planning for the future.1.10 Basic Problem Solving Length: 60 minutes
Describes and provides an opportunity to practice a six step problem solving process to help determine solutions to various real-life scenarios.LEVEL II-INTERMEDIATE
Level II courses are targeted toward emerging leaders within the Army community. Level II courses are given below:2.1 Communication Length: 75 minutes
Discusses various types of communication and assesses the students’ ability to effectively communicate with others. Explores barriers to communication and develops strategies to improve their communication skills.2.2 Personal Time Management Length: 60 minutes
Helps students assess personal time management skills and prioritize activities using a time management tool.2.3 Stress Management Length: 60-75 minutes
Defines stress, identifies symptoms and sources of stress, and discusses stress management techniques.2.4 Acknowledging Change Length: 45 minutes
Defines change, discusses the four phases of change, and examines strategies to overcome the tendency to resist change.2.5 Exploring Personality Traits Length: 60 minutes
Identifies personality traits, identifies primary personality tendency and discovers more effective ways to interact with others.2.6 Enhancing Personal Relationships Length: 60 minutes
Discusses how to develop and maintain healthy personal relationships, the importance of being a supportive group member.2.7 Team Dynamics Length: 75 minutes
Discusses the stages of group development and how various roles impact the success of a team.2.8 Personal Conflict Management Length: 60 minutes
Defines conflict management and how individuals handle conflict differently, determines how conflict affects relationships, both working and personal, and examines methods to productively manage conflict.2.9 Creative Problem Solving Length: 60 minutes
Explores different methods of creative problem solving and how to evaluate solutions to problems.2.10 Traditions, Customs, Courtesies and Protocol Length: 75-90 minutes
Reviews Army customs and traditions and the social aspects of the military life style.2.11 Crisis, Coping and Grieving Length: 45-60 minutes
Defines crisis, discusses the grieving process, and introduces coping strategies for preparing and dealing with crisis and helping other people who are experiencing crisis.2.12 The Volunteer Experience Length: 60 minutes
Examines the importance of volunteerism within the military and civilian communities as well as why people choose to volunteer and explores the benefits of volunteering to both the volunteer and the community organizations.2.13 Family Readiness Groups and the Deployment Cycle Length: 60 minutes
Describes the structure of Family Readiness Groups and how members may contribute to its success and examines how an FRG can assist Family members during the deployment cycles.2.14 Introduction to Leadership Length: 60-75 minutes
Explores leadership and the difference between leader and follower, discusses characteristics associated with effective leaders, and discovers important principles of leadership.LEVEL III-ADVANCED
Level III offers training to enhance the professional growth and leadership development opportunities of Family members, especially those who might assume leadership roles within the community and the unit. Level III courses are given below:3.1 Communication Skills for Leaders Length: 75 minutes
Discusses ways to effectively communicate as a leader, assesses personal communications skills, and determines areas for improvement.3.2 Understanding Needs Length: 60 minutes
Examines the basic needs of individuals and explores the impact of needs on motivation.3.3 Leadership Styles Length: 90-105 minutes
Discusses situational leadership, discovers personal leadership styles, and evaluates follower needs in order to apply the appropriate leadership style.3.4 Building Cohesive Teams Length: 75 minutes
Discusses ways in which leaders can build strong and cohesive teams by capitalizing on a positive attitude, understanding roles in the stages of team development, building commitment within the team, and being aware of the characteristics of an effective team.3.5 Managing Group Conflict Length: 75-90 minutes
Defines conflict and the characteristics of conflict within a group and assesses personal approaches to conflict and recognize when to apply other conflict management styles in group situations.3.6 Leader Assisted Problem Solving Length: 60 minutes
Provides leaders with necessary skills to guide groups through the decision-making process.3.7 Delegation for Leaders Length: 75-90 minutes
Focuses on delegation and illustrates its benefits for both the leader and the team member.3.8 Meeting Management Length: 60-75 minutes
Outlines the reasons for meetings and how to effectively conduct them and further explores implementing the phases of meeting management to organize productive meetings.3.9 Coaching and Mentoring Length: 90 minutes
Explores the roles of a leader as a coach and mentor and how that leader can provide effective feedback.3.10 Family Readiness Group Leadership Length: 60 minutes
Describes the role of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) leader within a unit and the tools and resources needed to start or revive an FRG and discusses the roles and responsibilities of FRG members, commanders and rear detachment commanders from the FRG Leader’s perspective.