ArmyMWR.org

Transcription

ArmyMWR.org

Table of Contents:
Introduction..................................................................... 4
Financials...................................................................... 12
Workforce. ................................................................... 16
Management Summaries.................................................. 20
Photo by Pfc. Kuhn
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command
Annual Report  Fiscal Year 2007
Introduction
Morale, Welfare and Recreation Objectives:
 Support combat readiness and effectiveness
 Support recruitment and retention of quality personnel
 Provide leisure activities to support a quality of life commensurate with American values
 Promote and maintain behavioral and physical well-being
 Foster community pride, Soldier morale, and Family wellness
 Promote unit esprit de corps
 Ease the impact of unique aspects of military life, such as frequent relocations and deployment
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation 101
T
he Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs directly support readiness by providing a variety of
community, Soldier, and Family support activities and services. From social, fitness, recreational, and educational activities
to programs that enhance community life, foster Soldier and
unit readiness, and promote mental and physical fitness, Army
FMWR provides a working and living environment that attracts
and retains quality Soldiers. From installation volunteers to headquarters’ directors, the FMWR workforce honors a commitment
to serve; our common goal is to ensure that Soldiers and their
Families enjoy a quality
of life equal to their service and sacrifices.
The
range
of
FMWR activities offered at a garrison is
based on the needs of
authorized patrons who
work and reside there.
Army FMWR is a $1.9
billion annual business
with more than 36,000
employees serving more
than five million authorized patrons. Activities are managed by garrison commanders and funded by authorized and available appropriated funds
and by non-appropriated funds generated locally by FMWR
activities.
Each FMWR activity is classified into one of three DoD categories defined by their effect on the military mission and their
ability to generate revenue. Categories also define the degree to
which APF support is authorized for activities. FMWR activities are resourced from either APFs or NAFs or a combination
of both. Army Community Service is not included in the DoD
definition of FMWR but is considered a “Family Program.”
Common support functions are also needed to oversee all
programs, such as headquarters policy and oversight, financial
management and accounting, procurement, civilian personnel,
and information technology. The professional FMWR employees who manage these invaluable programs support Soldiers
and Families every day of the year to enable the Army to focus
on its mission — people are our most valuable asset.
•
“The range of
MWR activities
offered at a
Morale, Welfare and Recreation
garrison is based Categories
on the needs
Category A: Mission Sustaining Activities
of authorized
onsidered essential to sustaining readiness, these activities
generally enhance and promote the physical and mental
patrons...”
C
well-being of Soldiers. Expenses for these activities are 100 percent authorized APF, with the use of NAF limited to specific
instances where APF are prohibited by law or where the use of
NAF is essential for the operation of a facility or program.
Typical Programs/Activities:
• Fitness Centers, Gymnasiums, and Fieldhouses
• Pools for Aquatics Training
• Libraries
• Outdoor Recreation
• Parks, Picnic Areas, Fields, Playgrounds
• Recreation Centers
• Sports (Individual and Unit)
• Unit (or Company) Activities
• Movies
Category B: Community Support Activities
Activities that support the Army mission by satisfying basic physiological and psychological needs of Soldiers and their
Families and provide the community support systems that
make military installations temporary hometowns for a mobile
military population. Activities that are authorized substantial
amounts of APF support, but differs from Category A, in part,
because of the ability to generate limited NAF revenues.
• Child Development Centers
• Youth Services
• Outdoor Recreation
• Automotive Skills
• Arts and Crafts
• Entertainment
• Leisure Travel
• Cable / Community TV
• Entertainment, Ticketing, and Registration Services
• Outdoor Recreation Archery, Beaches, Campgrounds (under 100 sites), Hunting, Fishing
• Sports above Intramural (includes Courts and Fields)
• Swimming Pools
Category C: Business Activities
Activities that offer desirable social and recreation opportunities but have less direct impact on military readiness.
Primarily funded with NAF, these activities generally have the
potential to generate NAF revenue sufficient to cover operating expenses. APF support is authorized for: Executive Control and Essential Command Supervision functions; utilities;
sustainment, renovation, and modernization; and services associated with protecting health and safety of employees and
organizations.
• Resale Operations
• Bowling Centers
• Clubs and Restaurants
• Golf Courses
• Armed Forces Recreation Centers
• Amusement Machines
• Aquatics Center
• Food, Beverage, and Entertainment Operations
• Outdoor Recreation Cabins and Cottages, Campgrounds
(100 or more sites), Marinas, Rod and Gun Clubs
In fiscal year 2007, Army Family and Morale, Welfare,
and Recreation Command received $972 million in appropriated funds from Congress and $1.3 billion in nonappropriated
funds from primarily cash register sales of goods and services.
Our major business partner, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, provided a $137 million dividend to Army
FMWR based on two distinct agreements. The Army shares 50
percent of AAFES net income after depreciation with the Air
Force based on the number of active duty Soldiers and Airmen
in each service — currently the Army receives 30 percent and
the Air Force 20 percent.
Through the Army Simplified Dividend, garrisons also receive 100 percent of Class VI profits, 80 percent of pay telephone revenue, and .4 percent of all local AAFES sales. The
latter component is deducted from the Army share of total
AAFES profit with the remainder going to the Army Morale,
Welfare, and Recreation Fund.
Revenues received from Army Lodging room charges are
used solely to sustain and recapitalize the Lodging program and
its facilities.
Monies derived from user fees and sales, AAFES, and recreation and amusement machine operations are invested and earn interest to benefit Army FMWR operations. When combined, NAF
represents 56 percent of all funding that allows Army FMWR programs to continue to serve more than 3.9 million patrons.
Most of this money goes to Army installations and is used
to run FMWR operations, programs, and services. The remainder is focused on Army-wide capital improvements and minor
construction and capital purchases.
FMWR programs are essential to sustain the all-volunteer
force and maintain Army well-being. Providing First Choice
programs and services to Soldiers and Families worldwide is
our top priority.
More than ever, these programs are demand-driven, quality-focused, and service-based. FMWRC will continue to deliver these vital programs and services to the best Soldiers and
Families in the world.
Base Realignment and Closure
W
ith the enactment of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005 Commission’s recommendations into law,
12 Joint Base installation management support initiatives will
be implemented at seven Army installations. Fort Lewis will
become the Supporting Component for McChord Air Force
Base; Fort Myer will become the Supporting Component for
Henderson Hall; Fort Dix will become a Supported Component of McGuire Air Force Base; Fort Richardson will become
a Supported Component of Elmendorf Air Force Base; Fort
Sam Houston will become a Supported Component of Lackland Air Force Base; Fort Eustis will become a Supported Component of Langley Air Force Base; Fort Story will become a
Supported Component of Naval Station Norfolk.
Seven installations that are impacted by a closure or realignment have been identified as having an underpriced value
in nonappropriated funds investment in real property that is
subject to reimbursement under BRAC law. A total of $26.4
million has been identified for deposit into the special U.S.
Treasury account identified for this purpose.
The Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command will relocate to Fort Sam Houston under the 2005
BRAC Implementation Plan. FMWRC will begin relocation
of personnel beginning in the 3rd quarter 2009 and will continue until the 4th quarter 2011. This complies with BRAC
Law to not extend completion of all BRAC actions, beyond
Sept. 15, 2011.
•
Policy Update
A
rmy Regulation 215-1, Military Morale, Welfare, and
Recreation Programs and Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentalities, was published Oct. 24, 2006. An administrative
change was made July 31, 2007, reflecting organization name
changes to Commander, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (from U.S. Army Community and Family
Support Center) and Commander, Installation Management
Command (from Director, Installation Management Agency).
Other future changes to be issued as a “rapid action revision”
are pending Office of the Judge Advocate General legal review.
These revisions will include Office of the Secretary of Defense policy authorizing available APFs to support category C
– or self-sustaining – MWR programs at overseas installations
scheduled for closure, similar to that authorized for BRAC
installations in CONUS. Some of the other revisions are: recognize a stand-alone non-appropriated fund instrumentality
to account for monetary gifts and donations in support of
Soldier and Family Assistance Centers; restructure the Army
Recreation Machine Program policy to include unofficial
Internet services per an Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management memorandum of March 28, 2007; include
meeting rooms/conference-type operations as an associated
activity of the Food, Beverage & Entertainment program; recognize the Customer Payment Solutions Program to extend
credit to MWR program patrons; raise the dollar thresholds
for acceptance of gifts and donations to MWR programs and
other NAFIs; reissue new funding tables related to funding
various elements of expense and construction funding, consistent with DoD policy published in Oct. 2007. The current
version of this regulation can be accessed electronically on the
Army Publishing Directorate Web site at www.apd.army.mil.
The current version will be replaced with the rapid-action revision when it is published.
With the transfer of proponency and program management responsibility for Army Regulation 210-7, Commercial
Solicitation on Army Installations, a major revision to the previous 1986 regulation was published during FY07 to reflect
proponency and program management changes as well as incorporate the new DoD policies and procedures contained in
updated DoDI 1334.07, Personal Commercial Solicitation on
DoD Installations. AR 210-7 can also be accessed electronically on the Army Publishing Directorate Web site.
A new joint Army and Air Force regulation on Army and
Air Force Exchange Operations will be published in FY08. The
new regulation is numbered AR 215-8 and consolidates four
outdated AAFES regulations into one regulation. It updates
AAFES policy to include current patronage authorizations,
authorized resale services, and funding, consistent with DoD
Instructions 1015.15 and 1330.21. When published, the new
regulation can be accessed electronically on the Army Publishing Directorate.
Three Army Regulations dealing with Family and MWR
Programs were changed or updated since 2006 to comply with
organizational name changes and changes to Federal Law or
OSD policy:
• AR 210-7, Personal Commercial Solicitation on Army Installations, 10/18/2007
• AR 215-1, Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command
Programs and Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentali-
ties, 7/31/2007
• AR 608-1, Army Community Service Center, 9/19/2007
Three Army Regulations will be rewritten in early 2008:
• AR 60 Series, Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES) General, Operating and Personnel Policies and Equipment and Facilities, will be published as one regulation, AR 215-8
• AR 215-3, Non-appropriated Fund Contracting
• AR 215- xx, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers
Army regulations can be found at: http://www.army.mil/
usapa/epubs/index.html#Miscellaneous.
•
Army Banking
T
he Army Banking and Investment Fund manages a pool
of U.S. Government securities on behalf of participants
and pays interest based on portfolio earnings. During FY07, the
Army Banking and Investment Fund provided cash management to more than 400 Army and DoD entities. Participants
earned a compounded rate of 4.96 percent on their average deposited balance. During the year, the Army Banking and Investment Fund distributed $54 million as interest income. Invested
cash rose from $870 million to $1.141 million during FY07.
MWR Research 2007
F
MWRC uses a variety of channels to obtain demographic, social-psychological, and community findings with policy and
program implications. Recent findings are summarized below.
A. Well-Being/Quality of Life: FMWRC tracks overall
satisfaction with our program areas through eight items included in each semi-annual Sample Survey of Military Personnel (SSMP). The items are included in a list of 58 “Quality of
Life (Well-being) and Job Satisfaction” items.
MWR. Officer and enlisted data from the spring 2007
SSMP indicate high Soldier satisfaction levels (62.4 percent to
78.4 percent) with items in FMWRC areas.
Except for “availability of Army child care programs” (officers and enlisted), all of FMWRC’s items were ranked within
the top half of all the items.
Trend Data. Satisfaction levels for FMWRC items have
remained relatively stable with slight (not statistically significant) variation.
Marriage. The percent of married officers has remained
relatively steady since 1986 at about 74 percent-77 percent
(76.5 percent in 2007). The percent of married enlisted Soldiers has declined from 63.2 percent in 1996, and since 2000
has remained relatively steady at about 57 percent-61 percent
(60.4 percent in 2007).
Working Spouses. In spring 2007, almost one-half (48
percent) of the non-military spouses of Active Army Soldiers
were working full-time (33 percent) or part-time (15 percent).
The percent of non-military spouses working full-time has remained relatively steady in the last 16 years.
Leaving the Army before Retirement. The “amount of
time separated from family” continues to be the most important reason officers and enlisted personnel think about or plan
to leave the active component Army before retirement.
B. MWR and Readiness: An exploratory analysis of Armywide Soldier data from the Spring 2005 SSMP indicated that
use of MWR programs has a strong positive effect on Soldier
emotional attachment to the Army which, in turn, has a strong
positive effect on both retention and satisfaction with the quality of Army life.
Use of MWR was also found to have a medium positive,
direct effect on retention. For detailed study findings, see Richard Fafara & David Westhuis, “Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Programs and Their Effect on Readiness and Retention,” U.S.
Army Journal of Installation Management, Volume 2, 2007, C. What We Know about Army Families: 2007 Uppages 10-14.
date. An update of What We Know about Army Families, a
user-friendly compendium of research
A
follow-on
analysis, scheduled
findings with recommendations for
to be completed in
policies, programs, and practices deFY08, will deterrived directly from these findings, was
mine the strength
widely distributed and is available onof the effect on
line at the MWR Research Web site:
readiness and rehttp://www.armymwr.biz/research.
tention outcomes
htm.
that
subgroups
The report distills what we have
of MWR services
discovered about
such as leisure time
Army Families duractivities, child and
ing the last decade.
youth programs,
Areas addressed in
New Fort Eustis Golf Club, viewed from the ninth
and Army Comthe report include:
green.
munity
Service,
deployments, sepmight have. The analysis also will determine whether MWR
arations, and reusage and effect size varies based upon the rank and marital staunions; issues conFort Drum Child Development Center and
tus of Soldier, living on- or off-post, Soldier/spouse ethnicity,
fronting Reserve
playground.
CONUS/OCONUS, Soldier deployment status, and gender
Component Solof the Soldier and spouse.
diers and Families; well-being within Army Families; children;
informal and formal support for Families; and a 21st century
model of Army Family Support.
Rank
Order
Officer (spring 2007)
Rank
Percent Order
1
Job Security
93.2
7
Availablilty of Recreational
Services
78.4
Quality of Recreational Services
78.2
Quality of Army Youth Services
78.0
13
Availability of Army Youth
Services
77.7
17
Availability of Army Family
Programs
75.8
18
Quality of Army Family Programs
75.6
27
Quality of Army Child Care
Programs
71.6
41
Availability of Army Child Care
Programs
62.4
58
Amount of Time Separated from
Family
39.9
9
11
1
Enlisted (spring 2007)
Percent
Job Security
84.6
Quality of Army Youth Services
75.2
7
Availability of Army Youth
Services
74.2
8
Availability of Army Family
Programs
72.7
71.6
14
Availability of Recreational
Services
70.6
15
70.0
19
Quality of Army Child Care
Programs
68.1
37
Availability of Army Child Care
Programs
62.4
58
Amount of Time Separated from
Family
35.1
4
9
The Spring 2007 SSMP did not include Soldiers deployed to war theaters, Soldiers who recently returned from a
war theater or Soldiers who were preparing to be deployed soon to a war theater.
Construction
Public-Private Ventures
I
T
n FY07, Army FMWR delivered eight NAF major construction projects valued at $60 million and 66 Capital Purchase
Minor Construction Projects valued at $6.9 million. Twentythree major construction projects were in progress at 15 locations in CONUS, Europe, Japan and Korea (including 14
Child Development Centers). An additional 120 design/minor
construction projects are ongoing at 56 locations. Congress approved four major construction projects valued at $58.5 million for the FY07 program. Over a five-year period, the Army
has supported FMWR with 55 NAFMC projects valued at
$321.5 million.
Construction began on the renovation of the Ilima Tower,
Hale Koa Hotel and includes a total renovation of guestrooms,
corridors, kitchen, and other public areas. The renovation is
phased to allow for occupancy during construction. Completed guest floors are scheduled to be available for occupancy
beginning third quarter FY08.
The FMWRC and the Installation Management Command brought 18 modular, movable Child Development
Centers (CDC) to nine Army installations, two Navy installations and two Marine installations in FY07. Additionally,
construction began on 11 permanent modular CDCs. Pending
congressional approval, 44 CDCs and 15 Youth Centers are
planned for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. This DoD initiative
supports restationing and modularization actions within the
Armed Forces.
Army FMWR supports other military services by executing construction projects on a reimbursable basis. In FY07, the
Army was reimbursed $513 thousand for project management
support of 13 projects (including CDCs for the Navy and Marine Corps) valued at $83 million built for the Navy, Navy
Exchange, Marine Corps, AAFES and the Open Geospatial
Exchange Services.
Category Listing: 2003-2007
Category A: 14 Projects; Value $177.5 million
Category B: 21 Projects; Value $62.4 million
he goal of the Army’s MWR Public Private Venture program is to secure private sector expertise to deliver facilities and services and decrease the burden on Army funds. The
FMWRC PPV office is the sole Army agency given the responsibility to facilitate the process and award PPV contracts for
Category C MWR facilities. The program benefits commanders who need an MWR facility but lack the funding to provide
a needed service to Soldiers and Families.
The Army awarded its first contract for a Pet Kennel facility, the Pet Brigade, Dog & Cat Barracks at Fort Lewis, Washington. The project will bring an additional $500 thousand in
NAF construction savings with estimated completion date of
April 2008. Another Casual Dining facility opened its doors at
Fort Polk, Louisiana. The interest in the casual dining restaurant resulted in FMWRC
awarding two conditional awards to developers
to pursue PPV projects
on the installations for
an additional $2.9 million in NAF construction cost savings.
The success of seeking commercial partners
is evident in the $39.4
million construction cost savings for the ten facilities in operation at the end of FY07. The total revenue from these projects
during FY99-07, and returned to Army installations, is just
over $1.6 million. The PPV program has 14 more projects in
varying stages of development valued at $38.8 million in cost
savings for the government.
The future of the program is limitless as the MWR PPV
process continues to evolve in an effort to keep pace with the
trends in privatization efforts within the government. Continual reviews in the process and changes to improve the program
will aid in making the program more attractive to Garrison
Commanders and enhance the private sector interest in partnering with the Army.
“The success
of seeking
commerical
partners is
evident...”
Category C: 20 Projects; Value $81.6 million
Total: 55 Projects; Value $321.5 million
FMWRC Internal Review and
Audit Compliance
A
udits of headquarters Department of the Army nonapropriated funds are conducted annually by independent
commercial auditors. They audit balance sheets, statements of
operations, changes in fund balances, and cash flows for the
year ending September 30, 2006 for the following:
• Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Fund
• Army Central Insurance Fund
• Army Banking and Investment Fund
• Army NAF Employee Retirement Plan
• Army Medical Life Fund
• Army NAF Employee 401(k) Savings Plan
• Army Lodging Fund
• Army Recreation Machine Trust and Operations Fund
• Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRC) Funds Group
which include the AFRC hotels in Europe, Korea,
Orlando, and Hawaii
An unqualified audit opinion was rendered for each fund
with no material weakness disclosed.
•
FMWRC Lean Six Sigma Program
T
he FMWRC Lean Six Sigma Program is based on successful wide-scale private Industry practices, as well as recent
deployments within the Department of Defense. The FMWRC
LSS Program adheres to the Army’s guidance to analyze and
improve business programs using one common methodology.
FMWRC experienced its most productive year to date during FY07 by achieving the Command goals for training Project
Sponsors, Black Belts, and Green Belts. As stewards of public
and Soldier dollars, we must continuously improve the quality
of our programs and services by using best business practices.
The FMWRC LSS Program provides a methodology to measure our current processes and design cost-effective customerfocused improvements to ensure that we consistently deliver to
Soldiers and Families the best programs and services possible.
• 2 Black Belts trained
•FY07 closed with $35 million in cost efficiencies
•
Financial Overview: All Army
MWR Operating Funds
F
ield operating MWR programs and NAFI, the ARMP, and
the Army MWR Fund comprise Army MWR operating
funds. Collectively, $1.9 billion in total APF and NAF funding
supported FY07 operating and capital requirements worldwide
— a $134 million increase from FY06. For APF, a $53 million
increase was primarily due to the increased support for major construction of Child Development Centers. The positive
change was offset by a $27 million decrease in Operations and
Maintenance of the Army.
For NAF, revenue increased $81 million from FY06. Major increases were seen in operating income (user fees). Sales
were relatively stable despite large-scale deployment. The Army
and Air Force Exchange payments to the Army amounted to
$137 million, a $30 million increase from FY06.
The “Global Army Program Overview” chart shows total
FY07 funding support and uses. The ratio of APF to NAF support was 45 percent to 55 percent, respectively. The major use
of funds continues to be personnel, at 51 percent of the total, down three percentage points from FY06. After operating
costs, $346 million was available for capital requirements $138
million more than in FY06.
FY07 ($ in millions)
des
inclu T
GWO
M
$158
Sources
Other MWR NAF
$523 (23%)
Uses
AAFES Dividend
$137 (6%)
Gross ARMP
Revenue
$144 (7%)
Military Personnel
Account
$11 (<1%)
10
Uniform Funding
and Management
USA Personnel
$329 (15%)
Sales
$231 (10%)
Lodging
$231 (10%)
Appropriated Funds
$972 (44%)
NAF Personnel
$569 (19%)
GS Personnel
$279 (13%)
The Global Army Program is $2.2 billion
 Address
total universe of all resources and uses.
44 percent APF and 56 percent NAF
 Uses: 52 percent personnel; 19 percent capital investment; and 29 percent other expenses
 Sources:
FY07 FMWRC LSS program achievements:
• FMWRC LSS Deployment Plan signed on May 4, 2007
• 29 Green Belts trained
Capital Investment
$427 (19%)
Other Expenses
$658 (29%)
Global Army Program Overview
MWR, Loding and Army Community Service
Sources
FY07 ($M)
Critical Indicators
Uses
USA/UFM
Personnel
NAF
$1,035
$329
Other Expenses
$577
NAF Personnel
$434
APF
$778
$346
Capital
Reinvestment
NOTE: NAF is net of UFM/USA funding: $673M
$172
GS
Personnel
$8
Military
Personnel
MWR is Big Business — $1.9 Billion
•
DoD Funding Metrics
I
n November 1995, the DoD published fiscal standards for
MWR requiring that, regardless of category, 100 percent of
authorized costs are funded with APF. Metrics to measure these
standards allow for incidental program related resale operations
that are not authorized APF. The metrics focus on the relationship of APF and NAF operating support for Category A (Mission Sustaining Programs) and Category B (Basic Community
Support). They exclude costs of goods sold and depreciation.
For Category A, the minimum standard is 85 percent APF and
15 percent NAF. For Category B, the minimum ratio is 65
percent APF and 35 percent NAF. The Army supports these
standards. MWR long-range fiscal planning is based on matching the right funding source with APF/NAF requirements, and
the MWR Board of Directors established tracking mechanisms
to ensure proper execution. MWR is now in its twelfth year of
monitoring these standards.
Army MWR reported Category A APF holding at a ratio
of 83 percent from FY06 to FY07, and Category B declining
to 65 percent from 67 percent. The lower ratio in Category A
is primarily due to a new methodology for pro rating overhead
and common support services. The new formula considers total
APF/NAF expenses. The old formula allocated overhead using
separate percentages for APF costs and NAF expenses. The new
methodology is believed to result in a more accurate portrayal
of where support is provided.
The Category A operating programs obtained a 90 percent
APF ratio before the addition of overhead.
The MWR BoD uses many tools to monitor MWR operating
funds and evaluate the program’s collective health. Two major
“critical indicators” are the cash-to-debt ratio of the collective
funds and the relationship of the outstanding Army Morale,
Welfare, and Recreation Fund loan to the Army Banking and
Investment Fund with field NAFI cash deposits. For the cash to
debt ratio, the BoD reviews the total Army’s cash in the Army
Banking and Investment Fund, excluding the loan, versus liabilities due and payable at specific points in time throughout
the fiscal year. These actual indicators are then compared with
the plan to ensure the Army is on track.
As of September 30, 2007, the Army’s collective MWR operating cash to current field liabilities was 2.5:1. The AMWRF
had a zero loan to field cash deposits ratio, a decrease of nine
percentage points from September 30, 2006. This position
change is due to the AMWRF paying off the loan after having received APF funding for authorized requirements through
Uniform Funding Management.
Construction and
Program Investment
52%
Field Services
and
Self-Sufficiency
Exemptions
23%
USACFSC
Operations
25%
Uses of an AMWRF Dollar
11
Financials
Nonappropriated Funds
F
or FY07, Army-wide field MWR Funds reported net income before depreciation of $169.3 million (18.9 percent of net
revenue) versus $137.2 million (16.3 percent of net revenue) for FY06. Net income after depreciation was $27 million for
FY07 versus $7 million in FY06.
The chart below displays the sources of non-operating income for the field. All categories exceeded the budget projections.
Army Operating Funds
This section addresses individual Headquarters, Department of the Army funds managed at the FMWRC and presents a summarized
balance sheet and statement of income and expense.
Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fund
T
his is the Army’s 14th year of financing strategies to
modernize the Morale, Welfare and Recreation nonappropriated fund (NAF) physical plant and finance Army-wide
program investment initiatives. The long-range plan redirected field nonapproriated fund instrumentality revenue to the
Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation fund for worldwide
application and authorizes borrowing from the Army Banking
and Investment fund. In FY07, this plan paid out $16.4 million for regular construction, $9.8 million for management
12
information system support, and $11.3 million for other program investments such as master training, interns, patron surveys, and marketing research. The next allocation is for field
exemptions and services, such as self-sufficiency exemption
dividends, capital purchase and minor construction grants,
Army sports, and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers.
The fund also supports a portion of the NAF administration
budget for FMWRC. The chart on page 11 shows how the
AMWRF dollar was allocated for FY07.
Army Recreation Machine Trust
Fund
T
he Army Recreation Machine Trust Fund administers the
Army Recreation Machine Program operating profits. In
FY07, this Fund received $84.0 million in profit distribution,
a $12 million increase from FY06. Major uses of cash in FY07,
on a cash flow basis (which includes cash on hand at the beginning of the year) were $81.3 million in shared distributions
to Regions and payouts to the AMWRF and $3.9 million for
internal ARM operations capital expenditures.
•
Army Central Insurance Fund
T
he Army Central Insurance Fund provides comprehensive
property and casualty insurance through a self-insured
program for all NAF activities. The Army Central Insurance
Fund purchases commercial property insurance which protects
against catastrophic loss.
During FY06, claim payments for damage to NAF buildings and contents Army-wide were $780 thousand. Accidents
causing damage to NAF operated vehicles resulted in losses of
$445 thousand.
Losses resulting from the theft or robbery of NAF money
and securities resulted in claim payments of $113 thousand.
The cost of general and vehicle tort claims for bodily injury and
property damage due to negligence amounted to $258 thousand. The increased cost of workers’ compensation claims resulted in an increase in the rate charged to CONUS installations for FY06. The cost of unemployment compensation for
FY06 resulted in payments of $2.8 million to former NAF employees. The Army Central Insurance Fund had a net operating
gain of $6.5 million for the year. This gain is directly attributable to the decrease in self-insured claims expense.
•
Army Banking and Investment
Fund
T
he Army Banking and Investment Fund manages a pool
of U.S. Government securities on behalf of participants
and pays interest based on portfolio earnings. During FY06,
the Army Banking and Investment Fund provided cash management and investment services to 400 Army and DoD entities. Participants earned a compounded rate of 4.05 percent
on their average deposited balance. During the year, the Army
Banking and Investment Fund distributed $35 million as interest income. Invested cash rose from $680 million to $870
million from FY05 to the end of FY06.
•
Financial Report: Army MWR
A
rmy MWR corporate finances are the combined total performance from field operating nonapproriated fund instrumentalities, the Army Recreation Machine Program and
the AMWRF. Page 12 of this report shows how these elements,
taken in the aggregate, performed from FY06 to FY07; in addition, field operating results are reviewed for the same period.
Below are the summarized balance sheet and the summarized
statement of income and expense, which support the analysis in the executive summary. The remainder of this section
addresses individual Headquarters, Department of the Army
funds managed at the FMWRC.
•
Summarized Balance Sheet &
Income and Expense Statement
T
he collective financial position, as of September 30, 2007
reflected a current ratio of 1.7:1 versus 1.6:1 attained at
the end of FY06. Cash to current liabilities was calculated at
1.5:1 compared with 1.2:1, as of September 30, 2006. Major
changes in current assets were reflected in Cash, +$225.4 million, and sinking funds, +$59.1 million. These increases were
offset by accounts payable, +$7.0 million and an increase in
other current liabilities, $74.8 million. The increases in cash
and liabilities is largely attributed to the Uniform Funding and
Management process where appropriated and nonappropriated
funds are merged for the purposes of providing MWR services
using NAF rules and procedures.
13
Income was $83 million, or eight percent of NAF Revenue.
This is a material improvement from FY06 when the collective operations recorded a net income of $32 million. Major
reasons for the improved condition are attributed to increased
operating revenue, increased APF support, and lower extraordinary expenses incurred as a result of BRAC actions.
•
Army Central Retirement Fund
T
The chart above illustrates the statement of FY07 APF and
NAF operations compared with FY06. The NAF revenue and
expenses transacted through Uniform Funding and Management and MWR Utilization, Support and Accountability have
been eliminated from this display in order to preclude overstatement of combined APF and NAF support. In FY 07, $673
million was executed through these processes, versus $548.8
million in FY06. Total APF support increased $52.9 million
compared with the previous year. Major increases were reflected in Major Construction, Army, +$75 million, illustrating the
material effort on the part of the Army to support MWR APF
construction priorities.
The reported costs for military personnel working in MWR
was down $2.2 million, reflecting the lowest levels of borrowed
military being reported in recent history of MWR. Other support was up $8 million. The Operations Maintenance, Army
support was down $27.7 million due to relatively flat Management Decision Evaluation Package execution and a decline in
reported indirect support such as repair and maintenance.
The collective NAF revenue for the Army Operating
Funds for FY07 was $1,035 million, a $81 million increase
over FY06. The AAFES dividend to the Army increased $30
million. Gross Army Recreation Machine Program Revenue
increased $15 million. While sales remained relatively stable,
there was a $21 million increase in user fees and charges and a
$14 million increase in interest income.
On the expense side, labor continues to be the largest element of operations for MWR. The FY07 labor costs overall reflected a 5.7 percent increase over FY06. Other costs decreased
$29.4 million. The net income before depreciation was recorded at $233.5 million, a $63.5 million increase over FY 06. Net
14
he Army Central Retirement Fund represents the total
of employee and employer contributions and investment
earnings on those contributions (plan assets) for the U.S. Army
NAF Employee Retirement Plan. The fund pays accrued benefits to participants and their survivors as determined by a formula based on salary and years of service when they are eligible
for retirement. As of the end of FY07, there were 5,112 retirees
and survivors receiving monthly annuities from the NAF Retirement Fund and 1,051 deferred vested members.
As of October 1, 2007, the date of the last actuarial valuation, the value of benefits that participants have earned to
date (actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits) was
$813.6 million. This is the amount required to satisfy all the
plan’s obligations if it were terminated today. The market value
of assets available on October 1, 2007 was $906.2 million.
A more important measure of the plan’s financial health is
its ability to meet obligations for benefits that will be earned
in the future. An enrolled actuary makes these computations
annually. As of October 1, 2007, the total actuarial accrued
liability was $813.6 million compared with $749 million one
year before, with the actuarial value of assets at $838.8 million.
This represents the continued strength of the fund and the generally favorable status of investment markets.
US Army NAF Retirement Fund Asset Allocation
Asset Class
Amount $M
Percent
Common Stock
658.5
72.7
Bonds and Debentures
135.4
14.9
Cash and Equivalents
17.2
1.9
Venture Capital
46.1
5.1
U.S. Government Securities
24.3
2.7
Insurance Contracts
24.7
2.7
906.2
100.0
Total
Retirement plan assets are in a trust fund that can only be used
to provide benefits to participants as authorized by the plan.
Five trustees are responsible for investing assets in authorized
investments such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and government
instruments. Assets are invested so that, over time, the return
on investment meets the long-term assumptions on which the
plan is based. The plan paid NAF retirees and their beneficiaries $36.6 million in FY07 including a 3.3 percent cost of living increase beginning April 1, 2007.
On September 30, 2007, the market value of the plan’s
assets totaled $906.2 million. These assets were invested as
shown in the table on page 14. The return on investment
earned by these assets for the year ending September 30, 2007
was 16.1 percent.
•
Army Medical Life Fund
T
he Army offers health, dental, and life insurance benefits
to its regular NAF employees. The Army Medical Life
Fund collects premiums from employers and employees based
on participant enrollment in the health benefits options. Employees may elect health benefits coverage in either the DoD
Health Benefit Plan or through Health Maintenance Organizations in some locations. Claim expenses for the DoD Health
Benefit Plan are satisfied by direct disbursements to affiliated
medical service providers after the plan takes its discounts.
When services are provided from outside the network or for
any dental claims, participating employees are reimbursed directly. In order to preserve the tax-preferred status of life insurance benefits, the Fund reimburses a contracted insurance
carrier for benefits paid to beneficiaries of deceased participants
in the life insurance program.
US Army NAF 401(k) Savings Plan
Avg Total Returns Period Ending Sept. 30, 2007
Investment Fund
Retirement Money Market
1 Year
5 Years
(%)
Life of
Fund (%)
5.16
2.77
4.60
(%)
US Bond Index
4.25
4.21
7.24
Balanced Fund
16.40
15.82
10.83
Davis New York Venture Fund
15.36
16.80
13.37
Growth Company
28.96
21.24
14.57
Overseas
34.31
24.28
13.93
Spartan Equity
16.37
15.35
11.71
Dodge and Cox
12.04
18.37
12.29
T. Rowe Price
11.59
16.60
13.50
401(k) Savings Plan
T
he U.S. Army NAF 401(k) Savings Plan continues to be a
valuable benefit for employees who are working to achieve
financial security. The total individual 401(k) Savings Plan account balances were $320M at the end of FY07, an increase of
$35 million (12.3 percent) from the previous year. This substantial increase was a result of increased contributions and the
strength of the stock market. The table above shows investment
returns for the nine funds available to employees as investment
options. Participation in the U.S. Army NAF Employee 401(k)
Savings Plan continues to grow. As of September 30, 2007,
there were 12,616 active participants, equating to 69 percent
of the eligible employees.
15
Workforce
White Plume Award
E
stablished in 1982 by the Adjutant General of the Army,
the White Plume Award recognizes outstanding services
and contribution to FMWR programs. The White Plume is the
Army’s highest medal for achievement in support of FMWR.
The following personnel were honored with the White
Plume in FY07:
Dec. 2006 Terrance L. Siegrist Presidio of Monterey
Dec. 2006 Michael D. DeRose IMCOM – SE Region
Dec. 2006 John D. Downie IMCOM – Korea
Jan. 2007 Joseph W. Whitaker Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Housing)
May 2007 Bonnita L. Gaddis HQ, FMWRC
May 2007 Daniel J. Ahern IMCOM – Korea
Aug. 2007 Harlan B. Knox
IMCOM – West Region
Aug. 2007 Robert L. Jarvis
Fort Knox, Ky.
Aug. 2007 Joseph R. Hartmann HQ, ARMP
Sep. 2007 Willie J. Wilson
HQ, FMWRC
•
NAF Employee Benefits
T
he Army provides an extensive menu of benefits for the
nearly 20,000 eligible NAF employees that deliver MWR
programs. Below are the FY07 highlights.
Participation in the NAF Employee Retirement Plan increased to 93 percent during FY 07. The Board of Directors
decision in FY01 to require participation of new hires for their
first six months of service has had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the NAF workforce, and 99.6 percent of new hires
maintain their enrollment in the Retirement Plan after their
mandatory six months participation.
The Portability Project Office, initially established in FY02
16
to audit and correct service records of employees who transfer
between the APF and NAF personnel systems under the portability legislation, has continued to make significant progress
in restoring retirement benefits to employees who had been incorrectly processed. We continue to emphasize improving the
understanding of Portability of Benefits among the workforce
and among the Human Resources Offices which are responsible for counseling employees on their Portability options. The
Portability of Benefits initiative has become increasingly more
important because the number of employees with a Portability
election increased to nearly 1,500 in FY07.
The 401(k) Savings Plan continues to be a popular benefit
program. The Plan provides individual employees the opportunity to achieve their goals for financial security in retirement
through this tax-deferred savings plan. Efforts continued to assist employees with their investment decisions through briefings and presentations at numerous installations in cooperation
with Fidelity Investments, which provided certified financial
planners for these presentations. To increase the opportunities
of the Plan participants for increased growth of their investments, the Trustees replaced two fund options with better performing funds and changed the default investment fund from
the Fidelity Retirement Money Market Fund to the Fidelity
Balanced Fund.
In support of these new investment options and to improve
understanding of the various investment options, Fidelity published and distributed a new Participant Investment Guide to
all Plan participants.
The self-insured DoD Health Benefit Plan continues to
provide the highest level of health benefits for employees and
their families at a competitive premium rate. Benefit levels in
the DoD Health Benefit Plan continued to improve, meeting the challenge of providing quality, affordable health care
to Plan participants. The Joint Service Committee that manages the Health Benefit Plan continued to focus their efforts
on preventive care and promotion of healthy lifestyles with
the implementation of the Disease Management Program,
distribution of Preventive Care Reminder Birthday Cards and
Wellness Planner Calendars, as well as implementation of the
HealthOne Program, a Web-based preventive care program
that encourages healthy lifestyles. The Health Benefit Plan
remained financially strong, and the trend toward stability of
premium increases continued in FY07. Premiums in CY07 increased only five percent; far below the national trend of nearly
15 percent. Aetna, the third party administrator of the plan,
continued to provide excellent service to plan participants, and
Aetna Navigator, the interactive Web-based system that allows
participants to view claims processing status, explanation of
benefits, and information about plan benefits and health related information, saw a substantial increase in use, with nearly
50 percent of participants now routinely using the service.
The NAF Employee Group Life Insurance Plan maintained
its solid financial status and rates were maintained at 14 cents
per $1,000 of coverage for employees electing basic coverage.
FY06
FY07
Eligible
Employees
18,638
100%
19,209
100%
Retirement
Plan
16,264
90%
17,333
93%
401 (k)
Savings Plan
12,003
64%
12,616
69%
Health
Benefits Plans
8,483
47%
8,553
46%
Participation in the NAF Employee Benefit Plans continued to show strong
support among employees, as shown above.
•
Leader Development/Assignment
Program
T
o assist garrisons in selecting the best-qualified candidates,
the MWR Board of Directors approved centralized funding of Permanent Duty Travel. Beginning January 28, 2008, in
addition to centrally funding PDT moves for NF-5 MWR and
Career Field 51 Leader Development/Assignment Program
positions, the FMWRC began funding PDT moves for designated senior NF-4 positions. Central funding of PDT moves is
limited to those candidates selected from a referral list issued by
the Army NAF Career Referral Program Office or a non-competitive reassignment approved by the FMWRC Commander
or designee.
Army Civilian Training, Education
and Development System Plan
A
rmy Civilian Training, Education and Development System documents a structured, progressive and sequential
approach to employee development within Career Field 51.
The ACTEDS Plan is a competency-based, career progression
“road map” that blends training and self-development to enhance individual performance and potential. ACTEDS underwent a revision to fully integrate the Army Leader-Development model for civilians; embrace the Army FMWR vision;
incorporate the FMWR Strategic Plan; and incorporate the
Civilian Education System into a continuous, dynamic system
of learning and growth. Each functional area represented in
ACTEDS has career ladders and curriculum listed for all positions covered in CF 51. This revision is Web-based and is hosted
on the FMWRC server.
•
NAF Management Trainee Program
T
he centrally funded NAF Management Trainee Program
actively recruits college graduates for opportunities in
MWR functional areas to participate in 12- to 18-month training program. The NAF Management Trainee Program provides
for the development of highly trained MWR professionals to
meet future leadership demands.
During FY07, 18 graduates from the FY06 program completed their on-the-job training and were placed into permanent positions. FY06 was the first year that allowed for recruitment of up to 20 Management Trainees (increased from 10 per
year in August 2005 by the MWR EXCOM) in order to meet
the evolving need for MWR professionals. In FY07, 17 recruits
trained in for the following functional areas:
2-Child & Youth Services
1-Food & Beverage
1-Marketing
4-Sports & Fitness
3-Community Recreation
3-Outdoor Recreation
2-Financial Management
1-Human Resources
In FY08 the program will include placing five Manage-
17
ment Trainees at training locations in Europe. Three installations are scheduled to host trainees for Food & Beverage, Recreation, Child & Youth Services, and Financial Management.
These trainees will be recruited during the spring of 2008 and
will be brought onboard as a part of the July 2008 class.
•
Career Referral Program
T
he FMWRC continued to assist installation commanders in
filling MWR vacancies, both APF and NAF, in grades GS09/NF 04 and above. A database containing more than 10,000
active applicant resumes of applicants seeking employment opportunities in Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, Army
Lodging and Army Community Service. FMWRC Human Resources received 630 requests for referral lists in calendar year
2007 for positions, worldwide. These requests were filled in an
average of 25 days.
•
Training and Performance Support
T
he MWR Academy offers training and performance support for the Army and its sister services. Located in Alexandria, VA, the Academy supports the MWR Master Training
Plan and trains employees from entry-level through senior executives. Providing results-driven support, the MWR Academy
strives to embed learning in the work flow. Web-based learning
remains at the forefront of planning and development efforts.
In FY07, the MWR Academy developed and implemented
nine additional online courses, bringing the total to 23 courses
offered online.
Exec &
Senior
Management
Division/
Multi-Program Level
Program Management Level
Se
qu
en
t
ial
an
d
Pr
og
re
ss
ive

MWR Master
Training
Programs
Skill and Technical
Professional, Basic
Management and Leadership
ENTRY LEVEL
MWR Orientation
18
Operation Excellence
In FY 07, a total of 9,009 students were enrolled in the
MWR Academy; 7,076 students completed courses and 1,933
students are in the process of course completion. This included
Army, Marine, Navy, and Air Force MWR personnel. This year
saw a phenomenal growth in the use of Web-based learning.
Of all MWR Academy courses offered, 5.1 percent were completed at the installation or AFRC (359 students), 5.3 percent
were completed at the Academy (377 students), 8.3 percent
were completed at a contract off-site (587 students), and 81.3
percent were completed through Web-based and blended, i.e.,
classroom instruction and Web-based instruction (5,753 students). If one includes the total number of online course enrollments (including those in progress), 85 percent of learning
was through online instruction.
The MWR Academy provided performance support to installations and programs through professional development and
project management. The joint Command Guidance from FMWRC/IMCOM set specific targets for training completion. Four
installations (Fort Hood, Fort Riley, USAG Stuttgart, and USAG
Benelux) received Exemplary Employee Development awards
consisting of training, recognition, and tuition support for garrison excellence in workforce development and front line training.
The American Council on Education evaluates MWR
Academy courses and recommends college credit for many offerings. Neither the ACE nor the MWR Academy grants college credits, but ACE recommendations and encourages colleges and universities to award credits to students participating in
applicable degree programs. This recommendation supports the
strategic vision of FMWRC; confirms the stature of the MWR
Academy as a professional learning institution; and provides added value to our MWR
workforce in their
pursuit of formal education or certification
requirements. Currently, a total of 30 MWR
Academy courses have
received college credit
recommendations. In
addition, students receive Continuing Education Units or CEUs
for completed Academy courses.
MWR Academy
FY07 Student Totals by Course
Classroom:
MWR Academy
FY07 Student Totals by Course
Classroom:
19
ACS Family Action Plan Management
50
Performance Analysis in Hospitality Operations
18
ACS Leadership & Management for ACS Directors
20
Process & Quality Leadership Tools for Hospitality
20
ACS Mobilization and Deployment Program Management
90
Programming and Special Events Management
18
ACS Relocation Readiness
18
Recreation Program Management and Leadership
15
Advanced Culinary Skills
20
Strategic Communications for Lodging Managers
15
AFRC/ARMP Management
27
Strategic Leadership for Hospitality Managers
26
AFRC Management & Leadership II
22
Value Creation in Hospitality Organizations
19
Business Program Managers Course
78
WOW! Project Management
30
Catering Culinary Skills
28
Contract Administration
24
Contract Act Overview & Performance Evaluation
59
Marketing Plans for Activity Managers
23
Construction Contracting
59
TOTAL
15
Effective Organizational Leadership for Hospitality Managers
62
Executive Development for Directors of MWR
862
Applied Financial Planning (4 Courses)
21
Executive Leadership & Management for Recreation Division Chiefs
71
Army Catering Module
14
Food and Beverage Management
118
BOSS (3 courses)
35
Galaxy Refresher Training
938
FCC Online ( 3 Courses: Directors, Providers, CER)
8
General Officer Installation Commanders Course
97
IMETS
17
Golf Superintendents Course
41
Marketing Plans—Short Version
30
Hotel Operations
610
MWR Basic Management Course
26
Installation Training Coordinators Seminar
60
Lodging Customer Service
231
NAF Contracting, Basic
40
Lodging Group Leader Program
153
ServSafe Alcohol
25
Lodging Strategic Financial Management
136
ServSafe Sanitation
60
Lodging Supervision Course
159
Space Census (3 Courses: FCC, CDC, SSA/MS/T
28
Lodging Supply Chain Management
139
Sports (2 Courses: History/Theory, Tournaments)
76
Lodging Training Seminar
17
Marketing Managers Course
142
MCCS Applied Financial Planning
20
NAF Acquisition Management
23
Novell
24
Operation Excellence Train-the-Trainer
1,323
TOTAL
Blended:
On-Line Completed:
2,139
5,694
MWR Orientation Course
TOTAL
Online in Progress
1,933
Enrolled in Progress
9,009
TOTAL FY07 Enrollment
19
Management Summaries
Child And Youth Services
I
n 2007, the Soldier Family Action Plan became the Army’s
roadmap for commitment to Soldiers and Families. Its companion was an Army Family Covenant, which defined essential
Quality of Life commensurate with voluntary service and daily
sacrifice.
As part of the Soldier Family Action Plan, Army senior
leaders approved $100 million in FY07 for more than 50 existing FMWRC programs and services provided to Soldiers and
Families affected by deployment cycles.
Child and Youth Services funds were allocated to expand
child care programs, reduce child care fees, increase respite care
for Families, extend child care hours to accommodate working spouses, train school guidance personnel to understand and
recognize stresses students of military Families experience, and
expand Army-sponsored off-post child care programs for geographically dispersed Families.
The Army Chief of Staff directed that, by FY09, Army
Child Care Program capacity would expand from 65 percent
to 80 percent of demand, and that Youth Participation spaces
would increase from 15 percent to 35 percent of demand.
These accelerated challenges and opportunities were the focus
of CYS planning and execution during the year, particularly
concentrating on highly impacted garrisons.
•
CYS Demographics
I
n serving nearly 500,000 children and youth, the greatest
CYS child care gap is for children under two years of age.
Almost half of deployed Soldiers have a child within that age
group. Army-wide, the total population of children six weeks
to five years has increased more than 10 percent.
One of every four Active Army Soldiers uses CYS, as do
large numbers of Reserve and National Guard Families. Customers are predominantly younger parents with infants and
toddlers who often need services 10 to 12 hours a day, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends. Programs must
include a variety of short and long-term options for geographi-
20
cally dispersed Families. Children and teens frequently change
schools. Separations cause increased stress. The CYS workforce
is heavily populated with spouses and Family members of deployed Soldiers.
Within this environment, the Army operated CYS Programs
at 124 on-post locations in eight countries and U.S. territories.
All 50 states had Army-Affiliated and Sponsored Programs.
•
CYS Programs
C
hild and Youth Services supports Army and civilian DoD
Families where they reside, on- and off-post, with consistently high-quality:
Child Development Programs — including full and part
day care; hourly, respite, and on site care; shift care; care during special openings; and extended hours or “round the clock”
care.
School-Age Programs — including before and after school
options; summer care and camps; and weekend activities.
Middle School and Teen Programs — including afterschool options; summer supervision and camps; evening and
weekend activities; and school transition services.
Children and youth with special needs are included in all
options.
Program Delivery Systems
In 2007, CYS Programs were delivered through an integrated system of services and program options.
Army-Operated (on-post)
Child Development Center Facilities
Family Child Care Homes
School Age Centers/Sites
Youth Centers
Sports & Fitness programs
Boys & Girls Clubs programs
4-H Clubs
147
2,690
135
124
77
189
429
Army-Affiliated (community-based)
School Districts supporting school transitions
Boys & Girls Clubs
4-H Clubs
Army Child Care in Your Neighborhood
locations*
School Age Programs in Your Neighborhood
locations*
254
17
90
10
9
Army-Sponsored (community-based)
Subsidized child care options
50 states
Youth outreach services
34 states
Boys & Girls Clubs open to military youth
50 states
50 states,
4-H Clubs open to military youth
DC, & 3 territories
*See more about Army Child Care in Your Neighborhood and
Army School Age Program in Your Neighborhood under CYS
Enduring Garrison Support.
•
DoD Certification
T
he DoD certified all Army CYS programs in 2007. DoD
Certification is the military version of state licensing and
is awarded to garrison CYS programs that meet DoD and Service standards. Compliance is determined by Region/Army
multi-disciplinary teams, who conduct annual inspections in
the areas of fire, safety, facility, health and sanitation, program
content, and program administration.
•
National Accreditation
N
ational Accreditation status is an external benchmark, required by law, which ensures that CYS Programs meet
high standards of quality.
Child Development Centers, 0-5 years. The National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited 95
percent of CDCs, meeting the OSD metric.
School Age Centers/Sites (6-10 years) the National After
School Association accredited 98 percent of the School Age
Centers, exceeding the 95 percent metric.
•
CYS Army Family Covenant Support
A
t the end of FY07, all Garrisons with CYS programs received “seed money” and reimbursement authorization to
implement programs and services supporting the Army Family
Covenant. Principal assistance went to 24 of the most highlyimpacted garrisons, in the form of:
Extended operating hours
Expanded hourly and respite care for custodial parents and
guardians
Reduced or eliminated fees
Child care to support Wounded Warriors
Saturday Youth Services at Training & Doctrine
installations
Additional programs and services were provided with central contracts and bulk purchases:
Security systems that allow remote parental viewing
Transportation to and from activity locations
Army-sponsored off-post community child and youth
programs
After-school programs at schools that signed School and
Education Transition Services
Memorandums of Agreement
Youth Technology Labs to communicate with deployed
parents
Deployment stress mitigation
Transition counseling and deployment support
workshops
Updated materials for School Liaison Officers
Pre-K school readiness programs
Homework and tutoring support
Deployment of CYS Transition Mobile Teams to
garrisons with significant facility openings or closures
“Mission fatigue” incentives for the CYS workforce
21
CYS Facilities
A
n accelerated Child Development Center and Youth Center construction program began the intensive three-year
effort to accommodate significantly higher percentages of demand. Ongoing results are a visible CYS commitment to the
Army Family Covenant, “ensuring excellence in schools, youth
and child care.”
Major Construction Army projects programmed for FY08-13
29 for children six weeks to five years
18 for school-age children six to 10 years
4 for youth 11 to 18 years
Army Family Covenant construction initiatives (FY07-09)
18 interim child care facilities
three standard CDC designs (small, medium and large)
59 accelerated permanent O&M-funded projects – 44 CDCs and 15 youth centers
Standard furniture, fixtures and equipment packages
Standard Protocol Guide for opening of facilities
CYS Enduring Garrison Support
T
o supplement and complement on-post child care and
youth supervision options, CYS continued to establish
community coalitions with local Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, schools, and youth-serving organizations and
capitalize on its partnerships. The resulting spaces meet strict
military standards and are an integral part of the CYS delivery
system, included in the DoD child care space and youth participation allocation assigned to participating garrisons.
Army Child Care in Your Neighborhood
O
riginally initiated at ten pilot sites, Army Child Care in
Your Neighborhood identifies, develops and sustains
Army-affiliated, community-based child care spaces that are
comparable in quality and affordability to those on post. With
organizational support from the National Association of Child
Care Resource and Referral Agencies the Army subsidizes care
costs so that parents using ACCYN spaces pay fees commensurate to on-post users. ACCYN will expand to meet the projected increase in child care requirements in the outyears.
22
Army School Age Programs in Your
Neighborhood
A
rmy School-Age Programs in Your Neighborhood provides after-school spaces in designated schools and youthserving organizations within garrison catchment areas. As with
ACCYN, the cost is subsidized.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
N
ine local Boys & Girls Clubs in areas of high need signed
on as Army School-Age Programs in Your Neighborhood participants during 2007, offering school-age spaces that
meet established DoD and Army standards. For on-post Army
Youth Centers and School-Age programs with BGCA affiliation, more than $587,000 was gained in grants, scholarships,
and services.
Military Child Care in Your
Neighborhood
M
ilitary Child Care in Your Neighborhood is for Active
Duty Families who have an enduring need for child
care. Many Active Duty Families live in communities that are
not within reasonable commuting distance to a military installation or cannot access on-post child care programs due to long
waiting lists. As with ACCYN, the cost is subsidized.
4-H/US Department of Agriculture
Youth Development Project
D
uring 2007, 326 on-post
4-H Clubs received funding, programs and
services from National 4-H, its Army
Youth Development
Project, and State 4H Military Liaisons.
Both youth and CYS
staff benefited from
efforts to establish or enhance educational technology, youth
leadership opportunities, character education and accreditation assistance, and support for each garrison’s CYS Information Management System, security surveillance system, and
Youth Technology Lab.
CYS School Transition Services
T
he School Transition Services Team is composed of IMCOM and FMWRC staff, Region School Transition Specialists, and Region and installation School Liaison Officers. To
help “level the playing field for transitioning children” through
reciprocal school policies and procedures, the Army School
Transition Team continued to meet for training and professional development in conjunction with the Military Child
Education Coalition National Conference.
Army School Transition Plan
C
ollaboration between garrisons and communities is formalized through the Army School Transition Plan. Authored by the School Transition Services Team and updated to
incorporate actions out to 2013, it details ways to address the
effect of deployment stress on military students and to assure
Families that their children’s academic well being is an Army
priority.
Garrison-Based Support
T
he Army School Transition Plan specifies the role of the
garrison School Liaison Officer and use of the Homework
Center and Youth Technology Lab. The Parent 2 Parent Cadre
is also a key garrison-based component. Parent 2 Parent Cadres are being located at 22 Army garrisons highly impacted by
rebasing and BRAC. Composed of three to six members, they
conduct transition-related workshops for parents, students,
and school personnel.
School-Based Support
S
tudent 2 Student parallels the Parent 2 Parent initiative
with a student-led transition training program that includes modules on academics, relationships, and community
and culture. Also covered in the Army School Transition Plan is
professional development for school staff, addressing children’s
needs during deployment, and the formation of Training &
Counselor and Special Education Leadership Institutes.
Community-Based Support
A
key element covered by the Army School Transition Plan,
and critical to development of Local Action Plans, is the
School & Education Transition Support agreement. Each garrison School Liaison Officer is responsible for negotiating a
Memorandum of Agreement with every neighboring school
district that formalizes reciprocal practices. Beginning in 2002
with nine signatories, School and Education Transition Services
agreements for 2007 totaled 317, exceeding the projected goal.
CYS Deployment Support to Active
Component
M
any responsive and robust CYS Programs were implemented and expanded during 2007 to help Families affected by the Global War on Terrorism. By year’s end, garrisons
continued to provide child care and supervised youth activities
to Families of deployed Soldiers. These services were “above and
beyond” those offered in normal program operations. These included Short-Term Alternative Child Care sessions and Special
Openings of facility-based programs that were conducted to
support unit, Family readiness, command and chapel events.
CYS Deployment Support to
Reserve Component
O
peration Military Child Care: A program to support the
child care needs of National Guard and Army Reserve
Soldier parents who are mobilized or deployed in support of
the Global War on Terrorism. In partnership with National
Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Operation Military Child Care helps eligible Families locate child
care options at reduced rates in local communities. It also reduces child care fees of Families who are already using licensed
or legally-operating community child care programs and providers. Additional assistance is available for 60 days while the
non-military spouse is looking for work.
23
Operation Military Kids: A collaborative effort with America’s communities to support “suddenly military” kids impacted
by the Global War on Terrorism, Operation Military Kids has
networks of people, organizations, and other resources operating in 36 states. Begun by CYS and the National 4 H, the
roster of national partners also includes Boys & Girls Clubs
of America, the Military Child Education Coalition and K12 Public Schools, The American Legion and other Veterans
service organizations, and National Association of Child Care
Resource & Referral Agencies. Core program elements include
training for state teams and community partners, Youth to
Youth “Hero Packs,” Mobile Technology Labs for youth, and
“Speak Out for Military Kids” Ambassadors. Garrison CYS
Programs in Operation Military Kids states are encouraged to
have staff members on their state teams and participate in Operation Military Kids activities.
CYS Initiatives of Note
Parents as Teachers
The Parents as Teachers, Heroes at Home program has
expanded to twelve installations, with that number to triple
in FY08. The goal is to support Families who frequently do
not have close connections near the post. Core services for the
program’s target population – prenatal to three years – include
child developmental and health screenings, home visits, parent group meetings and playgroups, and resource networks.
Army Training and Curriculum Specialists and Outreach Services Directors have been certified as Parent Educators, and
Army follow on training during 2007 focused on delivering
Parents as Teachers services as an integral component of CYS
Outreach Services.
Transition Mobile Team
T
he CYS Transition Mobile Team initiative is designed to
meet garrison child and youth staffing shortfalls created
by deployment, Army Modular Force, Installation Global Position Base Stationing, BRAC, and contingencies such as pandemics and natural disasters. The TMT is a centrally managed
cadre of qualified CYS employees who volunteer in advance to
be assigned, with relatively short notice, to an installation lacking staff to meet existing child care and youth demands. Duty
assignments can vary from one week to six months.
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Babysitting and Service-Learning
Curriculums
T
he new standard for
babysitter training is a
curriculum designed to create consistent and predictable
babysitting and respite care
services for families impacted
by deployment. Materials include an Instructor Guide,
Student Guide with interactive CD ROM, Student
Worksheets and Info Card.
A new Service-Learning
Manual for use in School-Age
and Middle School/Teen programs, is a step-by-step “how
to” guide. This supports requirements for youth volunteer work
in schools and for Promise Passport. Service-Learning projects
are conducted year-round and used as components of Youth
Leadership Forums.
Army Teen Panel
T
he Army Teen Panel (ATP) represents nearly 110,000 youth
across IMCOM Regions, Accessions Command, National
Guard and Reserves. Members speak directly to Army senior
leaders about issues such as out-of-school youth programs, separate facilities for teens, difficulties in school transfers, relocation
hardships, and transportation to youth activities.
During its summer 2007 gathering, the ATP met with the
Army Chief of Staff, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation
Management, and their spouses. The teens gave a briefing followed by open discussion, and enjoyed social time during an
informal barbeque. Expressing a variety of concerns associated
with multiple deployments of parents, ATP members made
specific recommendations for additional support. Among these
were training, event planning, and communication services
which will be addressed through the FMWRC Quick Win initiative. Other needs, such as staffing, mentorship, and transportation, will be covered with Global War on Terror and Base
Management Decision Package QYDP Funding.
From the Director
A
rmy Community Service is the Army’s principal readiness resource and helps thousands of Soldiers, civilian and
Family members prepare for deployments, reunions and the
challenges of the military lifestyle. Through the development
of integrated systems of support, ACS has created an environment where Soldiers know that their Families are cared for, and
that they can rely on the systems we have developed to provide
needed support. ACS is committed to our Army Families.
At a time when the challenges we face as a nation are formidable and complex, it is extremely important we acknowledge the strength of our military Families. ACS recognizes their
support and many sacrifices. We all know our military Families
are the heart of our armed forces and their support is critical
to the morale and readiness of our forces. It is true that when
we send one of our very best to serve our country, particularly
when they go to war, their Families serve as well. We are a
strong military and we are strong Families.
We recognize, now more than ever, that our Families are
being asked to be more resilient, flexible and patient. The Army
Family will continue to prevail as the Army transitions to an
expeditionary force with an operational tempo at least as challenging as it has been through the last several years. Our commitment to Families is our investment in the future. That investment was sealed by the Army Family Covenant.
Operating Costs
Total Operating Expense FY06 ($ in thousands)
OMA Base Operations...........................................13,685.1
OMA Family Advocacy (FAP)..................................6,952.6
OMA Financial Readiness.......................................8,698.7
OMA Relocation (RAP)............................................4,213.9
OMA Outreach............................................................952.5
OMA Employment...................................................3,053.1
OMA Exceptional Family Member Program............3,148.3
OMA Information, Referral & Follow-up.................16,139.3
OMA Foster Care.......................................................207.1
OMA Deployment/Mobilization................................2,291.1
OMA Army Family Action Plan/Army
Family Team Building........................................4,262.7
OSD FAP...............................................................43,500.0
OSD RAP................................................................4,787.7
TOTAL............................................................... $111,892.1
Army Family
Covenant
W
e recognize the commitment and
increasing sacrifices that our Families
are making every day.
W
e recognize the strength of our Soldiers
comes from the strength of their
Families.
W
e are committed to providing Soldiers
and Families a Quality of Life that is
commensurate with their service.
W
e are committed to providing our
Families a strong, supportive
environment where they can thrive.
W
e are committed to building a
partnership with Army Families that
enhances their strength and resilience.
W
e are committed to improving Family
readiness by:
— Standardizing and funding existing Family
programs and services.
— Increasing accessibility and quality of
health care
— Improving Soldier and Family housing
— Ensuring excellence in schools, youth
services and child care
— Expanding education and employment
opportunities for Family members
25
Army Basics
Nov 2006: Launched the Volunteer Management Information
System, an online system to recruit volunteers and maintain volunteer personnel records.
Aug 2007: FMWRC conducted the first Army Volunteer Corps
Coordinator Program Manager Course for the Active and
Reserve Components.
Created the Enlisted Spouse Outreach and Training Plan developing the Drill Sergeant Spouse Seminar; and development of the 1st Sgt. Spouse Seminar, the Recruiter Spouse
Seminar and the New Spouse Orientation Seminar.
Obtained three Army Quality of Life Liaisons (funded by OSD)
who represent the Army in the Fort Bliss, Fort Riley, and
Military District of Washington (Stafford) communities.
Issues worked by the Liaisons include Pay Day Lending,
Military Saves Campaign, and In-state Tuition.
Developed the Victim Advocate Sexual Assault Tracking System
to track domestic violence and sexual assault instances.
Enhanced virtual Family Readiness Group to include: autoapproval; easy home page set-up; Family member pre-approval; and search by map function.
•
Money Matters
Transitional Compensation
he Transitional Compensation Program is designed to
encourage Family members to report domestic abuse
so that either treatment or administrative action can occur.
Family members receive transitional compensation benefits
when Soldiers either receive a court martial or are administratively separated for dependent abuse. Family members are
able to retain their military ID cards and access to medical
services at the Military Treatment Facility, dental, the commissary, and the exchange. Benefits ensure affected Families
have resources to effectively transition from a military lifestyle to the civilian sector.
Payments are for a minimum of 12 months or until the
Soldier’s ETS date, whichever is longer, but may not exceed
36 months. Applications and documentation are completed
through installation ACS Family Advocacy Program and Staff
Judge Advocate staffs and forwarded to FMWRC for legal review and approval prior to initiation of benefits. In FY07, there
was $3.7 million in disbursements to 200 Families.
T
26
Military SAVES Campaign
MWRC participated in the Military “SAVES” campaign.
This campaign encourages Soldiers and Families to save,
invest and reduce their personal debts. FMWRC participated
by sending messages Army-wide through the Army Knowledge
Online senior leaders page, highlighting Military SAVES Program, and outright messages into public communications by
Senior Army Leaders. FMWRC also published SAVES campaign information through ARNEWs and SRTV channels.
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston and Ms. Suze Orman
provided public services for military SAVES campaign. More
than 80,000 military personnel and their Families participated
in the military SAVES campaign.
F
•
Home and Family Life
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
he Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program’s primary purpose is to prevent sexual assault through ongoing prevention and awareness training, first responder training, and ensuring that victims of sexual assault are treated with
dignity and respect.
Sexual Assault Response Coordinators are housed within
ACS and are responsible for ensuring Victim Advocates are
available 24/7 to provide advocacy, support, and referrals to
victims of sexual assault. Training is an integral part of the program and ties closely to the programs success.
The SARC is responsible for training Victim Advocates,
Deployable SARCs and Unit Victim Advocates to provide advocacy services in a deployed environment. The Army Community Service’s Victim Advocacy Program has the primary
purpose to provide critical, non-clinical support to victims of
both sexual assault and domestic violence.
Victim advocates are on call 24/7 to respond to crisis and
provide on going assistance that includes safety planning,
emergency transportation, home visits, and information and
referral to victims that will empower them to navigate through
the legal and medical system.
The Family Advocacy Program is the commander’s resource to address the issues of child and spouse abuse within
the Army.
The Army rate of substantiated child abuse decreased from
6.6/1,000 in FY98 to 4.9/1,000 in FY07 — substantially less
than the civilian rate of 12.4/1,000 reported by the Adminis-
T
tration for Children and Families.
The Army rate of substantiated spouse abuse declined from
8.9/1,000 in FY98 to 4.4/1,000 in FY07. Comparisons with
the civilian sector are not possible, as there is no central database for spouse abuse.
FY07 Total Caseload (Army Central Registry):
Reported cases of Child Abuse 7,727
Substantiated cases of Child Abuse 2,561
Reported cases of Spouse Abuse 7,038
Substantiated cases of Spouse Abuse 2,747
New Parent Support Program-Home Visitor
he New Parent Support Program-Home Visitor is a key
secondary prevention program within the Family Advocacy Program which utilizes an intensive voluntary home visitation model developed specifically for fist time expectant parents
and parents with children from birth to three years of age who
have been assessed to be at risk for child maltreatment and/or
domestic violence. The Army finalized and disseminated a New
Parent Support Program Manual in FY06.
In FY07, the Army finalized new Army Community Service
New Parent Support Accreditation Standards. These standards
will ensure standardization and consistency across programs.
To minimize impact of deployments and in an effort to
decrease incidences of child neglect, the Army has increased
home visitor staffing levels. There are two contracts which will
place approximately 130 Home Visitors at both CONUS and
OCONUS installations. Seven OCONUS locations will receive additional staff and 33 CONUS installations will receive
additional home visitors.
T
•
Making a Move — Your Buddy CJ
is a CD-ROM that targets military Families, with
children three to eight years old, who are facing an
increased sense of vulnerability and heightened stress due to
separation from a deployed parent. Your Buddy CJ II, targets
six- to twelve-year-olds and provides short stories and interactive games intended to help children and Families cope with
issues associated with a parent or loved one’s separation from as
well as constructive ways to help with reintegration.
CJ
Family Assistance Centers
he garrison commander authorizes ACS to shift to a Family
Assistance Center operation when needed to support deployment, mobilization, or stability and support operations. The
State Adjutant General or National Guard Bureau authorizes the National Guard to open
a Family Assistance Center
depending upon resources required/available. The primary
purpose is to provide a onestop location for Families to
receive needed assistance. As
a partner with the Army, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars has
established military Family
Assistance Centers throughout
the U.S. and Germany. The
local VFW posts establish centers near military installations
and in civilian communities,
using existing support service
networks to provide emergency assistance and information for
Families of deployed military personnel.
T
Exceptional Family Member Program
The Exceptional Family Member Program’s staff members
worked in conjunction with Child and Youth Services on conducting the first centrally funded joint worldwide School Transition Services/Army Exceptional Family Member Program,
training in conjunction with the Military Child Education
Coalition Conference.
•
Managing Deployments
Military Family Life Consultants
he Military Family Life Consultants provide reunion and
reintegration support to Soldiers and their Families in a
variety of formats to reduce Family stress affecting Families.
The goal is to prevent Family distress by providing education
and information on Family dynamics, parenting, available
support services, and the effects of stress and positive coping
mechanisms. The MFLCs work within ACS on an active duty
installation and work with the Army Reserve and National
T
27
Guard for state and readiness region coverage. The flexibility
of the program allows for the Army to deploy and redeploy
MFLCs where and when needed to meet surges throughout
the deployment cycle and other emergent needs.
The MFLCs were dispatched within 48 hours to Fort Polk,
La. Army Reserve and National Guard sites in response to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. When the 172nd Striker
Brigade was unexpectedly extended, MFLCs were deployed
within 28 hours to assist Family members.
The MFLCs supplemented resident helped agencies by
providing additional grief and emotional trauma support,
education and information, and referrals to available support
services. There are 118 MFLCs providing services at Army installations. There are 78 consultants providing services at 24
installations throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska
and Puerto Rico. There are 40 consultants providing services to
24 installations throughout Germany, Italy, Belgium and the
Netherlands. Based on the needs of commanders, the Army
funded 36 additional MFLCs.
These MFLCs meet a critical shortfall that supports installation Family readiness requirements and are located at 13
CONUS and six OCONUS locations throughout the Army.
Military Life Family Consultant
Assistance Provided in FY07
Soldier Readiness Processing
oldier and Readiness Processing is a highly synchronized
process where mobilized Soldiers prepare for deployment.
ACS staff Soldiers to complete a Family Assistance Sheet to
identify geographically separated Families or Families at risk
for the Waiting Families program.
S
Army Commander’s Guide
MWRC issued the Army Commander’s Guide to FRGs to
help unit commanders and FRG leaders understand the
legal and ethical considerations of FRG operations. The Commander’s Guide provides easy to understand guidelines and examples for: FRG roles and functions, authorized support; FRG
informal funds; FRG fundraising; solicitations and donations;
and commercial sponsorship.
F
Rear Detachment Commander/Family Readiness Group
Leader Online Training Courses
hese online courses will ensure that the RDC and FRG
leaders have the guidance and support needed to be effective in their positions by providing them with the most relevant
information and training. Both courses will provide content
that is consistent and will allow installations to customize manuals.
T
Operation READY Resources
his training program is designed to prepare Soldiers and
Families for the personal and Family demands of the
deployment cycle. Currently, OPREADY is being revised to
include Global War on Terrorism lessons learned and requirements. OPREADY has been incorporated into the Army’s
Deployment Contingency Support plan as required training
modules. OPREADY resources are developed for Soldiers and
Families, Unit Leadership and ACS/Family Programs staff. The
new OPREADY materials will include FRG Leader Handbooks, RDC Guides, materials on Trauma in the Unit, Children and Deployment, Family Assistance Centers, Reunion
and Reintegration and Soldier and Family Deployment Survival Guides. OPREADY reference and training materials are
available through ACS, National Guard, and Army Reserve
Family program staff. OPREADY modules can be viewed online at: www.MyArmyLifeToo.com
T
Family Readiness Group Deployment/Support Assistants
he Family Readiness Support Assistants provide administrative support for the volunteer Family Readiness Group
leaders. The primary functions are coordination of training for
rear detachment commanders and FRG Leaders, maintenance
of critical communication links between RDCs and FRG Leaders, and insurance of the responsiveness of established community resources.
T
28
Work and Careers
Army Spouse Employment Program and Community
Partnerships
he concept of partnerships between the Army and the
civilian sector to create a sense of community has taken
hold in several initiatives including partnerships with corporate
America, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Army Spouse Employment Partnership supports Soldier retention by helping spouses locate jobs,
maintain a career, and contribute to Family financial stability.
Currently 31 corporate partners are using innovative methods
to provide job and career opportunities to military spouses.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus is working with
military installations and local Better Business Bureaus to establish partnerships to resolve consumer issues affecting military personnel and their Families. The VFW and FMWRC
established an alliance to assist geographically isolated Families
and deployed Reserve Component Soldiers and their Families.
The VFW currently has military Family Assistance Centers operating throughout the U.S. and Germany. Local VFW posts
T
Getting Involved
The Army Family Action Plan
he Army Family Action Plan conference resolved 12 Army
Family Action Plan issues. This resulted in one legislative
change, three DoD policy changes, five Army policy or regulatory changes, and three improved programs and services.
Significant results include: surveillance equipment in
Child Development and Youth Services Centers; Tuitionfree status for nonappropriated fund employees in DoDDS
schools overseas; Funding for Family Readiness Support
Assistants; Improved dental readiness for mobilized reserve
component Soldiers and toll-free number for Families of
wounded Soldiers.
T
establish centers near military installations and in civilian communities and use existing support service networks to provide
emergency assistance and information for Families of deployed
military personnel. The VFW has established more than 53
Military Family Assistance Centers.
29
Army Volunteer Corps
T
he Volunteer Management System, an online volunteer
recruitment and personnel management tool, was implemented in November 2006. In conjunction with Volunteer
Week in April 2007, FMWRC offered Volunteer Management
Information System computer-based training, provided a
VMIS video marketing tool, offered the ability to enter volunteer historical records in VMIS, and distributed volunteer posters throughout the Active Army, National Guard, and Army
Reserve. The Army Community Service Curriculum Development Team composed entirely of volunteers created the Basic
Army Volunteer Corps Coordinators Course which was taught
for the first time in August 2007 in Orlando, Fla. The Army
Volunteer Corps Coordinators Course had 112 graduates including 58 from the Active Army, 41 from the National Guard,
and 13 from the Army Reserve.
Army ACS Awards
National Volunteer Awards include:
2007 Emma Marie Baird Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service to ACS Recipients:
Tammie Cox — Fort Lewis, Wash.
Wendy Dopp — Fort Lewis, Wash.
Kim Schoffner — Giessen, Germany
Christina Seabrook — Fort Lewis, Wash.
Bethy Vallejo — Korea
Mary Ward — Korea
Make A Difference Day National Honorees:
2007: Defense Language Institute Soldiers (Presidio of
Monterey, CA) provide handyman services to retirees, veterans,
and widows.
2007: Soldiers in Iraq volunteered to clean up neighborhood streets.
of Defense Computer Assistance Program to provide specialized wireless laptops and training to the severely injured service
members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Brooke Army
Medical Center, and other major military medical centers.
•
Reaching Families Where They Live
Army Integrated Family Support Network
rmy Integrated Family Support Network establishes a comprehensive multi-component approach for community
support and services to meet the diverse needs of Active Army,
Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Soldiers, Families
and Employers throughout the entire deployment cycle.
With the expeditionary Army missions involving all components (Active, Guard and Reserve), Soldiers and Families
need to be prepared to know what to do and where to go for
help. Reaching Soldiers and Families at specific times throughout the Soldier’s career and especially during mobilization and
deployment, is key to providing “ready and relevant” services.
Soldiers and Families can rely on the Web of support services
and resources at different “touch” points.
These “touch” points:
• Begin at the time Soldiers and Families are new to the
military
• Continue when the Soldier and Family are in the Army
community
• Provide additional support during mobilization/deployments
• Follows them up to and through the retain or release
transition phase.
Since communication plays a vital role in keeping Sol-
A
National Military Family Association’s Family of the Year 2007:
The Hammond Family — Staff Sgt. Thomas Hammond
and Family, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Newman’s Own Award 2007:
Operation VALOUR IT Soldiers’ Angels, San Antonio
Texas and Pasadena, Calif.
Operation VALOUR IT is the national program operated
by Soldier’s Angels. Soldier’s Angels works with the Department
30
Photo by Martin Greeson
diers and Families connected, FMWRC uses modern media
to strengthen the link to Families by creating specific resources
and services in and around geographical locations that can be
accessed by Soldiers and Families.
to CONUS/OCONUS locations as required via commercial
transportation to provide short term assessment and assistance
to garrison installations impacted by simultaneous Army initiatives, deployments, and extra ordinary contingency events.
Military One Source
upplementing existing Family programs, Military One
Source provides a 24-hour, seven-daya-week toll-free information and referral
telephone service and internet access.
Military One Source provides a comprehensive array of prepaid educational
materials, Web links and information on
installation programs available in 140+
languages. By the end of FY07, 165,891
telephone calls and 30,900 referrals for
counselling were made. Seventy percent
of the calls were from active Army, 14.9 percent Guard, 7.6
percent Reserve, and 7.5 percent other.
Soldier Family Assistance Centers
n June 15, 2007, the Installation Management Command established Soldier and Family Assistance Centers.
The SFAC will provide tailored integrated support services and
act as a one-stop location for support to Warriors in Transition and their Families at installations with Warrior Transition
Units. The centers are located near Warrior Transition Units in
a campus setting near the Medical Treatment Facility. SFAC
services equip and aid WT’s and their Families in making decisions as they transition back to duty or to a new life in the
private sector. SFAC services include:
• Transition/employment
• Education counseling
S
O
Virtual Family Readiness Group
he Virtual Family Readiness Group (vFRG) supports the
creation of online FRGs at the brigade, battalion, and company levels across all components of the Army. The vFRG links
the deployed Soldier, Families, FRG leaders, unit commanders, the rear detachments, and other Family readiness personnel on their own controlled-access Web portal to facilitate the
exchange of information and provide a sense of community for
the geographically dispersed Families. The vFRG saves time for
both the RDC and the FRG Leader and substantially increases
the accuracy of the information transmitted.
T
I
ACS Mobile Assistance Team
he ACS Mobile Assistance Team is an ACS tool available to
the garrison commander during deployments, mass emergencies, extraordinary contingency events, and ACS centers experiencing staffing shortfalls due to deployments. On order of
the Director, Family Programs, the team will assemble to deploy
T
Photo by Casey Nelsen, Paraglide
Army Community Service Facilities
n face of the Army’s Transformation efforts to provide standard Family program services through new efficient cost
saving facilities, ACS has aggressively pursued Army facility
standardization.
In fall 2007, ACS rolled out its first facility standard design
layout for installation usage across the Army.
Sgt. Felix Viruet, right, Headquarters Support Command, 3rd Battalion, 3rd
Special Forces Group (Airborne), sits with his wife Carly as they accept a
gift basket from Diana McNamara, far left, and Cali Harper, second from
left, Army Community Services New Parent Support Program Oct. 30 at
Fort Bragg’s Airborne Attic. Carly recently gave birth to Fort Bragg’s first set
of quadruplets.
• Military Personnel services
- ID cards
- Assistance with orders, etc.
• Financial counseling
• Child and Youth Services
• Substance abuse information and referral for Family members
• Coordination with local, state, federal and non-governmental support agencies
• Donations management
31
ACS Operations Support
rmy Families are resilient, strong, and steadfastly support
their Soldier and the Army mission. The robust network of
Family support programs help Families cope through a range
of services from counseling to legal assistance; instruction in
Army basics, lifestyle and culture; household finance; and Family readiness support groups.
The quality of life for Army Families is critical to the readiness of our Soldiers and has a profound effect on retention
decision. Army leaders realize the importance support services
have on overall spouse satisfaction and the effect that has on
Soldier readiness and retention. We’ve learned that communication between a well-trained rear detachment commander,
the Family Readiness Group, and community resources are key
to successful Family adaptations during deployments. Soldiers
who know their Families are well cared for are better able to
concentrate on the mission at hand.
To support today’s Soldiers and their Families, ACS continues its mainstream programs and is developing new ways to
reach out to all our Soldiers, civilians, and Families.
A
•
Community Recreation
C
ommunity Recreation strengthens the military community through recreation programs that efficiently use
32
resources, are not facility-bound, are market-driven, and focus
on Soldier readiness
at home and during
deployment. Community
recreation
offers programs and
activities to Soldiers
and their Families to
provide skills development, physical fitness,
and mental well-being. This leads to retention,
readiness,
and recruitment and
helps to build better
Soldiers and well-balanced family lives.
Commanders must ensure that FMWRC requirements are
planned for in peacetime and included as priority in the mobilization/deployment process. FMWRC is available to support
mission commanders by providing technical guidance and
contracting support, and on-site program development and
implementation.
FMWRC recreation staff coordinated with the Coalition
Forces Land Component Command and the Multi-National
Force-Iraq for MWR requirements. In FY07, FMWRC support came in four forms. First, the Community Recreation Division refined Army regulations and publications updating the
existing document, Army Mobilization and Operations Planning and Execution System, to reflect the changing deployment
process. Second, FMWRC staff provided professional training
and information to Army leaders during the Army Human Resources Conference. Third, provide direct support to deploying
units by providing Recreation Kits, Video Messenger Kits, and
Book Kits. Lastly, FMWRC executed the purchase of recreation equipment on behalf of Multi-National Force-Iraq and
continued to execute Blanket Purchase Agreements for OEF/
OIF for the direct purchase of items through the AAFES.
Personnel from FMWRC have traveled to Kuwait and Iraq
to assist commanders in identifying MWR requirements and to
develop and implement an action plan. Soldiers identified their
top MWR priorities as the ability to communicate with family and friends, visual entertainment (books, electronic games,
live performances, and movies), and access to physical fitness
equipment. FMWRC aggressively sought Global War On Ter-
rorism funding to purchase recreation and fitness equipment.
This centrally purchased equipment enabled the command to
establish fitness and recreation facilities at enduring sites as well
as Forward Operating Bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Through a direct funding agreement between U.S. Army
Europe and the Central Command operational command element, 14 MWR professionals conducted MWR operations
within OEF/OIF (13 in Iraq, one in Afghanistan). Recreation
facilities include movie theaters with free popcorn, electronic
games stations, traditional board games, table tennis, paperback book libraries, fitness facilities equipped with self-powered
aerobic machines, dumbbell sets, cardiovascular and strength
training equipment, and assorted free weight equipment.
Arts and Crafts
Skills development/Lifetime skills
Provide creative opportunities
 Develop self-reliance and self-expression


Automotive Skills
Do-It-Yourself automotive repair
 3,000 bays Army-wide
 Cost savings and Skills development

Entertainment

Self-expression  Lifetime skills
 Self-confidence
Leisure Travel
Family cohesion  Leisure activities  Self-confidence

Libraries

Education Recreation  Self-reliance

Outdoor Recreation

High adventure  Wilderness activities  Lifetime skills
 Physical fitness
Recreation Centers

 Social recreation
Activities during peacetime, mobilization and wartime
Sports and Fitness

Physical fitness  Lifetime skills
Recreation Awards Program
he FMWRC Recreation Awards Program provides annual
recognition for superior achievement by Army Recreation programs and personnel and recognizes individuals who
make significant contributions to enhancing community recreation programs.
Mr. James Howell, Community
Recreation Officer
at Camp Humphreys Korea, and
Mr. Leslie Waltman, Supervisory
Librarian at Fort
Rucker, Alabama,
were co-recipients of the 2007 Career Award. Mr. Howell is
an outstanding leader and mentor with a career spanning 43
years in Army Recreation. Mr. Waltman’s distinguished career
covers 31 years developing and executing a wide variety of Library programs which enhance community quality of life. Mr.
Aaron Goodman, Outdoor Recreation Program Director at
Fort Campbell, Kentucky, received the Employee of the Year
Award. Mr. Goodman distinguished himself by being a visionary and architect in the delivery of quality Outdoor Recreation
programs at Fort Campbell. The Friend of Recreation Award
is given to individuals who have volunteered their time and efforts in recreation programs.
T
Program Award Winners:
Arts & Crafts
Small Garrison: Garmisch, Germany
Medium Garrison: Fort Rucker, Ala.
Large Garrison: Stuttgart, Germany
Automotive Skills
Medium Garrison: Schweinfurt, Germany
Entertainment
Small Garrison: Benelux, Belgium
Medium Garrison: Vicenza, Italy
Large Garrison: Stuttgart, Germany
Library
Medium Garrison: Bamberg, Germany
Large Garrison: Grafenwoehr, Germany
Outdoor Recreation
Small Garrison: Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
Medium Garrison: Wiesbaden, Germany
33
Large Garrison: Fort Campbell, Ky.
Recreation Center
Sports & Fitness
Medium Garrison: Fort Rucker, Ala.
Garrison Award Winners:
Small Garrison: Torii Station, Okinawa
Medium Garrison: Ft. Monroe, Va.
Large Garrison: Camp Casey, Korea
Individual Award Winners:
Recreation Employee of the Year:
Aaron Goodman, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Career Employees:
James Howell, Camp Humphreys, Korea
Leslie Waltman, Fort Rucker, Ala.
Friend of Recreation Award Winners:
James DiCrocco: Grafenwoehr Germany
Hank Garza: Garmisch, Germany
Mary Ann La Lave: Ansbach, Germany
Dena Taylor: Stuttgart, Germany
Ellen Bentley: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Robert Tatinger: Fort McCoy, Wis.
Robert Frace: Camp Humphreys, Korea
Robert Rosenthal: Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
34
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers
T
he Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) program supports both the chain of command and the quality of life for single and unaccompanied Soldiers. The program
identifies single Soldier issues to improve their quality of life
and encourages and assists them to identify and plan wholesome recreational and leisure activities for off-duty hours. The
enhancement of Soldier morale and welfare impacts retention
and combat readiness. As an integral part of the Army’s recreation program, BOSS utilizes the recreation delivery system to
build demand-driven programs for its customer base.
Based on
guidance from
the Sergeant
Major of the
Army, the Army
BOSS program
provided more
focus on deployment and
its affect on the
single Soldier.
The
annual
Army-wide
BOSS Training Forum in May 2007 provided 240 members of the garrison BOSS teams the opportunity to work in focus groups
designed to develop action plans to assist their garrison BOSS
team in dealing with deployment. The Forum also saw the
selection of the BOSS President of the Year, Staff Sgt. Sylvia Rosas-Casiano (Fort Hood, Texas), MWR Advisor of the
Year, Ms. Mary-Beth Turner (Darmstadt, Germany), and Senior Military Advisor of the Year, Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur
Washington (Fort Gordon, Ga.).
In the fourth Quarter of 2007, the Army BOSS program
received Global War on Terrorism funds to support deployed
single Soldiers. Another BOSS program accomplishment for
2007 included 142 quality of life issues raised and resolved at
unit, battalion, brigade, or installation levels.
BOSS Soldiers logged more than 100,000 volunteer hours.
Garrison BOSS programs at 22 locations were awarded the Presidents Volunteer Service Awards for their contributions in community service. In total, BOSS Soldiers performed more than
1,000 community service events and BOSS programs planned
and executed more than 800 recreation and leisure activities.
Community Recreation Centers
World Class Athlete Program
ommunity Recreation Centers deliver a full range of social, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities
to the military community that promotes mental and physical fitness. Installation Community Activity Centers, provide a
single location for recreation and leisure activities such as arts
and crafts, wood crafts, travel services, special events, meeting
rooms, internet cafes, internet gaming (X-Box or Playstation),
large screen TV/DVD viewing, board games, chess, darts, billiards and food and beverage operations. Partnering with the
local economy and other community recreation programs
enables the Recreation Center to offer diversified recreation
programs that meet the needs of all community members.
Through education and program training, the installation recreation programmers initiate and create a variety of events.
Community Recreation Centers provide efficient and effective programming that meets customer needs. To support
this effort, a Learning Resource Network course of instruction, the Program Management Institute, is now available
for Army recreation personnel. Attendees become Certified
Program Planners, after completing a one week course. The
course curriculum includes finance and budgeting, marketing, promotion, needs assessment, program development,
program analysis, pricing and program management. More
than 100 recreation professionals were trained last year in six
different classes.
C
he U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) celebrated another outstanding year. Soldiers training for the
2008 Olympics began entering WCAP in the summer of 2005.
By the end of 2007, 48 Soldiers were training in boxing, wrestling, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, shooting, team handball, fencing, gymnastics, triathlon, and track and field.
In 2007, The U.S. Army FMWRC hosted the 2007 All Army Chess
Championships. Twelve top chess players traveled from all over
the U.S., Europe and Korea to play at Fort Myer for the top six
places advancing them to the Interservice Chess Championships.
The 2007 Interservice Chess Championships was hosted by the
U.S. Marine Corps Miramar, San Diego, Calif.
Wrestling
CAP wrestlers dominated the Armed Forces Wrestling Championship for the sixth straight year, where
10 WCAP athletes earned gold medals and one earned silver.
T
Pentathlon
CAP Soldiers produced laudable results after the second
year of full-time training. Spc. Dennis Bowsher was the
first ever male WCAP athlete to take a silver medal at a World
Cup event and position himself as the top U.S. contender for
the 2008 Olympics. 1st Lt. Michelle Kelly was the first ever
WCAP female to win a bronze medal at a World Cup event.
Kelly also captured a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American
Games, securing a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team.
W
Boxing
he boxing team picked up
where they left off in 2006, recording their 15th straight Armed
Forces Championship and qualifying five athletes for the 2007 World
Military Games. Staff Sgt. Andrew
Shepherd was the first WCAP
athlete to win a gold medal at the
World Military Games. Staff Sgt.
Joe Guzman and Sgt. John Franklin won both. Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Downs celebrated a banner performance at the 2007 Pan American winning a bronze
medal. Downs continued his warrior spirit as he won a third
straight gold medal at the 2007 U.S. National Championships,
Spc. Mahlon Kerwick won a silver medal and Franklin won a
bronze. Nine WCAP boxers qualified for the Olympic Trials in
2007 with Downs securing a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team.
Mr. Basheer Abdullah, Head Boxing Coach for the WCAP,
earned his third selection as an Olympic Coach.
T
W
35
Nine WCAP wrestlers secured selection to the World Military
Games with Capt. Phil Johnston taking fifth place as the highest finisher.
WCAP also won the team title and seven medals at the U.S.
Wrestling National Championships and six medals at World
Team Trials. Staff Sgt. Dremiel Byers enjoyed success as he
won silver in the Pan American Games and bronze at the 2007
World Championships.
Byers’ bronze
medal performance
at the 2007 World
Championships secured USA Wrestling its first ever
World Championship Team Title.
Staff Sgt. Shon Lewis was named USA Wrestling Coach of the
Year for the second consecutive year.
Taekwondo
aekwondo athletes overcame much adversity dealing with
coaching changes leading into the Olympic Trials. Staff
Sgt. David Bartlett, the lone qualifier, earned a spot as an alternate on the 2008 Olympic Team.
T
Track and Field
he WCAP Track and Field athletes proudly represented
the Army this year with three athletes qualifying in their
respected events for the 2008 Olympic Team Trials. Capt. Emily Brzozowski qualified in the women’s marathon, Capt. Michael Mai qualifyed in the Hammer throw and Sgt. John Nunn
qualified in race walking.
T
Shooting
aj. David Johnson will be representing the WCAP and
the Army in the 2008 Olympic Games as the shooting
coach.
M
Public Affairs/Total Army Involvement in Recruiting Missions
CAP Soldiers excelled in promoting the Army to the
public and in assisting the recruiting mission. Sgt. 1st
Class Christopher Downs appeared on NBC’s “The Today
Show.” WCAP Soldiers participated in dozens of Total Army
Involvement in Recruiting missions, where they encouraged
high school and college students to join the Army. WCAP
W
36
Soldiers shared personal success stories. WCAP Soldiers also
supported Fort Carson‘s youth
mentorship program and assisted
with many local sports and youth
programs.
While assigned to WCAP,
Soldier-athletes must maintain
military and professional skills.
All WCAP Soldiers enrolled in
either collegiate or Army correspondence courses. Two Soldiers
completed their Masters Degree’s
and two began doctoral studies.
•
Sports, Fitness And Aquatics
I
n FY07, fitness facilities and programs continued to rank
number one in importance for Soldiers and Family members
and are viewed as a vital part of quality of life and readiness.
There are currently 26 fitness and aquatics military construction
projects valued at $454 million in the Army’s construction program. In FY07, a new $19 million fitness facility (Sgt. 1st Class
Paul R. Smith Fitness Center) opened at Fort Benning, Ga.
All Army Sports provided Soldier-athletes the opportunity
to compete at a high level. Twenty-three team and/or individual sports were offered. Soldier-athletes progressed from intramural to All Army to Armed Forces to Nationals/Olympic/
Conseil International du Sport Militaire level events. Soldierathletes participating in the 2007 All Army Sports program
had a strong showing in the Armed Forces
team and individual sports championships.
All Army teams participated in 23 different
sports (total of 10 Gold, 17 Silver, and four
Bronze medals). In total, 1,035 Soldierathletes competed.
In FY07, several initiatives were created
through the use of Global War on Terrorism funding:
• Army Fitness Deployed Guides and
Exercise Bands. More than 500,000 bands and guides were distributed to deployed Soldiers. These portable pocket fitness kits
can be used at any time and any place.
• Fitness Anywhere TRX Force Systems. This intensive full
body workout is accompanied by an on-line state of the art
Web site.
• Programs to Reduce Trauma and Enhance Fitness and
Aquatics Activities. Provides additional cardiovascular fitness and aquatics equipment at installations where
Soldiers are returning from deployed
locations and for family members of
deployed units.
Army Sports conducted centrally
funded training to more than 140
MWR employees in FY07. The training was designed to assist installations
to obtain the most up-to-date information on Army policy and guidance
for sports, fitness, and aquatics. Fitness training is also provided
at the installation level each year. In FY07, 120 employees were
trained in basic fitness principles and in the safe use of fitness
equipment.
•
who seek the levels of adrenaline they had grown accustomed
to in the combat environment. Accordingly, in April 2007, the
existence of the Warrior Adventure Quest program was announced.
During FY07, installations provided high-adventure recreation programs such as rock and ice climbing, boating and sailing, caving, fishing, hang-gliding, hiking, whitewater rafting,
kayaking, mountain biking, paintball, skiing, snowboarding,
surfing, and more. In the next year, skill instruction in these
types of programs will continue to be offered for authorized
patrons in normal outdoor recreation program operations, and
additionally, several will be offered in a special format under
the Warrior Adventure Quest program aimed at returning Soldiers and their Families to support their reintegration into a
non-combative setting.
The purpose of the Army outdoor recreation program is
to conserve, develop, and use outdoor recreation resources for
the benefit and enjoyment of the military community. This
helps commanders promote fitness and improve morale for
their community members through participation in healthy
outdoor recreation activities.
Outdoor Recreation
T
he MWR outdoor recreation mission is to provide authorized personnel opportunities to learn new lifetime outdoor leisure skills, develop existing outdoor skills, and progress
to advanced levels in outdoor activity pursuits. This mission is
accomplished through a program that includes activity instruction where skills are learned or enhanced; trips, activities, and
special events that provide opportunities to utilize the skills;
and facilities such as equipment checkout centers, paintball
fields, recreation areas, stables, marinas, campgrounds, etc. that
allow affordable support for self-directed activity participation,
and services (e.g., equipment repair, retail, information referral, etc.) to enhance that support.
Outdoor Recreation is recognized as a contributing factor
to military mission readiness through these leisure skill programs. As Soldiers become more familiar and skilled with their
outdoor recreation skill pursuits, they consequently experience
practical know-how in natural environments similar to those
where their military mission may take them.
High-adventure outdoor recreation pursuits, presented in
an organized and structured lesson environment, are also recognized tools to mediate certain dangerous behaviors, particularly those displayed by Soldiers returning from deployments
37
Libraries
Army MWR libraries provide knowledge services and
support leisure and educational needs of Soldiers and their
Families 24/7. Their use and importance to the community is
validated through various surveys, including the latest Leisure
Needs Survey, Survey of Army Families and the Sample Survey
of Military Personnel, which rank libraries in the top three of
most used MWR activities.
Collections emphasize military art and science, mission
requisites including the Army’s Chief of Staff Reading List,
both professional and off-duty Soldier education, general information needs, lifelong learning and recreation. Use of current
technology facilitates access to online information resources,
documents on demand, educational classes, communication
with overseas Family members and the management of many
daily business processes in libraries including collection assessment, circulation processes including automated checkouts
and personal computer management operations.
Event-type programs highlight the collection, improve literacy and computer skills, enable collaboration between other
MWR activities and offer fun and diversion for Soldiers and
Family members. Professional staffs are available to assist in reference/research. Additional reference support is available 24/7
through the Army librarian managed service, Ask a Librarian,
on the Army Knowledge Online portal. Available teen corners,
which include gaming resources, are popular and have reintroduced reading to a vulnerable age group.
Central library buys at FMWRC saved the Army $8.6 million in FY07 while purchasing more than 29 full-text online
commercial databases including magazines and newspapers,
7657 e-books and 346 audio books. Partnership arrangements
with Army Knowledge Online extend these resources to Soldiers
in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, and to Soldiers and Family
38
members of the National Guard and Reserves 24/7. Subject access to these databases include business, science, military, personal finance, careers, car repair, health, literature, homework
help and practice tests for CLEP, ASVAB and the SAT, ACT,
GRE and Military Flight Aptitude tests.
The FMWRC staff provided deployed Soldiers more
than120,225 paperback books and 23,544 self-contained audio
books called Playaways. The Air Force and the Navy followed
the Army’s lead
in purchasing
these extremely
popular
Playaways for their
service
members. In addition
to supporting
Army deployments, the Army
MWR Library
Program manages the Navy and
the Marine Corps Paperback Book Kit Program through a support agreement, providing kits for ship and shore libraries, and
to Marine Corps Security Guards at US Embassies. Additionally, the Army supports more than 140 military missions with
paperback books and magazines. The military mission support
is directed by Department of Defense policy.
The General Library Information System was fielded at Fort
Wainwright, Fort Gordon, Fort Knox, Yuma Proving Ground,
Fort Richardson, Fort McPherson, and Fort Irwin libraries in
FY07. Nineteen additional libraries will field GLIS in FY08. The
long term goal for GLIS continues to be the Web-based information system for all Army MWR libraries. Through GLIS, deployed
Soldiers are offered the same library and information services as if
they were actually visiting their home base library. GLIS is easily
accessed under “My Library” in the self-service section of AKO.
Libraries are annually assessed using Army MWR Baseline
Standards and DoD MWR Core Library Standards. The assessments in FY07 highlighted deficiencies in number of staff, staff
training, and in resources for collections. In the Program Objective Memorandum 10-15, requirements were identified and
validated to correct deficiencies. Full funding is being pursued
for these requirements.
The FMWRC staff conducted an Army Library Training
Institute in April 2007 in Alexandria, Va. Training topics included digital resources, marketing, standards and operating
under GLIS. The next Army Library Training Institute will be
in 2009. Recreation awards for the best MWR libraries were
given to Garmisch Library (small library), Bamberg Library
(medium library) and Grafenwoehr Library (large library).
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY05 approved a pilot program for the Army which permitted procurement of municipal services at two installations. As a result of
the pilot, the Army closed the Fort Huachuca Library in March
2007 and established a partnership with the Sierra Vista municipal library to provide library services. Other than the use
of the National Defense Authorization Act municipal services
pilot, the OSD moratorium on closure of libraries still exists.
Carla Pomager, FMWRC Systems and Acquisitions Librarian, was awarded the Federal Librarian of the Year award in
a ceremony at the Library of Congress, 12 October 2007. The
award was presented for her achievement in the development
of GLIS which assures that Soldiers deployed far from home
have library services similar to what is offered in their home
base library.
•
The US Army Entertainment Division
T
he U.S. Army Entertainment Division programs provided
technical, logistics and performer support for multiple
activities within the Washington, D.C. area, ranging from the
2007 Army Birthday Ball to Pentagon special events and the
9/11 Memorial Events.
The 2007 “U.S. Army Soldier Show” production and tour
celebrated its 90th anniversary. With the theme of “America’s
Soldiers, Serving Proud”, the Soldier Show staged more than
100 performances at 52 locations in CONUS and Korea.
Overall attendance was 120 thousand.
Army Community Entertainment Program saw new activity initiated in Iraq and an increase in activity at several locations. ACE currently supports 26 full-time theatre programs
and 17 part-time programs worldwide.
There was an increase of installations participating in the
IMCOM-Europe Topper Awards and One Act Play Festival as
well as the CONUS Festival of the Performing Arts.
In July, ACE, for the first time in history, had two representative companies at the American One-Act Play Festival
in Charlotte, N.C. SHAPE Entertainment Center represented Region 10 of the American Association of Community
Theatre (Military Theatre Overseas) with a production of
“Wings” and Army Community Theatre, Fort Shafter, Hawaii represented the American Association of Community
Theatre Region 8 with their production of “If We are Women”. “Wings” received nominations for Best Actor in a minor
Role — Male (Colin Gerdling), Best Set Design/Set Dressing
(Thomas Reich) and Best Sound Design (Squadron Leader
Richard Burn). “Wings” Andrea Clark won Best Actor in a
Minor Role — Female and Dan LaMorte and Oliver Galloo
won for Best Lighting Design. Sylvia Hormann-Alper of “If
We Are Women” received a nomination for Best Supporting
Actor — Female.
The Army Entertainment Competitions Program. The
Military Idol Program was re-named Operation Rising Star
upon withdrawal of the Fremantle Media license. However,
the program continued to flourish in its third year of operation. Winners were selected from videos submitted to USAED
following installation level competitions. Congratulations to
first place winner Spc. Richard Sianoya of Fort Irwin, Calif.;
second place winner Joel Tahimik of Fort Hood, Texas; and,
third place winner SFC Dendre Wright of Fort Bliss, Texas.
The Army Concert and Special Events Program continued to deliver quality entertainment to host installations. The
USAED Special Events program produced, co-promoted or
supported 15 major events during FY07 including a mid-winter event in support of redeployment activities at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Photo by Tim Hipps
Spc. Richard Sianoya of Fort Irwin, Calif., seen here dancing in the middle
of a gospel section of the 2006 U.S. Army Soldier Show, is the winner of
the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command-sponsored
2007 Operation Rising Star singing contest.
39
The Army Concert Tour produced 11 outdoor concerts
from May - Sept. 2007, at a cost of $2.34 million. USAED
booked a total of 49 artists. The diverse talent line-up included
the following genres: country, classic rock, alternative rock, R&B
and hip-hop. Notable performers included: Orange Country
Choppers, Dierks Bentley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Miller, Montgomery Gentry, Pretty Ricky, Eve, and Vince Neil.
The ’07 Army Concert Tour achieved paid attendance of
48,401 patrons, generating net income to installations of $239
thousand; AMWRF reimbursement was $158 thousand and
FMWRC received sponsorship revenue of $277 thousand.
•
Automotive Skills
T
he Automotive Skills program not only provides skill development activities in a recreational setting, it offers a
means for Soldiers, Retirees, Department of the Army civilians and family members to save thousands of dollars annually
through self help vehicle repair.
Automotive Skills facilities at Army installations around
the world are equipped with vehicle lifts and a comprehensive
selection of tools and state of the art equipment for self help
vehicle repair, which allow participants to work in a clean, safe
environment. Facilities collectively have 1,320 indoor work
bays and 1,400 outdoor work bays available for vehicle repair
and maintenance. Basic Tune-Up classes are offered at most
facilities along with specialty classes in areas such as welding,
diagnostics, etc. Automotive facilities are transitioning from
hard bound reference manuals to computer data base reference
systems, which provide patrons quick access to vehicle specific
diagrams and how-to information, as well as offer troubleshooting tips for auto repair.
Trained staff members are available to assist and instruct less
experienced patrons
and provide safety
orientation classes on
use of equipment. Installations continue
to achieve mechanic
certification for automotive staff through
the National Institute for Automotive
Service Excellence
40
exams.
Certification is encouraged to
broaden the expertise
of the staff and increase perceived value
to our patrons.
In addition to
self-help auto repair,
Automotive Skills
facilities on many installations offer spray
paint booths, car washes, tow services, car clubs, lemon lot sales
and parts stores. Most facilities offer free winter safety checks
and free jump starts on post. In the U.S., facilities also offer
state vehicle inspections for moderate fees.
There was increased use by participants changing out
OEM air intake systems to more efficient K&N filter systems
to increase fuel economy. Use of diagnostic equipment also
increased in 2007. FMWRC provides windshield oil change
stickers to Automotive Skills facilities for complimentary issue
to participants doing oil changes.
The continuing deployments have had a large impact on
the Automotive Skills program. With the absence of Soldiers,
Automotive Skills facilities have increased programs to support Family members. Automotive Skills facilities worked with
Family Readiness Groups to offer organized classes to spouses,
and spouse use of auto crafts facilities increased in 2007. The
Automotive Skills program received Uniform Funding Management funds and ended FY07 with a positive net income
before depreciation. Without Uniform Funding Management
funds, the Automotive Skills program would have suffered a
net loss. Authorized Category B support with appropriated
funds is essential to program operation.
•
Information, Ticket & Reservation
Offices
I
n 2007, most Army Information, Ticket & Reservation Offices operations posted net income; however, on-going rotation of units to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom continued to seriously impact earnings
at most on-base offices. Total Leisure Travel net income before
depreciation in 2007 was $1,749,334. Total Uniform Funding Management provided in support of ITR operations was
$1,329,932. This was an overall positive net income, but nonetheless, a decline from earnings posted in 2006.
The Armed Forces Vacation Club was used by 8,850 Army
patrons in 2007. This resulted in commission payments to
Army ITRs of almost $300 thousand. In eight years, the program has generated $1.5 million in commissions to installations’ MWR Funds.
The annual exodus travel movement at installations with
Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training missions
continued to evolve with progressively less reliance on traditional on-base travel agencies for support.
In some instances this was due to expiration of leisure travel contracts and the difficulty of attracting commercial agencies
to bid on new contracts, while at other locations it was because
of a deliberate decision to close contracted on-base commercial
travel offices. The need for intervention by professional travel
agencies/agents
is
also diminished by
the fact that the airlines have substantially reduced the
benefits and waivers that were once
routinely
granted
by major carriers in
support of the annual Exodus Movement in which more
than 30,000 Soldiers
depart from their respective installations
within a one day
time frame.
Under Common Levels of Support, the ITR program is
the 11th of 12 programs to receive future appropriated fund
support. This low priority is predicated on assumptions that
ITR offices can achieve self-sufficiency based on revenue and
profit. This view is certainly true for well-managed offices at
locations with large populations; however, stand-alone offices
may not prove practical at garrisons where services are provided
to a small population.
•
Clubs and Food, Beverage and
Entertainment
A
rmy Clubs and Food, Beverage and Entertainment operations are an increasing, integral part of installations
business operations, contributing essential funding to support MWR programs. The Army operates 173 CFBE activities
worldwide that host a wide variety of programs and services to
enhance unit readiness and support community social needs.
Overseas CFBE operations provide platforms from which the
Army Recreation Machine Program contributes to the overall
support of Army FMWR Programs.
The CFBE program includes Army-branded food and
beverage operations within garrison facilities. For FY07, the
program recorded net income before depreciation of $15.3
million on net revenue of $151.1 million — a return of 10.1
percent compared to the MWR Board of Directors standard
of 8.0 percent. Net revenue for CFBE decreased $4.2 million,
or 2.7 percent, when compared to FY06. Net income before
depreciation increased $202 thousand or .13 percent, when
compared to FY06. The Army Recreation Machine Program
reimbursement increased slightly, by $413.7 thousand over
FY06. Uniform Funding and Management reimbursements
remained stable at $3.1 million for FY07.
Bingo, a cornerstone of most CFBE operations, continues to thrive. The program generated FY07 net income before
depreciation of $8.7 million on net revenue
of $43.2 million - a return of 20.1 percent, a
decrease of $245 thousand compared to FY06.
Today, Bingo still remains a program that affords our patrons both fun and excitement in a
social setting.
In 2007 the revitalization of catering
was a focus area for FMWRC Business
Programs. The initial development of the
“Army Five Star Catering Program” began
with the goal of providing a comprehensive set of tools designed exclusively for
MWR managers and catering personnel. The program will offer managers
and catering personnel a Web-based
resource of special menus and tested
recipes for all occasions. A detailed
Catering Guide will also provide catering personnel with information,
instructions, solutions and ideas for
41
successful event planning and execution. Professionally-designed graphics, print collaterals and promotional support will
be available and can be downloaded from the Web site on demand. Other features will include: core menus, recipes, cost
cards, staffing standards, how to determine room fees, training
(culinary and programming) and a comprehensive wedding
planning guide.
•
MWR Branded Restaurant Operations
I
n FY07, FMWRC opened eight branded restaurant operations to bring current operations to 66 worldwide and generating annual revenue in excess of $22 million. Offering both
full-service and quick-service, these restaurants meet customer
demands for fast casual dining on military installations. There
are six projects currently in construction, five projects in contracting, nine projects in design, and 32 projects in planning
stages.
The branded restaurant program continues to support other
Services to include the
Marine Corps and Air
Force. Branded restaurants are open on Marine Corps Air Station
Beaufort, S.C., Marine
Corps Recruit Depot
at Parris Island, S.C.,
Marine Corps Base
Quantico, Va., and the
Menwith Hill Station Air Base in England.
Branded restaurant operations offer food, beverage, and
entertainment programs that provide Soldiers and Families
quality, value, and convenience while also successfully competing with popular off-post establishments around the world.
Branded restaurant operations use quality products, comprehensive product testing, standardization, centralized programming and promotions, and an understanding of guests’ quick
service dining needs in a commitment to be the “First Choice”
food and beverage choice for military service members and
their Families.
Our newest brand, Java Café, offers pastries, bagels, break-
“...these
restaurants
meet customer
demands for fast
casual dining
on military
installations.”
42
fast and deli sandwiches, salads, soups, and sweets. Java Café
is currently on 10 Army installations worldwide. In FY08, the
first Java Café trailer will open at Fort Hood providing coffee
and pastries via a drive-thru and walk-up venue. There are 10
more Java Cafés scheduled to open in FY08.
The Name Brand Fast Food program enables installations
to respond to market demand by offering nationally recognized
quick service restaurants in FMWR facilities. Since 2001, 53
NBFF assessments have been completed. To date, 14 NBFF
units are in operation (one in Europe, eight in Korea, and five
in CONUS). The FMWRC continues to explore ways to increase MWR revenue generated by NBFF units. Overall, the
program has been a success and the Army plans to continue reviewing locations where additional operations can be placed.
The Name Brand Casual Dining initiative was developed
to meet a demand for casual sit-down dining and generate
maximum revenue for Army installations. There is a Huddle
House open at Fort Gordon, Ga. and Fort Polk, La. Future
plans include a Chili’s at Fort Hood, Texas.
Golf
F
•
or FY07, the Army’s 57 golf courses recorded net income
before depreciation of $10.2 million on net revenue of $73
million, a return of 14 percent. The IMCOM standard for CONUS installations was 18 percent for “Sunbelt” garrisons and
15 percent for “Frostbelt” garrisons. OCONUS standards range
from 22-30 percent based on local national play and higher appropriated fund support. Regional NIBD standards better reflect geographic differences and industry trends. Compared to
FY06, NIBD remained stable while net revenue increased approximately $2.6 million. The courses provided more than 1.9
million rounds of golf for Army patrons and guests.
During this period of high operational tempo, Army Golf
participated in supporting Family members of deployed Soldiers by offering discounted golf green fees and lessons at garrisons with deployed Brigade Combat Teams. Additionally, Army
Golf staff are exploring acquisition of single-rider golf cars for
garrisons with large numbers of assigned Warriors in Transition
Battalion members. Funding considerations are Congressional
funding (APF), the Family Soldier Action Plan, and the Army
Medical Action Plan.
Training for managers and superintendents remains a pri-
ority. Fifty-six Army golf
course managers and
supervisors
attended
the PGA/Armed Forces
Golf Managers’ Seminar in Orlando, Fla.
followed by the PGA
Merchandise Show in
January 2007.
The IMCOM corporate strategy recommends that courses
with excess capacity
initiate requests to open
for general public play
or for Veterans’ usage.
To date, 10 OCONUS courses are open to the public (in accordance with Status of Forces Agreements); in CONUS, 27
courses are open to public play and 10 are approved to allow
access by honorably discharged veterans. Nine courses currently remain closed to public/veteran play.
Construction projects ongoing in 2007 included clubhouse and course/irrigation renovations at Fort Sill, Okla. and
completion of a new golf clubhouse at Fort Eustis, Va. Golf
course maintenance facilities were under construction at Carlisle Barracks, Camp Walker and Fort Knox. Of the original list
of 44 projects, 18 remain.
To leverage purchasing power, a single-source contract to
provide Army golf cars was awarded to Club Car, Inc. Approximately 1,100 golf cars were ordered for second-year delivery
and brings a total of 2,200 cars ordered to date. A third-year
order of 800 cars is being prepared for early placement to ensure delivery prior to the beginning of the 2008 golf season.
This contract will provide 3,800 golf cars over a five-year period, with an anticipated cost savings of $4.2 million. A similar project was initiated for a single source provider of course
maintenance equipment for May 2008 award with anticipated
deliver prior to golf season in May 2009.
The 2007 Excellence in Management Award nominees for
golf operations include Marco Spellacy, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.;
William Fumai, Fort Gordon, Ga.; Rik Bond, Selfridge, Mich.;
Song Yong Pak, Camp Casey, Korea; Dan Brown, Bamberg, Germany; Dale Jorgenson, Camp Zama, Japan, Terry Myers, Carlisle
Barracks, Pa.; and Matt Mugavero, Picatinny Arsenal, Pa.
Bowling
T
he Army operated 91 bowling centers with 1,724 lanes in
FY07. Patrons bowled eight million games consisting of
75 percent open play and 25 percent league play. Extended deployments made traditional league bowling difficult and resulted in predominately open play. Net revenue was $49.3 million
with an NIBD of $8.5 million (17.3 percent of net revenue).
The FY06 IMCOM standard was 15 percent CONUS and 18
percent OCONUS. Performance increased from FY06 results
of $45.1 million net revenue and $6.6 million NIBD, or 14.7
percent of net revenue. The program benefited from increased
APF support that contributed to financial improvements in
two areas, utility expenses and UFM support.
To support the Army Family Covenant, FMWRC sent
funding to the garrisons to provide discounted bowling to
the Families of Soldiers on extended deployments. Soldiers
returning from extended deployments joined the Families in
the discounted program. Twelve garrisons participated in the
program in FY07.
Design was completed and construction began on a new
state-of-the-art 16-lane Soldier and Family Entertainment
Center for Camp Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. The two-story facility
will host party and meeting rooms, video arcades, recreation
machines, a full-service lounge with billiards, a Strike Zone
snack bar, and an expansive sound and light system for glow
bowling. Designs are in progress for the Wiesbaden, Germany
and Fort Lewis, Wash. bowling centers. New Family-oriented
bowling entertainment centers are planned at Fort Bragg, N.C.
and Fort Gordon, Ga.
To kick-off league season, Army Bowling partnered with
the Bowling Proprietor’s Association of America for National Bowling Week. Army bowling centers are members of the
BPAA and can join
nationally sponsored
events. Each day of
the week, participating centers offered a
promotion targeting
a different customer
segment. Instant win
prizes such as game
tokens for free games
or shoes, bowling parties, music downloads,
43
movie tickets, iPods, MP3 players, and wristband USB drives
were given away.
Pabst Blue Ribbon joined in the fun and sponsored a bowling team in each participating Army center. Pabst provided
bowling shirts for the teams and prizes to give away to bowlers
during league season. The BPAA held a separate contest for the
most creative promotion during National Bowling Week and
the manager of the Camp Casey, Korea Bowling Center, Mr.
Gerald Keener, was the first place winner. Pabst presented a
$1,000 check to the Camp Casey bowling center.
Bowling center
management training was provided in
conjunction with
the BPAA conference and tradeshow.
Managers received
required training for
the Army’s Bowling
Center
Management Certification
Program in facility and equipment
management, coaching, pro shop operations, lane inspection and certification, and
new IMCOM initiatives. Managers also received training from
BPAA seminars that provided the latest in center management
techniques and customer trends.
The Excellence in Management Award nominees in bowling for FY07 were: medium centers, Mr. Gerald Keener, Camp
Red Cloud, Korea and Mr. Abdul Quyyam, Fort Myer, Va.;
large centers, Ms. Barbara Cox, Fort Hood, Texas; and Mr.
Robert Victorine, Yongsan, Korea.
A new IMCOM corporate strategy for bowling was implemented in FY07 which provided a systematic approach to ensure programs produce sufficient revenue to maintain and improve operations. Bowling centers received detailed guidance
on NIBD standards, benchmarks, business plans, marketing,
performance improvement plans, fee structures, snack bar and
pro shop operations, staffing, professional development, and
management incentive plans. Facility scorecards, checklists,
and scheduled reviews are also part of the corporate strategy.
44
•
Events
I
n FY07, Army-wide events focused on customer loyalty
promotions and promotions to generate new customers and
business for clubs, bowling centers, and golf courses. Several
were cross-promotions with other FMWRC programs — expanding our support beyond the world of business programs.
The events staff assisted with MWR Academy courses,
planned events and conducted training at the 2007 BOSS
Conference, at Bowl Expo and at the PGA Show; and continues to work with the branded restaurant operations group to
assist with restaurant grand openings.
Twelve MWR clubs and bowling centers participated in
the 2007 Fantasy Football event. The promotion featured a
fantasy sports kiosk that allowed managers to run automated
fantasy sports leagues via a walk-up kiosk in MWR clubs. In
addition, to the kiosk, clubs have a 42-inch plasma screen
scoreboard that rolls current standings and ads about upcoming fantasy sports events. FMWRC Business Programs funded
weekly prizes at each installation and funded weekly Army network-wide prizes for top scorers in the “Free Pick the Winners”
game and “Free Football Challenge” game. Rosters were submitted over the course of the 17-week season. The cumulative
season wide winners of each contest were playing for a Nintendo Wii system. The “Free Pick the Winners” season winner
was team Dazenman owned by Specialist Anthony Owens. The
“Free Football Challenge” winner was won by Army civilian
Paul Zimarowski, Sr.
The first Best Catered Event/Best Special Event competition ran from Dec. 2006 through Nov. 2007. The purpose of
the competition was to have installations share their good ideas
and successes with other installations. The winner in the Best
Catered Event category was Fort Bliss, Texas and the AFRC
Edelweiss Lodge and Resort® won in the Best Special Event
category. Winning installations received funding for two individuals to attend professional industry training. Catersource
sponsored the winners with complimentary registration to
their 2008 conference.
In another cross-promotion, the Event Division partnered
with Army Recreation Machine Program, Corporate Sponsorship and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers to host an
eight week speed-pool tournament at six installations in March
and April. Individuals paid $25 to play and received a limited
edition customized cue stick with the installation insignia and
carrying case as part of their registration fee.
Dave Pearson, the Guinness Book world record holder in
speed pool kicked-off each tournament by teaching, entertaining and wowing the spectators and participants. The winner
from each installation, along with their guest, traveled to Los
Vegas for a three night inclusive trip where they attended the
World Champion Pool Tournament.
The Events Division worked with the Army golf program
to enroll military golf courses in the 2007 Military Long Drive
Championship. Twenty-five Army golf courses hosted the
event. The promotion was open to all active duty, reserve and
National Guard, and was sponsored by Cadbury Schweppes.
Installations were grouped into five zones. The winner with the
longest drive (as determined by the Long Drivers of America)
received an all inclusive trip to participate in the military division of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in
Mesquite, Nev. This year’s military winner was Airman Ryan
Hixson from the U.S. Coast Guard,
with a winning drive of 367 yards.
The military division of the World
Long Drive Championship was featured on an ESPN broadcast.
Event programming with Hollywood partners continued in 2007
with several on-going partnerships.
The Event Division, along with
Corporate Sponsorship, was instrumental in developing and facilitating a partnership and promotion
for Army libraries and the motion
picture industry. Disney and Walden Media sponsored a “Great
Books Made into Great Movies” promotion to introduce their
new film “The Bridge to Terabithia.”
As this type of partnership was a new endeavor for the libraries, the Event Division served as the liaison between the
library staff, the Corporate Partnership team and the sponsors. The program targeted 10- to 15-year-olds and encouraged
them to read the book, “The Bridge to Terabithia,” as well as
other books in the same genre. Participating libraries displayed
books such as “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Bridge to Terabithia,” and others. Each book checked out and read during
a four-week promotion period earned an entry into a weekly
local drawing for a book/movie package. Prizes and artwork
for the promotion were supplied by the sponsors, Disney and
Walden Media.
Another entertainment industry partnership in 2007 was
the “Robotech” movie premiere promotion. Thirty-five bowling centers, restaurants and recreation centers participated in
the “Robotech” film premiere party in March of 2007. Funimation Entertainment provided DVDs for viewing nights and
to use as prizes. They developed a comprehensive handbook
with menu and party ideas and provided all the graphics for
posters and other marketing materials. Most facility managers
noted an increase in arcade game revenue and food and beverage sales the nights of their parties.
One of the most highly awaited promotions for 2007 was
the Texas Hold ’em Tournament. During March and April,
44 facilities hosted installation tournaments. Installation kits
included custom chips, cards, templates for point-of-sale materials, official rules, and local prizes. Coca-Cola and Coors
sponsored the tournament. The winners from each location
advanced to compete in an online final tournament. The “final
table” or last eight players from the
online competition won prizes, the
first place was a home theater system won by Staff Sgt. James Morris at Fort Lee. Business Programs
partnered with Army Recreation
Machine Program and the Information Management Directorate
for technical support to run the
online final.
The summer of 2007 featured the Hebrew National Hot
Dog “Dress the Dog” promotion.
FMWRC worked with corporate sponsor, Hebrew National,
to offer a four month summer promotion from 1 June through
30 September at 100 military installations. The promotion was
our first Joint Service promotion and included facilities from
the Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Air Force. The promotion
also included a cross promotion with the Defense Commissary Agency. The MWR portion of the promotion featured a
frequency card, sweepstakes and facility incentive program. As
patrons redeemed their frequency cards, they completed the
back of the card for entry into a sweepstakes drawing for a car,
laptop computers, mountain bikes, gift cards, trips, etc. Zachary Leighton, a high school student whose father recently retired from the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, won the grand
prize. In lieu of the car, Zachary received $30 thousand which
he plans to use toward his college education.
The Army MWR Leisure Needs Survey measures leisure
45
activity participation, patron preference, usage, satisfaction levels and perceived quality of installation MWR programs and
facilities. Some findings from the 2005 Leisure Needs Survey
are as follows:
 Soldiers and spouses agree that providing Army Child
and Youth Services and MWR Programs and Services “generate
the feeling that the Army cares about its people.”
 For all participants, the top three sources of information
on MWR programs and Services are:
1) Post newspaper
2) Flyers
3) Bulletin boards on post
 Spouses get their information about MWR Programs
and Services through the following:
1) Post newspaper
2) Family Readiness Groups
3) Flyers
4) Bulletin boards on post
5) MWR publications
 According to 83 percent of Soldiers and 81 percent of
spouses, the elimination of Recreation programs would decrease their Army Quality of Life.
 The top seven MWR activities/programs for the Army
to provide regardless of use remained consistent over time. Programs are ranked by importance:
1) Fitness Center/Gymnasium
2) Library
3) Child Development Center
4) Youth Center
5) Swimming Pool
6) Athletic Fields
7) ITR/Commercial Travel
During 2007, the Marketing Communications team started the process for redesigning the Marketing Curriculum with
the MWR Academy. Several new training initiatives are being
developed to reach all functions of a marketing department to
include the marketing research professionals and visual information designers. Additionally, the online course “Marketing
Plans for Activity Managers” continues to be a success among
program and event managers.
The online course, which was a collaborative project between FMWRC marketing communications and the MWR
Academy, simultaneously enhances marketing results within
MWR. The course provides instructions for developing an activity marketing plan that follows the framework established
in the “Marketing Plan Pro” software. The course is recom-
46
mended for anyone involved in program or event planning.
Once completed, programmers will have developed a marketing plan that serves as a roadmap for identifying how to build
stronger relationships with MWR customers, establish value
for the MWR brand, and capture customer interest in MWR
products and services.
Promoting the MWR brand by engaging customers and
employees in MWR programs is part of FMWRC’s strategic
communications plan. To meet those objectives, two new campaigns were launched, “Life in Full Circle” and “Life isn’t Always Uniform.”
•
Corporate Sponsorship and
Advertising
T
he mission of the FMWRC Corporate Partnership Branch
is threefold: partner with corporate America to generate
revenue for flagship FMWR programs; develop national partnership programs which result in additional funding for installations; and provide training, consulting and policy overview
to FMWR sponsorship and advertising professionals.
Overall Army-wide sponsorship and advertising income
for FY07 was $14.1 million, a 12.8 percent increase from
FY06. Cash revenue in FY07 totaled $7.4 million, compared
to $6.2 million in FY06. In-kind sponsorship increased to $6.7
million in products and services and cost avoidance items. Corporate partnership initiatives generated and transferred more
than $800 thousand in sponsorship and advertising income to
garrisons in FY07, an increase of $100 thousand over FY06.
In FY07, the FMWRC Corporate Partnership Branch successfully negotiated several existing and new corporate sponsorship and advertising agreements that directly benefitted
Army installations with additional revenue and special event
programming. Events such as the U.S. Army Soldier Show and
the Army Concert Tour continue to be flagship programs for
corporate sponsorship.
For the third consecutive year, FMWRC Corporate Partnerships obtained sponsorship from Scion of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and presented a turn-key 3-on-3 basketball
tournament (titled Scion Slam). This event was a collaborative
effort between FMWRC Corporate Partnerships, BOSS and
Community Recreation/Sports. FMWRC Corporate Partnerships secured sponsorship for Armed Forces Sports, of which
the Army is the lead agent, from Nestle/Powerbar for the 2007
Military World Games. An AT&T Army-wide advertising program was renewed, with all funds generated through the program transferred to participating garrisons.
•
tal NAFI activities are required to purchase food and supply
items from JSPVP contracted distributors. FMWRC is tracking the purchases each month for compliance.
A new JSPVP Web site was developed in an effort to raise
awareness about the benefits of the program and provide support. The Web site design work was contracted to Integrated
Media Works in January and the site was online in July. The
Web site provides customers access to the items on the rebate
program, updated information and an opportunity to contact
JSPVP personnel at FMWRC with questions or issues.
Toward the end of FY07 a contract was awarded to
Pepsi to provide fountain syrup for all Army MWR facilities with fountain soda equipment. All of the equipment
installs were completed by December 14, 2007. The combined cost savings in the first year of the contract is estimated at $383 thousand.
Recycling
Joint Services Prime Vendor Program
T
he Joint Services Prime Vendor Program continued to save
participants time, labor and money in FY07 through new
contracts, increased program awareness, and effective contract
management at FMWRC.
In FY07, JSPVP purchases totaled $125.7 million, a 4.7
percent increase from FY06 when purchases were $120.1 million. Contract price and rebate savings in FY07 totaled $19.1
million, an increase of $748 thousand or 4.1 percent over
FY06. In addition the customer transaction audits captured
over $35 thousand in contractor overcharges that were subsequently paid back to the ordering activities.
In January 2007, 16 new Prime Vendor contracts were
awarded for services areas throughout CONUS. Implementation meetings were conducted in every service area before
the contract start date of April 1. The implementation meetings are an excellent opportunity to brief the benefits of the
program and provide updates to customers about changes at
FMWRC within the JSPVP. In addition to the 16 contracts
awarded in January, another contract was awarded in March
for the Baltimore Washington Metro area with a start date
of June 1. Overall, the pricing in the new contracts will save
customers an additional 1.5 percent compared to the previous contracts.
Beginning in June 2007, all Army MWR and supplemen-
I
n the 25 years of direct MWR involvement in installation
Qualified Recycling Programs, the business of recycling is
becoming profitable.
Almost all MWR operated QRP’s continue to report a
positive bottom line. In FY 07 overall revenue was $18.8 million with a $12.3 million net income before depreciation.
This is higher than usual, due to increased depositing of recycling funds into the MWR fund, and may be a one-time
increase. Annual results also reflect the variations in marketability of products, the daily pricing of recyclables items, and
the timing of transfers by the garrison commander of funds
from the installation recycling suspense account to the recycling program.
Demand for recycled content
items continues to increase in the
private sector and various legislative initiatives should further increase that demand. This demand
increase should stabilize or increase prices received for recyclable materials until production again
reaches parity with demand. This cycle
has been seen for both cardboard and aluminum. The federal
government’s expanding list of products that require recycled
content materials should increase demand for Army products,
at least in the short term, and allows the removal of more items
47
from the solid waste stream. Installations should ensure close
coordination with their Department of Public Works, Environmental, and other offices, as there are continuing requirements (i.e., the DoD’s Pollution Prevention Measure of Merits
program requires systematic reporting of recyclable and solid
waste disposal quantities).
FY07 was also a good year for selling recyclables, particularly metals, as the price of many metals rose significantly.
This increased demand for recycled material, which can be less
costly to obtain than from mining, provided financial rewards
to increase the quantity being recycled.
Installations with approved QRP’s may keep the net proceeds of recycling sales (after expenses) for use by commanders for pollution abatement, energy conservation, and occupational safety and health projects. Up to 50 percent of the net
balance may be used in these areas, and the balance (at least
50 percent and up to 100 percent if the commander does not
fund the first group) may be turned over to MWR. A balance
in the suspense account in excess of $2 million at the end of
a fiscal year must be returned to the U.S. Treasury. Prudent
commanders will ensure that funds are distributed from the
suspense account in a timely manner, and that items recycled
through the QRP have a positive or a breakeven return. To
maximize installation recycling while not acting as a detriment
to the QRP, items that do not qualify for the QRP should be
recycled by other means and other offices to ensure credit is
received to meet the Measure of Merits’ goals.
Total revenues of $221 million, less expenses of $199 million, resulted in $22 million in net income before depreciation.
Army Lodging applied $12 million of this income to current
year local capital purchase minor construction projects with
the remaining $10M generated in support of programmed future capital investment requirements.
Army Lodging’s Wellness Program opened two more stateof-the-art hotels in FY07. Travelers will benefit from a new $8
million, 60 room facility at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah,
and a new $18 million, 185 room facility at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Both hotels provide extended stay rooms, family suites and
American Disabilities Act accessible rooms, feature high speed
internet access, kitchenettes, enhanced furniture packages,
guest laundry, and continental breakfast service. These hotels
provide quality, affordable lodging services and accommodations contributing to mission accomplishment and quality of
•
Hospitality Programs
D
uring FY07, Army lodging operated on 78 garrisons
worldwide and provided five million room nights to more
than six million guests, 91 percent of whom were on official
travel. Occupancy included 3.9 million room nights associated
with guests on Temporary Duty and half a million room nights
for travelers in a Permanent Change of Station status. Overall
occupancy for FY07 was 78.2 percent representing an increase
of 6.8 percent over FY06.
The Army saved more than $204 million in the Training
and Travel budget based on a comparison of individual garrison Average Daily Rates to the local lodging per diem rates.
The Army Lodging FY07 weighted Average Daily Rates worldwide was $41.79.
48
life for short- and long-term temporary duty travelers as well as
permanent change of station families.
Soldiers arriving or departing the United States on Rest
and Recuperation from OIF or OEF are supported by commercial contract hotels administered by Army Lodging on behalf of the Army G1. There are a total of seven contracts; four
in the Atlanta airport area and three in the Dallas/Fort Worth
area. Combined, these contracted properties provided lodging and meals for more than 16 thousand Soldiers on official
travel during FY07.
Professional Development for Army Lodging focuses on $102 thousand annually.
the Pennsylvania State University’s Army Lodging curriculum. In FY07, Army Recreation Machine Program generated
Penn State offers a well-rounded curriculum of management total revenue in excess of $143 million, the highest revenue
and supervisory courses including two certification programs. in the history of the program, and an increase of $15 million
The Advanced Hospitality Management Certificate requires over FY06 operating results. These earnings were achieved in
completion of five basic courses. A certificate in Strategic Hos- spite of BRAC, Global War on Terror and other operating
pitality Leadership may be earned by those students who have challenges, and were a direct result of using new technology
completed the Advanced Hospitality Management curriculum to virtually eliminate machine down time and reduce operatplus an additional six advanced level courses. In FY07, Penn ing expenses.
State conducted 15 classes with 365 participants; 21 partici- Due to continued attention to controlling costs, ARMP
pants were awarded two certificates in Advanced Hospitality was able to return $114.9 million of its earnings to ARMP
Management, and 18 participants were awarded certificates in customers, either through direct payment to locations or to the
Strategic Hospitality Management.
ARM Trust Fund for further distributions.
The Standard Products Program and the Central Army The conversion to coin-free electronically-linked gaming
Lodging Contracting Office manage all Army Lodging pro- propelled ARMP forward in the development of a core technicurement processes. Program acquisition initiatives provide cal expertise in new technology and unofficial internet comeither direct savings or cost offsets in the form of rebates or munications. To offset the continuing decline of the video arcommissions. Procurement initiatives on items ranging from cade industry, ARMP used this expertise to aggressively search
credit card processing to towels to coffee realized a total FY07 for new digital technology products to meet the demands of
program savings of $1 million. Army Lodging continues to today’s service members and their Families.
minimize overhead costs by consolidating capital purchases. In During FY07 ARMP continued expansion of its multiFY07, Army Lodging achieved a 16 percent savings on $2.2 player online gaming fleet, generating revenue of $1.8 million.
million in consolidated purchases, to meet garrison lodging ac- Increased revenue is anticipated for locations which have not
tivity requirements.
experienced a full year of operations. ARMP also expanded
Another centralized Army Lodging effort, the Lodging Suc- wireless hotspots and began to provide unofficial internet sercess Program, provides official lodging accomodations for Mili- vices to IMCOM barracks and other facilities.
tary and DoD Civilians at contracted commercial off-post hotels ACSIM policy guidance provided FMWRC with the right
when lodging is not on post. Program presence in 20 locations of first refusal for providing unofficial internet services to inprovided overflow accommodations at 68 contract hotels to more stallations. Results are very encouraging and requests for unofthan 320 thousand travelers. The program provided cost avoid- ficial internet services are accelerating. Internet service revenue
ance to the Army travel budgets of $4.5 million, or 16 percent in was $400 thousand in FY07, and installation into the barracks
comparision to local lodging per diem rates. Army Lodging staff began only in the latter part of the year. Total internet revenue
recognized the potential of Lodging Success Program to support will continue trending upward with continued expansion of
temporary duty/temporary change-of-station requirements in these services that provide funding to MWR programs as well
FY07 and efforts commenced to modify the program to meet as a highly desired product to MWR customers.
these requirements.
The Lodging Success Program is supportFY07 ARMP Financial Performance Results ($M)
ed by a central call center located on Redstone
Army
Navy
USMC
USAF
USCG
AAFES
Total
Arsenal, Ala. The Central Reservation Center
fielded 74 thousand callers during FY07, reSlot Revenue 104.6
11.3
18.2
0.6
—
—
134.7
sulting in 460 thousand reserved room nights.
An efficiency review of Central Reservation
Amusement/
Center operations resulted in modified operDigital
5.2
0.3
0.5
0.5
0.0
2.2
8.7
ating hours better matched to customer call
Revenue
volume. The outcome of these operating ad109.8
11.6
18.7
1.1
0.0
2.2
143.4
justments was a projected annual savings of
49
The Hale Koa Hotel began FY07 with a continuation of
fiscal challenges seen at the end of FY06, including rising fuel
costs, increased troop deployments, higher airfares, and a projected 20 percent decrease in inbound travelers to Hawaii (as
forecasted by the Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau). To
deal with these issues efforts continue in manpower management, scheduling, purchasing, and operational efficiency.
Redevelopment of Waikiki’s Lewers Street with several new
name-brand restaurants posed another real challenge to the
Hale Koa Food and Beverage operations. In response to this
challenge the Hale Koa expanded the Barefoot Bar (doubling
the seating area), continued collaborative promotional partner-
ships with purveyors, and increased business in areas of expertise — primarily catering weddings and other special events
(outdoor park functions). The success of catering promotions
and park events to offset lower restaurant and entertainment
revenues helped to show a positive year-end budget.
The Hale Koa continued to enjoy rooms occupancy in
the high ninety percentile (98 percent plus). Preparation began for the renovation of the Ilima Tower rooms, kitchen,
lobby and showrooms began at the end of FY07, with the
bulk of the renovation to occur in FY08 and into early FY09.
Although anticipated hotel operations closures will create
challenges in generation and maintenance of revenue flow,
updates/upgrades of the halekoa.com Web site will enhance
the ability of guests to interact and keep current with changes
and products/activities available and will enable us to better
serve our customers.
The management and staff of the Hale Koa continues to
50
pursue the goal of providing eligible guests and military community with the finest affordable vacation and entertainment
experience in Hawaii.
Shades of Green Resort had another excellent year. Occupancy rose and guests comments were positive while they continued to enjoy our 587 guest room resort with 7,500 square
feet of versatile meeting space, two lighted tennis courts, a hot
tub, two heated swimming pools, a children’s pool play area,
video arcade, lounges, four restaurants, America Ice Cream
Shoppe and Starbucks Coffee Kiosk.
The Shades of Green occupancy rose for the third straight
year from 90.1 percent in FY06 to 93.0 percent for FY07. Increases in productivity have allowed Shades of Green to become
more efficient. This is reflected in payroll also decreasing for
the third straight year from 41 percent in FY06 to 39 percent
for FY07. The Shades of Green is now grossing $34 million
per year with a net income before depreciation of $9 million,
a $2.5 million increase from FY06. Continued emphasis on
quality and service in Food and Beverage have raised profits
from $244,000 in FY06 to $613,000 in FY07.
Shades of Green has completed additional new meeting
spaces; boardrooms one through five will enhance meeting ca-
pabilities. Each meeting room has phone service, Internet access and a projection screen for presentations.
Another great enhancement to the property was the addition of six new Multi-Player Online Gaming Systems. These
are computer systems that allow guests to surf the Web, send
emails and video emails. Guests also have access to video
games, and printing capabilities.
Guests pay for the time that they
need and any unused time can
be saved for future use. These
have been so successful that in
February 2008, we will be opening a new business center to be
located next to our America’s Ice
Cream Shoppe.
The Edelweiss Lodge and
Resort finished its third year of
operation with FY07 occupancy
at 91 percent and net income before depreciation of $5.7 million.
Resort management focused on
evaluating each process and system to reduce annual overhead
costs and increase revenue. In FY07 overhead support department expenditures at the resort dropped by $540 thousand
compared to FY06. Additionally, in an effort to identify new
sources of revenue, the commercial sponsorship program has
crafted sponsorship bundles with options, allowing for a more
dynamic and effective relationship with our partners. The program continues to be lucrative generating $140 thousand of
revenue in FY07.
Amidst shifting European Command troop positions and
deployment rotations, maintaining high hotel occupancy levels
is critical. By utilizing innovative marketing technologies such
as the “Edelmail” electronic newsletter, and exploiting crossbrand promotional events with AFN radio and other service
providers, the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort is able to keep in
touch with existing markets while growing relationships across
geographic boundaries both in the European theater and in
the United States, at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing media.
Since the 2004 grand opening more than 45,000 service
members and their Families have taken the opportunity to
spend a portion of their Rest and Recuperation leave at Edelweiss Lodge and Resort to enjoy important and relaxing Family
time in the beauty of the surrounding Alps.
Resting in the heart of Seoul, Korea, the Dragon Hill Lodge
reflects its elegant style and Asian décor in its 394 spacious
guestrooms, premier health club with indoor pool, and four
unique restaurants to serve military personnel, DoD Civilian
employees, and their Family members. With a 92 percent occupancy rate, $45.9 million in total revenue and $21.9 million
in net income before depreciation,
the Dragon Hill Lodge met all key
financial objectives for 2007.
The resort prides itself on
high quality coupled with affordability. This past year 179,360 military and Family members visited
the Dragon Hill Lodge, with an
average length of stay of 3.1 days.
The Dragon Hill offers our
service members all of the culinary comforts of home at one of
several restaurants and retail food
outlets. During FY07, a total of
708,682 guests visited the Dragon Hill restaurants. As the ongoing restationing of U.S. Forces
in Korea progresses, the Dragon Hill is actively engaged with
long term planning for support to U.S. Forces in Korea. In
the interim, operational adjustments for near term impacts of
declining U.S. Forces in Korea troop strength continue to be
a top focus.
51
NAF Contracting
I
n July 2007, Army NAF Contracting stood up as a single
unified activity within IMCOM. The Commander, FMWRC,
has oversight responsibility for all Army NAF Contracting activities. The Chief Acquisition Officer, is responsible for providing
MWR with business-oriented solutions and sound acquisition
practices. The goals established for Army NAF Contracting include timely and responsive support to the MWR community, establishment and support of strategic sourcing initiatives,
preserving the integrity of the acquisition processes, oversight
and management, establishing common performance metrics, and devising career development for NAF Contracting
professionals.
In FY07, Army NAF Contracting worldwide executed and
managed contracts valued in excess of $1 billion. The NAF
purchase card program had over $175 million in transactions.
Users’ prompt approval of their billing statements in FY07 resulted in NAF purchase card rebates exceeding $1.5 million.
During FY07, Army NAF Contracting awarded and managed consolidated and enterprise contracts for commodities
such as cardiovascular and strength equipment, golf cars, defibrillators, beverage syrup, bed, bath and linen needs, and the
lodging success program. The total value of purchases in FY07
for these contracts is more than $31 million with a cost savings
of approximately $6.2 million for all consolidated and managed contracts. The average percentage cost savings for all contract activities in FY07 was approximately 20 percent.
NAF major construction contracts for FY07 exceeded
$313 million in value. In 2007, the AFRC Funds Group
awarded a $53 million contract for the renovation of the Ilima
Tower of the Hale Koa Hotel. Contracts valued at more than
$91 million were awarded and managed for AAFES, Navy,
and Marine Corps.
52
53

ArmyMWR.org

Transcription

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