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***image1***A new Kaiserslautern school complex is one of two issues going forward to Army leadership from the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern 2006 Army Family Action Plan Conference.
With the theme, “Setting Standards of Living for a Transforming Army,” the conference was Oct. 18 at the Armstrong Community Club on Vogelweh Housing.
Establishing an equitable overseas housing allowance for military and civilians is the second issue going forward, possibly as far as to the 2007 Department of Army conference held each November in Washington, D.C.
The brainchild of Army spouses, AFAP is an Army-wide program that gives all members of the Army team – active-duty and retired military, family members and civilian employees – a chance to voice concerns and raise issues to Army leadership. Given the joint demographics of the KMC, Air Force members also have a voice in this conference, providing input for changes in the KMC, as well as within the Department of Defense, said Angela Bellamy, the garrison’s AFAP coordinator.
In all, 13 delegates throughout the KMC brainstormed and discussed 23 issues to narrow down the two that would be forwarded to USAG Heidelberg, Installation Management Agency –
Europe and U.S. Army Europe AFAP conferences
to be held next year. In addition, they decided on the most important KMC and Army services.
“I just wanted to make sure our issues from our people are actually getting brought up to this level,” said Amy Bonano, the Family Readiness Group leader for the 5th Maintenance Company. “And to make sure they (Army leadership) are listening to what the issues really are.”
Mrs. Bonano and another delegate, Lori Palmer, the Family Readiness Support assistant for the 21st Theater Support Command headquarters’ personnel section, saw AFAP in action. The issue they brought up – a garrison operated sponsorship program − went to the next level when the USAGK Commander Lt. Col. Mechelle Hale said she would take it for action.
“Wow! We actually saw our issue go to the next level in a second,” said Mrs. Palmer.
The next step is for the USAG Commander’s AFAP Steering Committee, which will determine which issues are local and need to be worked here and which issues need to be either forwarded to USAG Heidelberg or the appropriate parent command.
