Monday, April 14, 2008

Club welcomes discussion of change, future

At its most recent event, the Officers’ Wives’ Club welcomed Sheila Casey. A club member introduced her as one of seven children, a 35-year wife of a U.S. Soldier, mother of two, grandmother of five, and Chief Operating Officer of The Hill newspaper. 

The guest speaker, who is also the wife of Gen. George Casey, the Army’s chief of staff, spoke to the mostly female crowd of changes she’s seen in the Army since the late 1970s. “It used to be, if the Army wanted you to have a wife, you would have been issued one. Army Community Service used to be only lending closets to provide you with temporary, basic necessities,“ Casey said. “Day care was only hourly and housing seemed to be just one step above tenements. Medical care for family members was bleak.

“We had no family support and no family readiness. But, we, as spouses, had each other,“ she remembered.

“Boy, have we come a long way because Army spouses have stood up and demanded to be heard,“ she said, adding that ACS and the Army Family
Team Building program were designed and created by Army spouses.

Casey said the TAPS program, (Tragedy Program for Survivors), came about, unfortunately, in the wake of the death of eight Air National Guard Soldiers in December 1992.

Moving to the Army of today, Casey said the Army has evolved to where the all-volunteer force is the strength of this nation. “Our armed forces have been shaped by every conflict,“ she said. “We have never fought a war this long with an all-volunteer force.

Regarding services the Army provides, Casey lauded the Residential Communities Initiative and increased staff for youth services and for Army Community Service programs.

Looking toward the future, Casey said, “The Army is working on enhancing mental health care services and increasing benefits to spouses and children of the fallen.“

Regarding the Army Family Covenant, Casey said, “We can have all the pieces of paper and covenants, but, we need to back that up, and we have.“ Casey said the Army has allocated $1.4 billion this year and $1.7 billion next year as part of its commitment to the Army, its Soldiers and families. “Posts are feeling the additional money already,“ Casey said.

Casey also lauded the Army’s three-dozen new Warrior Training Units, 30 new Soldiers and Family Assistance Centers and efforts to remove bureaucratic obstacles. “We are, daily, improving the quality of life and health care of our Soldiers,“ she said. “Everyone who serves deserves better than the mentality of ‘make do with what you get.‘

“Today’s Army is trained, led and equipped better and differently than it was, even in 2000. We recruit the Soldiers, but, retain the family,“ Casey told the crowd.

Casey concluded her presentation with an Army Strong video.

Afterward, in a question-and-answer session, Sarah Goddette, an OWC member, asked Casey about the Army’s mental health issue, regarding not enough qualified people to help and removing the stigma attached to seeking mental health help.

“We have to be clear about the need for mental health care. Everyone who comes back is affected in some way,“ Casey said. “The number of mental health professionals available, both in the service and the civilian community, is an issue. There’s a shortage nationwide.“

After the meeting, Goddett said of Casey, “She knows her stuff. However, I’m still waiting to see about mental health issues being addressed. It’s just too big of a problem, with the stigma it has and the number of people who can help.“

Melia Flanagan, who attended the luncheon as a club member’s guest, said, “Mrs. Casey did a really good job speaking. She emphasized the new attitudes in leadership. I just hope it all trickles down to brigades.“

“If our families are not ready, our Soldiers are not ready. The strength of the Army is based on the strength of the servicemembers, which is based on the strength of families. Families are still the best resource,“ Flanagan said.