"Marines take care of their own–period. This enduring pledge between Marines is never more sacred than during the time of war. Just as every Marine makes a commitment to the Corps when they earn the title Marine, the Corps makes an enduring commitment to every Marine-and an enduring commitment to their family."
— General James T. Conway
34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
Family readiness is important to all of our Marines, Sailors, Civilians and Families; therefore, is of utmost importance to me. The Marine Corps is out Nation’s force in readiness, and that means that we are often quickly called upon to deploy with little notice, leaving our families to cope with the day to day family responsibilities alone.
Although Family Readiness is the Commanders program, it is the Marines responsibility to ensure that his or her family is resilient and equipped with the tools that will empower them during the time of deployment or separation. Knowing that our families are capable of handling separation and deployment challenges makes us better able to focus our attention on our jobs and the mission at hand.
Each squadron and the Group Headquarters will have a Family Readiness Command Team comprised of the Commanding Officer, Deputy Commanding Officer/Executive Officer, Sergeant Major/1st Sergeant, Chaplain, PWST, Family Readiness Officer, Family Readiness Advisors, Family Readiness Assistants and Morale Volunteers. The Command Team should actively recruit and train qualified personnel for these positions, accurately record their volunteer hours utilizing the Volunteer Tracking Tool (VTT), and recognize their contributions.
My intent with our family readiness program within MWSG-47 is to develop “independent family members” who are ready, able, and capable of balancing the home life, career, and related events encountered as part of our collective service. As such, our Program will:
- Include all members of a Marine’s, Sailor’s, and government Civilian’s family; spouses, children, parents, and extended family members as designated by the individuals.
- Actively promote Family Readiness through education, events, and activities.
- Utilize all available means to ensure open, accessible communications between family members, Marines, Sailors, government civilians and the Family Readiness Command Team. This includes the use of the Mass Communication Tool (MCT).
- Seek qualified, motivated volunteers to assist the Command Family Readiness Team with supporting our Marines, Sailors, Government Civilians and families.
My desired end state is to have Marines, Sailors, Government Civilians, and their families equipped with the knowledge, tools, resources, and skills necessary to sustain a high level of family readiness to meet the often unexpected demands of military service. By working together, we will ensure we take care of our families who deserve our best efforts in return for their unwavering support.
More information can be found on the MWSG-47 website. For assistance in all Family Readiness matters, Commanders and their Command Team can contact the Marine Wing Support Group Family Readiness Officer, Darryle Johnson, (586) 239-2539 or email him at darryle.johnson@usmc.mil.
Semper Fidelis!
Colonel J. R. Hahn
Commanding Officer
Marine Wing Support Group 47
Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing