The Foreign Service Journal, March 2007

services ( www.state.gov/m/dghr/ flo/ ). In recent years, with the rise of terrorism and the challenge of more dangerous, unaccompanied postings and tours in combat zones, these ser- vices have become even more critical, and FLO has hired staff specifically to assist families of FS members on unaccompanied tours. Because the Department of De- fense has much more experience sup- porting service members — who far outnumber the Foreign Service — and their families overseas, a look at what they do, and how they do it, pro- vides food for thought. In particular, the extent and variety of online ser- vices available to Armed Forces mem- bers and their families are eye-open- ing. DOD’s Military OneSource is, as its name suggests, a one-stop shop for service members of every branch and their families ( www.militaryoneso urce.com ). As stated in “About Military OneSource ” (accessible from the homepage), the site provides tele- phonic, online and in-person support to military personnel and their fami- lies on a range of issues, “[w]hether it’s help with child care, personal fin- ances, emotional support during de- ployments, relocation information or resources needed for special circum- stances.” In addition to consultation, Mili- tary OneSource provides information on various services available in com- munities, referrals to both military and community resources, online videos on topics germane to military couples and families, and live online work- shops called “Webinars.” The Webin- ars can feature any topic from debt management to holiday stress or adjusting to middle age; and they allow military families to view presen- tations online and interact with other Webinar attendees by telephone, in- stant messaging and polling. Webin- ars are also accessible from the Mili- tary OneSource homepage. While every service branch offers online support to family members, the Army has developed its own par- ticular Internet tool: Virtual Family Readiness Groups ( www.armyfrg. org ). Family readiness, or the idea that the well-being of the families affects the success of the mission, is a key component of every service branch. Within the Army, Family Readiness Groups are official organi- zations sponsored by unit comman- ders. FRGs consist of family mem- bers, soldiers, volunteers and com- munity members, and are designed to facilitate communication between the chain of command, family mem- bers and the community at large. The vFRG site does something similar, as its opening page explains, connecting “the deployed soldiers, their families, the FRG leader, the unit commander, the rear detach- ment, and other family readiness per- sonnel on their own controlled-access Web system to facilitate the exchange of information and provide a sense of community.” To learn more about the vFRG and how it works, go to www. armyfrg.org/skins/FRGPat/display. aspx . The vFRG site also contains help- 12 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 0 7 C Y B E R N O T E S 50 Years Ago... Something which struck me, in perusing the November issue, was the considerable number of women’s names. Quite a change from 15 or 20 years ago! — (Mrs.) R. Steiger, Letters to the Editor, FSJ , March 1957.