Families adjust to changing Guard role

[unhappycamper]

Families adjust to changing Guard role
By Kristin M. Hall - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Feb 16, 2009 17:14:39 EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two wars abroad and growing responsibilities stateside have meant that members of the Tennessee National Guard are no longer “weekend warriors.” And the military families at home have had to adapt, too.

Behind the Guard is an army of family members who organize and join Family Readiness Groups, a kind of support group for anyone who knows what it means to have a loved one serve in the military.

“In the military they have the chain of command and that’s the group that wears the rank,” said Jenny Testerman, of Knoxville, whose husband is a member of the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment. “For the families, it is called the chain of concern.”

Once mostly populated by wives, the family groups are more diverse than ever as the Guard has added younger service members, who often have no military experience. Now the family members include husbands, widows, parents and children — and as the Guard has been called to serve more often, the role of these support groups has expanded.

Testerman oversees family readiness groups for 19 National Guard units in East Tennessee as a regional volunteer coordinator. Her role is to prepare for just about anything: from handling emergencies at home while a soldier is away to finding financial assistance for families during the holidays.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_guard_role_families_021609/%2e