Annual Report

• Research: The use of FMWR programs by Soldiers has a strong, positive effect on their emotional attachment to the Army, which in turn has a strong effect on retention and and satisfaction with the quality of Army life. For Family members, frequent use of MWR programs is related to higher levels of positive spouse adjustment to Army life and to the demands of deployment and separation.
  
  
• Support to Deployed Soldiers: Since 1995, more than 200 MWR personnel have voluntarily deployed to promote physical fitness and to provide recreation, social, and other support services in the Balkans. Twelve 12 MWR civilians are currently supporting operations in Kosovo, Bosnia, Hungary, and Macedonia. Since 9/11, more than 50 MWR civilian professionals have deployed to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom at 50 MWR facilities.
  
  
• Family Readiness: Self-reliant Families who use Army support systems equate to Soldiers better able to concentrate on their missions and more likely to remain in the Army. We’re strengthening the support chain of unit commanders, Army Community Service, volunteers, and private agencies. We’ve aggressively campaigned to make counseling accessible and reduce the stigma of seeking mental health services for Family reintegration and post traumatic stress disorder. The Military OneSource world-wide 24/7 toll-free information and referral service offers personal counseling sessions to Soldiers, deployed civilians, and their Families. Virtual Family Readiness Groups are becoming the primary communication links among deployed Soldiers, Families, FRG leaders, unit commanders, rear detachment commanders, and other readiness personnel; the vFRG website now supports 750 Army battalions and brigades.
  
  
• Child and Youth Services: Army CYS programs are a force multiplier and reduce the conflict between parental responsibilities and unit mission requirements. Demand for services continues to increase. In 2006, 18 interim facilities opened at installations, and ten sites will receive permanent modular child care facilities, expanding capacity in the U.S. to meet “baby booms” at installations that experience large-scale redeployments. CYS is extending operating hours at child development centers and Family child care homes, offering low or no cost respite care to give parents time to attend to personal needs or take a break from the stresses of parenting. With many Soldiers geographically dispersed in civilian communities around installations, new initiatives target the child care needs of recruiters and Soldiers with independent duty assignments and the needs of Families living in catchments around large installations.
  
  
• Community Recreation: Fitness centers are the most used and highly rated MWR program; the FMWRC and IMCOM are centrally procuring fitness equipment in order to save money and standardize staff training, equipment maintenance, and lifecycle replacement. Army libraries are plugging into a new library information system that offers deployed Soldiers the same services they had at their home libraries; already fielded at 51 libraries, five more will be added in 2007. For Soldiers deployed overseas, the library program continues to ship thousands of free books to unit and installation dayrooms, recreation centers, and FMWR facilities.
  
  
• Armed Forces Recreation Centers: Army-operated Armed Forces Recreation Centers remain extremely popular. Hosting 1,500 rooms, AFRC occupancy rates exceed 90 percent—unheard of in the hotel industry. AFRCs also continue to offer discounted Rest and Recuperation packages for servicemembers serving in the Global War on Terrorism.
  
  
• Business Programs: Business programs generated profits of $32M in FY06—money used to maintain facilities and support other critical MWR programs not capable of generating sufficient revenues to be self-sustaining. The Army operates 57 golf courses, 92 bowling centers, and 207 food and beverage activities. We’re also expanding promotions to generate new customers for MWR. Major expansions are planned for catering and theme operations in 2007.
  
  
• Finances: Total APF and NAF support to MWR programs (excludes ACS and Army Lodging) for FY06 was $1.7B. Of this, NAF revenue was $949M with NIBD of $32M. APF support, including military construction, was $762M. Restationing will present significant requirements for NAF capital investments in the U.S. and may also result in lower revenue. The Army is in the final phase of implementing the Uniform Funding and Management business reengineering initiative to merge APF and NAF funding for the purpose of providing MWR services using NAF rules and procedures. UFM will not increase or decrease the amount of APF supporting MWR, but it will eliminate redundancy and improve business practices in procurement, financial management, and human resource management.