Army Family Team Building

Level I Training

Lesson 1.1:
Expectations and Impact of the
Mission on Family Life

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Intro:
Welcome to the lesson Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life. Military life can
be both rewarding and challenging for Soldiers as well as their families. One of the main
difficulties military families encounter is the difference between civilian and military life. We will
help you to understand the goals and missions of the Army and to develop realistic expectations
for your military life.

In This Lesson
This lesson explores the expectations Family members have of the Army and the impact of the
Army mission on family life. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify expectations of the military lifestyle.

Develop methods to keep expectations realistic.

Describe the mission of the Army.

Discuss traits that will assist you in coping with the impact of the mission on the family.

Overview
We all enter military family life with some concern. How will I adjust to this new environment? Is
the military culture really different from my civilian life? How will this change my life? It can be a
nerve-wracking time even for those who may have grown up in the military, worked for the
military or even served on active duty.
Being a Family member brings its own set of challenges and rewards. In this lesson, we will have
the opportunity to share thoughts about the expectations of our military lifestyle and to explore
how the Army mission relates to our expectations.
Lets get started

Expectations
Have you noticed that some families seem to thrive in the Army environment while others just
seem to wilt? Some of the reasons for a familys success might include: maturity level, support
from family, friendship circles, understanding of their Soldiers job, ability to manage finances, and
understanding the Army mission.
Expectations have a lot to do with a military familys success.

Expectations: What Are Expectations?

How do you define expectations? Webster defines expectation as, the act of looking forward to a
probable occurrence or an occurrence we consider reasonable or due.
Using WordNet on the Web, we find expectation defined as a belief about or mental picture of
the future.

Expectations: How Expectation Shape Our Experience

In life, when our expectations are met or exceeded, it is fantastic. We want to share the
experience with others. But, if our expectations are not met, we feel disappointed or let down. We
share these feelings with others too, sometimes more loudly.

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Experience shapes our expectations. When we do not have the experience from which to draw,
we rely on input from others or we foster unrealistic expectations. The Army lifestyle brings us
many new expectations and experiences. First, lets look at what you expect of the Army.

Expectations: Tips for Building Realistic Expectations

Expectations may be realistic or unrealistic. Realistic expectations are attainable and have
resources available for them. Unrealistic expectations may cause frustration or a sense of
abandonment or betrayal. To keep your expectations realistic, try these tips:

Continue AFTB classes to acquire skills and knowledge.

Explore other ways to educate self and familyOP READY.

Go to Family Readiness Group (FRG) meetings for information on unit activities.

Read military and community/local newspaper(s) to keep informed on current events.

Watch the local and national news to keep informed about current events.

Attend Town Hall meetings to stay abreast of changing trends and issues in your military, as
well as, civilian community.

Attend Family Academies or Family Days (Reserves and Guard) to gain skills and
knowledge.

Utilize online resources and websites such as a command web page. Access is available
through most local libraries.

Remind your Soldier/spouse to keep you informed about upcoming events.

Verify rumors with appropriate agency/individual to avoid acting on false information.

Attend newcomers briefings and tours at each new assignment.

Participate in Army Family Action Plan activities.

If you dont know, ask!

The Army Mission

An understanding of the Army and its mission will help you to build realistic expectations. As a
Family member, it is important you understand the whats and whys of your Soldiers job.
The Army mission determines the function of the Army and that, in turn, has an impact on family
life. The Army webpage (www.army.mil ) is a great place to find the most current information on
all aspects of Todays Army.
This site shows the Army Mission as: The Armys mission is to fight and win our Nations wars by
providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and
spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders. We do this by:

Executing Title 10 and Title 32 United States Code directives, to include organizing,
equipping, and training forces for the conduct of prompt and sustained combatant operations
on land.

Accomplishing missions assigned by the President, Secretary of Defense and combatant

commanders, and Transforming for the future.
The Army has legal standing and is addressed in the Constitution. The Army is constituted to
achieve certain ends and is assigned certain roles, functions, and missions. Together the

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Services , Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard ,defend the Nation, deter war, and
project national power to achieve national objectives.
The jobs or tasks the Soldiers do every day actually support the Army mission.

Army Mission: Oath of Enlistment and Oath of Office

On a more personal level, Soldiers swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution when
they enlist, re-enlist or are commissioned. The Oath of Enlistment is the one repeated when a
Solder enlists or re-enlists. The oath of office is for commissioned officers.

Oath of Enlistment

I, ____________________ do solemnly swear (or

affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of
the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
same; that I will obey the orders of the President of the
United States and the orders of the officers appointed
over me according to law and the Uniform Code of
Military Justice. So help me God.
(Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the
wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment
effective 5 October 1962).

Oath of Office

I, ____________________ having been appointed an

officer in the Army of the United States as indicated
above in the grade of __________ do solemnly swear
(or affirm) that I will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and
allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely,
without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;
and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of
the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me
God.
(DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)

Army Mission: Army Values

In 1998, the Chief of Staff of the Army established a set of Army Values as guides for Soldiers.
This list sets out the essential values of the American Soldier and provides a framework for all of
their actions in war and in peace.
The CSA also approved that the values be listed, and displayed, in specific order (loyalty, duty,
respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage) to form the acronym LDRSHIP,
pronounced leadership, using the first letter of each value.

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Army Values
L

LOYALTY

Bear true faith and allegiance to the US Constitution, the Army,

and other Soldiers.

DUTY

Fulfill your obligations.

RESPECT

Treat people as they should be treated.

SELFLESSSERVICE

Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates
before your own.

HONOR

Live up to all the Army values.

INTEGRITY

Do what is right, legally and morally

PERSONAL
COURAGE

Face fear, danger, or adversity (physical and moral).

Army Mission: Soldiers Creed

Soldiers also have a Soldiers Creed to help guide them.
I am an American Soldier. I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of
the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will
never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined,
physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in warrior tasks and drills. I always
maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I
stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America
in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an
American Soldier.

Army Mission: Summary

We can see from the Creed, the Values, the Oath, and the Mission that American Soldiers do not
have ordinary jobs. They are on call 24/7, and they have a responsibility not just to themselves
and their families, but to their nation. The understanding of this essential core responsibility of
Soldiers is the first step to understanding how their job impacts their family.

Impact of the Mission on Family Life

The mission impacts our life in different ways and to varying degrees. How has the Army affected
your life? What have you been able to see or do that would not have been possible if you were in
the civilian world?
The Mission does impact you. It causes joy and pain. The important thing to remember is that no
family is alone and there is a bond forged between families and friends that is unbreakable and
cannot be duplicated in the civilian world.

Impact of the Mission on Family Life: Traits of Successful Army Family

The following tips have been a favorite in AFTB classes for a number of years. Remember these
traits when you might be feeling a little down or a little overwhelmed by this Army lifestyle.
Patriotic. The Army family has a strong sense of patriotism and love of country, realizing that the
peace and security of the country and its citizens are the primary mission.
Adaptable. The challenges of mobility, uncertainty and separation force Army families to adapt to
new cultures, friends, and support systems and to deal with both positive and negative emotions.

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Involved and community oriented. The Army family is involved in the community at all levels
neighborhood, unit, and city/installationand they influence others to do likewise.
Possess a keen sense of humor. The Readers Digest has a section called Laughter is the
Best Medicine. Army families use humor to carry them through a wide range of emotions. It helps
to find optimism in negative situationseven if the humor comes later.
Have realistic expectations. What the Army will do for you has changed over the years, as has
what the Army expects of Family members. In the early years there was no Soldiers life
insurance or spouse allotment. Families were expected to take in stride the hardships and
challenges presented in the military life. Today the Army family enjoys the best quality of life the
American military has ever known. Some families think that the Army should meet each and
every need that arises, but the realistic family understands that Army has built a system of
resources to create trained and ready families who know how to operate and thrive in the
current military environment.
Resourceful. The Army family learns how to make do and make the best of their current
situation whether it be a permanent change of station move, a tour in a foreign country or the
deployment of their Soldier.
Celebrate adversity. The Army family says they have to.why else would they love the military
life?

Key Points

Everyone has expectations. It is important to recognize which expectations about the Army
are realistic and which are unrealistic.

The Armys mission is to fight and win our Nations wars by providing prompt, sustained-land
dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of
combatant commanders. Every Soldiers mission is an integral part of the overall Army
missions and functions.

Family life profoundly affects the Army, just as the Armys missions affect family life.

The seven traits discussed in this lesson make an Army family adaptable and a strong part
of the Army life.

WWW Resources

Read more about the Army mission at www.army.mil

In the Reserve? Visiting the U.S. Army Reserve Command online at

http://www.usarc.army.mil/ will you help understand the Army Reserve.

In the National Guard? Visit the National Guard online at http://www.eangus.org/ to get
more information and help you have realistic expectations about being a Guard Family
member.

Silent Warriors is dedicated to providing resources to Army families and spouses. For more
information, visit:
http://www.silentwarriors.net

Sarah Smiley is a syndicated columnist who writes about military life. Visit her Web site,
Shore Duty, at:
http://www.sarahsmiley.com

AFTB Level I / Lesson 1.1: Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life