Army Spouses Depend On Readiness Groups
Monday, Aug 13, 2007 - 11:18 AM Updated: 08:33 PM
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Save This PageFORT BRAGG, NC -- Nearly 50 percent of the soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving countless numbers of Army spouses to take care of things on the home front.
That's why the Army has something called the Family Readiness Group -- or FRG -- so spouses know they're not alone.
The FRG is sort of like a support group that provides spouses with all sorts of information.
"They talk about the mission and what the troops are doing as far as training. They will come in and you know just help you with balancing your checkbook. Another great thing is going to the Auto Skills Center and teaching spouses how to change oil, or change a tire, rotate tires, something to that effect," said Charlotte Watson with Army Community Services.
But as Congress goes back and forth about how much money is being spent to fund the wars in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, Army wives -- even girlfriends -- pay a big price.
Ashley Lawrence's husband is on his third deployment in four years.
She says the FRG gives her support others can't.
"My friends that aren't in the military don't know basically what it feels like being a military wife," said Lawrence.
"In this situation, you have three things in common. You're married to a soldier, you're in the army and you're trying to survive. And those three things bond you for life, said Valerie Culver-Gabrysiak, whose husband is deployed in Afghanistan.
And the FRG isn't just for Army wives anymore.
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