In the words of our Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army, "Never before in the history of our Army have we asked so much of our Families. They are serving side-by-side with our Soldiers, enduring their hardships and providing the unconditional love and support that truly make our Army strong. The Army Family Covenant pledges our commitment to support Soldiers and their Families and resource programs to provide them a quality of life commensurate with their service."
On 8 October 2007, the Army unveiled the Army Family Covenant, which institutionalizes the Army’s commitment to provide Soldiers and Families — Active, Guard, and Reserve — a quality of life commensurate with their level of service and sacrifice to the Nation. It commits the Army to improve Family readiness by:
- Standardizing Family programs and services
- Increasing accessibility to health care
- Improving Soldier and Family housing
- Ensuring excellence in child, youth and school services
- Expanding education and employment opportunities for Family members
The Army Family Covenant is in its second year and the commitment is enduring. The Army has made significant progress in improving Family programs, health care, housing, child and youth services, recreation, education and employment opportunities, but there is still work to be done to build an environment where Army Families can prosper and realize their full potential.
