1ST MARINE LOGISTICS GROUP

Commanding General's Family Readiness Vision

A high state of personal and family readiness ensures that we can serve our country and Corps to the best of our abilities.  While each Marine or Sailor is responsible for their own personal readiness, it is a leadership responsibility to set the conditions for success.  1st MLG will do this by:

Tailoring our Family Readiness programs to meet the needs of all of our Families.  Our Marines and Sailors’ families take on many forms, with many different needs – no one approach will satisfy the readiness needs of all of our families.  Additionally, the needs of service members and their families evolve over time, and we must adapt our support to our service members through all stages of their service to our Nation.

Connecting Marines, Sailors, and Civilians to networks of support.  We foster the connections that are vital for thriving in a military lifestyle, though methods that fit our families – who they are and where they are in their life – through small groups, small and large unit family events, social media, and other venues.  The extended community of Marine Corps spouses, parents, children, and community support groups create a vibrant and responsive network of strength.  Leaders will foster these connections and recognize the value of each small volunteer act of service.

Educating our leaders and our Families on the services and programs available to them to sustain their resilience and readiness.  The tremendous array of services and support aboard Camp Pendleton and in the Southern California region can be overwhelming.  We will strategically and persistently educate our leaders on all of the programs available, so that we can offer targeted and meaningful assistance and support to our Marines, Sailors, and Families.

Communicating with all of our Marines. Sailors, and family members by using communication channels that are clear and meaningful to the various generational groups that encompass our community.  These communications should include the mission of each training or deployment event as well as significant program changes that will affect family life.  Communication methods will include focused social media campaigns, small unit family events, team meetings to solve unique needs, and direct conversations to address individual challenges.

Importantly, we must remain humble enough to ask for assistance when we need it, and be compassionate enough to offer assistance when we see others struggling.  Military life carries with it tremendous rewards and satisfaction, along with great sacrifice and the need to adapt.  We should expect challenges, yet also help our families, Marines, and Sailors overcome those challenges.

The combat effectiveness of 1st MLG depends on our ability to be personally ready and sustain family readiness.  I’d ask that every Marine, Sailor, and Civilian in 1st MLG seek ways to improve our personal readiness; bring good ideas to your chain of command and to our Deployment Readiness Coordinators and Uniformed Readiness Coordinators; and assist with execution of this program.

R. L. SHEA

Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commanding General, 1st Marine Logistics Group