Army Well-Being Initiative

Secretary of the Army John McHugh expressed his concern for and dedication to the well-being of Soldiers and Families in his arrival speech on November 3, 2009:

"...we're all forged by the influence of those around us - Family, friends - those who care and those who allow us to extend our vision to more distant horizons...

...in the Army, we must continue to address the challenges that are posed by multiple deployments and ease the stress and burden that too many Army Families continue to face. And our mission #1 must be to ensure that our Soldiers and their Families are provided a quality of life that is equal to their extraordinary sacrifices.

As Secretary, I am committed to securing and maintaining the fundamentals that keep our Army Strong: Strong Soldiers... Strong Families... and the enduring foundations that sustain them both."

The Army Vision The Army is People. They are the engine behind our capabilities, and the Soldier remains the centerpiece of our formation. We will attract, train, motivate, and retain the most competent and dedicated people in the Nation.			Who Benefits? Soldiers (active, reserve, guard, retired, and veterans), civilians, and their Family members are all a part of the Army Team. The concept of well-being allows each team member to be affected in different ways.
What Is Well-Being? Well-Being is defined as "the personal-physical, material, mental, and spiritual-state of Soldiers, civilians, and their Families that contributes to their preparedness to perform the Army's mission."			Mission and Goals Army Well-Being is directly linked to the relevance and readiness of our Army. Well-Being programs focus on meeting the needs of Soldiers (Active Duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve), DA Civilians, Veterans, Retirees and Families - before, during and after deployment. In the past, the Army's programs concentrated on the quality of life of our people - defined as a standard of living to which individuals, communities, and nations strive to meet or exceed. Army Well-Being organizes and integrates these quality of life initiatives and programs into a Well-Being "framework." ...These goals address the primary and basic needs of each member of the Total Army Family - To Serve, To Live, To Connect and To Grow."
Relationship to the Operational Aspect of the Army Army Well-Being is linked to four key institutional outcomes: performance, readiness, retention, and recruiting. Well-Being is the human dimension of Army Transformation.			U.S Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program On April 30, 2004, the Department of the Army introduced the AW2 Program that provides its severely disabled Soldiers and their Families with a system of advocacy and follow-up with personal support to assist them as they transition from military service to the civilian community.