DCMilitary.com -- Fort Meade Base Guide

Army Community Service (ACS) offers a wide variety of programs and services to the military community. All military I.D. card holders and DoD civilian employees are eligible to receive assistance and enroll in ACS programs and classes.

ACS is located at 830 Chisholm Avenue and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For more information call (301) 677-5590 or visit www.ftmeademwr.com.

ACS Programs & Services

Army Volunteer Corps

The Army Volunteer Corps is designed to promote volunteerism to meet community needs. The Army Volunteer Corps Coordinator assists community agencies recruit, train and recognize volunteers. The AVCC maintains a job bank of volunteer positions on and off the installation, reviews a volunteer’s interest and abilities and recommends possible placement. Please contact us if you would like to learn about our community’s volunteer opportunities. If you already know where you want to volunteer, please register through our office.

Employment Readiness Program

If you’re seeking employment, we can help! We provide information and referral services in the areas of employment, education, training, transition, and volunteer opportunities to give family members the competitive edge needed to secure employment. Computers with internet access, a fax and copier are available for job seekers. Employment Readiness also maintains an up-to-date job bank and offers a variety of job skills classes including resume writing, federal employment, interviewing, career exploration and various employment related topics. The primary purpose of the Employment Readiness is to assist eligible family members who are relocating as a result of a military or civilian sponsor’s PCS move. The office provides information and other supportive services necessary to meet the challenges of a mobile military lifestyle.

Relocation Readiness Program

The Relocation Readiness Program provides services to support military personnel and their families as they relocate. We offer education and training such as pre- and post-move briefings, orientations and workshops, overseas orientations, pre-deployment briefings, cross-cultural training, and destination services. ACS also has a Loan Closet which maintains limited household items for you to borrow while your household goods are in transit. Other Relocation Services include support for waiting families, preparation and planning assistance before or during the actual transfer, and cultural adaptation classes for bi-cultural families. Sponsor Training is available to train unit representatives to be effective sponsors to incoming personnel easing the stress associated with relocating. Information on over three hundred installations, including all branches of military services is available on the internet. The Standard Installation Topic Exchange Service (SITES) is an automated information system providing a wide range of information on all major military installations worldwide, including Fort Meade. For more information visit www.dmdc.osd.mil⁄sites.

Financial Readiness Program

This program supports Commanders in maintaining unit financial readiness by educating and counseling service members and their families on financial self-sufficiency. Emphasis is placed upon the training portion of the program which is designed to educate Soldiers and spouses in money management, proper use of credit, financial planning, and budgeting. Our goal is to help families prevent financial difficulties before they arise. The budget counseling program can either be self-referred or command directed. This program is designed to help Soldiers pay off their debts by working with their creditors. If you are self-referred, your records are considered to be confidential and protected. We also advocate for our clients who have consumer complaints by attempting to negotiate a workable solution between the consumer and the vendor. Individual counseling sessions can be scheduled for advice on any consumer issue.

Information, Referral & Follow up

This program provides commanders, Soldiers and families with comprehensive information regarding military and civilian community resources. Our goal is to link service members and their families with available resources. Follow-up services are provided for those who have long-term needs. We’re here to help!

Army Family Action Plan

The Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is a grassroots level process that gives everyone who either works on, lives on, or uses the installation the opportunity to influence his⁄her own quality of life and standard of living. Representatives from these sectors convene annually, representing Fort Meade’s military family, to identify, develop and prioritize our local, global military, and installation’s quality of life issues. Fort Meade’s annual Symposium includes a cross section of our community. We encourage all branches of military service, family members, retirees, civilians, and teens (7th-12th graders) who live or work here at Fort Meade to participate. We welcome issue submissions at any time!

Family Advocacy Program

Family Advocacy Program (FAP) provides education and advocacy services designed to enhance family relationships and prevent incidents of child and spouse abuse. We offer a variety of parenting support programs ranging from educational workshops to a playgroup for kids from birth to kindergarten age. It’s a great way to meet other parents and a fun place to play. Programs and classes include topics such as communication, managing conflict, stress management, the dynamics of family violence, and parenting. Short term childcare is available to eligible families who are participating in mandated treatment programs. Being a parent is a tough job! We have the resources and information to make your job a little easier. This also applies to those tough marital issues, too!

Family Support Services

Fort Meade Family Support Services (FSS) is co-located with Army Community Services (ACS). In partnership with ACS, we respond to unique demands and needs that affect our population of military, civilians, retirees, and their families living in the Military District of Washington area. We’re staffed with a great team of professionals, offering classes and workshops, information and referral, and one-on-one advisement. For more information call (301) 677-3617 or fax (301) 677-2910.

Mobilization & Deployment Readiness

As we all know, Army life means separation. Whether this is your first experience, or one of many separations, remember, ACS is here to assist you. Separation is never easy. Although you may not be together, there are many things that you can do to strengthen your relationship. We understand the challenges that you, as a spouse, a child, a parent, or loved one, might experience. We also understand that having some sort of support system is essential, whether it’s a family readiness group, a social group, or a friend. Talking to someone and staying busy can make the time pass easier. Our Family Readiness Program (FRP) will assist units and their families in preparing for deployment. Family Assistance Information forms are available to you during the Soldier Readiness Program (SRP) process (they’re completed on a voluntary basis). We encourage you to complete them as this will benefit you and your family. (The form asks for the following types of information: family members, spouse, next of kin, special needs, medical problems, I.D. card and pay options.) The forms are mailed to the military installation closest to where your family is living to ensure they are welcomed, if they need assistance, while you are deployed. Should you have any questions, please contact the Mobilization and Deployment Readiness manager!

Army Family Team Building

It is a resource that is available to every member of our community. Army Family Team Building (AFTB) provides classes to educate and train America’s Army and its family members in a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and behaviors to create more self-reliant and better-prepared individuals to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Army Family Team Building is about adapting to military life as a single Soldier, military spouse, unit commander, retiree, and⁄or member of the DoD. More importantly, AFTB is YOUR organization and we welcome your participation. AFTB offers three types of courses:

Level I – Introduction: targeted toward people new to the Army or anyone interested in updating personal skills and⁄or basic knowledge.

Level II – Intermediate: targeted toward emerging leaders within the Army community.

Level III – Advanced: enhances the professional growth and leadership development opportunities of family members, especially those who might assume advisory and mentoring leadership roles within the community and unit.

Airman & Family Support Liaison

The Airman and Family Support Services are collocated with Army Community Service.† The Airman and Family Support Liaison provides a ‘‘bridge” for Air Force service members and their families to access programs and services that strengthen communities, increase mission readiness, promote self-sufficiency, and adapt to the Air Force way of life.† Please call for assistance during PCS, deployments and TDY, or anytime you have a question. It is also a one-stop point of contact for family services offered through all of the support agencies at Fort Meade and the National Capital Region.† There are Air Force specific programs that are available such as Heart Link, which is an Air Force orientation for spouses married to an Air Force Member for 5 years or less. Heart Link is held on a quarterly basis.

Army Emergency Relief

The Army Emergency Relief Program (AER) plays a unique and important role in helping the Army ‘‘Take Care of Its Own.” The AER office provides emergency financial assistance to Soldiers, both active and retired, and their family. AER is private nonprofit organization whose sole mission is to relieve the financial distress of Soldiers and their family members. AER provides assistance to all Army people, active, retired, and the spouses and orphans of deceased Soldiers. Approval of an AER loan is based on the need created by an emergency beyond the control of the Soldier.† Although each loan application is considered on its own merit, the AER office should be the last aid station when all other agencies have been unable to assist (Red Cross, Finance, other ACS programs, etc.).

Exceptional Family Member Program

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory Department of the Army enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to military families with special needs.† Soldiers on active duty enroll in the program when a family member has a physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder which requires specialized services. Their needs are then taken into consideration in the military personnel assignment process.† Soldiers are responsible for keeping their EFMP enrollment current as the exceptional family member’s conditions changes or at least every three years, whichever comes first. The Army defines an EFM as any family member, regardless of age, who has a disability which limits that individual’s ability to function on a daily basis and requires ongoing counseling, training, education, therapy or treatment. EFMP also assists eligible family members of retired Soldiers, DA Civilians, Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve.