The US military social support system is based on a hierarchy that flows from the Department of Defense. All agencies are subsystems of the Department and cater to various aspects of armed forces personnel’s life and career. This includes, as is the case with militaries all over the world, support to the individual who is serving, their families and children. This means that all aspects of the soldier’s life, be it physical, mental or monetary and much more has to be catered for. This requires a vast formal and informal structure of the state.
There are a large number of family services which are available in the US Army. Their delivery is invariably through the base system. Thus each military base has a unique system of provision of family services. This includes many issues ranging from domestic violence and child abuse in their various forms such as emotional and psychological abuse to denial of freedoms and funds. The rights of the family against abuse have been expressly protected by the Army Advocacy Program. These are not mere advocacy programs but also include the safety and awareness planning.
The program is extensive to include Victims Advocate, 1200 local shelters which are available for victims of violence for partners as well as spouses. These provide excellent facilities to include counseling, training, legal and medical aid as well as drug and alcohol treatment. (Domestic, Nd). Another important family service provided is the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). This program is designed to provide family members with comprehensive support of the community, through health, medical, housing and other needs.
This provides for the behavioral needs of a family member with physical, intellectual, developmental or emotional disorder and includes counseling and training needs. (EFMP, 2003). However the facilities of a behavioral health specialist are not directly available to family member. Another program is the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) which is designed to prevent the abuse of families be it child or spouse and provides education and prevention support as well as a parent support program. (Family Advocacy, 2003)