Auburn University

A Core Tenant of Military Life Is the Importance of Family Readiness as It Relates to Force Readiness. the Importance of Supporting Service Members and Their Families in an All-volunteer Force Is Included in the John S. Mccain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Service Members Need to Focus on Their Mission and in Order to Do So, IT'S Critical That They Know Their Families Are Ready and Prepared for LIFE'S Challenges. Military Families Face Unique Stressors Including Permanent Changes of Station, Lengthy Work Hours for the Service Member, Deployments and Exposure to Combat-related Activities (macdermid Wadsworth, 2010). Most Military Families Are Resilient in the Face of These Challenges But Community Support Is Critical to Developing and Maintaining Family Resilience (bowen, Martin, & Mancini, 2013).THE Family Readiness System (dod Instruction 1342.22) Is an "any Door" Approach to Ensuring the Unique Needs of Service Members and Their Families Are Supported by a Network of Providers. Potential Providers Supporting Military Families Include Support Personnel on Installations as Well as Community-based Providers. the FRS Vision Allows Families to Get Support Across a Range of Services Including Financial Counseling, Family Support/counseling, Caregiving Training and Support, and Supporting Families With Special Needs. Fundamentally, Professionals Providing Services to Military Families Need to Understand Their Role in the FRS as Well as Maintain Content-based Knowledge, Training, and Credentials. Ensuring Adequate Training and Credentialing Across This Wide Range of Services Is an Expensive and Time-consuming Effort That Is Enhanced by Leveraging a Network of Technological and Human Resources.the Military Families Learning Network (MFLN), Currently Based at Auburn University, Engages Military Family Service Providers (MFSPS) in the Exchange of Experiences and Research That Enhance Their Work and Encourage Professional Growth. This Work Is Guided by the Theory That a Skilled and Collaborative Network of Mfsps Supports Significant Positive Outcomes for Military Service Members and Their Families. We Believe That Mfsps: 1) Know What Issues Are Important to Their Work With Military Families; 2) Have Professional Experiences Worth Sharing; and 3) Can Learn From Each Other. to Encourage a Viable Network for These Professionals, It Is Necessary to Plan, Implement and Facilitate Programming That Supports Collaborative, Online, Informal Learning and Networking Environments Attractive to Adult Learners.the MFLN Has Nine Years of Experience Providing Online Professional Development Opportunities for Mfsps. the Current MFLN Team Includes Six Primary Concentration Areas (cas), With Two Additional Focused Special Needs Cas, Led by Faculty at Land-grant and Military Serving Universities; Personal Finance (university of Florida), Family Development (valdosta State University) Including Special Needs Early Intervention (university of Illinois Urbana-champaign), Family Transitions (university of Minnesota), Military Caregiving (texas A&m) Including Families With Special Needs (west Virginia University), Network Literacy (north Dakota State University), and Nutrition and Wellness (university of Illinois Urbana-champaign). Working Closely With Subject Matter Experts at the Department of Defense (DOD) to Identify Critical and Trending Issues, Our Current MFLN Cas Create and Deliver Timely, Innovative Professional Development Opportunities for Mfsps Worldwide. the Work of the Cas Is Supported by a Core Leadership Team With Expertise in Family Science, Human Development, Program Development and Evaluation, Community Capacity Building, Educational Technology, Communications, and Web-based Educational Platforms.