This study examines Army Family Support Groups (FSGs). The focus of the research is on FSG leadership and whether the Army should hire paid FSG coordinators or continue to use volunteer leaders. The study demonstrates that FSGs are beneficial to the Army. It also recognizes that ineffective FSGs can be detrimental to a unit. The study presents characteristics of effective FSGs and uses them to develop required competencies for FSG leaders. It analyzed the resources required to employ paid coordinators in active duty brigade equivalents. Such a program would cost roughly $32,000 per brigade, or nearly $6 million for the active Army. The study analyzes payoffs and disadvantages to paid FSG coordinator strategy. It recommends that the Army should continue to use volunteer FSG coordinators because the payoffs of employing paid FSG coordinators do not outweigh the costs. By making the changes to the current system that this thesis recommends, the continued employment of volunteer leaders would be even more enhanced.

ADA 284630 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)