Thursday, September 18, 2014

What is the FRG?

What is the FRG? This is a question  that many people ask about, even the soldiers. FRG is an acronym used in the United States Army, which stands for Family Readiness Group. The FRG is a group of people who volunteer their time to a certain unit or battalion. They work under a network of communication with the chain of command, community, and one another.
Family Readiness Group is mainly associated with the United States Army and then the Reserves and National Guard. I am sure that other branches have something similar to the FRG but it could be called something different. There is a program that helps get the FRG together and gets them the information that they need. Family Programs finds resources and gathers up the information to hand out to the FRGs within the state when they have training events.

FRG is:
1. Information conduit
2. Welcoming organization
3. Self-help, referral organization
4. Source of social support and group activities
5. Unit family dedicated to achieving social and military goals

FRG is NOT:
1. Babysitting service
2. Taxi service
3. Financial institution
4. Professional counseling agency
5. Another military organization

FRG is given GOALS either by the unit they are under or from the battalion.
1. Organize events
2. prepare soldiers/families for deployments
       stresses for saying goodbye
       stresses for the reunion
3. Reduce commanders/ other leaders workload
4. Help families become more self-sufficient
5. Provide accurate information
6. Promote community resources

FRG to a family member:
1. Gives moral support during deployments
2. Provides ways to develop great bonds with others
3. Share important information
*Activities bring more positive attitudes among the families and gives them a better understanding of the military life, the unit, and the mission.

FRG to the Soldier:
1. Helps give them a peace of mind.


A little of my own experience:
I have been part of the FRG for a local unit, 772 MAC for the last 7 years or so but before that I was just a kid that had a father in the military that was not able to be deployed. To this day, I remember every meeting that my mom and I went to, just to support the women and children that had a loved one deployed in 2005. Ever since then I have grown to love the volunteering I do for this group of guys. Helping the soldiers and their families makes this even more special for me. I will continue to do the best that I can do to put out the resources that are there for them that I have been given.
The last few years my mom and I have been making breakfast or lunch for our soldiers on drill weekend as a fundraiser. The money that is raised goes to our family picnics or the Christmas dinners. The years that our unit holds the Ball, we do more fundraising so that we are able to purchase more things for the entire Battalion.



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Discounts

Always carry your Military ID
We all know that living the military life is not all about money. Saving is a must! My number ONE tip is to ask if they have a military discount when you go shopping. It never hurts to ask. Sometimes you have to do some research to find out what stores give the military discount close to you. Once you do the research you will be proud of yourself and happy that you did not destroy your pocketbook.


Places that give Military Discount on a daily basis

Restaurants
Applebees gives a free meal to Veterans and Active Duty on Veterans Day and every Monday they give a 30% discount on the entire meal.  
Sonic discount varies
Wendy's discount varies
Buffalo Wild Wings gives a 10% discount but you must check with restaurant first
Burger King gives a 10% discount but you must check with restaurant
Chick-Fil-A gives a 10% discount but you must check with restaurant
Dairy Queen gives as high as 50% discount if member shows up in uniform but you must check with restaurant
A&W discounts varies 
Hard Rock Cafe offers a 15% discount year round and sometime will increase to 20%
Arbys discount varies with location, if you go with uniform, could get up to 50% off.
Chipotle discount varies
Golden Corral discount varies
Hooters gives a 10% discount
McDonalds discount varies
Pizza Hut discount varies
Subway gives a 10% discount if not in a military town
Taco Bell discount varies
Papa Murphy's takes $3.00 off each regular priced pizza
Ihop takes 10% off entire meal

Stores
Home Depot gives a 10% discount
Lowes gives a 10% discount
Foot Locker gives a 20% discount with a foot locker veterans advantage card (any foot locker store)
Spencers give a 10% discount
Bass Pro Shop beginning the 15th of every month for a week give a 10% discount
Kohl's gives a 15% discount but must check with store
Nike gives a 10% discount in Nike owned stores
Old Navy gives a 10% discount every Monday
O'Reilly Auto Parts gives a 5 to 10% discount
Payless gives a 10% discount
Sally Beauty Supply gives a free beauty club membership card
Sam's Club gives a $15 gift upon joining or renewing a Sam's Club membership
Macy's gives a 10% discount every first Tuesday, 15% with a card
Hot Topic gives a 10% discount
GNC discount varies
Dick's Sporting Goods discount varies
Cabela's gives a 10% discount
Carlotte Russe gives a 10% discount
Michaels gives a 10% discount every Wednesday
Mary Kay Cosmetics gives 10% off on online orders
Barnes and Nobles gives a 6% discount on regular price items plus free shipping www.bn.com/militarycity
Buckle gives a 10% discount

Entertainment
Sea World gives free admission with valid Military ID
*Most amusement parks offer a Military Discount, you just have to ask. Such as Disneyland, Disneyworld, Worlds of Fun, etc.
* Movie theaters, Bowling alleys, Skating rinks, Arcades, etc. might have a discount, you just have to ask.
www.vettix.com will have tickets for any type of entertainment at a cheaper rate than what the tickets are actually going for.
*Sports teams will usually have a way to get cheaper tickets to the games through a different website, some are just $10 off but others could  be cheaper than that. Then there are military appreciation games that usually give a great discount to all military personnel.
*For those of you that have a love for golf and have always wanted to go to a major golf tournament, PGA Tour and Champions Tour give free admission with a valid Military ID
Amtrak will give a 10% discount to ride on the train

Traveling
*Hotels/Motels offer a discount so make sure you ask them as well (Best Western, Marriott, Hampton Inn, La Quinta, and Choice Hotels)
*When trying to rent a car, make sure you ask them as well (Hertz and Enterprise)
Airlines gives discounts but vary from each airline. They may do their discounts different such as Southwest does a dollar amount off on the final price but American could be different. You just have to ask.
There are programs that can help save when buying a vehicle. Most models of cars have a program that you can receive a discount from including; GM, Chrysler, Harley-Davidson, etc.

Miscellaneous
Apple gives discounts on iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs.
AT&T gives a 15% discount on mobile phone services
Verizon Wireless gives a 15% discount on monthly plans and 25% off accessories
*Like AT&T and Verizon, there are discounts for Sprint and T-mobile
Geico gives a 15% discount on insurance premiums
www.tutor.com gives free tutoring service for military families
Veterans Advantage gives a membership that is under $5 a month and provides access to thousands of discounts


Places that give Military Discount on Veterans Day
Restaurants
Olive Garden gives a free meal to Veterans and Active Duty as well as family dining will get 10% off their meal.
Red Lobster gives a complimentary appetizer
Red Robin gives a free burger (depends on the year)
Starbucks gives former and active duty and their spouses a free tall brewed coffee

Stores
Bed Bath and Beyond gives 20% off to all Veterans, Active Duty, Guard, Retirees and Spouses
Big Lots gives 10% discount
Build-a-Bear gives 15% off all military themed gifts online and 15% off entire in-store purchases
Dollar General gives 11% discount
JcPenny's gives 20% discount
Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us gives 20% off a regular-priced item
Under Armour gives 15% off plus free shipping
Walgreens gives 15% off eligible store items and 20% off Walgreens brand
Amazon offers something (depends on the year)

National Parks: On Veterans Day weekend, veterans have access to over 100 parks that require an entrance fee for free.

**Close to Veterans Day, there are usually ads that restaurants and stores put out there to show that they are supporters for the military and/or to show their appreciation.

SAVING IS BETTER WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE DONE IT SUCCESSFULLY!!