Army Family Team Building is an educational program whose primary objective is to improve the overall readiness of the force by teaching and promoting personal and family readiness through standardized, progressive and sequential education to family members; however, the program can be used flexibly to meet the needs of the individual audience.  It is not intended to displace existing programs for family members, such as Family Readiness Groups, but to enhance such programs.
Army Family Team Building is a serious business.  It’s about READINESS:  Mission Readiness and Family Readiness, adapting to Army life, accepting challenges, dealing with change and developing life skills.  Locate your AFTB Program Specialist or View upcoming trainings for your area.

Catch up on the latest information from Army Family Team Building by visiting the AFTB Download Center for great resources and documents.

Army Family Team Building is not a new idea or concept. 
It is the formal recognition and naming of something the Army and Army families have been doing for over 200 years, sustaining and nurturing the force and serving the nation.  It is volunteers connecting families to the Army through training that is divided into 3 levels of instruction.

1. Level I - Learn, 10 Classes/8hours
2. Level II - Grow, 14 Classes/17.25 hours
3. Level III - Lead, 14 Classes/13.25 hours

View the complete AFTB syllabus and contact your AFTB Program Specialist to find out about any past or future trainings.

Once family members have completed the Army Family Team Building program, they become a combat multiplier and enhance overall readiness of the force.  An informed, empowered family allows the Soldier to concentrate efforts and focus in on the mission of defending our nation.  The Soldier is able to feel confident and secure that his or her family is better prepared for the challenges of mobilization.

After AFTB training, our family members are more knowledgeable about the military and develop realistic expectations resulting in less frustration and confusion.  If informed families can do more to help themselves, the command can focus on its mission while assuring family members that the military support will be there.  In this respect, command support of the program is vital to its success and in the best interest of commanders.  AFTB  contributes to readiness, performance, retention and recruitment, all vital to the Army’s mission.

1. Family member students are trained by Volunteer Instructors or Volunteer Master Trainers at the local level.
2. Volunteer Instructors are trained by Master Trainers to teach Levels I, II and III.
3. Volunteer Master Trainers are trained and certified by the Department of the Army (DA) and commit to teach/work AFTB for 1 year.
4. Core Volunteers Instructors are trained and certified by DA and teach all DA sponsored trainings.

To become involved with AFTB as a student or volunteer, contact your command's AFTB Program Specialist from the directory.

MIRC AFTB ITC - Nine Military Intelligence Readiness Command volunteers took their Army Family Team Building (AFTB) training to the next level by attending MIRC’s Instructor Training Course which was coordinated by the AFTB Program Specialist, Mrs. Erin King. The AFTB ITC was held 13-15 February 09 at Buena Vista Palace Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, Florida. The course was taught by 3 Master Trainers; Shelia Brigham Jones, Pia Morales, Erin King, and 1 Core Instructor; Claudia Phillips. MIRC’s new instructors completed 14 hours of classroom education and presented a portion of an AFTB Level I class to become certified MIRC instructors. The new instructors will help service Soldiers and Families across the Military Intelligence Readiness Command. The outstanding volunteers attending the Instructor Training Course were Greg and Yvonne Bailey from DET 5 EUCOM JAC ARE, Bryn Beary from AROA, Rikki Bettinger from 321 MI BN A CO, Shenee Simon from 377  MI BN C CO,  Joseph and Dawn Smith from 2500 MIG, Laura Street from 2500 MIG, and Katherine Willson from DET 3 EUCOM ARE.

USACAPOC(A) AFTB ITC - The USACAPOC(A) AFTB Instructor Trainer Course, coordinated by the AFTB Program Specialist, Mrs. Tiffany Vedvick, was held 27 Feb -1 March 2009 in Raleigh, NC.  The course was taught by four Master Trainers; Melissa Salerno, Casi Lathan, Melissa Konkol, and Daphne Forrest with the assistance of 2 Volunteer Instructors; Doris Edward and Shellmay Goto.

This was the first class in almost two years for our command.  At the training we certified 21 new Instructors; Anna Badendieck, Kathy Barrus, Janene Bisceglie, Luciano Campagnolo, Wendy Clemente, Juan De Dios Correa Osorio, Kimberly DeRose, Eclecius Franklin, Timika Franklin, Sara Freeman, Lanai Furtado, Miguel Hernandez, Denise Kowalick, Amy Lauder, Jim Morris, Gessy Nixon, Rena Patierno-Hope, Sherie Peterson, Monica Spruiel, Alison Stephens, and Stacey Taylor.

Both the students and instructors alike came away with a renewed fire and passion for AFTB and we have no doubt they will all be fantastic ambassadors for Army Family Team Building throughout the country.  For our students, a huge "light bulb" moment was the concept of hosting AFTB classes for leaders from their civilian communities back home and marketing the classes to the communities they live in to promote awareness and understanding of the unique life and challenges military members and their families face.

With AFTB Training Online, it’s easy to start learning about how to survive and thrive in today’s Army. Level I and II are available online in both English and Spanish! Level III lessons are available in English.
To learn more about AFTB Training Online click here.