The Army Family: a White Paper

Publisher Marketing: The Army Family: A White Paper, modeled on Army Chief of Staff General John A. Wickham Jr.'s landmark document covering the historically evolving relationship between the Army and the Army Family from 1775 to 1983, adds to this important story by capturing the dramatic change throughout the culture of the Army from 1983 to 2003. Cognizant of the ripple effect of mutual relationships, Army Chief of Staff General Eric K. Shinseki during his tenure committed to bringing General Wickham's vision and promise to fruition by ensuring what he termed Army Well-Being and then recording the further progress benefiting Army families everywhere in his own white paper. In this equally watershed document General Shinseki provides a historical summary, survey, and assessment of changes since 1983; describes the Army Family and its circumstances through 2003; and discusses new commitments for realizing a seamless Army Family system that unites the Army at large in the midst of meeting new strategic challenges in distant lands. The centerpiece of his holistic approach to Army Transformation is family well-being, in his view a compelling institutional imperative if the Army is to succeed in today's unpredictable world.