Army Launches Web Sites to Connect Deployed Soldiers with Their Families, Deliver Family Support Services; Family Members Videotape Messages to Deployed Soldiers at Web Site Launch Event.

Media Advisory:    Press Conference and
                   Video Messaging to deployed Soldiers

Location:          Coronado Island Marriott
                   2000 Second Street Coronado, CA 92118
                   Room: St. Tropez Ballroom

Time:              6 p.m.

The Army and the Army Reserve will jointly host a national launch of new Web portals to support deployed Soldiers and their families June 27 in San Diego. The Army's Web portal (www.myarmylifetoo.com) and the Army Reserve Family Programs portal (www.arfp.org) are "one-stop shopping" websites that provide families with information and services designed to enhance communications between Soldiers, their families and family programs staff.

At the launch event in San Diego, participating family members of deployed Soldiers will be able to upload video messages that will be streamed to their Soldier via an Internet connection provided by email from the family member. The launch event will be held in conjunction with the Army Reserve Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) conference, where delegates from all Army Reserve Commands will be represented.

Major General Collis Phillips, Deputy Chief, Army Reserve, will be speaking at the event and will recognize the important role of families in supporting their Soldiers and the commitment that the Army has to supporting the families.

Thirteen-year-old Kyle Field of Manhattan, Kan., will be among those recording video messages to deployed family members. Kyle's father, Sergeant First Class Edward Field, was deployed to Iraq last year as part of the 482nd Transportation Company based in Cherokee, Iowa. Kyle's mother, Sabrena, says they're looking forward to taping Kyle's message. "We have been able to email Edward, and sometimes call him, but actually sending a video is exciting. The video will allow Kyle to add a very real sense of emotion to his message. I think his dad will be thrilled to receive it."

The U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center staff (CFSC) and the Army Reserve Family Programs staff provide vital information and services to Soldiers and their families. The My Army Life Too and Army Reserve Family Programs Portal sites, both developed by DefenseWeb Technologies of San Diego, augment this physical family support system in a virtual environment, readily accessible 24/7 from any computer with Internet access.

The Army (www.myarmylifetoo.com) and the Army Reserve (www.arfp.org) provide information and services to:

--Soldiers (deployed and stateside) -- the latest news and information, links to family services and updates on Family Programs, as well as interactive online resources.

--Families -- information on the various programs and services available to help family members adjust to change, deal with challenges related to mobilization, deployment and every day living.

--Employers -- information to help civilian employers support their citizen-Soldier employees.

"Soldiers and their families have many questions when faced with deployment," said C.R. Lee Ratliff, Director, Army Reserve Family Programs Office. "Families continue to have questions and needs after a Soldier is deployed. Empowering the families to access information and services through easy to use web sites are an important element in enabling the Soldier to focus on their mission."

"MyArmyLifeToo.com takes a unique approach to delivering access to service providers and providing timely, accurate and relevant information for our Army Families. In today's environment of multiple websites and information overload, we want our families to know they can always trust MyArmyLifeToo.com to be their 'website of choice' for keeping them connected and informed," says Vicki Brown, Chief, Army Family Enrichment Division, and the project administrator for MyArmyLifeToo.com.

The Army Reserve Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is a forum that allows Soldiers and their families to raise issues to Army Reserve leadership. It's a process that lets Soldiers and families say what's working, and what isn't -- and how to improve programs and services.

The Army and the Army Reserve recognize that the families, friends and employers are a critical component of Soldier readiness. Utilizing technology to provide answers to questions, to connect Soldiers and their families and to ease some of the burdens of deployment and separations has become a key element in the Army's strategy for improving troop readiness and retention.

About the Army CFSC (Community Family & Support Center)

The CFSC assists Army commanders in maintaining readiness of individuals, families and communities within America's Army by developing, coordinating and delivering services, which promote self-reliance, resiliency, and stability during war and peace. The Active Duty Component of the Army maintains a force of about 500,000 Soldiers.

For more information visit www.myarmylifetoo.com.

About the Army Reserve:

The Army Reserve is one of three components in the Army, along with Active Duty and Army National Guard. The Army Reserve has more than 2,000 units in the United States, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Germany, each one trained in a specialized skill and ready to support Army missions around the world. There are more than one million Army Reserve Soldiers ready to support Active Duty Soldiers and serve the nation when called upon by the President. The Army Reserve has nearly 62,000 Soldiers deployed worldwide.

For more information, visit www.arfp.org.