Survey responses help guide improvements

Gen. David McKiernan
Commanding General, 7th Army and USAREUR

In February 2006 I encouraged participation in a survey that was being conducted to measure force well-being and determine satisfaction or dissatisfaction with programs, facilities, services, and other aspects of living in the Army in Europe.

The overall survey results indicate satisfaction with support services and the readiness of our families to sustain themselves well during deployments and transformation. Among the most highly rated categories were Army ethos, pay, welfare, and recreation. Areas that indicated a need for improvement were access to healthcare, home-finding services, the condition of our barracks, and concerns over substance abuse in our military communities.
To help address concerns, we are putting together a task force of key stakeholders to concentrate on areas needing improvement. In addition, we plan to conduct another well-being survey in 2007. I encourage you to participate in that survey as well. Doing so will enable you to make your voices heard once again. The dates for that survey have not yet been determined, but will be announced throughout the Army in Europe as we get closer to the survey period.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who took time to respond to the survey. I also want to thank those who helped administer the survey. Your participation provided valuable feedback to me and my staff and will help us concentrate our efforts on ensuring the readiness and well-being of our Soldiers, civilians, and families.