Exceptional Families of the Military (EFM) has heard from Guard and Reserve families that once they are activated it can be extremely difficult to access the services that they are entitled to.

BLUF: Members of the Reserve Components, the Reserve and National Guard, face access barriers to resources for their special needs families due to branch of service family support functions, active duty installations, and stand-alone Guard/Reserve installations spreading misinformation and harboring misunderstandings about the EFMP program at large.

Our Purpose: Reserve Component (RC) families face many challenges whether serving as active duty (AGR), being activated locally, or deployed, especially those families with special needs. There is a readiness impact when members of the Total Force are serving on active duty and their families are unable to access the same services as their Regular Active Duty counterparts. We request that a GAO Study be conducted to quantify the number of Reserve Component families that could be enrolled in EFMP both currently (AGR) and in an activated status. This would provide DoD the required information for the first step to meet the force readiness needs of Total Force EFMP families.

Current Status: EFMP authorizes and entitles Reserve Component (RC) members with exceptional families to access its services if they are AGR or on Title-10 orders of 30 days or more. However, gaining EFMP status and access is complicated, unsupported in a majority of locations, and usually results in families facing too many barriers to access the programmatic and medical support required for readiness.  Activated RC members must spend time away from the mission to help their families navigate complicated bureaucracy and advocate for necessary treatments instead of focusing on the mission. 

1. RC Service level offices or specialists who assist members or installation staff with enrollment are non-existent or unknown.   Service members are largely unaware of instructions on how to enroll themselves or get services once enrolled.
2. Families are often told incorrect information at active military installations, if they happen to be co-located, including but not limited to: a) told they cannot enroll because Guard/Reserve do not qualify, b) only have access to limited services, c) will not be helped by the active installation since they are RC.
3. A majority of RC members are stationed at stand-alone RC installations with no active component, limited support or staff, which perpetuates the barriers to program knowledge and support.
4. The timelines required for EFMP enrollment/disenrollment are incompatible with activation cycles for RC members, resulting in vulnerable members' exclusion from vital resources.
5. Many families are unaware of EFMP programs and medical assistance that is available. For reference, 25% of the National Guard is AGR, over 50,000 potential families could be excluded from an entitlement due to lack of knowledge, access, and support.

Our Request: The RC requires a GAO Study directed in the FY23 NDAA to quantify the number of RC families who are currently eligible for EFMP (AGR) and who could become eligible if activated (traditional RC members). A tracking mechanism is required for Total Force EFMP families to access resources.  

Conclusion: Giving RC members permanent or reasonable access to EFMP while AGR or on Title-10 orders is vital for the military members and their families. It would directly affect readiness, resiliency, and retention by establishing a much-needed chain of support for the most vulnerable links in the military community. This GAO Study requires bipartisan champions. We ask that you take the first step by sponsoring GAO study language into the FY23 NDAA.

To learn additional ways to help our guard and reserve families visit us at: https://exceptionalmilitaryfam.com/guard%2Freserves

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