The United States Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs are executed within the Installation Management Command G9, Family and MWR Directorate, following the deactivation of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command on 3 June 2011 in a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston. According to the organization's official mission statement, IMCOM G9 delivers "quality Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs and services supporting the readiness and resilience of the All-Volunteer Army."

According to U.S. Army Regulation , Army MWR is a quality-of-life program that directly supports readiness by providing a variety of community, soldier, and family support programs, activities and services. Included in MWR are social, fitness, recreational, educational, and other programs and activities that enhance community life, foster soldier and unit readiness, promote mental and physical fitness, and generally provide a working and living environment that attracts and retains quality for U.S. Army soldiers, family members, retirees and its civilian workforce.

The range of MWR programs offered at Army Garrison's is based on the needs of authorized patrons who work and reside there. Programs are managed by garrison commanders within the framework of authorized and available appropriated and non-appropriated funds. Non-appropriated funds are those funds that are locally generated by MWR programs or provided by Installation Management Command (IMCOM) region directors and/or the Family and MWR Programs. AAFES dividends are also a source of non-appropriated funding.

Each MWR program is classified by category. Categories are determined by their effect on the military mission and their ability to generate revenue.

Objectives Family and MWR supports combat readiness and effectiveness; supports recruitment and retention of quality personnel; provides leisure time activities, which support a quality of life commensurate with generally accepted American values; promotes and maintains the mental and physical wellbeing of authorized personnel; fosters community pride, soldier morale, and family wellness and promotes unit esprit de corps, eases the impact of unique aspects of military life, such as frequent relocations and deployment.

History Source:MWR History and Philosophy

Although the United States Army was founded in 1775,United States Army Center of Military History, The Birthday of the U.S. Army Morale, welfare, and recreation programs did not exist for the Army until the start of the twentieth century.

Before that time, troop support came informally in the form of tradesmen and trading posts. The goods they were able to provide included meals, clothing, and laundering.

The formalization of MWR services began with limited Congressional oversight established in 1876 over "Post Traders" and then the establishment of Army "PX" or The Post Exchange, by Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) in 1895, with War Department General Order No. 46, 1895.Army and Air Force Exchange Service Official Website Profits from the Post Exchange were used to support recreational activities for the troops.

In 1903, the United States Congress passed the 1903 Army Appropriations Act, which provided funds to build, operate and maintain PXs, libraries, schools, recreation centers, and gyms for the troops.

The Army Morale Division was established in 1918, followed by the Army Motion Picture Service in 1920 and the Library Service in 1923. In 1941, the Army Morale Division and these other organizations collectively became "Special Services."

By 1943, Special Services had grown to include all of Army Recreation Services, the Army Exchange (the precursor to the Army and Air Force Exchange [AAFES]), and the Army Soldier Show. Special Services soon established the first Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) in Bavaria (FMWR currently manages five AFRCs) and, by 1950, Special Services was placed under the Army Adjutant General's Office during an Army reorganization.

Services for families, rather than just troops, began to emerge in the mid to late 1960s. In 1965, Army Community Services was created, followed in 1968 by a Youth Activities Program and, in 1971, an Outdoor Recreation Program.

Emphasis on the family continued in 1981 with the first Family Advocacy Program and the first Army Family Symposium.

With the publication in 1983 of Army Chief of Staff General John A. Wickham Jr's White Paper, the Army Family, the integral support role of Soldiers' families was acknowledged. The development of Gen. Wickham's White Paper led to initiatives such as the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP), Family Readiness Groups and Army Family Team Building.The Army Family by General Eric K. Shinseki – Foreword (June 2003)

On 23 November 1984, the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center (CFSC) was formed under General Order Number 40, as a Field Operating Agency.

In 1993, oversight of CSFC changed from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (DCSPER), to the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (ACSIM) and the organization itself changed from a Field Operating Agency to a Direct Reporting Unit on 24 October 2006 when Installation Management Command (IMCOM) was activated and the Installation Management Agency (IMA) was deactivated.Installation Management Command History With the activation of IMCOM, CFSC became the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) on 24 October 2006. Since 1996, ArmyMWR.com has been the website serving Soldiers and their Families at Garrisons and Installations in the United States and throughout the world.

The Family and MWR Command revised and published a new brand logo in 2010.

On 26 May 2011, the command retired its flag in Alexandria, Va., to prepare for a move to San Antonio, Texas, in accordance with Base-Realignment and Closure law.United States Army, Evan Dyson "Flag casing ceremony marks new era for Army MWR" 1 June 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.

The Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command was deactivated on 3 June 2011 in a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston. The deactivation ceremony formally changed FMWRC into the Installation Management Command G9 Division, commonly known as Family and MWR Programs.United States Army, Tim Hipps "Army MWR integrated into Installation Management Command" 6 June 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.

The first Director, G9 for MWR Programs was James C. Abney, SES. The SES (Senior Executive Service)Senior Executive Service (United States) is a pay grade for civilians in the Federal Government, somewhat equivalent to the rank of General. Prior to this appointment,Deputy to the Commanding General of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) Mr. Abney was Deputy to the Commanding General of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) (now deactivated), and a Highly Qualified Expert (HQE) with duties as the Special Assistant to the FMWRC Commanding General.

A new campus for the Installation Management Command was dedicated at Fort Sam Houston on 19 Aug. 2011.United States Army, Tim Hipps "Ribbon cutting opens Installation Management Command on Fort Sam" 25 August 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011. Besides adding additional office space for MWR employees, the campus also features a new building for the Maj. Gen. Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR School of the Installation Management Academy, formerly the Maj. Gen. Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR Academy.United States Army, Tim Hipps "Installation Management Academy welcomes students to Fort Sam Houston" 30 August 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011. The historic Fort Sam Houston Theatre is also being adapted for use by the organization. When complete, interior modifications will include a modified stage, additional storage space and more room for lighting and recording equipment.United States Army, Evan Dyson "Army Entertainment Detachment holds change of command ceremony" 6 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.

The current director of Family and MWR Programs is Mr. Paul Burk.

Executive summary

The Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality Program (NAFI), is operated by the Army for Department of Defense agencies and MWR programs are established, maintained, and disestablished under sole authority of Army Regulation AR215-1.

FMWR's major business partner, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, provides a dividend to Army FMWR based on two distinct agreements. In the first, the Army shares 50 percent of AAFES net income after depreciation with the Air Force based on the number of active duty Soldiers and Airmen in each service—currently the Army receives 30 percent and the Air Force 20 percent of AAFES generated dividend revenue. Through the Army Simplified Dividend, garrisons receive 100 percent of profits from "Class VI" or personal demand supply items (such as health and hygiene products, soaps and toothpaste, writing material, snack food, beverages, cigarettes, batteries, and alcohol), 80 percent of pay telephone revenue, and 0.4 percent of all local AAFES sales. The latter component is deducted from the Army share of total AAFES profits with the remainder going to the Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Fund.

Revenues received from Army Lodging room charges are used solely to sustain and recapitalize the Lodging program and its facilities.

Monies derived from user fees and sales, AAFES, and recreation and amusement machine operations are invested and earn interest to benefit Army FMWR operations. When combined, NAF represents 42 percent of all funding, allowing Army FMWR programs to continue to serve more than 3.9 million patrons.

Most of this money goes to Army installations and is used to run FMWR operations, programs, and services. What is left is focused on Army-wide capital improvements and minor construction and capital purchases.

Total Army Strong/Army Family Covenant

Unveiled on 8 October 2007, the Army Family Covenant institutionalized the U.S. Army's publicly announced pledge to support its soldiers and their families—Active, Guard and Reserve—with resourced programs to deliver a quality of life "commensurate with their service and sacrifice to the nation". According to U.S. Army officials, the Army Family Covenant commits the U.S. Army to enhance soldier and family readiness by:

Standardizing family programs and services Increasing accessibility to health care Improving Soldier and family housing Ensuring excellence in Child, Youth & School Services Expanding education and employment opportunities for family members.Army News Service "Army Leaders Sign Covenant with Families" 18 October 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2010.

Since implementing the Army Family Covenant, U.S. Army senior leaders say they've made significant progress in fulfilling its promises.Stars and Stripes, Matt Millham – "Covenant benefits kick in for Army programs" 1 March 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2010. But, they also acknowledge more work is needed to build an environment where Army families can prosper and realize their full potential within the constraints of persistent conflict.

In 2015, the Army renamed the covenant program to "Total Army Strong." Rather than having a prescribed list of what programs stay and go, Total Army Strong will give installation commanders the authority to determine what Soldier and family quality-of-life programs work best in their particular geographic communities, because needs differ from Georgia to Washington state, to Korea.

Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs

Armed Forces Recreation Centers