The Unit Personal & Family Readiness Program (UPFRP) provides communication, information, resources and support to the Marines, and their families from the time they receive orders for Independent Duty to the time their tour ends.
The UPFRP supports the 4th District Commander's commitment to Marine and family support and "taking care of our own". To achieve this there is a District Readiness Coordinator (DRC) at the District Headquarters in addition to each Recruiting Station’s (RS) Active Duty Uniformed Readiness Coordinator (URC). While the DRC supports all the Marines and families within the District as a whole, the URC works closely with the Marines and families within their area. The program here on Recruiting Duty can look a little different than what you may be familiar with from a base, however the key tenets of the program are the same.
Family Readiness Officer
(717) 836-0980
Email
harmony.hutman@marines.usmc.mil
Mailing Address:
4th Marine Corps District
54 M Ave, Suite 9,
New Cumberland, PA 17070-0806
The main objective is to provide timely and relevant two-way communication to all the Marines and families attached to 4MCD. The DRC focuses on information and issues that affect our Marines and families at a District wide level, whereas the URC is the direct link to the RS Command and local information. The DRC/URC will act as a conduit for communication back to the Command from the Marines and their families on issues and concerns that they may experience. This information is used to help share support resources and create training opportunities to proactively impact the lives of our Marines and families.
Perhaps the largest portion of the work done is making sure that Marines and families have the information about resources and services available to them. Given the unique nature of this independent duty, this is a challenging task that is constantly being refined. The hard work and support of Family Readiness Volunteers assist us in making sure we are providing the best level of I&RR we can. You will notice links here as well for the Regional MCCS support that we are able to take advantage of virtually give our distance from Marine Corps Installations. We rely heavily on Marines and their families reaching out if they have issues or concerns, so it is important that we have accurate contact information from the Marines upon checking in with us.
Within the District we have trainers that can provide workshops and brief on various topics to help Marines and their families succeed and thrive while on independent duty. Starting at Basic Recruiter Course, where the DRC welcomes and briefs the new Marines, moving to virtual Welcome Aboard meetings with new families, and stretching throughout the remainder of the Marine’s tour, there will be opportunities to come together and learn more about the Mission and how to meet the challenges that Independent Duty provides. Time is our most precious resource on this duty, while the Marines will not be deploying for long stretches at a time, they do work long and hard hours. All of the traditional training opportunities that you would find on a base are available to us here, though not always in the same way you may be used to. We tailor our trainings to meet the needs of the Marines and family members, as well as offer unique training opportunities that you will not find on an installation.
A solid Personal & Family Readiness Program benefits from a dedicated group of volunteers that help share their knowledge and skills with those around them. The DRC and URCs within the District work hard to encourage and engage the volunteer program to ensure that while on an independent duty, no Marine or family feels as if they are alone. We encourage spouses and family members to reach out if they are interested in assisting with networking and communication efforts as a Family Readiness Volunteer.
Have a look at the Resources that are posted on the right hand side of this page for more information about the duty.
Every Recruiter will attend Basic Recruiters Course (BRC) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, California. About half way through this course there will be an Assignment Day, where the Marine will find out which Recruiting Station they will be assigned to. On this day the DRC will brief the Marines and have them begin the process for getting themselves and their families connected. If you are an A billet, meaning not assigned as a Recruiter, you will receive an email from the DRC shortly after you appear on the inbound roster, and later an outreach from the RS staff. While the information on Recruiting duty may not seem as beneficial to you, it is good to understand what the Marines you support actual do, and the rest of the welcome guide still has some solid information for you.
If you did not receive this email, feel free to contact the DRC directly through the link on the top right of the page. The NAVMC11654 is listed here as well so that you can update your contact information and email this to the DRC.
Also, have a look at the other links listed here to get you started in the right direction. Along the way reach out and ask any questions that may come to mind so that we can best support you on this transition.
Recruiting 101: Each RS conducts a Proficiency and Review (PAR) training for the Marines assigned to Recruiting Duty once they are checked in; generally speaking they each have a time set aside to welcome in the spouses of those married Marines as well and conduct Recruiting 101 brief to explain how the duty works and give details for your particular RS. Talk with your Marine or URC to find out when the next PAR training will be once you are at the RS. This training takes place roughly every two months, so if you miss the one your Marine is a part of, talk with them about the option of attending the next PAR training during the family welcome portion or if they offer it virtually.
District Spouse Orientation Course (DSOC): Here at 4th District, this event is a labor of love, and we dedicate a great deal of resource and effort to make it amazing each and every time. DSOC is hosted each year so that each RS has one opportunity a year to send spouses to this event. It is a 3 day workshop event that covers several training topics and gives an incredible opportunity to the spouses of the District to meet and connect with others within their RS as well as their general geographic area. This event offers our spouses the ability to build their networks of support while here on recruiting duty in addition to learning more about themselves and engaging with the great resources available to them. You can contact the DRC or your URC for more information on the upcoming DSOC for your RS.
Uniformed Readiness Coordinator (URC): Recruiting Station URCs are active duty Marines stationed within each RS. Their role is to provide on the ground support via communication, and information & resource referral. Each URC also oversees the volunteer program within the RS, welcoming in new families and offering support with challenges they may face. They are your first line of contact for information on the area, questions, or concerns about anything Personal and Family Readiness related.
District Readiness Coordinator (DRC): Harmony Hutman, located at 4th Marine Corps District HQ in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. The DRC role includes support and training of staff, Marines, and family members, as well as information dissemination, and wide range family readiness issues. She works closely with each URC at the RS locations to assist them with information and resource referral as well as handle readiness issues that they may not be familiar with. The goal of the DRC is to support general Personal and Family Readiness issues that affect the entire District. This does not mean that DRC is not also connected to the families, in fact they also act as a conduit for Marines, spouses, or family members to reach out to with questions and concerns. The DRC will pass along information to everyone in the district from time to time as a supplement to the work of the URCs. In addition to the normal DRC duties, while on Recruiting Duty, the DRC is a point of contact for issues related to the Exceptional Family Member Program and Tricare, two things not normally done by the UPFRP. Within 4MCD, the DRC also acts as a POC and approving official for the Military Outreach Initiative by the YMCA which offers gym memberships for our Marines and their families.