at the international level while remaining in the military. More
importantly, it gives the Army important national visibility
and reinforces public pride in the country’s armed forces.
Participants train and compete throughout the year with a goal
of qualifying for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
They hone their skills with elite civilian and military coaches
at America’s best facilities. But military obligations must be
met. The athletes stay current with Army requirements, attend
military schools, and remain competitive with their uniformed
counterparts. The outreach value of their activities is invaluable.
The Soldiers hold clinics, speak to high school and college
audiences, talk with athletic teams, and make appearances in
support of Army recruiting stations. Since 1948, 446 Soldiers
have represented the United States at the Olympics, earning
111 medals in a variety of sports. WCAP continues that proud
tradition and creates high morale among Soldiers and civilians.
Of course, the number of top-ranked Soldier-athletes is limited.
But other troops and their families have programs they can
access, ranging from access to libraries and arts and crafts
centers to camping, “Warrior Adventures,” and equestrian
services. They can take advantage of catering and dining
services that provide foods in casual restaurants or prepare
banquets for hundreds of guests, all at good prices. There are
also lifestyle services galore.
MWR addresses every aspect of Soldiers’ and family members’
lives imaginable. It provides an assortment of Army Community
Service professionals to facilitate quality of life programs that
include mobilization and deployment, financial and relocation
readiness, survivor outreach, family advocacy and the list
goes on.
The programs cover anything from domestic and child abuse
to helping wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers find tailored,
compassionate, and coordinated services to assist them in
transitioning either back to service or into civilian life. One
of the more forward-looking services is SHARP, the Sexual
Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program.
SHARP highlights the Army’s commitment to addressing
significant social issues. It is an integrated, proactive effort to
end sexual harassment and sexual assault within Army ranks.
As spokesmen emphasize, sexual harassment and sexual
assault have no place in the Army. That is why it developed
SHARP under the auspices of MWR to, among other things: to
promote cultural change across the Army, with a vision toward
a culture of discipline and respect in which Soldiers intervene
in sexual harassment and sexual assault to protect one another,
offer a comprehensive effort to educate leaders and Soldiers
about sexual harassment and sexual assault. To also provide
commanders with the essential resources, education, and
training they need to succeed in bringing an end to sexual
harassment and sexual assault in the Army. Significantly,
SHARP permeates the Army structure from the Pentagon down
to the individual Soldier level.
The programs administered today by MWR deviate sharply from
those offered by the Army 125 years ago. Today the programs
focus on all Soldiers and their families from enlistment to
discharge, retirement, and beyond to make their lives easier
as they continue the proud tradition of the United States Army.
MWR is a valuable part of that history.
MWR has developed an increasing number of programs
that affect Soldiers’ lives in a variety of ways as they adapt to
changes in the cross-over social and military worlds. There is
no doubt that MWR will continue that mission in the future as
well as it has in the past with copious amounts of innovation
and resiliency. That has been its modus operandi since the post
traders closed their doors back in the late 1800s. There is no
reason to believe MWR will shut its doors anytime soon.
For more information on the Army MWR program access
https://www.Armymwr.com/programs-and-services/personalassistance.
The website provides an in-depth look at the
variety of services offered and links to up-to-date news about its
recent activities.
AUTHOR’S BIO
Arthur G. Sharp is the author of 9 books and 2,500 articles on a variety
of topics. He edits several military association magazines. Sharp earned
his honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps after
serving four years. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history.
52 ARMY 245: Call to Duty