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5th Marine Regiment

Official Website of the 5th Marines Family Readiness

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Family Readiness Officer


Kimberly Merkel

Office #: (760) 763-1253
Hotline: 866-676-0662 (Option 9, then 9, then 5)

Welcome to the 5th Marines Family Readiness website!

The Marine Corps has made a huge shift in the way it provides support and communicates to its families. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we build this program from scratch. This process is going to take several years to fully implement, and it is a USMC-wide effort.

What is "family readiness" and “family resiliency?”

  1. Family Readiness: Family readiness is combat readiness!
    Service members train as a team for a level of unit and personal readiness so they can accomplish the mission and come home SAFE. Just as a Marine or Sailor trains to stay proficient in their job skills, marksmanship and physical fitness, so must he also prepare and train his family team: a spouse, children, parents, extended family and friends. Family readiness is a measure of preparedness for a Life Event: a deployment, a permanent change of station (moving), marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or caring for an aging parent. Life Events change family readiness needs. A Marine or Sailor cannot focus on his job and come home safe if he’s worried about his loved ones at home. Being prepared increases readiness and reduces worry and stress for the Marine and the family. Less stress = more peace of mind = happier home = a safer and more capable Marine.
  2. Family Resiliency:
    The military lifestyle is challenging and rewarding. It is impossible to be ready for everything; but we can improve upon our ability to bounce back, and that's what resiliency really means. Families can learn to bounce back faster, stronger and easier with each new challenge when they are connected to resources that teaches them necessary knowledge and skills.

Your Family Readiness Officer is one member of a larger team to assist a Marine, Sailor and family member connect you to resources to help you learn to build your family resiliency.

What does my "Family Readiness Officer" do?

  1. Communication link – a unit staff member who facilitates 2-way communication link between the unit and the families, informing them of unit news and events.
    • Mass Communication Tool – a digital system with a massive database of contact information for the unit and their families. The same message is sent simultaneously via email, text or phone voice message. Family Readiness Officer manages the database and deploys the tool for use.
    • Family Readiness Hotline – 866-676-0662, press 9 for 1st Marine Division units, then press 9 for 5th Marines, then press 5 for Headquarters Company.
    • Website – www.i-mef.usmc.mil/div/5mar/
    • Email – “News You Can Use” PDF is typically sent once a week, informing you of local and national news, info and events as it relates to military living.
  2. Information and Resource Referral - Need help? If you don’t know, simply ASK. The FRO will point you in the right direction to get your answer.
  3. Family Readiness events: for fun, learning and making new friends that strengthen our 5th Marines family connections.
  4. Volunteer management – family readiness is a TEAM effort and requires the help of our family and community members. Family Readiness Assistants and Morale Support Volunteers play their unique role in the program. Click HERE to know more about volunteering.
  5. Program management – Readiness and deployment support, the FRO manages the unit family readiness program according to guidance of higher headquarters with collaboration with unit leadership under the direction of the commanding officer.
  6. Regimental level: support the programs of the 5th Marines’ battalions.

Who is a part of the family?

Born into, sworn into, married into: Whoever the Marine or Sailor considers a part of his or her family: spouses, parents, siblings, extended family members and friends.

“Marines take care of their own - period. This enduring pledge between Marines is never more sacred than during time of war. Just as every Marine makes a commitment to the Corps when they earn the title Marine, the Corps makes an enduring commitment to every Marine - and an enduring commitment to their family.”

- General Conway, 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps Planning Guidance