Commander’s wife banned from the brigade

There have been many complaints from people about FRG's being nothing more than a click of powerful people taking down others. The "Family Readiness Groups" on most bases are supposed to be about supporting the families of the troops, educating them on issues ranging from PTSD, TBI, their own health and yes, offering emotional support. If you think the FRG's in real life are anything like the one on Lifetime's Army Wives, you must not have talked to many real Army wives.

Aside from the stress of being married to someone being deployed over and over again along with the readjusting when they come home, there is also the issue of careers that have to be put on hold or forgotten about because of transfers, the threat of losing everything from housing to benefits if they should separate from their military spouse, domestic violence, the list goes on. Family Readiness Groups are supposed to be there to fill needs and not the ego of someone at the expense of all others. Some bases have good ones and others have them like this one.

Commander’s wife banned from the brigade

By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 4, 2010 10:39:32 EDT

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Lt. Col. Frank Jenio was hit by an ear-splitting hourlong tirade from his commander’s wife, Leslie Drinkwine, complaining about the roster of his battalion family readiness group.

“Go ahead, and get me fired,” Jenio was heard shouting into his phone. Afterward, he emerged from a conference room, red-faced and furious, a source who was present said.

The March 2009 incident was not the last run-in between the wife of Col. Brian Drinkwine, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and one of his battalion commanders.

In January, less than a year later, Jenio and his command sergeant major Herbert Puckett were relieved of command while deployed in Afghanistan by Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the 82nd Airborne’s commander. An investigation found they used “poor judgment which fostered a command climate that was not consistent with our Army values.”

Puckett said in a statement to investigators that Leslie Drinkwine later “bragged” to the rear detachment commander, “One team down, five to go.”

The confrontation between Leslie Drinkwine and Jenio was emblematic of an environment within the 4th Brigade, particularly its family readiness group, that was so toxic that it triggered an investigation by a three-star general.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/07/army_drinkwine_070410w/