Guard Members and Their Families

Guard Members and Their Families



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The DoD has developed a number of helpful readiness guidebooks and checklists to help you ensure necessary tasks are accomplished before, during, and after deployment.

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in this section.

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Click on the links below to check out the handbooks and guides that are available.

Readiness and Deployment

Guard & Reserve Family Readiness Programs Toolkit
The Army Family Readiness Handbook
Personal and Family Readiness Guide
Air Force Family Readiness EDGE
Air Force Crossroads Predeployment Guide: A Tool for Coping
A Soldier and Family Guide to Redeploying

Benefits and Entitlements

Guide to Reserve Family Member Benefits

Finance

The Citizen Soldier’s Guide to Mobilization Finance
Veteran’s Small Business Resource Guide

Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Guide: Protecting Your Family and Your Home
OPSEC: A Guide for Family and Friends

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spacer  Guard & Reserve Family Readiness Programs Toolkit   spacer
About:
The Toolkit provides a wealth of information on benefits, deployment assistance, finances, family program management, volunteer management, and much more. Active and Reserve components are designed so that everyone can use the same terms when discussing deployment preparations. (Note: this is a large file, so try the web version by clicking on the http icon to the right.)
Sections
  • Commanders
  • Service Members
  • Family Members
  • Family Readiness Program

 
Source:
Department of Reserve Affairs
File (Size):
PDF file (70K)
 WWW

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  The Army Family Readiness Handbook spacer
About:
This 220-page document is designed to be used for Army National Guard and Reserve units, as well as active installations. Sections focus on the complex preparedness and deployment issues for today’s families. This is an extensive resource based on Operation READY.
Sections
  • Command Leadership Family Support
  • Starting a Family Support Group Program
  • Resources for Successful Family Support Groups Coping with Separations
  • Managing Deployment and Homecoming
Source:
Operation READY: Resources for Educating and Deployment and You, U.S Army, 1994
File (Size):
PDF file (1.3MB)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Personal and Family Readiness Guide spacer
About:
A 119-page guide developed to assist military members and their families in preparing for and coping with separations caused by contingencies, extended mobilizations, remote assignments, and natural disasters. This document reviews basic information such as benefits and provides specific “how to” guides for carrying out critical tasks. This handbook provides excellent readiness information for Army and Air Guard and includes an extensive checklist section.
Sections
  • Deployment Readiness
    • Pre-deployment, Deployment, Reunion and Homecoming, Single Service Member, Stepparents, Emergency Preparedness
  • Tools
    • Data sheets, Checklists, Inventory Lists, Contacts

 
Source:
Army National Guard in cooperation with the National Guard Bureau Family Program
File (Size):
PDF file (833K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Air Force Family Readiness EDGE spacer
About:
This resource directory is designed to assist members of the Integrated Delivery System (IDS) in providing support to family members whose sponsors are involved in deployment and mobilization. This guide is also useful for families to understand their benefits, contacts, and services. The Air Force Family Readiness EDGE lists and describes Air Force and other resources, their Web sites, and telephone numbers for family assistance.
Sections
  • Air Force Resources and contacts
  • Checklists for deployment
  • Military Pay
  • Travel Pay
  • Government Travel Charge Card
  • Family Support Organizations Chaplain Services
  • Special needs
  • Legal Programs
  • Web site directory

 
Source:
U.S. Department of the Air Force
File (Size):
PDF file (863K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Air Force Crossroads Predeployment Guide: A Tool for Coping spacer
About:
This is an online interactive tool created to assist military members and their families in preparing for and coping with separations. This guide answers questions on deployment and addresses the reunion of friends and family.
Sections
  • Predeployment
  • Deployment
  • Reunion
  • Important Information and Guides
  • Response to National Disasters & Other Contingencies

 
Source:
Air National Guard
Site:
 WWW

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spacer  A Soldier and Family Guide to Redeploying spacer
About:
This tri-fold brochure discusses redeployment and reunion issues with an emphasis on medical concerns.
Sections
  • Assessing your medical status
  • Potential changes in your health
  • Health concern questions
  • Who to contact if you have health concerns
  • What about my health concerns if I am in the Guard or Reserves?

 
Source:
Deployment Health Clinical Center
File (Size):
PDF file (123K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Guide to Reserve Family Member Benefits spacer
About:
This 32-page booklet explains the wide range of benefits available to Guard and Reserve families.
Sections
  • ID Cards
  • Medical and Dental Benefits
  • Dental Benefits
  • Legal Assistance
  • Military Pay and Allowances
  • Travel on Military Aircraft
  • City Pair Fares Program (Commercial Air)
  • Commissary, Exchange, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Benefits
  • Child Care
  • Relief Societies/Emergency Financial Assist.
  • Military Aid Societies by Service
  • The American Red Cross
  • Civilian Job Rights and Protections

 
Source:
Department of Defense, April 15, 2004 Edition
File (Size):
PDF file (123K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  The Citizen Soldier’s Guide to Mobilization Finance spacer
About:
This 35-page guidebook contains financial information including contacts and Web site resources for service members while they are mobilized. This includes important information about what and how you will be paid.
Sections
  • Responsibilities
  • Military Pay
  • Travel Pay
  • Government Travel Charge Card Mobilization/Demobilization Process
  • TDY Travel Advance
  • Points of Contact
Source:
The Army National Guard Financial Services Center, January 2004
File (Size):
PDF file (618K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Veteran’s Small Business Resource Guide spacer
About:
This 22-page resource guide was developed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for small business owners returning from an active tour as part of their National Guard or Reserve obligation. It contains tools, planning resources, and information to help reestablish a small business.
Sections
  • Checklist
  • Legal and Administrative
  • Taxes
  • Financial
  • Marketing
  • Additional Resources
Source:
U.S. Small Business Administration
File (Size):
PDF file (605K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer  Emergency Preparedness Guide: Protecting Your Family and Your Home spacer
About:
The Emergency Preparedness Guide has been prepared by the Homeownership Alliance in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.  The guide provides steps you can take to safeguard your home and keep your family safe in the event of an emergency, whether a natural disaster or other threats to safety.
Sections
  • Emergency Supplies
  • Emergency Planning
  • Specific Terrorist Threats
  • Family Communications Plan
Source:
Homeownership Alliance in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security
File (Size):
PDF file (600.9K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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spacer OPSEC: A Guide for Family and Friends spacer
About:
Military families often have small pieces of seemingly insignificant information that if acquired by the enemy could jeopardize personnel safety or mission accomplishment. This brochure discusses the steps military families should take to keep critical information secret and by doing so protect Operations Security, or OPSEC.
Sections
  • What Is OPSEC?
  • You Are a Vital Player in Our Success!
  • Protecting Critical Information
  • Examples of Critical Information
  • What Can You Do?
  • Be Alert
  • Be Careful
Source:
1st Information Operations Command (Land), Vulnerability Assessment Division, OPSEC Section
File (Size):
PDF file (550K)

Note: To open the document, click on the PDF link. To save the PDF files to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

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