Soldier/Family Deployment Survival Handbook
Family Deployment Readiness for the Active
Army,
the Army National Guard, and the Army
Reserve
This
handbook is a new publication of the [SL1]Operation READY (Resources
for Educating about Deployment and You) materials developed under a contract
with Headquarters, Department of the Army, Community and Family Support Center,
and the United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service, and the Texas Cooperative Extension, of the
Texas A&M University System.
Grant Administrator and Project
Director
for Texas Cooperative Extension
Nancy Granovsky
Project Manager
Granville E. (Gene) Tyson
Editor and Design
Susan Lee
Production Coordinator
Diane Wisneski
Cover Illustrator
Emma Stark
Student Assistant
Luis Gomez
Operation READY: A Resource Link for Army Families
Texas Cooperative Extension
The Texas A&M University
System
in cooperation with
The United States Army
Community and Family Support Center
March 2002
How To Use This
HANDBook
This handbook is divided into three sections:
#
The first is an information
section covering the many details of deployment separation that families need
to know. Read this for information so you’ll be ready for the deployment when
it comes.
#
A special section for Guard and
Reserve families is included, with information unique to their situations.
#
The third section contains
resources, including an alphabetical listing of local services, agencies, and
programs; checklists for soldier and spouse; and a financial worksheet.
The resource section also includes problem-solving matrices, showing
solutions to some of the common problems experienced in a deployment. If you’re
having a problem in one of these areas, find the problem area in the Table of
Contents that fits your situation, and follow the arrows on that matrix to the
solution. Note the section that applies to families living overseas (USAREUR).
The information there is applicable to their unique situations.
Units may customize this handbook by providing local phone numbers, unit
information, and adding other items the unit sees as appropriate for their
soldiers and families. This
should be a living document, updated regularly, and reissued for each
deployment. The following items in the Resources section
should be customized by each unit:
#
the title page (page v). Add your
unit insignia and name.
#
“Alphabetical Listing of
Services, Programs, and Centers” (page 49[SL2]).
#
“How Can I Get Medical
Attention?” (page 76). Add your local medical services information on this
page.
#
“How Can I Solve Problems with My
Children?” (page 84). Add your Family Advocacy phone number to this page.
Due to the various types of printers being used in the units, please note
that this file was reformatted to your printer when it was opened, which may
have caused the page numbers mentioned in this document to be slightly
different. We have tried to minimize this problem by referring you to specific
items in the Resources section rather than to specific page numbers. However,
you may want to verify the accuracy of the following page numbers that have
been mentioned:
# the page numbers mentioned in the previous paragraph,
# the Table of Contents, and
# the page numbers listed on the problem-solving matrix “How Can I Help a
Distressed Person?” on page 79.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Fort Hood Army Community Service for the use of
information from Fort Hood Pam 608-3, Soldier and Family Readiness Guide,
and to Fort Bragg Army Community Service for information from their Family
Readiness Handbook.
Darmstadt Army Community Service provided the Problem Solving Matrix,
which we are delighted to employ to help other Army families solve their
deployment problems.
OPERATION READY
MATERIALS
The Operation READY (Resources for Educating About
Deployment and You) curriculum is a series of training modules, videotapes, and
resource books published for the Army as a resource for Army Community Service
staff in training Army families who are faced with deployments.
This curriculum includes the
following training modules and reference materials:
#
Pre-deployment and Ongoing Readiness
#
Family Assistance Center
#
Homecoming and Reunion
#
Army FRG Leaders’ Handbook
#
The New Army Family Readiness Handbook
#
The Leader’s Desk Guide for Family Readiness (new)
#
The Soldier/Family Deployment Survival Handbook (new)
Videos to supplement the above
materials are:
# Practical
Readiness—Smart Ways to Minimize Deployment Hassles
#
Making Your Reunion Work
# Family Assistance Center
# Family Readiness Groups—A Place to Belong
# Introduction
to Operation READY (new)
# To
Get the Most Out of Army Life, Think ACS (new)
These materials have been distributed to all U.S. Army
installations throughout the world, as well as to U.S. Army Reserve, and National
Guard commands. The materials are distributed in hard copy form as well as
stored on CD-ROM disks. They are also available through the virtual Army
Community Service web site, http://trol.redstone.army.mil/acs. For copies of
the above materials, check with your local Army Community Service, Mobilization
and Deployment office.
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U.S. Army
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Table of
Contents
Army
Acronyms………………………………………………………………………………………….. xi
What is a Family Readiness Group (FRG)?
How Can I Benefit from It?…………. 1
Why Have a Family Readiness Group?………………………………………………………….. 1
What is a Family Readiness Group?……………………………………………………………… 1
How Does the FRG Work?………………………………………………………………………… 1
No Rank in the FRG………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Your Place in the FRG……………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Your Invitation………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
How to Use the FRG Telephone Roster (Chain
of Concern)……………………………… 3
Call
the Unit to Stay Informed……………………………………………………………………… 3
Safety Precautions………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Use Good Judgment………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Security…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Safety……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Precautions
for Avoidance of Terrorist Attacks……………………………………………….. 7
Predeployment Considerations…………………………………………………………………….. 11
Personal and Family Readiness…………………………………………………………………….. 11
What is Deployment?…………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Rear Detachment………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Unaccompanied
Tour…………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Prepare for Deployment Now……………………………………………………………………… 12
Get Organized………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
Preparing the Children………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Dual
Military and Single Parent Deployments………………………………………………….. 13
How Can I Manage Separation?………………………………………………………………….. 15
Stages of
Separation………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
How to Manage Separation………………………………………………………………………… 15
Children and Separations……………………………………………………………………………. 17
Staying in Touch during a Deployment………………………………………………………….. 19
Letter Writing…………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Tape Recording………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Telephone Calls………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
E-Mail…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Video……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Mail………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Finances: How Do We Take Care of Each
Other?…………………………………………. 22
Financial Difficulties……………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Financial
Support for Spouses……………………………………………………………………… 22
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)………………………………………………………… 22
Separation Allowance………………………………………………………………………………… 22
Family Member Information………………………………………………………………………… 23
PX
Star Card Account Information………………………………………………………………. 23
Identification (ID) Cards: The Key To Benefits…………………………………………….. 26
Replacement ID Cards……………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Temporary ID Cards…………………………………………………………………………………. 26
Emergency Resources: Getting Help When Needed.…………………………………….. 27
Military Medical Emergency………………………………………………………………………… 27
Army Emergency Relief (AER)…………………………………………………………………….. 27
American
Red Cross (ARC)……………………………………………………………………….. 28
Reunion: They’re Back! What Do I Do Now?……………………………………………….. 29
Readjustment……………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
What We at Home Can Do…………………………………………………………………………. 29
Ideas for Family Members………………………………………………………………………….. 29
Make it Easier for Children…………………………………………………………………………. 29
Preparing for Reunion………………………………………………………………………………… 30
Tips to Make Reunion Day Joyful…………………………………………………………………. 30
Post-Deployment Stress……………………………………………………………………………… 31
ARMY
RESERVE (USAR) AND ARMY NATIONAL GUARD FAMILIES
Background Information……………………………………………………………………………… 35
Help is Available……………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Stay
with Your Network…………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Take Care of Finances……………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Thank You………………………………………………………………………………………………. 35
Information to Assist USAR and Guard
Families…………………………………………… 36
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act (SSCRA)……………………………………………… 37
Sample Letter to Creditor on 6 Percent Interest Rate……………………………………….. 40
Secretaries Martinez and Rumsfeld Announce Mortgage Rate Cut
for
America’s Military……………………………………………………………………………. 41
Employer Support Vital to Army Reserve, National Guard………………………………… 42
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
(USERRA)
Servicemember’s Information Paper…………………………………………. 43
Important Resources for USAR and Guard Families………………………………………… 45
Resources
Alphabetical Listing of Services,
Programs, and Centers……………………………….. 49
Office
Duty Numbers………………………………………………………………………………….. 55
Soldier’s
Checklist………………………………………………………………………………………. 57
To the Spouse…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 61
Spouse’s Checklist……………………………………………………………………………………. 63
Monthly
Financial Worksheet……………………………………………………………………… 67
Mail
Release Form……………………………………………………………………………………… 69
Problem Solving………………………………………………………………………………………….. 71
Financial
Problems
How Do I Solve Pay Problems?
72
How Do
I Solve Problems in Paying My Bills?……………………………………………. 73
How Can I Get Emergency Financial Help?……………………………………………….. 74
Housing
Problems
Help! I Am Locked Out of My Quarters!………………………………………………….. 75
Medical
Problems
How
Can I Get Medical Attention?………………………………………………………….. 76
Legal
Problems
Do
I Need a Power of Attorney?…………………………………………………………….. 77
How Can I Get
Legal Help?……………………………………………………………………. 78
Dealing with Distressed People
How
Can I Help A Distressed Person?………………………………………………………
79
How
Can I Help Someone Who is Depressed?…………………………………………..
80
How
Can I Help Someone Who is Bored and Lonely?…………………………………
81
How
Can I Help Someone Who is Feeling Isolated?……………………………………. 82
Problems with Children
How
Can I Solve Childcare Problems?……………………………………………………… 83
How
Can I Solve Problems with My Children?…………………………………………… 84
Family Readiness Group Issues
How
Can I Reach My Family Readiness Group Leader?……………………………… 85
Contacting the Deployed Spouse
How
Can I Get In Touch with My Deployed Spouse?…………………………………. 86
How
Do I Contact My Spouse’s Unit When He is Deployed?………………………. 87
USAREUR Problem Solving………………………………………………………………………… 89
ID Cards, Passports, and Birth
Certificates
How
Do I Get Birth Certificates and ID Cards for Newborns? ……………………… 90
How Do I Get a
New Passport?……………………………………………………………… 91
How Can I
Get ID Cards for My Family?………………………………………………….. 92
How Can I Get a
Passport for a Baby?…………………………………………………….. 93
When Do I
Need My Passport?………………………………………………………………. 94
American Red Cross
How Can I Contact
the American Red Cross?……………………………………………. 95
Postal
Information
What
Are the Rules about Mailing to My Spouse?………………………………………. 96
How
Can I Use the MPS Mail System Overseas?………………………………………. 97
How Can I Use Free Mail?…………………………………………………………………….. 98
What
about the Deploying Soldier’s Mail?…………………………………………………. 99
Questions about In-Loco-Parentis
Issues
How
Can I Get In-Loco-Parentis Status for Someone to
Care
for My Child?……………………………………………………………………………
100
How
Can I Get Support for In-Loco-Parentis Caregivers?…………………………….
101
What
about Foreign Nationals Acting as In-Loco-Parentis?…………………………..
102
How
Can I Get Administrative Support for Childcare Providers
Acting In-Loco-Parentis?…………………………………………………………………… 103
Questions about USAREUR Driver’s License
How
Do I Get A USAREUR Driver’s License?…………………………………………..
104
How
Can I Replace My Lost USAREUR Driver’s License?…………………………. 105
Information
about Emergency Leave in USAREUR
How
Do I Get Emergency Leave in USAREUR?…………………………………………
106
How
Can I Go Back to the U.S. for a Visit?………………………………………………. 107
Automobile Information
My
Car/Truck Broke Down. What Do I Do?…………………………………………….. 108
I Had an
Accident, and I Am Lost. How Do I Get Help?……………………………… 109
Transportation of Household Goods
When
I’m Deployed, What Happens to My Stuff?………………………………………. 110
Questions about Early Return
of Family Members
How
Do I Get My Family Home When I’m Deployed?………………………………..
111
How Do I Take a (Space Available) AMC
Flight Home?…………………………….. 112
Information
on Housing
Help!
I Am Locked Out of My Quarters!………………………………………………….. 113
How
Can I Go Home for an Extended Visit and Still Keep My
Quarters in Germany?……………………………………………………………………….. 114
ARMY ACRONYMS
Whoever said the Army speaks an entirely different language
wasn’t kidding! In your daily interaction with “America’s Army,” you may hear
words or phrases that are unfamiliar. Don’t be intimidated. Ask what they mean.
The following list provides some of the acronyms most commonly used by your
soldier.
AAFES Army and Air Force Exchange Service
ACAP Army
Career and Alumni Program
AER Army Emergency Relief
APF Appropriated Fund
AFTB Army
Family Team Building
AR Army Regulation
APO Army Post Office
ARNG Army National Guard
AUSA Association of the United States Army
AWOL Absent Without Leave
BAQ Basic
Allowance for Quarters
BAS Basic
Allowance for Subsistence
BDE Brigade
BDU Battle Dress Uniform
BN Battalion
CDR Commander
CDS Child Development Services
CFS Command
Financial Specialist
CFSC Community
and Family Support Center
CG Commanding
General
CO Commanding
Officer/Company
CPO Civilian Personnel Office
CYS Children
and Youth Services
DA Department
of the Army
DANTES Defense
Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
DECA Defense
Commissary Agency
DEERS Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System
DFAS Defense Finance and Accounting
System
DCA Director
of Community Activities
DPCA Director
of Personnel and Community Activities
DI Drill Instructor
EDRE Emergency Deployment
Reaction Exercise
EDS Education Services
ETS
Estimated Time
of Separation
FAC Family
Assistance Center
FAO Finance and Accounting
Office
FAP Family Advocacy Program
FCP Family
Care Plan
FMEAP Family Member Employment Assistance Program
FRL Family
Readiness Liaison
FTX Field
Training Exercise
HQDA Headquarters
Department of the Army
HRSC Human
Resource Service Center
IG Office of
Inspector General
IVC Installation Volunteer Coordinator
JAG Judge
Advocate General
JFTR Joint
Federal Travel Regulation
LES Leave
and Earnings Statement
MTF Military Treatment Facility
MIA/POW Missing in Action/Prisoner of War
MOS Military
Occupational Specialty
MWR Morale,
Welfare and Recreation
NAF Non-Appropriated
Funds
NCO Noncommissioned
Officer
NLT Not Later Than
OCONUS Outside Continental United States
OTSG Office
of the Surgeon General
PAC Personnel
Administration Center
PAO Public
Affairs Officer
POA Power
of Attorney
POC Point
of Contact
POV Privately
Owned Vehicle
PX Post
Exchange
QTRS Quarters
(living area)
RD Rear
Detachment
RDC Rear
Detachment Commander
REG Regulation
SBP Survivor
Benefit Plan
SDO Staff
Duty Officer
SJA Staff
Judge Advocate
SOP Standard
Operating Procedure
STARC State
Area Command
TDY Temporary Duty
TRADOC Training and Doctrine Command
TRICARE Military
Medical Health Plan
UCMJ Uniform
Code of Military Justice
USAPA United States Army Publishing Agency
USARC United States Army Reserve Command