In times of a deployment you may notice your Soldier acting a little different. He or she has a lot of things on their mind. Some info may not get passed on to you. Please use this page as a resource. If you have any questions that are not answered here please contact the Family Readiness Group.
Resources
Family Assistance Center (Duluth)
Shawn Valentine 218.723.4852
Medical Transition Advisor & Coordinator
Jeri Longfellow 651-282-4091
Military Family Life Consultants
Dave Thompson (MFLC) 651.249.5897
Coaching Young Children and Youth
Darlene Wetterstrom 651.212.0943
Military OneSource
Karly Vogel 952.237.5056
Transition Assistance Advisors
Allan Jorgensen 651.282.4667
John Stepan 612.308.5723
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Jim Sullivan 651.268.8203
State Child and Youth Coordinator
Gail Mossman 651.268.8695
Operation: Military Kids
Amy Padden 785.313.3569
American Red Cross
Kelly Hunt 612.872.3275
Checklists:The following checklists will allow you and your family to organize medical information, administrative issues, and financial information during times of long temporary duties and deployment. The more organized your records and information, the more successful you will be when there's an immediate need.
Note: Feel free to browse the checklists below, copy and store them in a binder for your files.
From the DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) website www.dfas.mil
Helpful links;
FAQs
Q. What is the Soldiers' and Sailors' Act of 1940?
A. If you're a reserve component service member called to active duty, you're protected by a law that can save you some legal problems and possibly some money as well. Under the provisions of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, you may qualify for any or all of the following:
•Reduced interest rate on mortgage payments.
•Reduced interest rate on credit card debt.
•Protection from eviction if your rent is $1,200 or less.
•Delay of all civil court actions, such as bankruptcy, foreclosure or divorce proceedings.
"Although all service members receive some protections under the SSCRA, additional protections are available to reserve components called to active duty," said Lt. Col. Patrick Lindemann, deputy director for legal policy in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Most active duty service members are familiar with the provisions of the SSCRA that guarantee service members the right to vote in the state of their home of record and protect them from paying taxes in two different states.
One of the most significant provisions under the act limits the amount of interest that may be collected on debts of persons in military service to 6 percent per year during the period of military service. This provision applies to all debts incurred prior to the commencement of active duty and includes interest on credit card debt, mortgages, car loans and other debts. The provision, Lindemann emphasized, applies to pre-service debts, and the interest rate reduction doesn't occur automatically — service members must request it.
Q. If an emergency should arise how do I contact my soldier?
A. To inform your soldier of an emergency 1st contact the unit 2nd call the American Red Cross. They have the resources to find your soldier in an emergency only. The American Red Cross links members of the U.S. Armed Forces with their families during a crisis. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Red Cross quickly sends emergency communications to deployed service members on behalf of their family. Military members can have peace of mind knowing that when they are on a mission, in training or stationed far from home-and leaving cell phones and emails behind-they are still connected to home.While providing service to 1.4 million active duty military personnel and their families, the Red Cross also reaches out to more than 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families living in nearly every community in America. Red Cross workers in hundreds of chapters and on military installations briefed 974,573 departing service members and their families regarding available support services, and explained how the Red Cross may assist them during the deployment.Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance in partnership with the military aid societies, information and referral and assistance to veterans. Red Cross personnel form a global network in 700 U.S. chapters, military installations worldwide and in forward deployed locations in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Q. Who covers my health care while my spouse is deployed?
A. TRICARE is the health care program serving active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, retirees, their families, survivors and certain former spouses worldwide. As a major component of the Military Health System, TRICARE brings together the health care resources of the uniformed services and supplements them with networks of civilian health care professionals, institutions, pharmacies and suppliers to provide access to high-quality health care services while maintaining the capability to support military operations.
TRICARE is available to active duty service members and retirees of the seven uniformed services, their family members, survivors and others who are registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The uniformed services include the:
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Navy
- U.S. Marine Corps
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service
- Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
TRICARE is also available to members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families. Benefits will vary depending on the sponsor's military status. The National Guard and Reserves includes:
- U.S. Army National Guard
- U.S. Army Reserve
- U.S. Navy Reserve
- U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
- Air National Guard
- U.S. Air Force Reserve
- U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.
You must be registered in DEERS and have a valid uniformed services identification card showing you are eligible for TRICARE
Q. I am worried about my child during the deployment, do you have any tips?
A.Children going through deployment may experience many of the same effects as children of divorce. They worry about what will happen to them. They worry that the non-deployed parent will leave, too. Who will take care of them? This is particularly true if the family has trouble with mail deliveries or pay allotments which is sometimes the case in early days of separation. Preparing a child emotionally prior to departure will help the child cope as the service member leaves for training or for deployment. Make sure children know they are loved. Whenever there is distress in a family, children assume responsibility for it. They may feel responsible that a parent is going away or feel that the parent does not love them any more. Providing consistent, loving assurance will help alleviate this. Be Truthful. Children are very perceptive! As soon as the service member starts planning and preparing for a drill or deployment, the child will catch on that something is up. Do not lie to your child in an attempt to shield him or her from the truth or they may assume something worse. Talk to your child openly and honestly. Share Feelings. Children often lack the vocabulary to share their feelings. It will help if parents talk about their own feelings which will help children communicate their feelings. Let your child know that even negative thoughts and feelings are OK and normal. Explore Destination. Using a map or globe, show your child where you are going and chart your route. Using books or encyclopedias, explore weather conditions, cultural norms, or products produced in that region.Communicate with Teachers. If your child is school-age, let the teacher know what is going on at home. The teacher may use maps and chart your travels with the class!Design an Activity to Pass Time. With your child, design or create an activity to help mark time. For younger children, make a paper chain with a link for each day you will be gone that the child can use to measure time (the child will break a link each day). For an older child, choose a book that you both would enjoy and each read a pre-assigned passage everyday.Show Your Workspace. If possible, set aside time to show your child the ship and where you will be eating, sleeping, and working. Or, take your child to the armory prior to departure and show him or her the artillery guns or weapons that you might be working with while away.Let Your Child Help You Pack. Letting your child help you pack will allow him or her to be more involved in the process and also allow them to "care" for you. If possible, let them decorate the inside of your footlocker. Not only will they have great fun but you will enjoy their artwork for days and months to come.Signs of distress even with the best laid plans and a cheerful demeanor, parents cannot always prevent their children from experiencing stress when the Reserve member is called to duty. They may not fully understand why Dad or Mom is gone and they may worry about their safety. They will also be very perceptive to what the parent at home is feeling. These fears may consciously or subconsciously trouble children. The following are signs of separation anxiety that children may exhibit when their parent is away.Preschool or Kindergarten
Age Children- Clinging to people or favorite toy or blanket.
- Unexplained crying or tearfulness.
- Choosing adults over same-age play mates.
- Increased acts of violence toward people or things.
- Shrinking away from people or becoming very quiet.
- Sleep difficulties or disturbances (waking, bad dreams)
- Eating difficulties or change in eating patterns.
- Fear of new people or situations.
- Keeps primary care giver in view.
School-Age Children
- Any of the signs listed above, and:
- A rise in complaints about stomachaches, headaches, or other illnesses.
- More irritable and crabby.
- Problems at school (drop in grades, does not want to go, or general complaining)
- Anger toward at-home parent.
Adolescents
- Any of the signs listed above, and:
- Acting out behaviors (trouble at school, home, law)
- Low self-esteem and self-criticism.
- Misdirected anger (lots of anger over small things; directed at siblings/parent)
- Sudden or unusual school problems.
- Loss of interest in usual interests and hobbies.
Positive Aspects of separation many parents worry about the negative impact of deployments on children. However, deployments offer many positive growth opportunities. Several psychological studies show that despite the distress during separation significant developmental gains are made by many children. Some positive aspects of separation include:Fosters maturity. Military children encounter more situations and have broader and more varied experiences than children from non-military families. Induces growth. Military children learn more about the world and how to function within a community at an earlier age. Taking on additional responsibilities in a parent's absence provides a chance to develop new skills and develop hidden interests and abilities.Encourages independence. Military children tend to be more resourceful and self-starters. Prepares for separations. In a life-style filled with greetings and farewells from deployments and relocations, helps for future farewells and building new friendships.Strengthens family bonds. Military families make emotional adjustments during a separation which often lead them to discover new sources of strength and support among themselves. A major function of family readiness is assuring that the family is aware of all support services available to them and how to access these services. It is imperative that the Reserve family realize that they are not alone and, chances are, whatever problem or situation they encounter has been addressed before.www.4militaryfamilies.com
- Clinging to people or favorite toy or blanket.
- Unexplained crying or tearfulness.
- Choosing adults over same-age play mates.
- Increased acts of violence toward people or things.
- Shrinking away from people or becoming very quiet.
- Sleep difficulties or disturbances (waking, bad dreams)
- Eating difficulties or change in eating patterns.
- Fear of new people or situations.
- Keeps primary care giver in view.
School-Age Children
- Any of the signs listed above, and:
- A rise in complaints about stomachaches, headaches, or other illnesses.
- More irritable and crabby.
- Problems at school (drop in grades, does not want to go, or general complaining)
- Anger toward at-home parent.
Adolescents
- Any of the signs listed above, and:
- Acting out behaviors (trouble at school, home, law)
- Low self-esteem and self-criticism.
- Misdirected anger (lots of anger over small things; directed at siblings/parent)
- Sudden or unusual school problems.
- Loss of interest in usual interests and hobbies.
Positive Aspects of separation many parents worry about the negative impact of deployments on children. However, deployments offer many positive growth opportunities. Several psychological studies show that despite the distress during separation significant developmental gains are made by many children. Some positive aspects of separation include:Fosters maturity. Military children encounter more situations and have broader and more varied experiences than children from non-military families. Induces growth. Military children learn more about the world and how to function within a community at an earlier age. Taking on additional responsibilities in a parent's absence provides a chance to develop new skills and develop hidden interests and abilities.Encourages independence. Military children tend to be more resourceful and self-starters. Prepares for separations. In a life-style filled with greetings and farewells from deployments and relocations, helps for future farewells and building new friendships.Strengthens family bonds. Military families make emotional adjustments during a separation which often lead them to discover new sources of strength and support among themselves. A major function of family readiness is assuring that the family is aware of all support services available to them and how to access these services. It is imperative that the Reserve family realize that they are not alone and, chances are, whatever problem or situation they encounter has been addressed before.www.4militaryfamilies.com 
