Gone for a Soldier:
Preparing for Lengthy Deployments

With downsizing of the active duty military, Guardsmen and Reservists are finding themselves called up to serve more than the traditional weekends and two weeks' active duty. Units and individuals with skills needed to augment the regular forces are seeing deployments of as long as six months.

While TDY's are routine for active duty families, that's rarely the situation for Guard and Reserve dependents. The military culture may be alien to the families, the unit may drill in another state, and the nearest military base might be a hundred miles or more away.

Since Desert Shield\Desert Storm, DOD healthcare officials realize that the military does not deal well with nontraditional issues like deployment stress. According to figures from the Army, 15% of all medical evacuations from Bosnia are due to mental health reasons, many of them dealing with deployment concerns.

No similar statistics are kept regarding Reservists or Guardsmen. However, the treatment of families during deployments plays a role in a decision to re-enlist. Following the Gulf War, Air Force Reservists received a survey about support given to families during that deployment.

"The response came back that overwhelmingly there was a lack of support to families which caused reservists to really reconsider their commitment to being a member of the Air Force Reserve," according to Linda Rosso, Chief of Family Matters for the Air Force Reserve Command. Recognizing that, the Department of Defense is developing a strategic plan to standardize the preparation and treatment of the dependent families.

While there are some differences between the different branches of service, the basics are all the same. Everyone receives "Mission: Readiness," a workbook the covers every phase of daily life that's affected by deployments. There are checklists of paperwork that needs to be available, explanations about how the military works, advice on preparing children for deployments, suggestions on maintaining communications and a good mental outlook during a separation, and how to readjust to 'normal' life after the deployment.

As in all things military, paperwork is critical. "An ID card, a copy of the orders, and a POA (power of attorney), and I have what I consider a deployable spouse or family member," says Capt. Timothy Brooke, in charge of family support for the 29th Virginia Division of the Army National Guard, which is due to rotate to Bosnia in October, 2001.

Those are the minimum. Wills, financial papers, rental agreements or deeds, divorce and custody papers, and other legal documents should be kept in a fireproof safety box in the house.

Finances and medical care are other common concerns. For those with successful civilian jobs, the change in finances may be the most dramatic change when switching from civilian to military life. Military pay is often far less than what's made on the outside. Families often need advice on how to adjust their lifestyle to cover bills, take advantage of entitlements, read leave-and-earning statements, and compensate for the diminished wages and perks.

Medical concerns are another major issue. Recalled military members often lose civilian medical coverage. Families need to be briefed on obtaining health care.

Getting information out about those issues happens during Family Days, another common element for all branches of service. Part workshop, part social event, this is a one-day, one-stop briefing held at the unit. It covers the basics as well as giving families a chance to meet and establish some contacts before actual separations.

All branches also have a contact person within the unit, called an ombudsman, family readiness director, key volunteer, or something similar. Usually a volunteer spouse, this person is the liaison between the civilian dependents and the military. Working under the direction of the unit commander, this is the civilian most responsible for the support that kicks in once the unit waves farewell.

The Air Force Reserve has the most standardized family support program. Each of the 39 units has a Family Readiness Director who is given specific tasks and directions to meet them.

Communications is the number one priority. Newsletters, phone calls, a toll-free number that's manned 24\7, on-line sites for family members, and - if all else fails - direct e-mail contact with Rosso keep the families up to speed with what's happening to the unit.

When deployments occur, families receive information packets tightly targeted to their individual needs, including age-specific information for children. The Air Force Reserve also recognizes that not all support comes from the military. There's a lot of emphasis on creating community connections where families live. "We are not looking to bring them back to the installation. We are looking to augment the community where they already live and let them know there are resources available for them where they exist."

For the National Guard, each state's guard command has a state family program coordinator, who works directly for the state's Adjutant General and is responsible for the family readiness within the state. That person works with guidance from the National Guard Bureau's Family Program, headed by Dorothy Ogilvy-Lee.

"Our system is preparation, sustainment during the deployment, then paying a lot of attention to reunion and reintegration after the long deployment, because it really plays havoc with relationships," she says.

Both the Army Guard and the Air Guard programs depend largely on volunteers. The Air Guard is starting to bring full-time staff to work on family programs, but as yet, it is still an "additional duty status" for military staff.

Typical of how the Army Guard units prepare is seen by the steps taken by the 29th Virginia. Workshops at the three bases involved in the deployment brought in experts on finance and ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve). There were opportunities to get ID cards and to verify their DEERS enrollment. The purpose is to insure that both military and dependents realize there are responsibilities on both sides.

"What we want to project to family members and the soldiers is that we want to support you, but that you are also ready for deployment psychologically and financially," says Capt. Brooke.

Generally, the Air Guard does not deploy individuals for as long as other services. While an entire unit may deploy for several months, many of those people are the full-time staff. Guardsmen may only deploy for a few weeks, but they might also deploy several times over the course of a year. That creates its own problems, according to Ms. Oglivy-Lee.

"Because they are more frequent, those deployments can be more disruptive. It significantly changes the way we do business, because we have a special challenge to make sure we know who's gone."

Within the Marine Corps, a three-person team is responsible for organizing unit family readiness. Each Marine Corps unit is required to have a Family Readiness Officer (FRO) who is an active duty person and a Key Volunteer, who is usually a spouse of a service member and is appointed by the unit's Commanding Officer.

They work with a Peacetime\Wartime Support Official. That is a Reservist who remains behind when the unit deploys and who acts as the liaison between the service and the families. The team is trained in dealing with situations that arise during deployments, playing off each other's abilities in order to provide the best solutions.

The Navy Reserve Ombudsman is also appointed by the Commanding Officer of the Reserve unit. Usually a wife of a Reservist, she is the official liaison between the Navy and the Reserve family. Her contact with families begins long before deployments, by creating a welcome program for those reporting to the Command, participating in the sponsor program, and representing the Command with groups concerned with family issues.

Once a deployment is announced, the Ombudsman plans the deployment information sessions. When the ship sails, she is the source of information and the contact person during family or unit emergencies.

The Coast Guard is revamping its support program. Capt. Ruth Torres, Chief of the Individual and Family Support Division, says one of her goals is to let Reservists know what resources are at their disposal.

"All of the family support services are available to Reservists while they are deployed, but the marketing was not very good. I'd say 75% of the Reservists did not know they were entitled to those things." In addition to spreading the word through the ombudsman network, Capt. Torres is also developing a handbook like "Mission: Readiness" that's Coast Guard specific.

Communication with deployed service people is not as difficult as it once was. While the 29th Virginia is planning video links during the deployment, all family service offices point out that between cell phones, e-mail, and audio\video links for the internet, while it's not the same as being home, it's a far cry from the days when scribbled letters and static-filled phone calls were the only ways to keep in touch.

Even with that, knowing that the service values the family member is vital. Says Rosso, "I don't have the numbers to prove it, but I know that people stay in the service because they know it's a good way of life and their families feel connected."
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