Regarding personal and family readiness, the ideal time to
contact the Family Support Center is when the military member is placed on
mobility status. Contact is essential when the member is notified of
TDY, deployment, or remote duty assignment that will geographically separate the
member from family for a period of fourteen days or more. The Family
Support Center will provide you with a readiness briefing tailored to fit your
needs. The briefing will address key issues that may arise during the
separation. We can offer assistance or referral for these and other
topics of concern:
-- Planning finances
-- Handling emergencies
--
Family care plans
-- Childcare planning
-- Finding employment
--
Dealing with stress
While you are apart, the Family Support Center is
your link to a variety of services offered through the Hearts Apart program and
other base and local agencies. Spouses and family members qualify for
many of these services. Some of the most common include:
--
Hearts Apart Morale Calls: offers families the opportunity to utilize
local switchboards to place calls to the service member.
-- Video
E-mail: allows families to record still photographs or up to two
minutes of video to attach as an e-mail for the service member to view.
--
Give Parents A Break: gives parents a well deserved break by offering
free childcare once a month.
-- Phone Cards: provided to service
members prior to departure for use during family separation.
-- Videophone
Links: these thirty-minute phone calls allow families to see each
other in real time during their conversations.
The reunion can be the
best time after being away from your family, but can also be the most
challenging. Your Family Support Center has resources and information
available to help members and their families prepare for their
homecoming. These are some reunion issues to consider:
--
Start planning early. Decide together what kind of homecoming you
want; a big celebration or a small family get-together.
-- Keep the
communication going throughout your separation and share what you are doing,
feeling and hoping.
-- Openness will encourage fewer disappointments during
reunion.
-- Read letters you have received over again as the reunion draws
nearer. It's one way of starting to grow closer again.
--
Readjusting and reestablishing relationships will take time for
everyone. The length of time it takes may vary between individuals in
your family.
Are you prepared? Has the military
member:
-- Created and/or updated their will
-- Initiated a power of
attorney
-- Safely stored important documents and told someone of the
location
-- Arranged for bills & taxes to be paid
-- Updated their
Emergency Data Information
-- Ensured vehicle registration, insurance, and
inspection sticker are current through projected return date
-- Updated AF
Form 357 (Dependent Care Certification)
-- Provided spouse or family member
with the phone number to the unit orderly room
-- Ensured someone is familiar
with the Hearts Apart program