Just as servicemembers make tremendous sacrifices for their country, so do the military families who support the servicemembers behind the scenes. The typical military family faces many challenges: frequent relocations, long deployments, interrupted careers, financial obstacles, and the real consequences of war. There are many benefits and support systems offered to help military families with these challenges, and you’ll learn about them in this chapter. These include career resources, quality child care and school programs, and service organizations. It is important to point out that same-sex spouses are now eligible for military family benefits and entitlements such as housing; TRICARE; GI Bill transferability; employment preference; access to commissaries, exchanges, and MWR facilities; and more.
There’s no denying that the modern military is a mobile force, and this mobility places perhaps the biggest strain on the military family. With reassignments come relocation, the need to adjust your family to a new community, and a host of financial and practical questions. While many of the issues and programs associated with the actual move are addressed in the Career chapter, the following relates directly to family members.
The Family Advantage at a Glance
• Family Support Resources
• Family Housing
• Helping Your Children
• Military Spouse Career Center
• Spouse Preference Programs
• Non-Appropriated Fund Jobs
• Portable Careers
• Employment Resources
• Transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill
• Spouse Tuition Assistance (MyCAA)
• Child Care Programs
• School-Age Care
• Resource and Referral Programs
• Schools for Military Children
• Family Care Plan
• Predeployment Checklist
• Family Liaison/Ombudsman Programs
• Chaplains
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
• Armed Services YMCA
• National Military Family Association
• Red Cross
• United Service Organization (USO)
Military Spouse Career Center
Air Force Personnel Command
Army Community Services
www.myarmylifetoo.com/skins/malt/home.aspx?mode=user
Navy Family Line
Marine Corps Community Services
Military OneSource
Military Spouse Resources
www.careeronestop.org/militaryspouse
Military Child Care Programs
www.naccrra.org/military-families
Military Homefront—Plan My Move
DoD Education Activity (K-12)
Military Spouse Network
www.military.com/military-spouse-network
Guide to Military Bases and Installations
Spouse BUZZ
Relocation Resources
Military Teens on the Move
Take Advantage
Certain allowances and payment advances your family can use when you relocate are detailed in the Know Your Relocation Benefits section in the Career chapter.
According to a survey by the Air Force Institute of Technology, the typical military family relocates around six to seven times during the course of a servicemember’s 20-year career, or an average of once every three years. It goes without saying that the decision to move often means leaving family, friends, and maybe even a career behind. But while the servicemember is quickly submerged into the new duty assignment (which could include joining a new command during a deployment overseas), the spouse and family may have to handle the issues of arranging a move, finding a home, getting the kids in new schools and activities, making new friends, finding a new job, and so forth.
In order to help you plan your move and settle into a new community, stop by your installation’s family center. This center will have many special programs and services to help you find the resources you need. It also offers opportunities to attend activities where you can become acquainted with other spouses on both ends of a move. Through them you will undoubtedly pick up tips for making the most of a mobile military lifestyle.
Another important on-base resource is your command’s spouse club. Through this club, spouses come into contact with other spouses who have been through the same situations, helping you get a head start on learning about your new community.
Home is about people as much as anything, and relationships with friends, neighbors, teachers, and coworkers. Much of it can be attributed to the challenge of making new relationships. So, be patient but be active, and use the formal and informal services available to you.
The Family Readiness System
The Family Readiness System (FRS) is the network of programs, services, people, and agencies designed to support servicemembers and their families. The following services are available through the FRS. Additional services, which vary by access point, may be offered to meet the unique needs of your installation or community.
• Mobility and Deployment Assistance.
• Relocation Assistance.
• Personal Financial Management.
• Spouse Education and Career Services.
• Family Life Education.
• Emergency Family Assistance.
• Domestic and Child Abuse Prevention and Response Services.
• New Parent Support.
• Exceptional Family Member (EFM) Support.
• Non-medical Individual and Family Counseling.
• Transition Assistance.
• Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.
• Information and Referral.
Visit www.militaryonesource.mil/ for a list of service-specific family resource websites.
Installation-Based Military and Family Support Centers
Installation-based Military and Family Support Centers are a one-stop-shop for family readiness information and services. Centers are open to all servicemembers and their families, regardless of the servicemember’s branch. Find your local installation’s center by visiting www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil.
Take Advantage
Military spouses often feel isolated. Spouse-BUZZ, a virtual Spouse Support Group, is a place where you can instantly connect with thousands of other milspouses. The site celebrates and embraces the tie that binds us all—military service. Get connected at www.spousebuzz.com
Family Housing
Active-duty servicemembers with families are eligible to apply for on-base housing. The type and size of housing is normally based on the number of family members and their ages. Due to limited availability, newly arriving families are often placed on a waiting list until housing becomes available. In this case servicemembers are given either temporary housing or a monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to offset the cost of finding housing in the local civilian housing market (see the BAH section in the Pay chapter).
Family Support Centers
Family Support Centers are available on all installations to address family questions and needs. To find the support center closest to you, visit http://benefits.military.com/misc/installations/Browse_Service.jsp. Family Support Centers can help with the following programs:
• Exceptional Family Member (EFM) program and training for parents of special needs children.
• Elder care.
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, within the United States and overseas, through the DoD.
• Adoption reimbursement.
• Family advocates who work to prevent child and spouse abuse.
• New Parent Support Program for first-time parents.
• Healthy Parenting and Healthy Families initiatives.
• Family Literacy Foundation and reading programs for military parents and children.
• Child care.
• Youth and recreation programs.
Contact
To contact the military spouse club on your base, go to www.military.com/installations. You can also contact the National Military Family Association, at www.nmfa.org.
Helping Your Children During Relocation
A critical part of relocation is helping your children make the move. The home you are leaving may be the only home your child has ever known. There’s a sense of familiarity, not only with the home, but everything around it. If you can understand what your children’s concerns and needs are, you can help avoid distress. Here are some ideas to get started:
• Get information on the schools, child care, and sports and recreational activities available in your new area.
• If you can, visit local schools with your child and meet some of the teachers. You can find reports on off-base schools at www.military.com/relocation.
• Try to get your children involved in the moving process. Have them pack some of their own special belongings and mark their name on the outside of the box. Also, ask them to help you pack a couple of special boxes marked “First Night.” These will include items that you will need the first night in your new home (sheets, a few cooking and eating utensils, can opener, TV remote control, videos or DVDs, games or playing cards, flashlight and batteries, clock, small lamp, and electrical cord, etc.).
• Contact the local Chamber of Commerce for maps and pamphlets on your new area. Sit down with your family and visualize what the new town will be like.
• Throw a going-away party with your children’s friends, and take pictures to make a scrapbook for them to look back on. Give them a stationery set, an address book, and prestamped cards, so that they can stay in touch with friends.
• Visit the Military Student website to learn about the many things you can do to help your school-age child transition successfully into a new school and new local activities. This site also has resources for children who have a deployed parent or a parent who has suffered a traumatic injury during military operations.
If your child is having serious adjustment problems related to relocation, you can also contact Military OneSource to speak to a trained consultant who can refer you to local support resources.
Career, Education, and Training Resources for Military Spouses
One of the biggest considerations a military family has is the career prospects for the servicemember’s spouse. If you are a military spouse, the dangers of unemployment (or a job with a lower salary) can have a direct impact on your family’s economic and psychological quality of life, which in turn can affect the overall quality of the military force.
The military has several programs in place to address these challenges:
• Military Spouse Career Center
• Priority Placement Program
• Spouse Preference Program
• Spouse and Family Employment Assistance Program
• GI Bill Benefits for Surviving Dependents and Children
• Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF) Job Opportunities.
• Marine Gunnery Sgt. John D. Fry Scholarship (see page 224)
As you use these resources, consider the following questions:
• What are your long-term family, career, and education goals?
• What type of personal needs for fulfillment do you have?
• Do you have any current or unique family responsibilities you need to take care of?
• Do you have any special needs yourself—handicaps, lack of transportation, language skills—that need support?
• Does your servicemember spouse support your career and employment goals?
GI Bill Matters
GI Bill Transferability: Servicemembers who have served at least six years in the Armed Forces and who agree to serve at least another four years can now transfer unused Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlements to their spouse. Once the member has reached his or her 10-year anniversary he or she may choose to reenlist and transfer the benefit to any dependent(s) (spouse and/or children). Learn more at www.military.com/new-gi-bill.
• Can you take classes or get a degree to help you achieve your goals? (See the Education chapter for benefits you can use.)
When you present answers to these questions, the staff at each program will be better able to assist you.
State Benefits for Military Families
In recognition of the contributions of military families, states are placing more emphasis on military family assistance programs, certifications, and benefits. These programs include:
• Family support, including credit counseling, family survivor benefit plans, and support groups.
• Education benefits, including tuition assistance and scholarships for spouses and children.
• Licensing and registration benefits, including extended deadlines for professional licenses.
• Tax and financial benefits, including tax relief and extension of filing deadlines.
• State employees’ benefits, including health care and life insurance benefits.
• Other support benefits, including reemployment protection and hiring preferences.
To see the benefits available in your state, go to www.military.com/statebenefits.
Contact
Visit the Military Spouse Career Center at www.military.com/spouse.
Take Advantage
A free career networking tool that matches you up with more than 150,000 military personnel veterans and spouses employed in industries nationwide is available at www.military.com/Careers/Network. You can search for mentors by location, career field, or employer.
The Military Spouse Career Center
The Military Spouse Career Center, developed under contract to the Department of Defense, offers a job search with over 500,000 private sector and government job openings. Find spouse-friendly employers, scholarships, resume resources, popular career fields, and jobs at military installations. View resources for child care, relocation, family support, and licensing or certification. In addition, you can participate in discussion forums and sign up for a military spouse newsletter to stay current on benefits updates, educational opportunities, training programs, and career advancement tips.
DoD Priority Placement Program
Non-Competitive Appointment for Military Spouses
Federal agencies have the option to hire qualified military spouses without having to compete. Eligible military spouses include spouses of servicemembers who are relocating for a new duty assignment, some physically disabled spouses, and those whose husbands or wives were killed in the line of duty. Visit www.opm.gov to learn more.
Contact
For more on priority placement, visit the DoD Civilian Personnel Management website located at www.cpms.osd.mil.
Military Spouse Preference Program
An outgrowth of legislation to increase employment opportunities for spouses of active-duty personnel, the Spouse Preference Program is a subset of the Priority Placement Program. If you are a spouse who has relocated to accompany your partner on a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move to an active-duty location, you may be given priority for Department of Defense jobs if an employment opportunity that matches your skills becomes available.
Contact
Office of Personnel Management: www.opm.gov.
USAJobs: www.usajobs.gov.
Eligibility
If you are the spouse of an active-duty member, you can register 30 days prior to the member’s reporting date for Department of Defense (DoD) service positions in the United States and its territories and possessions, provided the servicemember (sponsor) belongs to one of these categories:
Registering for the Military Spouse Preference Program
To request use of the Military Spouse Preference Program when applying for a position, you will need the following documents:
• Resume.
• Copy of SF Form 50 documenting current or previous appointment(s).
• Copy of last performance appraisal if currently working for the federal government.
• DD Form 214, Member 4 copy, if you were previously a military member and have an honorable discharge. (For more on DD Form 214, see page 321.)
• SF Form 15, if you are a veteran claiming 10-point preference and you have a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs dated within the last year showing your percentage of disability. (For more on veteran preference, see page 295.)
• Transcripts may be necessary if education is relevant to qualifications for the position.
• Licenses/certifications (if applicable).
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders documenting your spouse’s assignment. Many standard forms are available to download from www.military.com/forms.
• Assigned by a PCS move from overseas to United States, or to a different commuting area within the states, including the U.S. territories and possessions.
• Relocating to a new and permanent duty station after completing basic and advanced individual training.
• Permanently assigned to the same duty station where initial entry training was received.
• Assigned by a PCS to a service school, regardless of the duration of training.
• A former military member who reenlists and is placed in a permanent assignment.
• Reassigned on an unaccompanied tour by a PCS, with orders specifying the sequential assignment.
Local military service human resources offices serve as the registration points for the Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Program. Information regarding spouse preference is also available at military installation family centers.
To register for the Military Spouse Preference, contact the Office of Personnel Management or a DoD Delegated Examining Office. If you are moving overseas, you will be considered for employment under the local duty station, and you may file 30 days ahead of anticipated arrival.
If you are traveling to overseas areas, you cannot receive preference until you actually arrive. You remain eligible for preference throughout your spouse’s military tour—accepting or declining a temporary position expected to last less than one year does not end your spouse preference. However, preference ends if your job is extended for a total period of one year or longer, or if you are offered and decline such an extension.
Spouses employed under temporary appointments of less than one year (either part-time or full-time) continue to receive spouse preference when referred for permanent or temporary employment of one year or longer.
Spouse and Family Member Employment Assistance Program
All the military services have special spouse employment assistance programs. The Family Member Employment Assistance Program (FMEAP) provides employment assistance; resource libraries; use of computers for completing federal employment applications, resumes, and accompanying letters; as well as workshops on the local job search, job information fairs, and federal employment. FMEAP also maintains a listing of current openings in the U.S. Government Appropriated and Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF), nongovernment on- and off-base employment opportunities, as well as publications and computer programs listing worldwide vacancies as a clearinghouse for job information.
Your local Employment Assistance Manager (EAM) can provide worldwide employment assistance, review resumes and federal employment applications, and conduct counseling with clients during individual appointments.
Get more information about your service branch’s FMEAP program by contacting your local Family Support Center.
Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF) Job Opportunities
You may find the job opportunity you’re looking for on an installation near where the servicemember in your family is stationed. These jobs are provided for by non-appropriated funds (NAF), which are directed toward programs that support the well-being of military families. Examples of NAF jobs include positions at base clubs, recreational centers, craft shops, lodging facilities, day care and youth programs, and food service. To see what jobs are available at your installation, contact your Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) center directly or go to military.com/spouse for job search by installation.
More Online Spouse Employment Resources
• DoD Civilian Personnel Management: www.cpms.osd.mil
• Office of Personnel Management: www.opm.gov
• USAJobs: www.usajobs.gov/
• AAFES: http://odin.aafes.com/employment/default.asp
• Army Civilian Personnel Online (CPOL): http://acpol.army.mil/employment
• Coast Guard Human Resources: www.uscg.mil/civilianhr/
• DeCA: www.commissaries.com/inside_deca/HR/index.cfm
• Military Spouse Career Center: www.military.com/spouse
• Navy-Marine Corps Civilian Human Resources: www.donhr.navy.mil
• Portable Career Fields: www.careeronestop.org
As a military spouse, you might consider a portable career—a career that goes with you no matter where you go. Portable careers, including home-based business ventures, give you flexibility and don’t tie you down to one physical location. With the availability of the Internet, you can carry on your virtual career from almost anywhere, including overseas locations. More and more, career fields and employers are allowing employees to telecommute from many locations.
Examples of portable careers include teaching, writing, editing, customer support, translating, transcription, and research. If you have self-discipline and are comfortable working alone and using technology, a portable career may be right up your alley. Remember that if you are starting your own portable business, you should check the local laws; if you want to start a business from government quarters, check in with your base housing and legal office for permission.
For more advice on portable careers and home-based businesses, plus a job board, see the Military Spouse Career Center website.
Take Advantage
Technology has made it easier than ever for you to get your education online, through distance learning classes and programs. This option gives you more flexibility in planning and taking classes. To connect with distance learning courses and programs, visit www.military.com/schools.
Education Opportunities and Benefits
As a military spouse or family member, you face the challenge of gaining an education while being on the move, but you also have educational opportunities and benefits not available to civilians. Several new programs to assist military spouses have been developed in the last few years. These include MyCAA tuition assistance, and the ability to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. There are several other education benefits offered by the military to military spouses and families, including scholarship programs, tuition assistance, and service-specific programs, which are detailed in the Education chapter.
Take Advantage
Military Homefront is a DoD site that provides up-to-date information on quality of life programs and services for military members and their families. For more details, visit www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil.
Transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits
Servicemembers with at least six years in service have the chance to transfer their education benefits to their spouses and servicemembers with ten or more years of service have the opportunity to transfer the benefit to any dependents—spouse or children. But there is a catch; those who wish to transfer these benefits must also agree to serve at least four more years.
The actual benefits a spouse gets are determined by the duty status of the servicemember at the time the spouse uses the benefits. To learn more about the specific process and eligibility for transferring benefits visit the DoD Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) web application which can be found at: www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/.
Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
The Department of Defense Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program provides assistance to military spouses seeking to gain the skills and credentials necessary to begin or advance their careers.
MyCAA covers up to $2,000 a year for training and education, enabling participants to earn a degree or credentials in in-demand, portable fields in almost any community across the country. MyCAA may be renewed for one additional year, for a total two-year account amount of up to $4,000 per spouse.
Learn more about the MyCAA program eligibility and enrollment process by visiting https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa.
More details on the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and other Education Benefits can be found in the Education chapter.
It can be a challenge for any parent to locate affordable, quality child care and education. Certainly child care is among the top concerns of military families. If you’re looking for the right care program or school, be sure to check with the services and resources that follow to help you find the right situation.
Contact
Find child development center phone numbers, listed by state or country, on the Military Homefront site at www.military/homefront.dod.mil.
Child Care Programs
Over the years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has responded to the need to provide military families with quality, affordable child care. Depending on where you are stationed, finding child care can be somewhat challenging. DoD has created programs to help meet those challenges and to improve the quality of life for military families.
DoD currently oversees 800 child development centers (CDCs) located on military installations worldwide. These centers offer a safe child care environment and meet professional standards for early childhood education. Child care is typically available through these centers for children ages six weeks to 12 years. The centers are generally open Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Commanders may decide to extend hours to meet the work and deployment needs and schedules of their installation population.
DoD also oversees the family child care (FCC) programs. These programs provide in-home care by installation-certified providers. FCC helps bridge gaps in child care when the CDC does not entirely meet the child care needs of the family. Family Service Centers, youth centers, referral offices, and the CDC have lists of approved homes and providers.
An additional component of military child care is the school-age care (SAC) program. SAC meets the needs of children ages six to 12 years and provides before and after school care as well as summer and holiday programs. Additional support for families with children over the age of 12 can be found through the youth and teen programs often sponsored by youth services and community centers.
Contact
National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC): www.nafcc.org.
Civilian Partnerships for Military Child-Care Support
Child Care Aware® of America, formerly known as the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), works with the Department of Defense to help servicemembers find affordable child care that suits their unique needs. Child Care Aware® of America staff is focused on providing excellent customer service to military families. Joint efforts between Child Care Aware® of America and the Department of Defense have resulted in several innovative programs that have increased the quality and capacity of child care throughout the country. The military family program offerings vary between service branches. Visit the Child Care Aware® website at naccrra.org/military-families to find out which programs are provided through your specific branch of the military.
In addition, NACCRRA assists families of severely injured military members to find and pay for safe, licensed child care services for a period of six months during their period of recuperation. The Severely Injured Program is for families of active-duty servicemembers who have been injured and are receiving in-patient or out-patient medical care for extended periods. Eligibility for services is based on need and is determined on a case-by-case basis. If you need assistance call toll-free at 1-800-424-2246 or send an email to msp@naccrra.org.
Take Advantage
The Armed Services YMCA also offers child care services, often located on installations. For more on its programs, see later in this chapter.
School-Age Care
School-age care (SAC) programs are offered for children between six to 12 years old before and after school, during holidays, and on summer vacations. The SAC programs complement, rather than duplicate, activities during the school day. This type of care is currently expanding, with new initiatives being implemented at service level to more fully meet the need. At present, about 43,250 (25 percent) of the total number of military child care spaces are accommodated by school-age care. Not all SAC is provided in CDCs—much of it is provided in youth centers or other facilities. Contact your local CDC to see what options are available in your community.
Resource and Referral Services
Resource and referral services (R&Rs) on your installation can guide you through the process of finding child care. Your local R&R can give you the names of child care providers and information about waiting lists and costs. If you are in a country where it’s common for care providers to come to your home, the R&R can help you find someone to do this. If you are in a country where language barriers make it difficult to find care off the installation, the R&R can help you find solutions. When you are on a waiting list but need child care immediately, the R&R can also help you find alternative care. To access R&R services on your base, check in with your CDC.
Schools for Military Children
A civilian agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) runs schools to serve the children of servicemembers. All schools within DoDEA are fully accredited by U.S. accreditation agencies. The DoDEA instructional program provides a comprehensive pre-kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum that is competitive with that of most school systems in the United States. DoDEA maintains a high school graduation rate of approximately 97 percent, significantly higher than the U.S. public school rate.
DoDEA monitors student progress through the use of standardized tests. Such tests include the Terra Nova Achievement Test, a norm-referenced test for students in grades three through 11. DoDEA fourth and eighth grade students also take the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as “the nation’s report card.”
No tuition is charged to military students, although some schools will take civilian children for varying amounts of payment.
DoDEA operates hundreds of public schools in districts located in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and several other foreign countries. All schools within DoDEA are fully accredited by U.S. accreditation agencies. Approximately 8,785 teachers serve DoDEA’s 102,600 students.
Take Advantage
The Military OneSource program offers referrals to child care in the civilian community, and coaching on how to look for quality care outside the installation. For more information, call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647.
Contact
Families eligible for Operation Military Child Care can call the Child Care Aware hotline at 800-424-2246 or go to www.childcareaware.org for help in applying for subsidies and location assistance.
GI Bill for Surviving Children: The Fry Scholarship, named for fallen Marine gunnery sgt. John D. Fry, provides the surviving spouses and children of fallen servicemembers with Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits. See Survivors Educational Assistance Benefits in the Education chapter for more information.
Family Support During Deployment
Deployment can be a difficult experience for both the servicemember and the family. Having a loved one mobilized or deployed means shifting roles and changing responsibilities while maintaining a stable family life. Being aware of the programs and issues that can affect your family prior to deployment or mobilization can ease the transition. Family readiness ensures that your family is taken care of during drills, annual training, mobilization, and deployment.
Contact
To learn more about military school locations and enrollment, visit the DoDEA website at www.dodea.edu.
Making a Plan for Family Care
A personal plan is important for all families in planning for potential emergencies, and is especially critical for single parents and dual military parents. Whether you expect to be deployed or not, you should develop a plan; in fact, many military units will require you to develop a formal Family Care Plan.
In preparing your plan, be sure to do the following:
• Assign a guardian for your family in a special power of attorney, and make sure the guardian understands his or her responsibilities.
• Obtain ID and commissary cards, register in DEERS (see the Health Care chapter), and check to make sure no ID cards have expired.
• Sign up for life insurance (see the Money chapter), and update all beneficiary information.
• Arrange for housing, food, transportation, and emergency needs.
• Inform your spouse or any caregivers about your financial matters.
• Discuss your plans with your older children.
Contact
For more specific information, and help in developing your family care plan, visit www.military.com/deployment.
Predeployment Family Checklist
A predeployment checklist for the family can supplement your family care plan. The following list can be a useful tool even if you don’t anticipate being deployed.
Financial tasks. Managing the family finances while a servicemember is away can be challenging, especially if these tasks are typically handled by the deployed spouse. Prior to deployment, create a document, binder, or folder that outlines all the facets of your financial life. At a minimum you’ll want to include information on:
• Bank accounts
• Investment accounts
• IRA accounts
• Life insurance policies
• Auto and homeowners or renters insurance policies
• Income tax returns and documents
• Estate planning documents
• Monthly bills—how much is paid, to whom, and when
(See the Money chapter for more on household budget planning.)
Vehicles. Make certain you have the name of a trusted mechanic or automotive garage where you or a friend has taken a car for service. Repair costs can mount rapidly if you simply select a repair shop out of the phone book.
Be sure to keep a record (on the refrigerator is a good place) of the correct type of battery, tires, oil, etc., for the car.
Finally, keep track of when automotive registration, insurance payments, emissions inspections, or oil changes are due.
Home/apartment maintenance. Know what to do or whom to call if something in your home breaks down. Untested plumbing, roofing, or repair contractors can be very costly.
Give your home a security check inside and out. This should include testing (or installing) smoke alarms, and checking door and window locks as well as outdoor lights or motion detectors (if you have them).
If your family expects to move during your deployment, discuss the process for moving your household goods.
Review your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policies.
Military Family Support Organizations
Many military and nonmilitary organizations offer support to military families, especially in times of deployment and postdeployment. These services range from financial aid to emotional support and legal services. In addition to organizations described in earlier chapters, the resources described in the following pages can be useful.
You can also find assistance and services at your current or next installation. For a base directory that includes important phone numbers and contact information, visit www.military.com/installations.
Take Advantage
Many organizations offer ways for military families to keep in touch with deployed servicemembers, whether through email, phone cards, or video connections. The Support the Troops page is located at www.military.com/benefits/resources/support-our-troops.
Family Liaison/Ombudsman Program
The Family Liaison Officer, or ombudsman, is a communication link between servicemembers’ commanding officers and family members. Ombudsmen are mainly information and referral specialists or military spouses who help family members in the command gain the assistance they need. This is especially relevant for deploying units. Keep in mind that ombudsmen are not counselors or social workers, but they can help connect you with the help and services you need.
The Army Family Liaison Officer serves as the ombudsman for all Army Soldiers, civilians, and families of active and retired Army, Guard, and Reserve members. The Marine Corps’s version of the program is the Key Volunteer Program, while the Navy has the Command Ombudsman program. The Air Force does not have a program.
Contact
Coast Guard Ombudsman Program www.uscg.mil/worklife/ombudsman.asp.
Unit Liaison or Family Readiness Officer
Some commands have a small unit of administrative personnel who assist with ongoing family support needs in times of deployment. One of their roles is to facilitate communications between the command and its families. Check with your servicemember’s command to see if there is a designated family readiness officer (regardless of whether a rear-detachment unit has been left behind). This person will have resources for your family during deployments and mobilizations, and can address questions about command-related issues.
Take Advantage
Spouses and children of deployed active-duty, Reserve, and Guard personnel can receive up to six free counseling sessions with nonmilitary professionals by contacting MilitaryOneSource at 800-342-9647. You can also join other Spouse Discussion Forums on the Military Spouse Network: www.military.com/militaryspouse-network.
Chaplains
For more than 200 years, military chaplains and their religious support staff have accompanied U.S. forces wherever they have served, supporting military members and their families.
Chaplains are ordained by individual religions or denominations before they join the military but are trained to serve all denominations. Once commissioned as officers in the Air Force, Army, or Navy (Navy chaplains serve with the Marine Corps and Coast Guard), they provide religious worship services, rites, sacraments, and ministrations to military members and their families worldwide. Their stated mission is to “Nurture the living, care for the sick or wounded, minister to prisoners or prisoners of war, and honor the dead.”
Chaplains also assist military personnel and family members in dealing with personal concerns such as faith issues, stress, anxiety, redeployment or reunion issues, moral and ethical values, marriage counseling, and social concerns. You can find chaplains through your base chapel, senior enlisted advisor, or Family Support Center.
For many servicemembers and families, chaplains are the first people they can turn to for help outside their chain of command. In this role, chaplains help to resolve problems by making appropriate referrals to command channels or social service agencies. They also assist military personnel in requesting emergency leave, compassionate reassignments, and hardship discharges.
In addition, VA has a Chaplain Corps available to provide services to veterans and their families.
Don’t hesitate to use chaplains as a resource, even if you don’t consider yourself to be religious or you are not of the same faith as your local chaplain. Chaplains are trained to provide assistance to servicemembers and families of all faiths.
Contact
For a full directory of VA chaplains, visit www.va.gov/CHAPLAIN/index.asp. See also Navy/Marine Corps Chaplain-CARE located at www.chaplaincare.navy.mil.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
If your family has suffered the loss of a servicemember, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is foremost among organizations that can help. The services this nonprofit organization offers to bereaved families include a crisis hotline, support networks, counseling referrals, and assistance with surviving family benefits. See the Benefits chapter for more information on survivor benefits and TAPS.
Contact
Call TAPS at 800-959-TAPS (800-959-8277).
Contact
To find further information on the Armed Services YMCA, visit www.asymca.org.
The Armed Services YMCA
The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) is a national affiliate of the nonprofit YMCA, and it works with the Department of Defense. With headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, the ASYMCA has more than 20 branches around the country provide support to military families. At the local level, ASYMCA has programs for after-school youth care, daily child care, hospital assistance, transportation, adult classes, aerobics, English as a Second Language classes, and so on. ASYMCA also coordinates with military installations to work with regular YMCAs. Some ASYMCA branches are located on military installations, but the majority are not.
Services ASYMCA provide include:
• Crisis counseling.
• Respite care.
• In-home parenting education.
• Emergency food supplies.
• Young family support.
• Family abuse shelter.
• Child abuse prevention.
• Parenting workshops.
• Spouse support groups.
• Tuition assistance.
• Financial management classes.
• Child literacy program.
• Before- and after-school tutoring.
National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) was first organized by a group of wives and widows seeking financial security for survivors of Uniformed Services personnel and retirees. Thanks in large part to efforts of this organization, the Survivor Benefit Plan (see the Benefits chapter) came into being.
The NMFA has members from all ranks of the Uniformed Services worldwide, and their families. Its programs educate the public, the military community, and Congress on the rights and benefits of military families. Its accomplishments include work in major areas such as medical and dental benefits, dependent education, retiree and survivor benefits, and relocation and spousal employment.
Contact
More information about the NMFA and its services is available at www.nmfa.org, or call 703-931-6632.
Take Advantage
A complete directory of volunteer organizations that offer gifts and services to deployed troops and their families can be found at www.military.com/supportthetroops.
Red Cross Emergency Services
The American Red Cross has programs specifically designed to aid servicemembers and families, including financial assistance for emergency travel or urgent needs (food, temporary lodging, medical needs); confidential counseling, guidance, and referrals to social services; and assistance with veterans benefits and claims.
Family members of servicemembers can use the Red Cross emergency communication system to notify military personnel at any duty station of an emergency or other important event. Servicemembers stationed in the United States and their immediate family members can call the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service Centers for help seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The toll-free telephone number is available through base or installation operators and from local on-base Red Cross offices.
Contact
To find your local Red Cross office, go to www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter and enter your Zip code.
Red Cross services are available through your local Red Cross chapters, which are listed in local telephone books and on the American Red Cross website. To reach the Red Cross overseas, personnel stationed on military installations should call base or installation operators or the on-base Red Cross office. At overseas deployment sites, contact the American Red Cross deployed staff.
When calling the Red Cross to send an emergency message to a family member, please have ready the following information, which will speed the process of sending your message:
• Servicemember’s full name.
• Rank/rating.
• Social Security number.
• Military address and phone number.
Contact
The USO website is www.uso.org.
The USO
If you’ve been in a major airport and heard an announcement about a certain lounge over the loudspeakers, or you’ve seen famous entertainers perform for the troops, you know something about the USO. Since 1941, the USO has been synonymous with a “home away from home” for the U.S. military. A nonprofit organization not directly affiliated with the U.S. government, the mission of the USO is to boost morale and provide welfare and recreational services to uniformed military personnel and their families.
The USO serves as a backbone for overseas deployment centers. Carrying on the tradition started by Bob Hope, the USO produces some 60 entertainment tours each year, both stateside and overseas, reaching tens of thousands of servicemembers. USO Canteens offer high-tech services such as free Internet access so that service personnel can keep in contact with friends and family. The USO also sponsors social events for servicemembers stationed in remote areas. Other USO-led campaigns include distribution of prepaid phone cards, DVDs, and video games; servicemember and family services in airports; and helping servicemembers and their families access email.
Military Adoption Reimbursement
Military families that have adopted a child may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $2,000 per child, not to exceed $5,000 per calendar year. To qualify for reimbursement, the adoption must have been arranged by either a qualified adoption agency or other source authorized to place children for adoption under state or local law. This benefit includes stepchild adoptions.
For complete information regarding the adoption reimbursement program, visit the Defense Finance and Accounting Service website or send an email to DFAS Adoption Reimbursement at CCL-ADOPTION-REIMBURSEMENT@dfas.mil.