Family Readiness
WILLIAM S. ROBB, JR.
2/1 Family Readiness Officer
Office: (760) 763-0843
BB: (760) 429-5777
Email: William.robb@usmc.mil
Download the full 2/1 Feburary 2010 Newsletter
Letter to the Families and Parents
To our 2/1 Parents,
If I have not yet met you, my name is Bill Robb and I am the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines Family Readiness Officer. My job is to coordinate communications between the Battalion and our families. This includes not only spouses but other family members, including parents and extended family. As you know the Battalion is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in October. Although each Marine is responsible to ensure that he and his family are prepared for deployment, it is also my job to help him prepare his family. In the next few weeks the Marines will complete their field training and take some time off at home. During that period, I recommend you take some time to discuss with your Marine the many issues associated with a deployment. This can include finances, communications, Powers of Attorney, care of children, personal property, etc.
I have begun passing out information to the married Marines’ families to help them prepare for the upcoming deployment. Some of that information would also apply to single Marines and parents, especially if you are going to be handling any of your Marine’s affairs while he is gone. To help you anticipate some of the areas that may be of interest, I have attached a Pre-deployment Checklist. I recommend that you go over it with your Marine in case there are some things he wants you to look after. I hope this will give you a head start and highlight some things you may not have previously thought of. This information will also be posted on the Battalion website very shortly under Family Readiness. The link is: www.i-mef.usmc.mil/div/1mar/2bn/. The better prepared the family is, the easier the deployment will be for both you and your Marine.
For those of you living in the Southern California area, there will be Pre-deployment briefings for Marines and families in September. The briefing for the Advanced Party will be on the evening of 1 September and the Main Body on 14 September. Please let me know if you would like to attend either session. The presentations will be identical.
If you have any questions, I am always available.
Upcoming Events
September 1 Pre-Deployment brief for ADVON
September 14 Pre-deployment Brief for Main Body
September 16 Formal Battalion Dinner
September 3-19 Block Leave ADVON
September 17-October 3 Block Leave Main Body
TBA Departure ADVON
TBA Departure Main Body
COMMUNICATIONS
For those of you who were here for the last deployment to Iraq, communicating with your Marine this time is going to be more frustrating and much slower. There will be virtually no internet or cell phone connectivity; internet access in-country is limited to very few locations and they are strictly monitored. A laptop or I-phone is all but worthless. Most communications will be through the US Postal System or Moto-Mail. I will publish the official addresses for the Battalion and the individual Companies, if applicable, at the pre-deployment briefings and through the FRO Notes as soon as they are available. They will also be posted on the battalion website.
Moto-Mail: A free USMC system that delivers sealed letters to forward deployed Marines submitted via the Internet from anywhere. You set up an account and type your letter onto the Moto-Mail website: www.motomail.us. It is sent electronically to the nearest USMC Post Office in-country. There it is printed, placed in a sealed envelope and delivered with other US Mail. It saves a couple of weeks of transit time. Moto-Mail is only available for letters going to the deployed location, not for return mail. Moto-mail should be operational as soon as they get there.
US Mail: The time it takes to deliver letters to and from deployed sites can take anywhere from a week to a month. I recommend that you number your letters on the outside of the envelope so they can be read in the order written, which can vary greatly from the order in which they are received.
Emergency Communications: If you have a family emergency, the fastest and most reliable method to contact you Marine is via the American Red Cross message. The toll-free number is 877-272-7337. The 24-hour local number is 760-725-6877. The Command Duty Office is also manned 24 hours and can relay information to 2/1 forward. That number is 760-763-0793.
I am still looking into other electronic methods of communication such as video conferencing, SPAWAR, etc. They will probably be available only on the largest bases and not in the more remote areas. I will let you know.
FAMILY CARE PLAN
Single Marines who have sole responsibility for a child or are the primary care giver for a family member, or a Marine who has a child and is married to an active duty spouse are required to execute a Family Care Plan (FCP). It is strongly recommended that any Marine with a child also fill out a FCP so that, if something happens to his spouse while he is deployed, another person is designated and prepared to assume responsibility for the child/children. I am posting a Family Care Plan form for you to look over so you will have time to give it some thought. Things to think about include who should be the caregiver, arrangements for financial, logistical and medical care, a special POA and any special circumstances or considerations. The caregiver also must understand his or her obligations. The FCP is an important document that could potentially protect the wellbeing of your children. I strongly recommend every family with children fill one out. A Special Power of Attorney may also be required.
The Family Care Plan form is HERE
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Good financial planning is essential to ensure the family has enough money to handle their financial obligations while the Marine is deployed. As a couple, review your household budget before your Marine leaves so there is a good understanding of the normal monthly expenses, anticipated expenses and the monthly income. Ensure that there are adequate funds available to cover all the monthly expenses and for an emergency fund to take care of unanticipated expenses such as car repairs, emergency travel, etc., and that you have access to the proper accounts to take care of the bills.
Make sure that you have the correct Powers of Attorney to handle the family financial affaires. With a POA, disbursing can provide you with information concerning your Marine's MyPay account (LES forms, information about deposits, allotments, taxes, etc.) but you cannot get into the MyPay system. Disbursing does not recommend giving the MyPay PIN to anyone, even family members. However, your Marine can give you a "limited access" user ID and PIN that will let you view the MyPay account but not make any changes to it. This is especially useful if the family member is not near a military base. Use allotments where possible to manage monthly expenses such as Insurance payments (I), Savings (S) and Spousal (D). Remember it takes a month or two to begin an allotment.
If you are using a joint account, be sure to set guidelines if both of you are writing checks. Consider Overdraft Protection for your checking account to avoid bouncing a check. That can be expensive and affect your credit rating. Most banks can set up separate accounts and distribute direct deposits as you wish. Also you can set up a split pay option with disbursing, where the deployed member receives a portion of his pay in a separate account each payday for his use. You must have direct deposit to use this option.
Once the Marine has been deployed for 30 days, he can utilize the Savings Deposit Program (SDP). It is a high interest savings account (10% annual interest rate) that is only available while the Marine is deployed. Your Marine will receive about $700 in entitlements while deployed. You might consider putting this extra income in the SDP as an emergency savings account.
A few additional tips:
Just in case there is a financial emergency, your Marine can fill out a pre-authorization form with Navy Marine Corps Relief Society for a loan of up to $3000. They keep it on file while he is deployed. The NMCRS box on the Special POA must also be checked for the loan to be used.
Pay any outstanding obligations like traffic tickets before the deployment. It can become a nightmare if they become delinquent.
Remember, good planning is the key. Make sure you are both on the same page and adequate funds are available to cover your family expenses. If you need some help with budgeting, debt reduction, savings programs, etc., the Financial Fitness Program on base can assist you with every aspect of personal finances. Their number is 760-725-6098.
MOVING
There have been a lot of questions recently about the rules concerning wives going back home for all or part of the deployment this fall. I will try to address the basics so you all can make plans. There are two separate things to consider; one is housing and the other is household goods.
If you are living in base housing and want to go home for the deployment, all you have to do is inform your District Housing Office in writing how long you will be gone. If it is over 30 days, you will have to make arrangements with a friend or neighbor to take care of the lawn and exterior areas, make sure newspapers are picked up, clean up debris, etc. You should have someone check the house on a regular basis for security. Remember, you are still responsible for the house. If you are going to be gone for an extended period and want to move out of housing, you can reapply on the same day you check out and stay on the list in a deferred status. You must submit the new paperwork that day. When you return, you can reactivate your application and maintain your spot on the list. If your Marine is not here, you will need a Power of Attorney to accept housing when you return. If you are living off base, arrangements are between you and your landlord.
Household goods can be a little more complicated. If you want to move your household goods back home for the deployment, you are on your own. Marines are not entitled to move household goods at Government expense while on unit deployment. If a Marine elects to relocate his family members during a deployment period, he does so at his own expense. Government funded moves are predicated on the receipt of PCS, extended TAD, Separation or Retirement Orders. If your Marine is getting out with an Honorable Discharge during the deployment, you can move up to 6 months prior to his separation date if he has received his orders. But remember, if your Marine changes his mind and decides to stay in after you have already moved home at Government expense, he will have to pay to have the goods moved to his next duty station. If you are living in base housing and decide to move out to go home for the deployment, you can have you household goods stored here at Government expense for the duration of the deployment. However, the goods have to be reclaimed immediately upon the Marine's return, so you must have a place to live already lined up when he gets back. The circumstances surrounding each move can differ significantly, so it is highly recommended that the Marine (or his Spouse) contact the Personal Property Branch (TMO) for assistance. A Power of Attorney is required to sign shipping documents, but is not required to make inquires.
I know this is basic information only and does not cover every personal situation that may come up. Additional questions can be addressed to the housing office at 760-725-5995/5217 and TMO at 760-725-8848/8174/4148/8668/3094. In the meantime, I hope this helps.
PRE-DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST
A Pre-Deployment Checklist will be given to every Marine to be checked off prior to leaving on deployment. I am providing a sample to you all in advance so you can start thinking about some of the items that need to be addressed with your Marine while he is still home. There is a lot to be done to ensure your family is prepared for an extended deployment. I hope this will give you a head start and highlight some things you may not have previously thought of. The better prepared the family is, the easier the deployment will be for both you and your Marine. If you have any questions, I am always available.