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Pre-Deployment Brief

HooverPilot

HooverPilot

CODPilot
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Hi all,
I am the OIC of a detachment going on a deployment soon and our pre-deployment brief is coming up. My question is this, what kind of questions would a spouse want to have answered at the brief? We have the normal Ombudsman & Fleet & Family Support Center briefs but what else would be helpful to hear?

Thanks!

HooverPilot
 
You are officially one with the darkside Hoover.

I remember the OIC getting asked stuff about "how do we contact you in an emergency" and "when will email be up or down" and typical stuff like that.

Also let the wives KNOW that if you are on the boat the guys need money for mess bills, and the E's will be losing COMRATS.

That was quite often a point of pain with wives expecting more money, or not believing the guys needed $2-400 a month to pay mess bills.
 
1. Wives should know that they are not going through the pains of deployment alone. They should use their family and/or other spouses.

2. Mess bill are expensive. Set up a separate checking account for deploying spouse. I had one and I got $300 every payday for shipboard/deployment expenses.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 
I just went to my first det brief for a small boy det our squadron put out, and it's not my first deployment but it was informational since it was going to be totally different than the carrier cruise.

The OIC didn't have any new info, the basics about how the schedule was in flux and he introduced himself with a little bit of background. The ombudsman sort of chimed in every once in a while wth det info stuff. Questions I specifically asked were:
1. Mail-I had heard that it was pretty much impossible to get mail to the det, and I wanted to confirm since I would send boxes weekly to the carrier
2. Emails-the whole squadron/airwing was changing emails while the det was out and I was just curious if they would have a specific det email or use the new airwing email
3. POA (Power of Attorney)-Here in Japan you need one to do anything when your spouse is absent, even register/pay taxes on cars (which was an issue for us since it will be when the det is out) and somtimes specific POAs are needed and sometimes general will work. We discussed the importance of it, and how to get it, etc.

For us, if there is an emergency we contact the ombudsman or send out an AmCross message and not the OIC. We've personally never had any issues with paying mess bills, but it does bring up a good point and I think the deployment checking account is a good idea for fun in port/boat expenses.

Unfortunately no one else asked any questions, but as stated above by ea6 make sure people know that there is a support system. If your group isn't too big you can do what they did with ours (we only have 4 pilots..I am the only pilot wife and a handful of veteran aircrew wives) and have everyone introduce themselves and how long they'v been with the squadron. It might give new wives an idea of who's been there and might know the ropes...especially if they just checked in. Though I'm not sure how your squadron works but we had a few new spouses doing their first deployment with the squadron.

Hopefully something out of that helps...
 
All good things. We are a COD detachment so we are similar to what HeloWifey was talking about. less than 50 people, etc.

Thanks for the info & keep the suggestions coming!
 
Another suggestion is stay busy while your spouse is gone. Take some college classes, find a hobby, etc.
If you write to your spouse everyday, don't expect a daily response. Have set times and days that your spouse calls you. I called my wife once a week while deployed.

Here's a great resource: www.militaryonesource.com

Prepare for the un-expected (time, money, crisis, stress, etc). Here are some things that happened while I was deployed: Van broke down, daughter went to the hospital for stiches, and daughter graduated from Middle school.

Stress will happen for all parties involved. Be ready for it. It's not easy for anyone.
-ea6bflyr ;)
 
Hoover(COD)Pilot, don't forget to mention to the spouses that per diem comes after the travel claim, not before. Don't go out spending that hard cash until it's in the bank!
 
Make sure both your troops and their spouses know - What happens on deployment, stays on deployment. Same for those at home. Don't go passing gossip and dirt back and forth. It only makes it harder for everyone and normally is full of half-truths and heresy anyway.

Then sometime after the briefing, take your det aside and reinforce this with a 50 lbs. sludge hammer.
 
ea6bflyr said:
Prepare for the un-expected (time, money, crisis, stress, etc). Here are some things that happened while I was deployed: Van broke down, daughter went to the hospital for stiches, and daughter graduated from Middle school.

-ea6bflyr ;)
Click to expand...

What does it say when kid graduating from middle school is unexpected and or stressful... :D
 
HAL Pilot said:
Make sure both your troops and their spouses know - What happens on deployment, stays on deployment. Same for those at home. Don't go passing gossip and dirt back and forth. It only makes it harder for everyone and normally is full of half-truths and heresy anyway.

Then sometime after the briefing, take your det aside and reinforce this with a 50 lbs. sludge hammer.
Click to expand...

Very VERY good point.
 
They have graduation for middle school now?

WTF.

Is this part of the "esteem" culture that has no winners?

I have exactly 4 graduations in my life.

High School
College
OCS
Winging

That's it. Adding more would just water them down.
 
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