A surprise deployment can feel like a kick to the stomach. I know firsthand wearing the uniform and serving our country is a calling. I believe in that calling too. But, family first.
Before you pack your c-bag, ask yourself the following: can my family act on my behalf while I am gone? I believe documents offered by JAG are great. Military families with Minnesota ties can do better.
Surprise Deployment Checklist
At a minimum, here is a short checklist I believe is helpful to Minnesotans (National Guard and Reservists) encountering a deployment:
- Clarifying health insurance incase your policy expires while deployed,
- Giving notice to our employer(s) and customers,
- Using a Minnesota form to delegate child care,
- Double checking beneficiaries for financial accounts,
- Attaching a Pay on Death (POD) to checking and savings account,
- Making sure my spouse has has a durable power of attorney,
- Completing a VA Hospital healthcare directive,
- Completing a non-military health care directive,
- Implementing a power of attorney form specific to my branch of the military,
- And for some, engaging a revocable trust.
Thus, before heading out on your TDY or military deployment, lets talk about the bigger picture.
