Family Readiness: Essential to Mission Readiness

Unit Deployment Guide Template For Commanders

• Cover Page
• Unit Deployment Guide for Commanders
• Unit Deployment Guide for Families
• Unit Deployment Guide for Single Servicemembers (Cover page)

Overview

A successful deployment for the unit, the individual Marine and the family requires planning and advance preparation. Gathering information is the first step, but many steps must be taken by the Marine to ensure his/her family can continue efficiently during his/her absence. Good communication and an understanding of the roles each entity will play during this time are required to ensure a successful deployment.

Many organizations and support groups are available to the unit, the Marine and the family preparing for a deployment. One of the most accessible, the installation Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), can provide information, guidance and support during the preparation stage and for the family during the deployment. The MCCS web site, (http://www.usmc-mccs.org) also provides information on applicable support programs and links to other military support sites. A "Helpful Web Links" listing is included.

This guide is intended as a general template for use by individual units to better enable Marines to prepare for an upcoming deployment. There are two distinct pieces to this guide:

Unit Deployment Guide for Commanders - designed to provide information for a commander and to provide the Family Readiness Officer and unit members with references and tools to ease the road to deployment.

Unit Deployment Guide for Families - designed to provide references and information for deployment planning and to continue as a resource for families during the deployment.
There are a number of locations throughout the guides allowing for input of local information. This ensures that commanders, Marines and family members have the knowledge to access critical support on their local level. Every effort has been made to ensure this template is accurate and timely. In order to provide the best information, collection of local information to complete the guides has been left to the family readiness support staff within your unit. Information and referral assistance can be obtained from your installation Marine Corps Community Services.

After you have downloaded and saved the guide, the text boxes for local information can be filled in appropriately. Any printed reference to this document as a "template" should be removed when printing for unit families. Printing, binding and distribution are the responsibility of the unit. Pre-deployment briefs are an ideal distribution point for the family guides. Please don't forget those families who may live away from the unit, or those who are unable to attend the briefing. The information provided in this guide is important to all of the Marines and families associated with your unit. A plan should be in place for distribution of the guide to families unable to attend.