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Are you ready for them to ship out?
Discuss this with your trainee...
Documents to prepare before they ship
Although it's the very last thing we want to think of, sometimes we
have financial issues with either bills, banking institutions or,
worst case, an illness or injury while at BMT. In most cases a
simple DPOA (Durable Power of Attorney) will come in handy. Should
they decide to, they should give their POA to someone they trust without doubt. POA
will come in handy if needed and they are not reachable. It is
advised that they take precautions to make sure that they add "Not to
be used to open credit accounts". The last thing they want is more
debt, and it has been known to happen.
A Health Care POA & Advanced Medical Directive will help in the
event of illness or injury. The person who has the POA will be able to get information
easier, and in the event they're not able to make decisions on their
own, can step in to make medical decisions based on their wants & the
doctors advise.
Some MEPS offer this for free. Then they can give
copies to their POA, if they are there with them/you or they can mail them
home. Should they need one done while they are at BMT, they will need
to go thru the chain of command, make an appointment with legal and
then follow thru while there.
Don't laugh!
If your Trainee/AB is getting ready to ship, truly help them get
ready. Tighty whities, sports bras, no caffeine, no sugar, no cell,
no TV and change the sleep pattern to where they are going. Every
ounce of preparation will make it that much easier.
Show your love before they go:
Write your loved one a letter. More than likely this will help them
while you're away until they are given contact information. Put one
in his/her bag before they leave. Trust when I say this letter will
make a difference! Share HIS Love. Hope, Inspiration, Support &
Love!
Talk about it:
Communication is key to a healthy & happy relationship & while they
are away even more so.
Talk about how you're going to handle illness, injury or worse yet
death of a loved one or family pet. If you have elderly family
members that are not doing well, visit them. The unexpected can
always happen. When my daughter left for the Air Force, her great
grandmother was already in her 90s. They had a wonderful visit
before she left. Grams was one to tell it like it is and said, 'In
the event I pass away while you're away, you will not be told. I
want you to concentrate on what you have to do to accomplish your
dreams. I've lived my life & want you not to worry about me. Besides
there won't be anything you can do about it.'
What to do in case of an emergency (fire, flood, tornado,
earthquake, etc.) ALWAYS have a 3rd party out of state contact
number. As soon as you are safe and able to, contact your 3rd party
to let them know you are ok and give a message that can be given to
your military loved one in case he is unable to contact & contacts
them as agreed upon. (Here is something to do while they are away.
Scan important documents & photos, along with taking photos of each
of the rooms & closets and jewelry/antiques).
It will be a difficult time but each family will have to decide what
is best. I hope you never have to use the American Red Cross (ARC)
but if you do, the information is also listed.
http://www.redcross.org/
Family & friends are allowed to follow trainees to MEPS to see them
sworn in. Take a camera! You may want to get a room at the hotel
where the recruit is staying, however, they are now the property of
the military and you may or may not have as much time together as
you planned.
Decide if their arrival call will be picked up or go straight to
voicemail. It will be fast, loud & hectic. It may even come in the
middle of the night. If you tape it you will be able to replay it
often to get the #'s just right or to even hear your voice. Your
next contact may not be for a minimum 10 days. You can also put a
personal outgoing message for your Trainee/AB. Shout out HIS Love
(Hope, Inspiration, Support & Love) does it matter if someone else
gets the message? NO! If they're calling you on your phone, chances
are they are familiar with the fact that your loved one is an
Trainee/AB. I'm sure they will not only understand, but will ask if
they can write too.
Thank you~
U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet
http://www.basictraining.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=15720&page=1
***This is from Jenny Young, an AF Mom sharing a helpful tip :
There is a website and
app that tracks the flights
they take to basic and any
other flights. Its called
Flightaware.com
and the app is called the
same thing. It will tell you
if they are delayed and when
they land or take off. We
used this and
we knew he landed minutes
before he called and told us
he landed.
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