Checklist for this page

Deployment Guide
Family Support Groups - including Easy Steps to creating a Family Support Group
Before deployment
During deployment
After deployment

Deployment Guide

Ensure you have your copy of the latest Guide for the families of mobilised members of the Territorial Army and the Regular Reserve. If not, please contact the Regimental Operational Support Officer (ROSO) at your soldier's unit or the Welfare Officer at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre (RTMC) on 0115 957 2698.

The guide includes:

Preparing for Deployment:  Sorting out the finances - Wills and insurance - Legal matters –Access to Military Establishments - Army pay, allowances and pensions - Prepare the children - Relationships - The car - Key documents - Dates to remember - Pre-deployment checklist. 

During Deployment:  Keeping in touch  - E-blueys – ArmyNet – Mobile Phones – Deployment Welfare Package – Security – Pregnancy – Debt – Going away – Separation Survival Guide – Rest & Recuperation –Who can you turn to for help? – Emergencies

Homecoming:  Things to consider – Children and Reunion – Tips on dealing with stress and post traumatic stress disorder – Returning to civilian employment – Compensation 

Family Support Groups

The AFF is very keen to promote the establishment of Family Support Groups in TA Units.  These groups would include all the soldiers and families attached to a TA unit; TA, Regular and Regular Reservist.  The aim of the groups would be to empower the families with greater knowledge, self-reliance and confidence to cope with the demands of mobilised service.  A permanent support group would enable expertise and experience to be passed on as well as being particularly useful when only a small number of soldiers are mobilised form a unit at a time.

AFF TA Unit Volunteers

AFF has a history of using Volunteers to reach families in Regular Units and Garrisons.  We are presently trialling the concept in some TA Units.  For more information contact the Specialist. 

Easy steps to creating a Family Support Group

AFF fully understands that TA Unit Commanding Officers and their welfare staff may have very different ideas about the best ways to support their families and about the merits of creating an FSG in their unit. AFF hopes that the following ideas and examples of best practice could form a basic level of support that the units could build on over time and through experience.  Click the links below to read the 'Easy Steps', click again to hide.

Make the most of ArmyNET

Produce a Unit Newsletter

AFF Families Journal and AFF website TA pages

Send Welcome Packs to all new families

For more information:

• Networking – an article on the value of making contact with other families including a success story from 7 SCOTS
  

Before deployment

The AFF now sends the family of every mobilising TA and RF soldier a Deployment Pack.  If you have not received one and would like one, please contact the Specialist.

Check out the Territorial and Reserves pages on the Army website for detailed information. The Mobilisation link has sub pages which cover: Call-out notice and pack; Exemption and deferral; Rights and responsibilities; Preparing for mobilisation; Reporting for service; Demobilisation and returning to work.

Ask your soldier to register you as a guest on ArmyNet, which is a dedicated website for soldiers and their families. Information provided by the army for families will be under the heading Welfare.

During deployment

Contact with other TA and RR families

Feedback has told us that families would really like contact with other families who understand their situation. The difficulty is reaching them. The following should help;

• Attend any pre deployment or mid tour briefings if you can.  If you can’t make them, ask the unit to give you contact details of other families from your unit.
• Check out the AFF TA & RR Families Forum on ArmyNet – Go to Forum, TA.  Then click on 'Army Families Federation - TA and Reserve Force Families'.  If you are reluctant to participate in the forums, you can still make contact by sending a poster a personal message (PM).
• See our Profile on Facebook (search for AFF Territorial Army and Reserve Force Specialist) to make contact with other TA and RF families.
• The AFF are now putting families in contact with each other as ‘Mob Buddies’.  If you would like more details, please contact the Specialist. 

If you need extra help

If something is getting you down, and you feel the need to talk it over with someone outside of the Army, then talk to SSAFA Forces Help Support Line. It’s completely confidential, and they are available every day from anywhere in the world. The line is open from 1030 - 2230 (UK local time) every day, including Christmas Day on Freephone 0800 731 4880. 

After deployment

Reserves Mental Health Programme – There is now a dedicated programme to help Reservists who may have been affected by their operational experiences.  Call Freephone 0800 0326 258 for more information and see RMHP