KEEPING IN TOUCH
For safety reasons, you will not always know exactly when and where your son or daughter will be deployed. Deployment dates are not advertised, and unit locations may be classified for sensitive missions. You will, however, have many opportunities to keep in touch.
Telephone calls, video teleconferencing, and email
Depending on the mission and area of deployment, most Soldiers will have the ability to send and receive telephone calls, or use an Internet videophone or teleconferencing system. Most Soldiers will also have access to their email accounts.
“The Army goes out of their way to make telephone access possible from their end to us, and email whenever possible, and they do that as quickly as possible. So communication has always been readily available.”
— Cathy, mother of Staff Sergeant John Martin
Rear Detachment (RD) Commander
A Rear Detachment is the portion of a unit that stays behind and acts as an administrative liaison for accounting of supplies and personnel. The RD is also charged with providing assistance to families of Soldiers within the unit.
Military Ombudsman Networks, Family Readiness Groups (FRG), and Family Readiness Officers
A Soldier’s unit may be connected to a network, or FRG tasked with disseminating official information about the unit.
Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA)
The U.S. military has an extensive postal service through which you can send letters, or care packages to your son or daughter.
“The letters to Jodie were important, but sometimes the letters back were pretty darn important. Because they are so busy, when they can find the time to jot a note down, it’s really good.”
— Buddy, father of Specialist Jodie Wood
An important note about safe communication
It’s extremely important for both family members and Soldiers to communicate responsibly, and avoid disclosing details in letters or phone calls that could jeopardize a mission. The following is a list of information you should NOT disclose in a letter, phone call, or email or discuss with ANYONE in a public setting, such as an Internet forum:
- Unit mission, or number of personnel assigned to a unit
- Deployment areas and times
- Port call dates
- Special shore deployments
- Unit morale or personnel problems
- Troop movements
- Military intentions, capabilities, or operations
- The location of your family during deployment
- The planned return date for service members
Please note: During training — or while stationed overseas — there may be unavoidable limits to the amount of communication your son or daughter will be able to have with you.
“I talk to Antoine about once a week on the telephone. We talk quite frequently, and we do a lot of emails with him and his wife also. So we stay in communication on a frequent basis and about once every six months, we’re able to visit in person.”
— Phyllis, mother of Specialist Antoine Grimes
