PRE-DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
BEHAVIOR/SIGNS
TAILORED SUPPORT
Issues pertaining to leaders at the home front
THE REMAINING SPOUSE/LOVED ONES MAY DISPLAY:

• Concerns over parenting issues
• Anger
• Sadness
• Anxiety/fears relating to the deployed spouse
• Feelings of loneliness
• Concerns over problems with communicating with the Sailor
• Concerns over financial or legal issues
• Concerns over rumors and misinformation

• Stay visible to lend support to your deploying personnel and their families
• Encourage participation in spouse support groups
• Follow-up with family members who have had problems
• Foster ongoing communication between family and deployed member
• Encourage use of helping agency resources during family emergencies
• Keep families posted regarding deployed conditions whenever possible
• When appropriate, link with a member who has had a similar situation
• Host family recreational activities
• Keep family informed if possible about return date

Issues pertaining to leaders at the deployed location:
 

• Working in harsh climates
• Living conditions
• Long duty days
• Ambiguous roles
• Problems with supervisors
• Threat from Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Conventional weapons
• Lack of time to assimilate
• Limited leisure time
• Boredom
• Lack of mobility
• Lack of information
• Limited supplies

LEADERS AT THE DEPLOYED LOCATIONS MAY OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING SIGNS AND BEHAVIORS IN UNIT MEMBERS:

• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Withdrawal--tiredness
• Change in duty performance
• Boredom
• Interpersonal conflict
• Decreased humor/inappropriate humor
• Increased negativity
• Use of sarcasm
• Increased negativity
• Tearfulness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Alcohol abuse
• Expressed concern over domestic issues
• Difficulty sleeping
• Expresses disappointment when others fail to meet expectations
• Expresses concerns over sexual harassment
• Reckless/risk taking behavior

• Hold frequent command briefings
• Plan cohesion building activities
• Make sure your Sailors have adequate housing, food and sanitary conditions
• Establish communication line with home so personnel can get family information
• Set up recreational activities for your personnel at the deployed location--that can help relieve stress
• Strive to keep things at a normal pace (i.e. C.O.'s call, promotions), celebrate holidays
• Encourage constructive activities for members--such as learning a new language/study of local culture
• Leaders should take the initiative to discuss self--care measures to include stress control
• Keep the Sailors well informed--what is their current situation, how they are doing and what are their goals
• Share burdens with Sailors such as austere living conditions or physically demanding tasks
• Learn each Sailor's strengths and weaknesses. Identify the best qualified individuals to perform certain key tasks.
• Ensure that new arrivals are welcomed into the group
• Consider working with chaplains as the first link in the chain of referral for managing Sailors in distress
• Encourage time management, with focus on the here and now and setting priorities
• Get each new Sailor linked up with an appropriate buddy
• Encourage and allow for adequate rest, train junior leaders to take over when senior leaders need sleep
• Have a clear policy about expectations and consequences of alcohol misuse and abuse
• Take action to provide basic amenities such as showers or better living conditions
• Conduct small team "debriefings" after difficult actions (in training and in combat)--bring the troops together to talk about what happened when the situation permits
• Directly communicate your expectations and policy regarding sexual harassment; enforce policies consistently