The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division serves as USACE’s tip of the spear in one of the most dynamic construction environments in the world, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS, BUILDING CAPACITY, and ENHANCING SECURITY for our nation, allies, and partners. 

We SAFELY deliver agile, responsive, and innovative, design, construction, engineering and contingency solutions in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and other global partners to advance national security interests.

Resources

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 Casualty Assistance Handbook
This handbook is intended for U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Family Members whose Soldier or Department of the Army Civilian loved one is at possible risk to become a casualty. It is not meant to be a complete resource, but rather a guide for Families to follow when navigating the complex system of assistance and care available to them.
 Coming Home Handbook
 Contacts

Family Readiness representatives are located at each Division and at most District offices. On this page you will find the contact information for the Division level Family Readiness points of contact. Please do not hesitate to contact them if you are in need of assistance.

If you are not familiar with which Division you fall under, view our geographical breakdown.

Headquarters: (202) 761-4490

Great Lakes and Ohio River Division: (513) 684-2012

Mississippi Valley Division: (601) 634-5777

North Atlantic Division: (718) 765-7190

Northwestern Division: (503) 808-3961

Pacific Ocean Division: (808) 438-1885

South Atlantic Division: (404) 562-5275

South Pacific Division: (415) 503-6608

Southwestern Division: (469) 487-7025

Transatlantic Division: (540) 662-5219

 Deployment
Handling deployment can be difficult if you’re not sure what to expect. This page picks up after the time that your loved one leaves for deployment. Here we will give you ideas on how to cope throughout the time your loved one is gone, and how to stay connected. As always, if you are having problems and need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact your local Family Readiness POC.

Tips for Coping with Deployment

  1. Take care of yourself! Eating right, getting enough rest, and making time for exercise is extremely important. Doing this will help prevent illness and injury, and will promote emotional health.
  2. Get involved. Making time to volunteer, starting a new hobby, or getting involved in your local community can be a great way keep you busy and make you feel fulfilled.
  3. Talk about your feelings. Everyone needs time to vent and get things off their chest. During this time be sure to talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling. This will also help them understand what you are going through.
  4. Make time for you. Set aside a little time each day to do something that you truly enjoy.
  5. Recognize the signs of stress, evaluate your own state of stress, and know when to access your available resources and get some help. Don’t forget: Military OneSource offers 12 free counseling sessions per issue, per year!

Ways to Stay Connected

  1. Write Letters – Come on, admit it…everyone secretly loves receiving snail mail!
  2. E-mail – It’s a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to let someone know that you are thinking about them.
  3. Video Chatting- It’s free – and what could be better than being able to see your loved one when they are away?! (This feature is not available in all areas…have your loved one check if they are able to access it)
  4. Phone Calls- There is nothing like hearing the sound of your loved ones voice after a long day. Be careful with this though…calls overseas can get pricey!
  5. Instant Messaging- This is another fast, easy and inexpensive way to keep in touch. Not all Instant Messaging programs are approved for use while deployed, but one that can always be accessed is AKO instant messaging. To utilize this program, you must have an AKO account.
  6. Tape/Video Recording- This works especially well for keeping children connected. Have the deployed parent tape themselves reading their child’s favorite story and play it to them before bedtime.
 Deployment Handbook
 Pre-deployment

We understand the questions and concerns you may have regarding your deployment or your loved one’s deployment in support of the USACE mission.

To help you better prepare for a deployment, we have gathered various resources and tips. Impending deployments may be known far in advance or there may be a requirement for immediate departure. We encourage all members of the USACE family – Civilian employees, Soldiers, and Family members – to be prepared at all times. We live in an uncertain world and the Corps’ mission extends worldwide. Advance preparations for deployment will not lessen the deployment time, but it will bring peace of mind to all concerned – the deployee and his or her family members.

  1. Get a passport. You may need to visit your loved one overseas at a hospital or you may want to go on a trip!
  2. Sign up for AKO. Army Knowledge Online or AKO is more than just email. An AKO account also allows you access to discussion forums, blogs, IM, and other cool things.
  3. Talk to your loved one. About what? Who in your family handles the finances, vehicle registrations, taxes, and all of the other mundane tasks of life? If the person remaining at home handles all of those tasks, then you’re good to go. But if it’s the deployee, you better start talking.
  4. Ensure your life insurance requirements are up-to-date. Not exactly a fun thing to do, but necessary.
  5. Know what you’re eligible for. Did you know that DA Civilians and their family members are allowed access to Military OneSource during and for six months following deployment to an overseas contingency mission? Check out www.militaryonesource.com.
  6. Know your loved one’s wishes in the event of catastrophic injury or death. Again, not exactly a fun topic, but, really, it’s something you always need to know.
  7. Plan for the reunion but don’t plan too much. It’s great to think about what will happen when your loved one returns and to make preparations ahead of time. Just keep in mind the unpredictable nature of the military. By keeping your expectations reasonable, you can help to avoid disappointment.
  8. Decide how you will stay in touch. Email is great – fast, easy, cheap. But what happens if you don’t get an email when you expect one. Is there a back up plan?
  9. Take a day to just be together for some special family time before the deployment. The memories of this day will go a long way to easing the separation.
  10. And finally, family members should do to prepare for a deployment: Know your local family readiness POC! He or she has a wealth of information to help you.
 Training
One of the main concerns during deployment is that Families are not sure what to expect. We want to make sure that you are prepared and have helpful tools to get you through the deployment successfully. On this page you will find several training modules on topics ranging from knowing what to expect after deployment to what works best for suicide prevention.

We encourage you to complete these modules with the hope that after completion, you will be empowered with information and better able to cope with any situation that might arise.

Emergency Preparedness
It is vitally important that you plan NOW for emergencies. Natural disasters will continue to occur. Violence, unfortunately, will continue to occur.

So what do you do?

  • Get a kit
  • Make a plan
  • Be informed

For more details visit www.ready.gov.

 

Army OneSource

Army OneSource has several training modules as part of their e-Learning Center. While all are very informative, recommended modules are:

  • Battlemind Training for Spouses
  • Army Family Team Building (I, II, and III)
  • Financial Readiness Training.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides an in-depth course on PTSD. This course can be taken online by going to their website.

Suicide Prevention
The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine provides a wealth of information on Suicide Prevention.

Traumatic Brain Injury
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention website is a great source for information on Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. TBI can range from mild to severe, and it is important to know the symptoms and warning signs. If symptoms of TBI are persistent, it is important to seek medical attention.

Operations Security
OPSEC is important because we live in a world increasingly dependent on information. In this world, pieces of information (internet postings, work schedules, phone directories and more) may be assembled in order to form the “big picture” of an organization or operation. Family members need to be aware they need to be careful about what they post on the internet or say in the community.

FAMILY READINESS

USACE supports the U.S. Army across the spectrum of conflict: from overseas expeditionary missions to homeland defense to domestic humanitarian and disaster relief operations. USACE’s many employees contribute every day to this Nation’s defense.

We recognize the sacrifices the employees make are shared by their Families. It is our commitment to the Families to make the deployments and time away from home just a little bit easier by providing useful and relevant information and resources.

Contact your local family readiness representative to get involved in family readiness activities.

Useful Links

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Contact Us

Call Us:  540-662-5219

AFAP Information