What you need to know

Military families with a deployed soldier often face a lot of hardships and troubles back home as well. While the Red Cross makes sure soldiers overseas are informed of what is going on at home in case of an emergency, and often helps deployed service members return in the case of a serious illness or death in the family, many family members feel as if they've been left alone at home with all the worries and issues of daily life.

There are a lot of support groups and other ways to connect and get help to handle everything that needs to be handled while your soldier is deployed without having to add to your deployed soldier's worries while he's away.
 

Resources, Information, and Support

The Army itself provides a large number of family support services ranging from Army Community Service programs such as deployment readiness, family advocacy programs, the exceptional family member program, employment and financial readiness services, and many more.

The majority of military family support programs provide a lot of their information and resources, as well as contact information for those services in your local area, online through their assorted websites. Here are some of these links, as well as many other links to groups and resources that can help.

> Help & Resources

- Army Community Service (ACS)

> deployment readiness
> family advocacy
> exceptional family member program
> financial readiness
> relocation readiness

- Army Family Liaison Office (AFLO)

> deployment information
> deployment well-bring FAQ
> AFLO smart book
> grief support (TAPS)

- Army Family Team Building
- Guard & Reserve Family Programs tool kit
- National Military Family Association
- Operation Ready
- Reserve - Soldier & Family Readiness
- National Guard - Family Readiness
- Special Operations Family Support

- The Military Families Resource Center
- Army Community Service
- Marine Corps Community Service
- American Red Cross Military Services
- CampDoha.org community
- National Military Families Alliance
- The Air Force Aid Society
- Army Emergency Relief
- Army Family Action Plan
- Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
- Army Family Action Plan
- Army MWR Homepage
- National Military Family Organization
- Military Family Information Center
- Navy Services Family Line
- EFMConnections
- Army Reserve Family Program
- National Guard Family Program

  > Deployment

- Deployment Connections
- Navy Lifelines
- OCONUS
- Proudly Serving online community

   > Moving

- Relocation Readiness
- Air Force Crossroads
- Military Acclimate
- World-Wide Relocation Information
- Navy Smart Move
- Navy Exchange's Moving Center

  > Downloads

- Army Community Service Downloads Center
- Coming Home guide for parents, family & friends (.pdf)
- Coming Home guide for spouses (.pdf)
- Guide to Reserve Family Member's Benefits (.pdf)

  > Other

- Homecoming Photo Galleries
- Armed Services YMCA
- Army Community Services Volunteer Program
- Armed Services Blood Program
- Ladies Auxiliary VFW
- America Supports You
- Operation Support
- Deployment Health Clinical Center
- Hire Patriots - the premier military job posting site
- A Proud Plaque
- Military Connection

  > Spouses / Children / Parents

- Military Brats Registry
- Military Living Publications
- My Army Life, Too
- Military Teens on the Move
- Marine Moms Online
- CinC House - for military wives
- The Army Spouse Website
- Moms Over Miles
- Military Wives and Moms
- Mothers of the Military
- SGT Mom's
- Shore Duty by columnist Sarah Smiley