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Deployment Disc for Military Families

by Ashley Gadd, Petawawa MFRC

The Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) and the Petawawa Deployment Support Centre (DSC) have partnered to create their first interactive CD to assist in the pre-deployment preparation of soldiers and their families.

Created for personnel deploying with Joint Task Force Afghanistan 1-10 and their families, the Deployment Disc for Military Families is a bilingual, easy-to-use tool to assist and educate families about challenges and changes that may arise during the temporary absence of a loved one.

The disc complements the MFRC/DSC pre-deployment briefings, and contains all the information normally found in the hard copy of the Family Pre-deployment Package including detailed checklists, deployment literature, frequently asked questions, children’s books and a special teen section.

When the CD is opened, an introductory video featuring Captain Traclet of the DSC and Karina Abbott, MFRC Deployment Services Supervisor offers an overview of the CD's contents, its purpose, a number of its convenient features and a request for feedback.

The user is then taken to an easy to-use welcome page and table of contents broken down into nine chapters, including Preparation, Deployment, Critical Incidents and Children. There are also quick links to Frequently Asked Questions (based on recurring questions the DSC and MFRC have fielded over the years), Quick Information, and a French language link.

Staff at the MFRC and DSC began working on the Deployment Disc for Military Families in May 2009 and completed the project in December 2009.  The Deployment Disc has already been mailed to families of personnel who are deploying with Task Force 1-10.

The collaborative project would not have been possible without the MFRC deployment team and personnel of the Deployment Support Centre, with special recognition to Captain Chico Traclet, Karina Abbott, Eric Traclet and Ashley Gadd.

Limited copies of the CD are still available.

E-mail deployment.pmfrc@bellnet.ca or deployedfamilyservices@forces.gc.ca for more information.