Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Prepares for Deployment

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Mary Popejoy, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is receiving assistance from many organizations to ensure the Sailors, Marines and their familiesis are prepared when the ARG deploys March 23.

The Navy Legal Service Office aboard Naval Station Norfolk provided assistance with powers of attorney aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5) March 16, to support predeployment requirements. Norfolk's Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) provided predeployment briefs for Bataan, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).

"Our briefs are open to Sailors, Marines and their family members, and we discuss all of the programs that are offered by NMCRS; and we talk about how we can help families while their active duty service member is deployed," said Joe Schnurbusch, NMCRS Norfolk shipboard program coordinator.

The deployment readiness briefs provide service members and their families with practical ideas for getting families prepared, emotionally and practically, to support the service members' deployment.

"Our deployment readiness briefs discuss financial planning, communication and coping skills and strategies for both married and unmarried service members and their families," said Darryl Anthony, FFSC work and family life consultant and deployment support specialist. "Parents and siblings are affected by deployments as well. Additionally, we provide information to help families understand how their children may react to a parent deploying."

The Navy Exchange long-term parking program has been assisting service members with storing their vehicles while they are deployed.

"We do what we can to help them out because not everyone on the ship has a place to store their car during the deployment," said Bill Waite, Navy Exchange long-term parking supervisor. "This is one item of concern they don't have to worry about, because we'll take care of their car, and they'll be able to drive it off the lot when they return."

All FFSC programs are geared toward supporting the service member and their families through any transition or deployment demand placed on them. Personal and financial counseling play a vital role in the successful pre-deployment and deployment readiness planning for families.

"The resources we discuss may be just what the family needs to make it through a difficult event during the deployment," said Anthony. "Many of our younger families have never had to adapt to maintaining a relationship from a distance, so the strategies we discuss provide answers to the questions that they are facing. Many families will be missing the presence of one of the parents. How will my children react and what resources are available if my child has difficulties, are common questions from the parent left at home. We are able to address issues like that during our brief to help families adjust to the changes they will be experiencing.

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From finances to communication, the organizations are happy to lend a hand, and the Sailors, Marines and their families are grateful for the overwhelming support.

"The amount of work required to set our Sailors up for success on a surge deployment could never be accomplished without the Navy's amazing support system," said USS Bataan Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Brian Collier. "Since we received the order to deploy, not a day has gone by without a phone call from one of a dozen different agencies asking 'how can we help.'"

The Bataan ARG consists of Commander, Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 6, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and the USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).