Sponsorship

To help prepare sponsors for success, the Sponsorship Program provides training and access to important information and resources that can help newcomers master their move. The Sponsorship Program helps sponsors fulfill their responsibilities, which may include:

• Contacting the service member and family with an introductory email
• Staying in contact with the service member throughout the moving process
• Sending information about the new community and duty assignment, responding to questions and providing information about resources
• Confirming transportation and lodging arrangements
• Helping with post office arrangements
• Meeting service members and family members upon arrival
• Going with service members to unit check-in point
• Introducing service members to the Military and Family Support Center and loan closet, if it’s available
• Familiarizing service members and families with the installation and key locations, like the commissary

Note: Responsibilities may vary based on service-specific policies and guidance. Make sure to check with your service branch for sponsor training requirements.

Overall, the Sponsorship Program aims to:

• Provide newcomers with a sense of belonging
• Ease the transition for inbound service members or civilians and their family members
• Increase productivity of service members and loved ones
• Help newcomers make informed decisions
• Cultivate new friendships
• Improve morale

For more information on the Sponsorship Program, contact your installation Military and Family Support Center.

Sponsorship is also available for youth. Installation youth sponsorship programs help military-connected youth make a successful transition to a new community. Primarily directed to preteen and teenaged youth, installation youth programs/centers provide information and materials on programs and services available at their new location. Where available, youth can exchange emails, talk on the phone or chat online with other youth. The youth program staff at your new installation can offer more information on installation youth sponsorship programs.

You can also contact your installation School Liaison Program office for information about school-based youth sponsorship programs such as Anchored4Life and Student2Student. These peer-to-peer programs help your student adjust to and navigate their new school.

If your child would like to become a youth sponsor, contact your installation School Liaison Program or youth program/center.

Sponsorship is very important at Fort Detrick.

Soldiers should request sponsorship through the Army Career Tracker site. In order to facilitate your permanent change of station you must enroll in the Total Army Sponsorship Program by visiting https://actnow.army.mil, complete DA Form 5434 and request a sponsor using Army Career Tracker by using the following steps:

1. Click the “messages” dropdown menu
2. Click DA Form 5434.
3. Click “create new form”
4. Fill out all applicable sections (sections 1, 2, 4, 5)

Once you complete the DA Form 5434, your sponsor will be notified and will contact you as soon as possible. If your sponsor changes you will receive a new notification in the “messages” section.  Completing and saving sections 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the DA Form 5434 will initiate the sponsorship process and you will be assigned a sponsor after your completed DA Form 5434 is received.

Soldiers in pay grades E-7 to E-9, W-3 to W-5 or O-4 to O-6 may request a sponsor, but are not required to do so unless a senior commander determines that sponsorship is required within their area of responsibility. All other grades are required to have a sponsor.

The Youth Sponsorship Program is available to youth family members of active-duty, retired and Reserve service members as well as youth dependents of Department of Defense civilians. The Youth Sponsorship Program has active volunteers at the School-Age Centers and Youth Center to welcome incoming youth and assist with their transition to Fort Detrick. Find out more information here.