Deployment Support

Military and Family Readiness Center (M&FRC) https://macdillfss.com/military-family-readiness/and other base agencies provide mobility and deployment assistance to members and their families to meet pre-deployment, sustainment, and post-deployment challenges. Services and activities help prepare members and their families to successfully manage separation and reintegration, increase individual and family morale and unit cohesion, and support operational readiness.

Families of deployed members are kept informed of monthly family deployed events, services, benefits, etc. Families are encouraged to participate in these programs throughout the duration of the member's deployment. Family members are also encouraged to be in regular contact with their unit key spouse for support and information.

• Weekly group personal preparedness briefings and reunion/reintegration for all personnel tasked for temporary duty assignments or contingencies. A pre-deployment briefing is a checklist item on the member's out-processing checklist. Individual short notice appointments are available.
• A variety of brochures and booklets, targeted toward children, deploying personnel and family members, are offered.
• Deployment support groups for families are available through the member's squadrons. Reunion/reintegration briefings for members returning from deployment are scheduled by their unit mobility manager.

Family members who are relocating to MacDill AFB and the local area while their sponsor is deployed, on TDY, or on a remote assignment are eligible to receive these services on base as well. All family members should check in with the M&FRC.

Monthly Events

Families are encouraged to participate in monthly family deployed events. These events are free to deployed family members.

Command Key Support Program

Each unit has a key spouse. Key spouses are informal liaisons between unit spouses and leadership. They are trained volunteers that provide a vital link to families during deployments. Contact your unit or the M&FRC to get contact information for your squadron.

Give Parents a Break

Give Parents a Break offers several hours of free child care a month at base facilities, enabling the parent left behind to take a break from the children – or for the children to take a break from the parent. This is an opportunity for everyone to recharge and refocus. The program is paid for by the AFAS.

Financial

During pre-deployment briefings, members may obtain information and guidance on just about any financial issue: budgeting, reading a leave and earning statement, balancing a checkbook, consumer issues such as car buying and more.

HeartLink

HeartLink is a program designed to introduce new spouses to the military lifestyle and is offered every quarter. Spouses who have been married to the active-duty member for less than five years are strongly encouraged to attend. Spouses may register by calling 813-828-0145.

United through Reading

Deploying members are video-recorded reading a book of their choice to their child or children. The recordings are given to the member at the end of the reading. The recording kept by the family provides connectivity and continuity for the member to participate in the daily routine of bedtime with the family.