Briefing for the families of the HMCS Brandon and HMCS Yellowknife.

1. Families and Friends of
HMC Ships
BRANDON and YELLOWKNIFE
Pre-Deployment Brief
LCdr Larry Moraal LCdr Alex Barlow
HMCS BRANDON HMCS YELLOWKNIFE

2. Agenda
• 1730 – Members and Family arrive
• 1800-1830 Command Teams
• 1830-1840 AJAG (focused on power of attorney)
• 1840-1900 MFRC (Programs and Services)
• 1900-1910 FMO (Mail services)
• 1910 – 1920 Medical

3. Goals
Part 1
• To explain where we are going and what we are
doing
• To introduce you to support services
• To set expectations
• To answer your questions and concerns

4. Situation
• Transnational criminal organizations use the
Caribbean basin and Central America as
transhipment areas for the illicit traffic in drugs,
weapons, money and people
• Illicit trafficking is a significant source of revenue
for organized crime, a growing threat to national,
regional and international security and,
therefore, to North America and Canada

5. Mission
• Operation CARIBBE is the Canadian Armed
Forces’ recurring participation in the
multinational campaign against illicit trafficking
by transnational organized crime in the
Caribbean basin and the eastern Pacific Ocean

6. Past Successes
2013- OTT, EDM, YEL
26 Jun 13: seized 440 kilograms of cocaine
24 Oct 13: seized 468 kilograms cocaine found
beneath the deck
27 Oct 13: seized 639 kilograms of cocaine found
beneath the deck

7. Summer of 2013
Summer of Success
• 1,439 Kilograms of cocaine
• 9 Smugglers apprehended
• 5 Vessels sunk
• $51.7 Million worth of
cocaine seized

8. Tempo During Op CARIBBE
• Ships will sail in normal sailing
configuration
• Daily routine at sea
• Less communication home
• Longer than normal working days
(prolonged boardings)

9. Common Concerns
• Pay and benefits
– No extra pay entitlements
– No Leave Travel Assistance entitlement
– Med Tech or Med Officer embarked
– Process in place to repatriate

10. Expectations
• For you:
– Your loved ones
• will not be able to discuss mission events
• may not be reached by phone or internet for
periods of time due to operations
• will not be posting to social media from sea
– Of you:
• OPSEC
• Contact through the MFRC

11. AJAG
Pacific Region
Maj Ed Cottrill
Part 2

12. Discussion Points
• Power of Attorney
• Wills
• Travel Documents
• Supplementary Death Benefits
• SISIP

13. Power of Attorney
Allows a person (the donor) to appoint
someone 19 years of age or older to be
their representative (the attorney), for
the purposes of financial transactions or
business arrangements on his or her
behalf

14. Power of Attorney
• The financial or business arrangements
could include:
– Insurance for car or home
– Bank loans
– Mortgage payments
– Buying or selling property, including cars and
houses
– Pay issues

15. Duties of Attorney
• Must act in good faith
• Follow the instructions of the donor
• Perform transactions with due skill and
care
• Cannot delegate the power of attorney
• Must respect the title (ownership) of the
donor’s property and money
• Must keep proper accounts

16. Limitations and Concerns
• POA terminates on the death of the
donor
• Does not affect the estate
• Can be revoked (notify institutions)
• BC POA is “valid” outside BC but
subject to being accepted – consult
legal advice wrt other provinces

17. WILLS
What is a Will?
The written statement by which a person
instructs how his or her estate should be
distributed after death

18. Why You Need a Will
• From the death of a person dying
intestate until administration is granted
… the personal estate and effects of the
deceased person are vested in the
court…. s.3 Estate Administration Act
• If one dies “Intestate” then province
uses formula to distribute estate

19. Wills
• Basic CF Will is adequate for:
First marriage
Single members
Simple Finances
No children

20. Wills
• Suggest you get a Will from a Lawyer if:
– Second or subsequent marriage
– Home owner
– RRSPs, trust funds, stocks etc.
– Children
– Wish to have several persons as beneficiaries
Will Kits May or May Not be Valid

21. Need to Re-Do Your Will?
• You should re-do your Will when:
– Newly married (previous will is invalidated by
marriage)
– Children are born
– Change of circumstances

22. Personal Emergency
Notification Form
• Ensure that it is up to date
• Fill in as many contact persons as you
can
• Ensure Privacy Act box is filled in
• Ensure contact information is accurate

23. Travel
Authorization Letter
• Is proof that you consent to your child
traveling with a spouse or another
person.
• May be required to cross US or other
borders with children.
• Can be signed by any commissioned
officer.

24. Supplementary Death
Benefits/SISIP
• Regularly update your SDB beneficiary
– Real case: 18 yr old joins CF, names then-girlfriend
as beneficiary
– Break up of relationship, mbr later marries
and has children - killed in auto accident,
hadn’t changed beneficiary
– EX-GIRLFRIEND collected SDP
– Up date SISIP additional benefits, if any
• Marriage, children, divorce, etc.

25. Part 3

26. The classic deployment story
• Got very ill during
husband’s deployment
• Communications with
ship were down
• Didn’t know about MFRC
but had a magnet
• Called 24 Hour Line and
got assistance

27. What is the MFRC?
We are an independent
resource for the
military community

28. Our mission
Provide programs and services
that serve, involve and advocate
for the military community and their
families, and which address the
unique challenges of the military
family lifestyle and will result in an
enhanced quality of life

29. Our vision
A proud, self-reliant military
family thriving in a dynamic and
supportive community.

30. Sandra Pinard
Deployment Coordinator

31. 3 Keys to a Successful
Deployment
1. Planned and prepared
2. Know the resources available
3. Connected to others

32. Know what resources are
available to you by:
• Checking out the Deployment
Handbook
• Checking out the Information Tables
• Find out about Upcoming Activities
• Check out the MFRC website :
• www.esquimaltmfrc.com

33. Plan and Prepare
• Financial, Legal and
Household
•Use the checklists provided
•Pick up a MFRC Magnet
•Single members – give the
MFRC contact info to your
loved ones.

34. What’s new at the MFRC??

35. Adult Activities
• Mindfulness Coffee
Session Oct 15
• Winter Craft Coffee
Session Nov 12
• Return and Reunion Part
1 – Dec 8
• Return and Reunion Part
2 – Dec 11

36. Children’s Deployment
Workshops
• Keep connected with deployed parent
• With other kids going through the same
thing
• Starting Oct 7

37. Workshops have an impact
Younger son did them
• More easy going
Older son didn’t
• Resentful about military
“He can understand the deployment better by
being with other kids experiencing the same
thing”

38. Tools for Parents and Caregivers
•Deployment
workbooks
For those who live at a distance or who can not get
into the MFRC at the Children’s Workshop times.

39. Raising Your Military Child
• Online learning tool
• Tips and suggestions for parenting
in the military lifestyle

40. Navigating School or
Medical System
• Figure out school or
medical system
• Advocate for your
family
• Help you develop a
plan

41. Imagination Library
• Book a month for newborns for 5 years

42. Staying in Touch Calls
• We will call your
parents, siblings,
spouse, grandparents
• Keep them updated
• Answer their questions

43. Drop off Mail Packages
• Mail dates posted on EsquimaltMFRC.com
• Family can drop off care packages at any
either Signal Hill MFRC or CPAC MFRC

44. Free Respite Child Care
• If gone for more than 21 days
• Get 3-hour period per week
• Maximum of 4 sessions per month
• Pick up your punch card tonight

45. Give at-home parent a break
• Husband in
Afghanistan for 8
months
• Family in Vancouver,
none in Victoria
• “It’s just me – all the
time”
• “It’s absolutely critical
that I have a break”

46. Upcoming Activities
• Weekly Coffee Sessions
• Monthly Dinners
• Thanksgiving Potluck
• Homecoming Banner Making

47. Coffee Nights/Dinners
• Weekly events in
Colwood & Esquimalt
• Free child care

48. About more than just coffee
• Not from Victoria, family on
East Coast
• No military background
• First deployment = four
months

49. Family Networks
• Keep connected with
other families
• Get info on
deployments
• Participate in social
activities

50. Get Connected
• Join the MCDV Family Network
• Your Network volunteer: Deborah
mcdv.family@shawcable.com
• Meet and Greet Session – Oct 8
• Find out about fun activities – connect with
others like yourself.
• Military 101 Workshop Oct 28

51. Single Members
We have not forgotten about you!
• SIT calls for parents – where ever
they may be
• New-comer activities
• Postal services and VTC
• Pet care and car storage advice
during deployment

52. 24 Hour Info Line
8000 phone
calls per year
• Answer questions
• Provide assistance in emergency
• Refer to resources in community

53. Military Family ID Card
• Access Base Gym
• Receive Military
Discounts from
Businesses
• Takes 15 minutes
• Member must be present
• Married or Common Law
• Children 13 or over

54. We can help you with
Emergencies
• Help you get an
emergency plan in
place
• Emergency Child Care
• Emergency House

55. Emergency Child Care
• Husband deployed
• Got H1N1 flu
• Two small kids
• Didn’t have anyone
that could care for her
children

56. Volunteering
• Each year, over
100 volunteers
contribute close
to 5,000 hours
• Some of our best
volunteers are
military family
members

57. We respect your
Privacy
&
Confidentiality

58. Two Offices
CPAC Signal Hill
Daycare Counselling

59. Location 1: CPAC
Colwood Pacific Activity Centre

60. Location 2: Signal Hill
1505 Esquimalt Road, Esquimalt
Close to Dockyard Gate, Fleet Club

61. PLUS: Out of School Centre
720 Galiano Crescent, Colwood
Out of School Care only, close to
CPAC

62. Phone
250-363-2640
3-2640 on the Base
Or toll-free anywhere in Canada
1-800-353-3329
24 hours a day
7 days a week

63. Website
www.esquimaltmfrc.com

64. DEPLOYMENT
POSTAL BRIEFING
CPL GROOT
23 OCT 2014
64
Part 4

65. TWO WAYS TO SEND YOUR MAIL:
Canadian Forces (CF) morale mail service
65
Canada Post

66. CF MORALE MAIL SERVICE
Free Service
Drop off at the local MFRC or Fleet Mail
Office
No special services available with
CF Morale Mail
66

67. WEIGHT AND SIZE FOR PARCELS
The maximum weight for parcels is 20kgs
Oversize and overweight parcels will not
be accepted.
67

68. MAXIMUM SIZE FOR MORALE MAIL
PARCEL
Max weight:
40 CM 100 CM
20Kgs
68
Example
40 CM

69. CORRECT MAILING ADDRESS
FOR HMCS (SHIP’S NAME) PERSONNEL
69
Aye Missew
123 My St
Victoria BC V9A 7N2
Tel 250-765-4567
Smith A.Pte 123 (Mess #)
HMCS (Ship’s Name)
PO BOX 17000 STN FORCES
VICTORIA BC V9A 7N2
Contents:
Chips
Newspapers
Books
Sender’s address
Description of contents Addressee

70. MAIL SENT VIA CANADA POST
Process at any Canada Post outlet
Postage is required on all parcels
Special services including insurance, Registered Mail,
70
Xpresspost, Priority, etc
Proof of delivery to a Military Post Office
Letter mail is currently free

71. MAIL GOING THROUGH CANADA POST
Return address
71
John Doe
123 My St
Victoria BC V9A 7N2
Tel- 250 765-4567
Bloggins B.PO1 123 (Mess #)
HMCS (Ship’s Name)
PO Box 17000 STN FORCES
VICTORIA BC V9A 7N2
Addressee
Canada Post Custom Declaration is MANDATORY!

72. CANADA POST CUSTOMS DECLARATION
72
Sender:
Same as
on parcel
Destination:
Same as
on parcel
Description of contents
$20.00
*NCV
Sign here
x
*NCV = No Commercial Value

73. PROHIBITED ITEMS
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products
Corrosive liquids/solids, flammable
liquids/solids
Pornographic material
Knives
Drugs and narcotics (including prescription
drugs)
73

74. PROHIBITED ITEMS CONTINUED
Compressed gases (aerosols)
74
Perishable items
Supplementary restrictions according to host country
Note: Batteries are permitted only if they are in their
original sealed package

75. ALL PARCELS WILL BE
SCREENED
75

76. CF MAIL ROUTINGS
Mail will be sent via shipping (CMTT)
Timings are unpredictable
76

77. CF MORALE MAIL DROP OFF POINTS
MFRC locations:
77
Signal Hill
CPAC
FMO and Naden Mail Room
Note: Wrapping paper, tape and addresses
are available at the MFRC, FMO and Naden
Mailroom.

78. CONTACT INFORMATION:
FMO (250) 363-2176
MFRC (250)363-2640
78

79. Pre-Deployment Briefing
HMCS BRANDON
HMCS YELLOWKNIFE
23 September 2014
Maj Shawn Benninger
Fleet Surgeon
CPO2 Robert Gibson
Fleet Senior Physician’s Assistant
Part 5

80. HMCS BRANDON
• HMSC BRANDON’s medical support will consist of a
Medical Officer, Capt Louttit.
• Capt Louttit comes to us from Dryden,Ontario. She
spent 20 years as a rural physician, before joining
the CF in 2012. She received training for and is
qualified in, both Dive and Flight Medicine.
• She has been posted to 17 Wing Winnipeg, and
spent time as medical relief in CFB Cold Lake and
Yellowknife NWT. She has also served as part of
the Medical Team for Op Lentus and Exercise New
Horizon, Belize.
• Capt Louttit will act as the Senior Medical Authority.

81. HMCS YELLOWKNIFE
• HMCS YELLOWKNIFE’s medical support consists
of a Medical Technician, Cpl Brad Kenny.
• Cpl Kenny is a QL5A graduate with a Primary Care
Paramedic license. He has sailed on HMCS
ALGONQUIN, learning the intricacies of the Medical
Bay on board a sailing vessel. He worked as part of
the Medical Support Team, for the annual Vernon
Cadet Camp.
• Cpl Kenny will act within his scope of practice and
will seek clinical direction as required from the
Medical Officer on board the BRANDON.