The document provides information about a pre-deployment briefing for the 4th BN 31st INF Polar Bears unit. It includes an agenda covering support agencies, the Joint Readiness Training Center overview, rear detachment and family readiness group details, a deployment checklist, and operational security practices. It also provides a state of the command section with upcoming unit training events and timelines.

1. 4th BN 31st INF – Polar Bears
Pre-Deployment Brief
&
State Of The Command

2. Agenda
 Support Agencies
 Chaplain
 Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Overview
 Rear Detachment and Family Readiness Group Information
 Deployment Checklist
 OPSEC
 State of the Command

3. Agency Information

4. Soldier and Family
Short Term
Pre-Deployment Briefing

5. Agenda
• Quick Reference Sheets
• Red Cross
• FRGs
• POAs
• ID Cards
• ACS
• CYSS
• MFLCs
• Questions and Answers

6. AMERICAN RED CROSS
MESSAGES
Q: What warrants an ARC message?
A: Death or serious illness of an immediate Family member
Who is immediate family?
– Spouse
– Parents or stepparents
– Siblings or stepsiblings
– Children or stepchildren
– Only living relative
– Grandparents (exception)
– Fiancée (exception)
– In-Laws
– All others will be decided case by case

7. American Red Cross
ARC Contact Information
Toll Free: 1-877-272-7337 24/7
Ft. Drum Red Cross Office: 772-6561
M-F 0730-1600/ Clark Hall
Many volunteer opportunities are available . . . Give us a call!!!
Information Need
•Service Member’s full name
• Service Member’s SS # or DOB
• Service Member’s unit (ex. 2-87 IN, 4-25 FA)
• Unit’s current location (ex. Camp Victory Iraq, Ft. Polk for JRTC)
•Authority to Verify
Remember:
Red Cross will only send messages when a verification can be made.
Emergency leave is granted by the military, not the Red Cross.

8. Family Readiness Group
Get involved – Stay informed!
 FRGs welcome: Spouses, Civilian employees, Retirees, Soldiers' parents,
and single Soldiers…
 What FRGs Do:
 INFORM AND REFER! Pass info from Command to Families
 Help facilitate problem solving at the lowest levels
 Provide the opportunity to make friends and have some fun!
 What FRGs DO NOT Do:
Provide Long-term child care Perform snow removal or lawn care
Serve as a taxi service Offer Financial assistance
FRG is not the only resource for helping families, but the play a large part of
the larger Army effort to help families adapt to Army life.

9. Powers of Attorney
Types
• General • Special
– Grants bearer authority – Grants bearer authority
for a specific use.
to act in your name in all
• Finance
situations (Civilian).
• DEERS/ID Cards
– Not accepted at most • Vehicle Registration
organizations on • Medical Care for Children
Ft. Drum. • Mountain Community
Homes
– Move In/Move Out

10. For Wills and POAs
Please Contact LEGAL
Location: Room A2-68, Clark Hall (Bldg P-10720)
Information Phone Line: 772-5261
Hours: 8am-4pm for walk-in services (notary, POA)
APPOINTMENTS
Call 772-5267 at 1pm for next business day
appointment.

11. DEERS/ID Cards
By Appointment Only
Please check expiration dates on your ID Cards!
ID Cards - DEERS - Official Passports
Location
Clark Hall Bldg P10720 Mount Belvedere Blvd Room A1-19
Hours of Operation
7:45am – 3:45pm Monday through Friday
Open till 6pm on Wednesday
Closed Weekends and Federal Holidays
Contact Information & Appointments
Email: drum.dhr.idcards@conus.army.mil
315-772-5149
Fax: 315-774-3412

12. ARMY COMMUNITY SERVICE
(ACS)
Conway Road
Bldg. P-4330
315-772-6557
1-800-826-0886
M-F: 7:30am-5pm

13. ACS DEPLOYMENT SERVICES
We invite you to visit and utilize the many services and opportunities provided to help
Families handle situations during deployment.
• FAMILY ADVOCACY
– Stress Management classes
– New Parent Support Program
• A home visitation program for parents of children under the age of
three.
• FINANCIAL READINESS
– ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF
• Provides financial assistance (no interest loans and/or grants) to active duty
military Families whose resources do not meet emergency

14. ACS DEPLOYMENT SERVICES
• FAMILY READINESS
– Army Volunteer Corps (AVCC)
• Stay involved - give back to the community and make new friends
– Army Family Team Building (AFTB)
• Become empowered through personal and Family preparedness
training
– Mobilization & Deployment
• Family Readiness Support
– MilitaryOneSource.com
1-800-342-9647 ~ En español llame al: 1-877-888-0727
• RELOCATION
– Hearts Apart Support Group
• Monthly support & fun-filled activity program for Families separated
due to deployment, unaccompanied tour or extended TDY.

15. Child, Youth and School Services (CYSS)
Child/Children must be Registered with CYSS to use services
• Registration is FREE
Temporary Change of Station (TCS)/
PCS Unaccompanied Tour/TDY (90-170 days)
• 16 hours free care per month/per child at Hourly
Programming.
• $2.00 per hour after 16 free hours of hourly care
• Free Care for deployment briefings
•
• Free Care for FRG meetings
•
• $150.00 SKIES Credit (instructional) per yr.
• $50.00 CYSS Sports Credit per year

16. Military Family Life Consultants (MFLC)
Professional counseling consultants who support deployment related
activities, and provide a rapid response team concept to assist Soldiers,
Families and Civilians on military installations.
Primary function: to assist Soldiers and their Families in …
•Developing focused problem solving techniques
•Recognizing early warning signs of possible stress and/or problems
•Addressing reunion/reintegration concerns
•Providing consultative liaison support with other military agencies
No records kept (with the exception of Duty to Warn issues)
An informal / anonymous structure
Available to see children who are registered with CYSS
(315) 212-6919 or call ACS (315) 772-6556
2BCT MFLC – Marsha Caraway – (315) 955-4823

17. Military & Family Life Consultants’ Scope
Prevention thru education
Stress Reduction Deployment and
Reintegration Issues
Parent Education Family Dynamics
Supplement Existing Positive Coping
Family Programs Mechanisms
Outreach to Geographically
Dispersed Families

18. 4-31 Chaplain

20. JRTC
Joint Readiness Training Center
Ft. Polk, LA

21. Rear Detachment
and FRG Information

22. 4-31 Battalion Rear-D
BN Rear-Detachment Contact Information
 Battalion Staff Duty – 315-772-4396
 Brigade Staff Duty – 315-774-2199
 Battalion OIC: CPT Joseph Gouryeb
 Battalion NCOIC: SFC Hector Gonzalez
 HHC NCOIC - SSG Knode
 HHC NCOIC OPS - SGT Rowe
 A CO NCOIC - SSG Brininger
 B CO NCOIC - SGT Rogan
 C CO NCOIC - SGT Reaves
 D CO NCOIC - SFC Stagnolia
 F CO NCOIC - SGT Fuchs

23. HOW TO USE THE FAMILY READINESS GROUP
CHAIN OF CONCERN
What is a Chain of Concern?
• You will be notified through the Family Readiness Group (FRG) Chain of Concern
regarding important information pertaining to the unit and the FRG. The Chain of
concern is your primary link with the 4-31 ,and it is a means to communicate
official unit information. If you plan to leave the area during a deployment, please
contact the company FRG leader with a telephone number and email address.
How Does the Chain of Concern Work?
• The FRG leader calls each of the company Key Callers, each Key Caller calls the
FRG Members listed under him/her on the Chain of Concern and passes on the
message/information. After all calls have been made, the Key Caller reports back to
the FRG Leader with the outcome of the calls.
• If you as a Family Member need assistance you would do the reverse. The Family
Member calls the Key Caller (with a question or concern), the Key Caller (if he/she
cannot answer the question) contacts the FRG Leader.
IF YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER OR MAILING ADDRESS CHANGES
CONTACT YOUR KEY CALLER TO LET THEM KNOW!!!
REMEMBER THIS ROSTER IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
AND TO BE USED FOR OFFICIAL PURPOSES ONLY!

24. Family Readiness
Deployment Checklist
Deployment Checklist
• Family Contact Information
• Financial
• Medical
• Legal
• Automotive

25. Family Readiness Deployment Checklist

26. IMPORTANT HEALTH CARE
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
• Appointments ...................................................(888) 838-1303
• Emergency/Ambulance………………………..........…911
• Acute Care Clinic................................................772-5236
• Behavioral Health Department..........................772-6890
• Patient Representative.......................................772-4655
• Prescription Refills..............................................772-3696
• Poison Control Center........................................(800) 252-5655
• TRICARE Service Center.....................................(888) 999-
5195
• Guthrie Ambulatory Health Care Clinic.............772-2778

27. 4-31 Facebook Group
Battalion (FRSA)
Family Readiness Support
Assistant
Tracey M. Jones
http://www.facebook.com/pages/4th-Battalion-31st-Infantry-Polar-Bears/239135106115186

28. FRG Events Calendar
 16-17 MAR – ESC Fort Drum Woman’s Conference @ The Commons
 19 APR – Fort Drum Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony @ Commons @ 1700
 29 APR – LT Dan Band @ Magrath Gym
 15 MAY – Fort Drum FRG Symposium
 6 MAR – CARE Team TNG @ BN Classroom @ 0900-1230
 25 MAR – Easter Egg Hunt @ Hillside Lodge @ 1400
 12 APR – BN Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony @ BN Classroom @ 1000
 19 APR – GI Jane Day III – The Trilogy
 14 JUN – Polar Bear 5K Charity Event
 1 MAY– 2BCT Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony @ Commons @ 1300
 29 FEB – D-Co FRG MTG @ Pines Plains Bowling Alley @ 1300
 5 MAR – A-Co FRG MTG @ Crescent Woods Community Center @ 1800
 14 MAR – HHC FRG MTG/Potluck @ HHC FRG LDRS Home @ 1800
 14 MAR – C-Co FRG MTG @ Hillside Lodge @ 1800
 18 MAR – B-Co FRG MTG @ Hillside Lodge @ 1300

29. FRG Events

30. FRG Events

31. OPSEC

32. OPSEC
Operational security is about protecting information from the
enemy that is potentially harmful to the mission, safety of
Soldiers, and safety of families
Some information is “protected” – to include troop movements,
schedules, and locations – and should not be shared on the phone
or via e-mail
The vFRG is the only authorized web site for sharing command
information and operational updates [protected web site]
Unclassified information will be shared via BN Facebook
Platoon and company web sites and blogs that operate openly on
the world wide web are strictly forbidden
How we practice OPSEC –
»Cell phones forbidden outside of the FOB
»Paper trash is burned or shredded
»Documents are “classified” to control handling and distribution

33. Training Highlights
MARCH
- JRTC 12-05 Fort Polk LA Your Time
- Bataan Memorial Death March (WSNM)
APRIL
(13 FEB – 30 JUN)
- Aco/Bco Change of Command
- GI Jane Day III WORK DAYS
MAY
- HHC Change of Command DAYS DAYS OFF
- EIB Train-up FEB 17 11 6
- EIB execution
- Couples Retreat MAR (D) 31 31 0
JUNE APR 30 17 13
- Scout PLT LFX
- Singles Retreat MAY 31 21 10
- Army Birthday
JUN 30 20 10
- BN Change of Command
- Block leave begins last week of June TOTAL 139 100 39
JULY
- Block leave 1/4 of your Soldiers time is off; the time
we Spend training and perfecting our
- Mountain Peak skills is critical in this unpredictable
world, plan accordingly.

34. QUESTIONS?