Unfortunately, families will experience a variety of emergencies while their loved one is at boot camp. The decision to alert your recruit can be challenging based on not wanting to interrupt their training.

Although there is no perfect answer we recommend you discuss the following with your recruit before their ship date:
1.  Create a list of family and friends your recruit would like to be notified in case of an emergency.
2.  Create a list of emergency scenarios, such as sickness, death, mental health, divorces, etc.
3.  Determine with your recruit, in what situation do they want to be informed. The military will allow your recruit to pause training to attend a funeral.
4.  Unless the illness is life-threatening delivering news to your recruit should wait until after graduation.

The best way is to contact the Red Cross, who, in turn, will reach the command. Call 1-877-272-7337 (toll-free) or contact your local Red Cross. If your family needs emergency assistance, you can submit a request online or call the American Red Cross. Access vital emergency and non-emergency resources for military members, veterans, and military families. 

The military is often the first time your loved one will receive a regular paycheck, and for this reason, several financial topics need to be discussed prior to the ship date. Because money can be a sensitive subject choosing a financial mentor is recommended. The mentor can be a family member, friend, or a local bank representative with experience in money management.

Topics to discuss:
1. Does the recruit have a current bank account with a debit card?
2. Is the bank account with a military or federal credit union? In many cases, military credit unions will pay up to 3-days early.
3. Does the recruit have any outstanding debt or financial obligations? If so, make a list and priority of payoff. Recruit training can offer an opportunity to catch up with old debt.
4. Does the recruit have a current credit report? If not, use CreditKarma.com to review the credit portfolio.
5. Does the recruit have any court-ordered obligations such as child support?
6. Does the recruit have any insurance policies, such as health or life?
7. If the recruit is married, is their spouse on their bank account?
8. Does the recruit have anyone listed as a dependent, i.e., elderly parent, spouse, child, etc.?

Recommendations:

Bank Account - establish a bank or credit union account before leaving for boot camp. Determine who, if any, will have access to this account. We recommend one person is added to the account in case of emergencies. There are several financial institutions to choose from, including Navy Federal CU, Marine Federal Credit Union, and USAA. Once the recruit has their account established, family members are now eligible as well to open accounts.

Credit Cards - if the recruit doesn't have a credit card, it is recommended they open an account with their financial institution. Although credit cards can be a benefit, they can also tempt users to overspend. Discuss the principles of a credit card before opening the account.

Car Loans - if the recruit doesn't own a vehicle, they should wait to purchase one until after they arrive at their first duty station. Unfortunately, there are more than a few car dealers located at the gates of most military bases. Discuss with your recruit the financial aspects of purchasing/financing a new car, i.e., interest rates, length of loan, down-payment, and insurance.

Savings and Investments - The military offers several investment opportunities that the recruit should take advantage of during their service years. Beware, however, just like car dealerships; there are investment companies that advertise to new military members offering low-quality products & services. Recruits should establish or set up potential investment products before leaving for training, or follow-up with their financial mentor before investing.

The military offers amazing educational benefits and can be taken advantage of once your recruit arrives at their first duty station. Although the length of service ranges from four years to 20, your loved one will separate from the military.
And for this reason, they need to have an educational and career plan started before leaving for boot camp.

Recommended for your Recruit to complete:
1. Print out high school transcript or GED documents before leaving for boot camp
2. Attend a free career exploration class (we offer this through the DEP360 Recruit program)
3. Create a free career exploration recruit account
4. Download Career Exploration Recruit Workbook
5. Create a resume & cover letter (draft only)
6. Create an educational goal and career list
7. Learn how to communicate with military supervisors on skill growth
8. Align your military occupation with your civilian interest and career
9. Create and maintain your TASK-SKILL-RESULTS journal.