Deployment: An Overview
Strictly speaking, "deployment" refers to activities required to move military personnel and materials from a home installation to a specified destination. For servicemembers and families, it has come to mean much more: the preparations and personal needs that need to be taken care of at home before, during and after deployment.
Deployment for active servicemembers and National Guard and Reserve members, as well as Individual Augmentee (IA) deployment, follows these cycles:
1. The Active Duty Deployment Cycle
Pre-deployment phase
When not deployed, servicemembers and their units undergo traditional training to prepare for the conduct of military duties. During this phase, servicemembers go through normal training and medical evaluations that maintain their personal and unit readiness level. From the family point of view, this phase is "normal life," as the servicemember is at home and going to work on a regular basis. Near the end of this phase, the unit will be alerted for possible deployment and will receive orders to mobilize. Upon receiving a mobilization alert, preparation for deployment begins, including required briefings, additional training, medical and dental evaluations, and possibly counseling to ensure that service members are ready and able to be deployed. The pre-deployment phase ends when service members or their units physically leave the home installation for the theater of operations.
2. The Reserve / Guard Deployment Cycle
Pre-deployment
This phase is similar to the active duty pre-deployment phase in that the servicemember is living a "normal life," and undergoing regularly scheduled training and medical evaluations that maintain their personal and unit readiness level. When servicemembers receive a mobilization alert they will be given briefings, additional training and medical evaluations in preparation; the pre-deployment phase ends when servicemembers or their units physically leave the home installation for the theater of operations.
3. Individual Augmentee Deployment
Individual augmentee (IA) deployment occurs when a servicemember receives orders to deploy individually or with a small group to augment a different unit. This type of deployment is different from deployments that occur when an entire unit, squadron, or ship is ordered to deploy. An IA can be an active duty, a National Guard, or a Reserve service member, and can either volunteer for IA service or be selected for it. usually IAs are Navy and Air Force service members that augment an Army or Marine Corps unit. Deploying IA Sailors and Airmen usually require additional training and can be ordered to tours longer in length than a traditional deployment.
When called for an IA deployment, service members usually have shorter notification times, lack specific information concerning their deployment, and are often deployed to areas that present communication challenges.
Relocation Services:
This program offers assistance to military members and their families in relocating from one installation to another. Provides useful and interesting information regarding local community and travel. Operates loan locker for basic necessities and SITES program (web-based information on world-wide military installations).
We use cookies to improve your experience and to help us understand how you use our site. Please refer to our cookie notice and privacy statement for more information regarding cookies and other third-party tracking that may be enabled.
© 2023 Department of Defense
