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KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – As members of the military, Reserve Citizen Airmen can be called upon at any time in support of contingencies both at home and around the globe. To help ease the pre-deployment process, the 403rd Wing Judge Advocate office and 403rd Force Support Squadron offer assistance with various issues reservists can take care of before their deployment.
According to Maj. Jed Wangsgard, 403rd Wing deputy staff judge advocate, the JA office can help wing members draft powers of attorney, wills, and other legal documents they may need to help them and their family members deal with legal issues that may arise while their loved ones are deployed.
One particular document, a power of attorney, lets people designate who can perform legal actions on their behalf for a set period of time, such as when a reservist may be deployed overseas and is unable to deal with certain legal or financial issues in person.
“If they have (a power of attorney) in place and something happens – like there’s an issue with a bank account, or a credit card gets compromised, or they need to change how their bills are paid – then that person can show up with the power of attorney and act on the deploying Airmen’s behalf,” said Wangsgard.
Two powers of attorney he mentioned in particular are general powers of attorney and special POAs. The general POA allows a person to designate someone to conduct a wide variety of financial and legal affairs on their behalf, while the special POA allows them to handle whatever specific issues have been designated in the power of attorney.
Since it can be such a powerful document, the major noted that it’s important to choose people for the POA who are trustworthy, have good common sense, and have a clear understanding of how to handle affairs according to a person’s wishes.
Another legal document Wangsgard mentioned is especially important to have is a will. A will is a legal document that allows people to determine a how various actions can take place after their death, such as how property and finances can be distributed, who is allowed to carry out the will, and who the guardians of their minor children will be. Having a will can also help reservists protect their family members from any additional expenses or court fees they might incur if a will wasn’t in place.
“With the will, it’s good to have in pace if, unfortunately, a person passes away, then they know that their belongings are going to go to whomever they want to get them, and if they have kids, they can specify whomever they want to be the future guardians of their children,” said Wangsgard.
According to Senior Airman Jamekia Whitehead, 403rd Force Support Squadron customer support technician, one main item that 403rd customer support members can assist deploying Airmen with is ensuring their Servicemember's Group Life Insurance is in place and up to date before they leave.
SGLI is a program of group life insurance for service members on active duty, ready reservists, members of the National Guard, and other service members available in increments of $50,000 to a maximum of $400,000.
“If you have a family, you want to get enough life insurance to cover you for deployment reasons so that if – in the worst case scenario you do pass away – funeral costs are covered and your beneficiaries are taken care of,” said Whitehead. “It’s definitely important to make sure all of that is squared away before you leave.”
Whitehead noted service members can enroll for this life insurance using the SGLI Online Enrollment System. To access SOES, Whitehead said members can go to www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect, sign in, and go to Benefits, Life Insurance SOES-SGLI Online Enrollment System. Service members can log in with their CAC or with their DS Logon as soon as they receive notice that SOES access is available. Service members can then make sure their SGLI coverage and beneficiaries are current.
Wangsgard mentioned that it’s important for Airmen to have these documents and coverages in place, and keep them up to date so that, when it does come time to deploy, Airmen don’t have to scramble to make sure their legal and personal affairs are in order.
“These are the things that can hopefully help put a deploying Airmen’s mind at ease while they’re gone knowing that the folks at home can be taken care or take care of any issues that arise,” said Wangsgard.
Members of the 403rd Wing can call the JA office at 228-377-9073 to schedule appointments during the unit training assemblies. Normal UTA appointment hours are Saturdays, 1-3 p.m., and every other UTA Sunday 9-11 a.m. In addition, reservists can access the U.S. Air Force Legal Assistance website (https://aflegalassistance.law.af.mil/lass/lass.html) for educational and general information about legal issues. It provides information on a variety of topics, such as wills, powers of attorney, family law, and consumer and financial affairs.
Also, for more information about SGLI, wing members can visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website (https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/sgli.asp), contact the 403rd Force Support Squadron at 228-377-4027, or stop and UTA weekends on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2018 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 266135 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS, US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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