Important Deployment-Related Legal Paperwork

Use the information below to familiarize yourself with important legal items to complete so you and your family can be deployment ready.

Family readiness planning before you deploy

Update life insurance, Records of Emergency Data, wills and powers of attorney before you deploy to ensure your family receives timely benefits and critical support when it matters most. Discuss your wishes with potential guardians and powers of attorney beforehand, and make sure a family member, whether spouse, partner or parent, can access your legal documents.

Record of Emergency Data

The Record of Emergency Data, or DD Form 93, communicates your wishes to the military should you die or become incapacitated. This legal document allows you to:

• Provide contact information for those you wish to be notified in case you are seriously ill or injured, missing or deceased
• Designate beneficiaries of certain benefits (If you do not designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries, one will be designated for you according to law.)
• Authorize a person to direct disposition of your remains in the event of your death
• Have a guide for the disposition of your pay and allowances should you become a casualty

Keep your DD Form 93 updated to ensure timely notification of family members and to guarantee benefits reach your beneficiaries. Call or visit your personnel center for assistance.

Life Insurance

Service members are eligible for Servicemembers Group Life Insurance. Update or certify your SGLI through the milConnect website when:

• You are in-processing and out-processing
• A life event occurs, such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child or death of a beneficiary
• There is a change in a beneficiary’s address

Note: You must update your DD Form 93 when you make any changes to your life insurance. Call or visit your personnel center for assistance.

Will preparation and updates

A will lets you decide what happens to your property, belongings and your children’s guardianship, if necessary, in the event of your death rather than having courts decide for you. If you already have a will, consider updating it based on your current needs.

A will ensures your wishes are known and honored and that someone can legally speak on your behalf. Keep in mind these terms when creating a will:

• A living will, or advance directive, details which medical treatments, such as resuscitation or organ donation, you do or do not want if you become incapacitated and are unable to make those decisions.
• A durable medical power of attorney, on the other hand, allows you to designate a person to make decisions about your medical care if you become incapacitated and cannot make those decisions yourself.
• A last will and testament, known more commonly as a will, makes sure that you decide what happens to your children, property and belongings in the event of your death. A court may intervene if you do not have this document.
• An executor is the person who will carry out your wishes as you state them in your will. You will need to appoint one.
• If you have children, you will need to decide who will act as a guardian for them in the event of your and your spouse’s death.

Powers of attorney

Review the different powers of attorney to name a trusted person to act on your behalf regarding legal, financial and family matters, or just a specific matter while you’re deployed.

General power of attorney — Grants broad legal authority to act on behalf of the service member, or grantor (Some institutions may not accept a general POA for certain transactions.)

Special or limited power of attorney — Applies to specific transactions or business relationships such as a bank account, vehicle use or sale of property (A special power of attorney requires detailed direction and a separate POA for each purpose or transaction.)

Regular, durable and springing powers of attorney — Differ by when they begin and end

• Regular: Most regular powers of attorney take effect when they are signed and last until they expire or are revoked, until either party dies or until the grantor becomes incapacitated.
• Durable: A durable power of attorney usually takes effect when signed and lasts until it expires, until it is revoked or until either party dies. Unlike a regular POA, a durable power of attorney contains special language to continue the representative’s powers even if the grantor is incapacitated.
• Springing: A springing power of attorney becomes valid when a certain event occurs, such as if the grantor is incapacitated and unable to make their own decisions. They may or may not have an expiration date.
• Termination: A termination power of attorney is limited to a specific period of time or around a certain event, such as during the length of a deployment. The POA automatically expires when that time or event has concluded.

Family care plan

Create a family care plan to serve as a blueprint for how you want your family cared for while you’re away. It’s best if you and your caregiver work on this document together.

A plan is required for service members who are:

• Single parents
• Dual-member couples with dependents
• Married with custody or joint custody of a child whose non-custodial biological or adoptive parent is not the current spouse of the service member, or who otherwise bear sole responsibility for the care of children under the age of 19 or for others unable to care for themselves in the absence of the service member
• Primarily responsible for dependent family members

Personal information and beneficiary updates

Designate beneficiaries in advance to maintain control of your assets for your loved ones. Review or update personal and beneficiary information for:

• Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Forms (To download forms, visit the Veterans Affairs Life Insurance web page.)
• Bank accounts (Ask about transfer on death provisions.)
• Retirement savings plans, including your 401(k), Thrift Savings Plan and Individual Retirement Accounts
• Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other assets

Estate planning

Use the Estate Planning Workbook to organize your estate plan, document key decisions and help ensure your wishes are clearly recorded.

Military OneSource consultants are available 24/7/365 to answer your questions and connect you with deployment resources and assistance. Call 800-342-9647, use OCONUS calling options or log in to start a secure chat.