Reserve Sailor Pre-deployment

The pre-deployment phase is a complete administrative/ medical screening procedure to ensure the Sailor's suitability for deployment, followed by training and administrative preparation of the Sailor and his or her dependents for deployment.

• Pre-deployment begins with notification of orders.
• The purpose of pre-deployment activities is prepare the Sailor for mobilization, primarily by completing the Expeditionary Screening Checklist (ESC) and attending a Deployment Readiness Training (DRT) event.
• Pre-deployment ends when the Sailor departs his or her Parent Command for the Navy Mobilization Processing Site (NMPS).

Know-Before-You-Go Checklists

• Volunteer to mobilize.
• Notification: What to do when you get orders. 
• Consider taking advantage of Pre-deployment early eligibility for TRICARE.
• Screening:  Required actions for you and your Parent Commant to screen you for suitability of your IA assignment within 30 days of notification.
• Preparing Yourself:  Required and recommended actions for you to train and prepare yourself for your mobilization during the Pre-deployment phase.
  • Per the ESC, ensure you have a detaching FITREP/EVAL from your parent command.
• Preparing Your Family:  Required and recommended actions to prepare your family for your mobilization and provide support for them in your absence. This page should be reviewed by single and married IA Sailors alike to ensure personal legal and financial readiness for deployment.
• What to pack when you depart for NMPS.
• I have an emergency!

Tips & Best Practices

• PAY ISSUES: Any outstanding / unliquidated reserve pay disbursement will impact your ability to open a active duty pay account to start getting paid as an IA. To mitigate this:
  1. Make sure that your NOSC works with DFAS to liquidate all reserve pay account disburesements before you go to NMPS.
  2. Make sure that all drills you may be doing for your mobilization prepartion are submitted quickly to your NOSC RESPAY office.
• Have a communication plan for you, your family and your support network.
• Informing your civillian employer.
• Help for the self-employed and/or the small business owner.
• Use AT/ADT orders to prepare for your mobilization (as authorized by CNRFINST 3060.7B, paragraph 2-2.a.7).
• Establish FITREPs/EVALs and R3 expectations with your Parent Command reporting senior before you leave.
• Get ahead of the most common deployment issues / show stoppers (as compiled by NMPS).
• Create a financial plan to take advantage of the financial benefits that are often associated with a mobilization.
• For those with dependents:
  • Create a family care plan together with your IA Sailor, even if one is not required by his or her command.
  • Encourage your family to advantage of the numerous support networks that exist to support the families of deployed IA Sailors.
  • Be aware of the DoD and US Navy services available to support IA Sailors and their dependents.
  • Point your family to the family readiness section of this website.
• Mailing goods ahead to yourself in theater.

Want to Know More?

• How did this IA come to me?
• How will this affect my pay and other benefits?
• Who cares about me once I depart my Parent Command?
• The comprehensive Deployment Readiness Guide.
• "Plan My Delpoyment: Pre-Deployment" provides comprehensive checklists and resources for IA Sailors and their families.
• Find a host of relevant articles for the Pre-deployment IA Sailor at Military OneSource.
• Chaplain Support