Fort Huachuca, Arizona — The first-ever civilian casualty assistance program was created here and will begin next week to fill the information gap for supervisors, Department of Defense civilians, and next of kin who have experienced the deaths of civilian personnel. I plan to

There were casualty assistance programs for the death of military personnel, but none for the death of military personnel or family members. With this dilemma in mind, Garrison Commander Colonel John Ives and former Garrison Commander Deputy Heidi Maralczyk set up a workgroup to come up with a solution.

“The Colonel was perplexed when he realized that we didn’t have a Civilian Transition Assistance Force,” said workforce development expert Anisha Avalos. “So he wanted to make sure we were creating something for the civilian sector to mirror what we were doing for the military.”

In the event of the death of a military personnel, the procedures to follow on the Injury Assistance Report (CAR) are outlined. This 38-page document provides instructions on what to do from the time of the soldier’s death until the first calendar year.

“If a military member dies, next of kin will be assigned an assistant,” explained Human Resources Director Erin Beam. “The person follows a 95-step checklist over the next year to ensure that he or she receives funeral honors, paperwork is complete, benefits and entitlements are received. follow them

“This person has literally been assigned to next of kin and will be instructed to hold hands until they complete all 95 stages of the CAR and then be handed over to the Survivor Assistance Services program,” she said.

But for civilians in the Department of Defense, there was no such list or program. until now.

Beam said the group realized there was more than just one long checklist. In fact, she said, “They really realized she needed three separate checklists.”

One checklist, aimed specifically at supervisors, details what to do in the event of the death of a civilian employee. Beam said the document aims to address “what needs to be done to help the force.” [next of kin] From the first hour, and until the next few weeks? “

The checklist covers work-related items such as notifying the chain of command and Civil Personnel Advisory Center, collecting items such as ID cards, government supplies and keys, but also setting up grief counseling and letters of condolence. We also deal with more personal items such as letter.

The second checklist is for surviving family members and is intended to help them process things in the immediate aftermath of the death and in the months following. This includes information on how to report a death, what notices need to be given, what documents need to be found and even what types of bills need to be paid. I’m here.

The final and longest document is one that anyone can fill out to organize their affairs. This package packs a 20-page checklist to make sure you know your ultimate wishes and manage your wealth with ease.

“This is a readiness checklist for every civilian to bring home,” Beam said. “It’s for you to tell your family, ‘My bank account is here, my social media account passwords are here, my life insurance policy says this, my car registration is here,’ etc. It’s from.”

Another member of the working group, Transition Assistance Program Manager Rosalie Monge, explained: “There are still many spouses who don’t even know the name of their bank. They don’t know what their account number is. They don’t even know if they have life insurance. Which companies are you on board with? So this preemptive checklist allows us to explore them all and have all the information in one place.”

Workgroups encourage everyone to create a binder or file to store all information and documents.

“This is so that if they pass away, all the information and documents will be in one place,” Monju explained. “They can get car ownership, Social Security cards, and everything they need right away, so the surviving spouse can receive it, they can do something, they can feel good about themselves. Do no harm.” Dark. “

Monju said the checklist is especially helpful for adult children of parents who live alone.

“Most grown-up children know nothing about their parents’ financial lives, including banking information, credit cards, and debt,” she says. “This is what parents should do, so they know it too.” [their children] We are as prepared as we can be. “

Once the three checklists are completed, it will be open to the public at Fort Huachuca. Injured Support Center web page.

Beam said this information will be explained to all new hires and retirees and made available to all employees. Available in paper and electronic form, it is accessible to everyone.

“The goal is to get this into the hands of all civilian personnel in the facility so they can start thinking about it and know what to do,” Monju said.

# # #

Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Army Signal Command, and supports over 48 tenants representing a diverse and multidisciplinary workforce. Our unique environment includes 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected microwave ovens, which are critical elements of our national defense mission.

Located in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, about 25 miles north of the Mexican border, Fort Huachuca is a frontier military installation with a rich history. Founded in 1877, the fort was designated a national landmark in 1976.

We are the home of the Army.Learn more about https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.