Pre-Deployment Checklist
GEICO has a rich history of serving the Military for over 75 years. This pre-deployment
checklist incorporates items we have recognized as important to you, the men and women
who proudly serve our country. Use this as a guide for preparing yourself and your family
for an upcoming deployment, and be sure to take full advantage of the support services
provided by your command and base.
Legal Matter
Prepare a will.
Create a living will for you and your spouse. Once completed, be sure your spouse,
relative, or friend is aware of its contents.
Consider giving Power of Attorney to someone that you trust to handle your affairs
while you are deployed.
Contact your base legal office for information on types of Power of Attorneys and
advice on which one you should use.
Contact your base legal office to assist you with updating or creating your will.
Consider establishing a joint account with your spouse so they can more easily pay
bills, buy groceries, and take care of finances.
Review your current life insurance coverage.
Confirm your SGLI beneficiaries and update if necessary.
If you are currently renting and need to cancel a lease agreement, notify your
property management company of your upcoming deployment.
Understand your rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).
Legal Documents
Will
Copy of Emergency Data Card (DD Form 93)
Burial and funeral instructions
Legal Documents
Power of Attorney
Insurance policies (Life, Health, Home, Vehicle, Flood)
Tax Records
Court orders (child support and custody documents, divorce paperwork, etc.)
Social Security cards of each family member
Birth certificates of each family member
Marriage license
Passports/Visas
Citizenship/Naturalization paperwork
Vehicle titles, registrations, and inspection information
Copy of your most recent LES
Personal Property Matters
Review your renters/homeowners policy.
Notify your homeowners insurance company if your home will be vacant during
your deployment.
Notify your renters insurance company if you are storing your belongings in a
storage facility.
To ensure your mail is received, complete a temporary change of address form.
Inventory and photograph your personal property for insurance purposes.
Consider a safety deposit box to secure your high value items ($1,500 or more).
Consider a commercial storage facility to protect your personal property.
Home Maintenance
Cancel your newspaper delivery.
Cancel any unnecessary utilities, phone services, cable, etc.
If you have any weapons, make sure they are secured and out of reach within your
home. Notify your spouse of their location.
Consider setting up a home security system.
If you already have home security, make sure it is in working condition. If the alarm
should activate, make sure you leave instructions with a trusted friend or family
member.
Replace all smoke detector batteries.
Change air conditioning and heating system filters.
Check and replace any fuses in your fuse panel if necessary.
Make sure your spouse or significant other knows how to check fuses and circuit
breakers.
Make sure your spouse or significant other knows how to turn off your water
heater, water pump, furnace, and any other major household systems.
Make any repairs or complete any maintenance that may need to be done prior to
deploying.
Create a household emergency kit for your family
Flashlight Candles First Aid Kit
Fire
extinguisher
Extra batteries
Matches Electrical Tape
Bottled Water Canned Food Cash
Auto Matters
If your vehicles will not be driven, contact GEICO to place your car or motorcycle
into a Storage Protection Plan.
If you take your vehicle overseas or will be purchasing a vehicle overseas contact
GEICO's Overseas Department at (800)248-4998.
Check your insurance ID cards to make sure you have the most recent copy and
keep a copy of up to date ID cards in your vehicle.
Ensure that maintenance records are up to date and kept in the vehicle.
Complete any necessary vehicle maintenance (i.e. oil changes, transmission flushes,
tires rotated, etc.).
Make sure the spare keys to your vehicle are kept in a safe place.
Keep an emergency roadside kit in vehicle.
Add Emergency Road Service coverage to your insurance policy.
Keep Emergency Road Service cards in the vehicle.
Call GEICO and give 3rd party authorization to a trusted individual to take care of
your insurance matters while you are deployed.
Create a roadside emergency kit:
Flares Jack
Spare
Batteries
First Aid Kit Blanket Flashlight
Spare Tire Maps
Jumper
Cables
Ice Scraper Tool Kit
Bottled
Water
Financial Matters
Notify your credit card companies that you will be deployed.
Create a record of accounts with account information and bill due dates—maintain
in a secure place for whoever is taking responsibility for bill payments.
Due to increased overseas fraud, consider purchasing GEICO's Identity Theft
Protection policy.
Record financial account numbers in a secure location and take a copy of that
record with you when you deploy.
Review investment options with a financial advisor.
Discuss budgets for home and deployment expenses.
Plan for unexpected car maintenance and home repair expenses.
Consider keeping additional funds in your checking account at all times.
Set up automatic payments—have your bills paid on time automatically.
Ensure your automatic payment account information is up to date including card
numbers and expiration dates so payments can continue.
Family Matters
Update your Emergency Data Form ("Page Two") with your family's most current
contact information.
Ensure ID cards are current for your dependents and will not expire during your
deployment.
Notify your children's school of your deployment.
Arrange care for your pets. Ensure veterinary records are up to date. Contact your
veterinarian if someone will be taking care of your pet.
Make sure your spouse has all necessary Tricare and dental plan information.
Create a memory book with your family (family photos, mementos, etc.).
Family Matters
Make a personal bag to bring on deployment that includes pictures of loved ones
and mementos from home.
Record a birthday greeting for your child or spouse if they will be celebrating their
birthday while you are deployed.
Look into international calling plans for your home and cell phones to help maintain
contact with your family.
Familiarize yourself and your spouse with the various options for internet chatting
(i.e. Skype, Facebook chat functions, etc.).
Set up your Skype account before you leave for your deployment to avoid having to
ask a family member to do it on your behalf.
Medical
Make sure your prescriptions are current.
Have a spare set of eyeglasses and/or contact lenses.
Designate a medical power of attorney for health care decisions in the event of
injury.
Miscellaneous
Enroll in Paperless Policy and Paperless Billing options for easy access to policy
documents.
Create list of any computer or banking passwords your spouse or significant other
may need to access.
Create a list of important phone numbers and email addresses to bring with you on
deployment.
