Heading off on a military deployment requires plenty of preparation, but not just that of physical and tactical gear. One of the most important of these preparations is getting an estate plan in place.
For those in the military, estate planning becomes less about age or status and more about readiness and responsibility. It’s about taking the ‘what-ifs’ and turning them into ‘even ifs,’ ensuring that no matter what the circumstances, your wishes and your family’s well-being are secured and clearly outlined.
Creating a roadmap for your assets and wishes
An estate plan is essentially a roadmap for your assets and your wishes. It involves laying out who gets what. It’s about assigning a trusted friend or family member the power to make decisions when you might not be able to.
This isn’t just about the big-ticket items like houses or savings accounts. It’s also about the smaller things that mean the world to someone—like a letter to a child or a favorite watch passed down to a sibling.
Power of attorney and guardianship
Within an estate plan, powers of attorney stand as pillars of your intent. By designating someone to handle your financial and medical affairs, you’re placing trust in a person to act as your advocate.
If you’re a parent, the weight of guardianship choices can feel overwhelming. Here, you choose who will raise your children if you can’t. That decision is probably one of the most profound choices a deployment checklist will ever contain.
Deployments are tough. They mean time away from loved ones, missed milestones, and the constant hum of risk. A solid estate plan brings a semblance of control and care into a situation that may often feel like it has too little of both.
