Who's the boss, what's the plan and what should be done with the money?

Those are some of the questions that will be asked and answered at a deployment boot camp hosted by the 17th Fires Brigade Friday, March 14 at the North Fort Chapel.

To assist in their readiness for deployment, the emphasis is dealing with issues that they'll face as families who are apart. Two units of the 17th Fires Brigade are headed to the Middle East in April.

Soldiers and their spouses will be able to take four of the 20 classes offered that deal with relationships, day-to-day life, parenting and finances.

"They did this for the first time two months ago and it was a huge success," said Capt. Tania Donovan, 17th Fires Brigade's public affairs officer. "Because of its success they decided to do it again."

The classes are free and start at 8:30 a.m. and go until 2:30 p.m.

The classes include tips on preventing identity theft, discussing personal goals during the deployment and the parenting plan with an absent parent.

ID theft is an issue. The class discusses awareness and how to keep from falling victim to a scam.

"I know when they're coming back there's a lot of opportunities to hook a solider," Donovan said. "Like putting a deposit on a non-existing apartment or buying a vehicle at long distance at a discount. Unfortunately, things happen to soldiers." 

Another financial class discusses options for how to best use the pay increase a soldier earns while deployed. Invest or save?

"It's an opportunity for them to really think about the additional money they'll be making," Donovan said. "Sometimes they come back and they didn't realize how much they've made and they make poor decisions."

Then there's a class on goal setting. How should the spouse at home best use their time? Take college classes? Get the car fixed? Search for another job?

"Instead of just waiting at home for their spouse to get back, they can be doing something," Donovan said. "It helps them get through being apart."

A class for the spouse at home discusses the "must see" sites in Washington. It's about places and things to do, like hiking in the Olympics. The objective is to preoccupy the waiting spouse, helping them deal with being apart.

"It's an opportunity with families with or without children to explore the state of Washington while their spouse is away," Donovan said. "It's another thing for them to do and not sit, dwelling on the fact that they're not together."

For families with children, there are several classes offered. There's a class called "parenting plan for deployment" and one called "keeping kids connected." The first one is about the absence of dad and the impact of that loss of that authoritarian voice. The second one is about the programs and events offered on base.

"The parenting class is about how roles change," Donovan said. "It's a way to get parents to talk about it before deployment."

A AUSA sub-chapter will offer a free breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and a lunch at noon. Child care will be provided.