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 Family Separation and Readiness


Deployment Welfare Package (Overseas) for Out of Area Locations


DWP(O) - Communications

    Telephony:

  1. 30 minutes of publicly funded telephone call time per week, or part thereof, to any destination, world-wide, including mobile phones for the complete duration of their deployment, including any periods spent on local R&R i.e. outside the UK


  2. An additional 30 minutes of publicly funded telephone call time for personnel deployed over all or part of the Christmas period (defined as 22 Dec-2 Jan inclusive).


    3. Email/SMS Texting:

  3. In most cases e-mail and Internet provision will be accessed through the same terminal and consequently this should be read in conjunction with Internet provision.


  4. E-mail may be replaced with SMS texting in remote sites where standard infrastructure provision is not viable e.g. at Forward Operating Bases. The following e-mail and/or SMS texting facilities should be provided, at public expense, where the theatre infrastructure and environment allow:

    • Facility to send and receive e-mail and/or SMS texts.
    • Facility to compose and print e-mail off-line.
    • E-mail access or TEXTLINK terminals should be provided on a planning ratio of at least one terminal to 40 personnel (1:40). Where a location has an expectation of providing a surge capability to support manoeuvre forces, e-mail or SMS texting facilities are to be provided in commensurate numbers.


    5. Forces Mail:

  5. The timely and efficient delivery of mail is one of the most important aspect of the DWP(O) and is to be given prime consideration during operational planning. Wherever possible, Forces Mail facilities are to be provided at the commencement of deployment.


  6. Facility to send and receive Free Forces Air Letters (blueys) at public expense for the duration of a deployment and for families and friends to send and receive FFALs at public expense for the duration of the Service persons deployment. This facility is not available from outside the UK or at a location where a BFPO is not established.


  7. Where the logistical environment is capable of sustaining the BFPO service (by either air or sea) packets or parcels may be sent from families or friends to Service personnel, or vice versa, at the Forces Concessionary Parcel Rate for the duration of the deployment. Details of this rate can be obtained from local Post Offices; in essence, it is of similar cost to that of sending the packet or parcel within the UK.


  8. Facility for family and friends to send letters, cards or packets up to 2 kgs in weight over a 4-week period prior to Christmas (dates to be confirmed annually by BFPO).
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