Posted By FarmerJ on May 23, 2009

Welcome to the Family Battle Book section ~ a source dedicated to exploring one method of organizing your family’s important documents.  Once your Family Battle Book is completed, you will not only have peace of mind knowing all of your crucial information is in one location, you will be better equipped to focus on the task at hand when faced with a family emergency.

I hope you had an opportunity last week to obtain the  supplies needed for your family’s Battle Book and are now ready to proceed with gathering the contents.  There is a lot of material to cover in order to complete the Battle Book in a timely manner.  Remember, this section can be printed out and the checklists referred to in order to compile your information as your time permits.  However, I caution not to let this project slip too far on your task list ~ you want to be able to stand ready when “life” happens.

I want to point out the importance of adapting your book to fit your family’s personal needs.  For example, as I diligently began inserting documents into their appropriate sections, I quickly realized the 2-inch zippered binder I had purchased for this project was nowhere near large enough to contain everything!  I found a solution that will work for us ~ our Family Battle Book is now a Family Battle ‘Bag’.  I dreaded the thought of giving up the security of the zippered binder, but could not find another one large enough for the task at hand.  So, I purchased a 3-inch D ring binder and a tote bag which it fits into perfectly.  Plus, the tote bag has multiple zippered compartments for keeping track of those little items like backup thumb drives, etc.!

Also, my family has far too many spare keys to fit in the zippered pouch.  So, I purchased an inexpensive packet of baseball card storage sheets, cut index cards to fit inside the individual pouches, taped the keys to the cards and labeled appropriately.

This month our focus will be on Planning & Contacts and Identification & Family Records.  Let’s get started!

1. Make a main index tab for each category below (in bold brown).  To make my main index tabs, I purchased a packet of multi-colored tabs and used some pocket folders I’d gotten during a ‘Back-to-School’ sale last summer.  I cut the pocket folders in half down the middle ~ this works out really well, as it provides me with a space to store miscellaneous loose documents that don’t necessarily require a sheet protector…think of it as a space for temporary safekeeping of a document.
2. Make a sub-index divider for each section (in brown).  I printed the name of each section on a sheet of card stock and inserted it into a sheet protector.
3. Make a label for each document (in black) within each section that is applicable to your family.  Note: the labels will be placed on the sheet protectors which contain those specific documents.

Planning & Contacts

Key Contacts:

A form that has one section to record the names and phone numbers of key people, such as doctors, accountants, employers, schools, etc., and another section to record the names and phone numbers of family and friends.

Document Locator:

A form to be used to track the location of the documents and records listed on the labels placed on the sheet protectors.

Emergency Plan:

A form to be used in developing your emergency preparedness plan.

Identification & Family Records

Certificates:

• Marriage certificates
• Birth certificates
• Religious certificates
• Death certificates
• Educational certificates / Diplomas

Identification Records:

Note:  Of course, for items such as your driver’s license, military ID cards, etc. you will not want to put the original in your book, but rather make a photo copy and place that in your book.  In the event your original is lost, you will have the copy available to obtain numbers and other information you may need to get it replaced.

• Social Security numbers
• Driver’s License
• State issued identification
• Passport
• Recent photo

Military Records & Citizenship:

• Military records: Documents received during service and upon discharge from service.
• Immigration records
• Naturalization records

Family Records:

• Adoption records
• Custody agreements
• Separation / Divorce records

Pet Records:

• Photo
• Breeding documents
• Pet License
• Vaccination records
• Medication records

That’s it for this week, my friends.  I know this can seem like a lot of information to digest, but really, it’s not as overwhelming as it seems once you get started.  Just take it one section at a time, and before you know it, you’ll be well underway!

There are multitudes of Key Contact and Family Emergency Plan form templates available for download on the Internet.  Find one that appeals to you and will capture the information in a format that works for you.

Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!

Categories: Military Life, Preparedness
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