Written by Katie Peterson in Ft Leavenworth Lamp.com
With PCS season getting closer, service members and their families are encouraged to be proactive in their summer transition preparation.
Because of COVID-19 precautions, several portions of the screenings and EFMP updates will be completed virtually except for physical appointments, which must be conducted face-to-face with a medical provider. Jennifer Jarrett and Barbara Grady, the Eisenhower Army Medical Center EFMP case coordinators, can help families prepare the required medical information.
Families who are staying in the United States are not required to go through screenings unless their service member is with the Air Force and has an exceptional family member. In those cases, only the exceptional family member is required to be screened.
Enrolled family members are encouraged to revalidate their enrollment in the program, which expires every three years. For families with an EFMP member, no travel decision will be made within six months of enrollment expiration.
Families traveling outside the continental United States, whether they have an EFMP member or not, are required to be screened before they travel.
Once service members receive their request for orders, they should call the EFMP and Family Member Travel Screening Office at 706-787-9300/9310 to get started.
Before screenings can be scheduled, there are forms that must be filled out, with different forms for each branch of service.
Army families must have a completed DA Form 5888 signed by the soldier’s unit S1 or MPD reassignments clerk, as well as a DA Form 7246. Completed forms can be e-mailed to usarmy.gordon.medcom-eamc.mbx.efmp@mail.mil. The forms can be found at https://armypubs.army.mil.
Additionally, if any children listed on the orders have an individualized education plan or an individualized family service plan with his or her school, a DD 2792-1 must be completed and submitted with a copy of the plan.
The same forms are required for the Navy and the Marine Corps. Service members will receive a packet from their service with web orders. Completed packets go to the gaining installation for suitability screening. Forms needed include a DD 2792, DD 2792-1 for school-age children, one DD 2807-1 per person on orders, one NAVMED 1300/1 per person on orders must be filled out by the primary care provider and dental; one NAVMED 1300/2 per person on the orders, and NAVPERS 1300/16.
Air Force service members will receive a packet with their Report on Individual Personnel. Completed packets will be forwarded to the EFMP office at Shaw Air Force Base, SC., for processing and EFMP if required. To contact the Shaw AFB EFMP, call (803) 895-6247. Forms needed include one DD 2792 per person, a DD 2792-1 for school-age children, an AF 1466, one AF 1466D per person that has been filled out by dental; a DD 2005, and an AF 2523.
EFMP-specific forms are available at https://efmp.amedd.army.mil/forms.html.
Once all questions are answered and all forms are filled out, the documents should be forwarded to the EFMP case coordinators so the screening process can begin.
During the screening, the EFMP Medical Director, Dr. Amy Nataraj, will review medical records to see if there are any enrollable conditions. Some of the things she looks for are referrals (used or unused), medications and medical conditions which last for six months or more.
Dependents with open medical referrals cannot be screened until referrals are completed. Once the EFMP office completes the initial screening the completed paperwork is returned to the service member via their official e-mail.
Travel screenings, depending on the number of appointments required, can take 30-45 days to be completed. Travel screenings will only be completed virtually.
Changes to the family dynamic that can affect travel screening – including pregnancy, dual military, new dependents and changes in custody – must be shared with the DDEAMC EFMP office as soon as possible.
An EFMP family member must be approved by the gaining installation, which can take an additional 30 days or more. Once the exceptional family member is approved, the Military Personnel Division can produce orders.
If a family is denied by the gaining installation, there are three options:
The service member can request a reconsideration if they are qualified, can go unaccompanied or can ask for a new assignment. To find out of you are qualified for a reconsideration after a family travel denial, you should engage with Ms. Jarrett or Ms. Grady for more details. Reasons for denial could include services required for the exceptional family member are not available at the gaining installation.
The EFMP and Family Member Travel Screening office is on the second floor of DDEAMC. Hours are 8-1530 Monday through Friday. Family Travel screenings are by appointment only.
To schedule a screening appointment, call 706-787-7300. To speak with an EFMP Case Coordinator for questions or to enroll/update, call 706-787-9300/9310.
