The $4.3 billion Navy Federal is seeing "Quite a few" of its more than one million members going to the Middle East.

"There has also been high demand to increase lines of credit on Visa cards, establish family accounts, put new codes on checks and purchase traveler's checks."

Navy Federal is accommodating the deluge of service requests by expanding domestic office hours and urging that its offices along the route to the Mideast do the same.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union, based in Alexandria, Va., – perhaps the only credit union with a "deceased account specialist" – is hoping that person won't be kept very busy. Besides urging members to draw up wills, Pentagon Federal is drawing up a financial checklist for its September newsletter.

According to marketing officer and editor Lauran Nohe the checklist will:

• Suggest members invoke powers of attorney for their spouses.
• Recommend granting medical powers of attorney in the event of a child's injury.
• Explain the differences between join accounts and beneficiary accounts and recommend converting to joint.
• Tout the advantages of credit life and credit disability insurance, and explore other options with Pentagon Federal's insurance subsidiary.
• Stress the importance of knowing the location of important documents and how all debt payments are arranged.

Defense credit unions are receiving a shot in the arm from the US military, according to Defense Council President Jim Rowe, who said the armed forces are helping to assure that servicemen are prepared for the Mideast mission financially as we as physically.

"Not only are the men in the desert being taken care of, their dependents at home are being considered," said Rowe. "All new enlistees within the last three or four years are obligated to enroll in Sure Pay, which is direct deposit to a designated institution in the States. For people who were grandfathered prior to that time, officials are sitting down with them and encouraging them to go on Sure Pay as well."

Since the alternative to Sure Pay is unattractive, Rowe remarked, a large majority of servicemen-including 100% of the 82^nd Airborne and 96% of the entire air Force-receive direct deposits. The only other option is having paychecks withheld by the Accounting and Finance Center until the serviceman requests a payout.

As far as cash availability goes, Rowe, a retired colonel who lived on $25 a month when serving in Vietnam, assured it wouldn't be a concern.