Military deployments are never easy for anyone. It is a time of worry and fear for those going overseas as well as the ones left behind at home. Families with younger children may have a harder time as well, since the kids do not fully understand what is going on.
The first stage of deployment is pre-deployment, in this time the service member receives his orders for deploying and draws their gear and gets everything in order to leave. The service member will also need to get all their affairs in order to include their power of attorney, their first will and testament. It is a time of anxiety and tension for what’s to come. Being a spouse, it’s hard to not tell your loved one that you don’t want them to go, but you know that will only make things harder on them. No one really wants to leave for a deployment, but it’s their job, their duty. The text points to a lot of tension and anxiety that causes fights in this time. “This kind of increased tension often leads to increased arguing between spouses” (Hall, 2008, p162). For me, it was more about being anxious about what to expect, I was pregnant with two little ones at home. I think it was something that helped bring us closer with the unknown looming over us. The next stage would be the deployment stage, where the service member leaves for their deployment. …show more content…
This time is filled with lots of tears, mixed emotions are common, with spouses feeling disoriented and overwhelmed (Hall 2008, p.162). The first month is the hardest, it takes a little while to get set back into the routine that you had prior to your service member leaving. Some couples feel helpless and unable to support each other, at the same time feeling jealous of those that the other does rely on (Hall, 2008, p.164). It is hard to see your spouse relying on someone else for support, it is a place that has been yours while they were home. With everything, communication is a big key to keeping things open and honest so, resentments don’t build up over time. By the end of the first month of deployment, things start to become a little easier. The sustainment phase lasts for the majority of the deployment, beginning after the first month until about a month before the service member is to come home (hall, 2008, p.164). For those that were left at home, things have started to fall back into a routine. They have been finding ways to keep themselves occupied and the kids busy. The service member had a better idea of where and what their mission is. It is important for those at home to not feel the need to vent to the service member about things that they cannot help with, like overflowing washing machines. This may make the service member more stress because they cannot do anything for their spouse (hall, 2008, p. 164). As the deployment moves on, spouses at home gain confidence in their ability to navigate everyday tasks on their own and the deployment becomes a little easier. The textbook calls the next stage the redeployment stage; it is classified as the month before the end of deployment. I personally would think redeployment would be when the service member has to return to their deployment from R&R, but
The first stage of deployment is pre-deployment, in this time the service member receives his orders for deploying and draws their gear and gets everything in order to leave. The service member will also need to get all their affairs in order to include their power of attorney, their first will and testament. It is a time of anxiety and tension for what’s to come. Being a spouse, it’s hard to not tell your loved one that you don’t want them to go, but you know that will only make things harder on them. No one really wants to leave for a deployment, but it’s their job, their duty. The text points to a lot of tension and anxiety that causes fights in this time. “This kind of increased tension often leads to increased arguing between spouses” (Hall, 2008, p162). For me, it was more about being anxious about what to expect, I was pregnant with two little ones at home. I think it was something that helped bring us closer with the unknown looming over us. The next stage would be the deployment stage, where the service member leaves for their deployment. …show more content…
This time is filled with lots of tears, mixed emotions are common, with spouses feeling disoriented and overwhelmed (Hall 2008, p.162). The first month is the hardest, it takes a little while to get set back into the routine that you had prior to your service member leaving. Some couples feel helpless and unable to support each other, at the same time feeling jealous of those that the other does rely on (Hall, 2008, p.164). It is hard to see your spouse relying on someone else for support, it is a place that has been yours while they were home. With everything, communication is a big key to keeping things open and honest so, resentments don’t build up over time. By the end of the first month of deployment, things start to become a little easier. The sustainment phase lasts for the majority of the deployment, beginning after the first month until about a month before the service member is to come home (hall, 2008, p.164). For those that were left at home, things have started to fall back into a routine. They have been finding ways to keep themselves occupied and the kids busy. The service member had a better idea of where and what their mission is. It is important for those at home to not feel the need to vent to the service member about things that they cannot help with, like overflowing washing machines. This may make the service member more stress because they cannot do anything for their spouse (hall, 2008, p. 164). As the deployment moves on, spouses at home gain confidence in their ability to navigate everyday tasks on their own and the deployment becomes a little easier. The textbook calls the next stage the redeployment stage; it is classified as the month before the end of deployment. I personally would think redeployment would be when the service member has to return to their deployment from R&R, but