It’s inevitable. At some point, the service member will deploy, embark on a temporary duty assignment, or leave to spend time in the field. It’s often difficult on our military kids, especially the younger ones who aren’t sure how to process the information. In addition, military children are often separated from extended family like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

When my husband and I moved to Germany during our last PCS, it was a serious transition for our children. We had lived within two hours of my side of the family, and I think we all got used to that nearness.

We moved halfway across the world and now the children didn’t get to physically see our extended family in person nearly as often. To make matters worse, my husband was set up with a rotational training unit and often left for the field for extended periods.