There may be no better time for empowerment than when faced with a looming deployment or when you are in the thick of one.
Join our Mission: Milspouse team as we share all our tips, lessons learned, best practices for coping, and our hearts in solidarity with you in all things deployment. Whether you are preparing for your first one or you navigating your 7th, we have the resources you need to thrive in one of the most challenging aspects of milspouse life.
Our resources span the gamut: From that first moment when your service member says “I’ve got news,” to establishing a battle rhythm in those first few weeks, to parenting solo, and to reintegrating after that homecoming kiss… We have resources to guide you every step of the way. We are raw, vulnerable, experienced, and ready to support you through this season!
Last week, my civilian neighbor stopped by with a bottle of wine and asked if she could (and I quote) “be on my Deployment Team?” My neighbors here in Texas (mostly civilians at this duty station) are aware that my husband is downrange, but this was a first for me.
I asked her what she thought my “Deployment Team” was, and she replied, “You know, the one that cooks for you, watches your kids, and just keeps you from crying all the time.”
Everyone has troubles. We all know that. Every person you see is carrying something heavy. Many times they aren’t sure if they will be able to carry it at all.
Then there is the burden of deployment. And that one is killer. That one is hard. Harder than most. This is in part due to its uniqueness. You look around you, and everyone’s burden seems so uniform. So predictable. So universal. Financial woes. Sickness. A rift in the family. Even a death.
I miss you in the spaces.
When the world is still.
After the phone calls stop, errands end
And the day has had its fill.
I glide through the chaos
Through the noise
Every busy hour ’til
I miss you in the spaces
When the world is still.
The oldest one got taller
While you’ve been away
She learned to count and say her prayers
She learned that life’s not always fair
That ugly things turn to butterflies
That even mommy sometimes cries
Dear Deployment Diary,
Season: Departure
Here you are once again. The time has come to wipe the tears, push my shoulders back, and endure you. I have little ones at home and they need a strong parent. But what do I do when I don’t feel strong? What do I say when I have no words of wisdom for my 8-year-old who has so many questions? Do we really know the perfect words to say?
A little more than halfway through a 12-month deployment, I remember waking up one morning feeling like the world was crashing down around me. I looked in the mirror, half-expecting to see smoke pouring out of my ears. The amount of pressure and stress I felt from the wildly negative emotions swirling around inside my head and chest had become unbearable.
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904