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!
The last couple months, we here at AWN have been reflecting on some of our most memorable milspouse memories. (Be sure to catch up on Part 1 and Part 2!)
Today, we wrap up this mini-series, and you can probably guess the main topic of discussion:
Yep, you got it. Homecoming and deployments. (With a few extra bonus memories sprinkled in there.)
My heart skipped a beat as the familiar Skype ringtone filled the room. When my husband’s pixelated, but undeniably handsome face came into view, tears filled my eyes. I wasn’t sure this milestone moment was going to happen.
My husband shipped out on a year-long deployment shortly before our son’s first birthday. Since duty also called him to miss his birth, I wanted to plan something extra special that could somehow bring us all together to celebrate that day, despite the thousands of miles between us.
Dear Deployment Gnome,
A number of months back, you moved in and brought all your mischief and problems with you. At first we struggled and fought and you wore me out—it was nothing but an uphill battle. Then when life continued, you continued to pop up and see how many different bumps you could throw in the road.
Deployments are a challenge and each has different struggles. Almost anyone who has been through one, or half a dozen, knows that.
Our lives often change abruptly, and no matter how much planning has been done, a new and unknown monkey wrench gets thrown into the mix.
As someone who has always had some sort of seasonal depression in the darker months, even before my diagnosis of Postpartum Depression after each daughter, February has always been one of my least favorite months.
This year, it’s month four of a deployment that will be somewhere between eight and 12 months long (it’s still anybody’s guess), and the end of my homebody tendencies because travel season starts back up for my job.
Looking over my calendar for the next few months, I have some exciting things planned. Our spouses’ club is hosting a huge fundraiser that will help raise money for community grants and non-profits in the area. We’ve been planning for months, and I can’t wait to see it executed for a good cause. My two workout besties and I have committed to a different hike each month, with our final hike being Rattlesnake Ridge (Google it…it’s unbelievable). I can’t wait to get to the top, take a ridiculous amount of selfies, then celebrate by gorging at our favorite taco truck.
With so many events, milestones, and general life stuff, it can be easy for me to forget the most important thing of all…
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904