Welcome Them Home is a network of photographers who donate their time and skills to service members and their families as a thank you for the sacrifices that are being made for our country. Each photographer in the network has agreed to photograph the service member’s homecoming, free of charge. Join us on this episode with guest Bethany Cox.
deployment
Training for the Deployment “Marathon”
Well, my friends, in the musical words of Whitesnake: “Here I go again.” Yep. It’s almost deployment go-time. (Feel free to audibly boo and hiss with me.)
But, as with all challenges in military spouse life, there is good news. Although this will be our first deployment with two kids, this isn’t our first deployment rodeo (Whew!). Of course, my brain has been cranked at full speed the last few weeks as we get ready for departure, and as I was running the other day, I realized that all this prep was like training for a marathon.
Not Your Average Deployment Playlist
During my husband’s past four deployments and other various Army separations, the thing that has kept us connected the most is music. From CDs to Spotify accounts, our methods have changed, but the tradition has not.
He makes a playlist, I make a playlist, and we exchange them and it keeps us going while he is away. This article will be short and to the point, and will be all about highlighting our go-to going away favorites. Give a listen and pair them with a good tub of Ben and Jerrys or some Chardonnay. Enjoy!
Current Situation: Chris Stapleton
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.”
When the Burden of Deployment is Heavy
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.
Show #657: Tough As They Come
Retired Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, author of the bestselling memoir, “Tough as They Come,” tells how despite losing portions of both arms and legs from an IED while on active duty in Afghanistan, he continues to overcome life’s challenges, breaking physical barriers and defying odds. Travis lives by his motto: “Never give up. Never quit.”
In the Spaces: A Deployment Poem
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.
Show #655: Dinner Deployed
Dinner Deployed is a member-driven recipe sharing site to create community and meal solutions for military families by military families. Join us as we chat with Betsy Ramirez, founder of Dinner Deployed.
Away: A Deployment Poem
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
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