• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

  • Home
    • My Disclosure Policy
    • My Privacy Policy
    • Contact Me
  • Advertise
  • The SWCL Shop
  • Duty Stations
  • Want to Write a Guest Post?
  • Fort Campbell
  • So Your Spouse Just Deployed??? Click Here!!!
  • The Military Spouse’s Directory Of Military Discounts

Deployment

4 Steps To Turn A Bad Deployment Day Around

December 6, 2016 by Julie Leave a Comment

4 Steps To Turn A Bad Deployment Day Around4 Steps To Turn A Bad Deployment Day Around

No matter how long your deployment is or how many deployments you have gone through, you will have good deployment days and bad deployment days. Usually, the first few weeks are going to be the most difficult and then the last month will crawl by. But in between the beginning and the end of the deployment, you will have days where you feel like you are rocking military spouse life and days where you feel like you can’t make it through another deployment day.

So what should you do if you are going through a bad deployment day? How can you make that day better and turn things around? Here are 4 steps that can turn a bad deployment day around and make the deployment a little more bearable.

1. Cry it out. Stop what you are doing, find your bed, your couch or wherever you feel comfortable and have a good cry. Let everything out. Take a moment to do this. Your body might need this release. If you don’t want to cry in front of your kids, go into your bedroom and shut the door. If you have to wait until bedtime, do so. There have been many nights where I kept things together during the day and then after bedtime, I was able to let go and work on feeling better about my day. I tend to be a more emotional person and crying is how I deal with stress and disappointment. Others might not need to cry but simply spend some time by themselves and that can be just as helpful.

2. Journal. After you cry everything out, get out your journal and start writing. Write about what is bothering you. Write about your day. Write about your hopes and dreams for the future. Just start writing. Doing so will be a way to get your thoughts out and start to feel better. You could also write a letter to your spouse. This can also be helpful and sometimes the bad day comes because of lack of communication with your spouse. If you have a place to tell your spouse about your day and what is going on, you could get out of your funk and start to feel better. If you have never written in a journal before, now is the time to start. Go buy yourself a cute journal and some pens and create a place to write during the deployment.

3. Make Plans. After you cry it out and journal, make plans for the next day, week or month. Fill up your calendar. Make plans for the very next day even if they are simple. There are a lot of things you can do to stay busy during a deployment. If you don’t know what else to do, put your kids in the stroller and go for a walk, take yourself out to dinner or do something different from what you normally do. Staying busy will help you get through this deployment and that starts with making plans and putting things down on your calendar.

4. Go to bed. After you have done what you can to turn things around, just go to bed. Sometimes the morning is all you need to feel better. You can leave that bad day behind and wake up to a new one. One that is one day closer to homecoming and one that can be a lot better than the previous day.

Some days are going to be easier to turn around than others. If you feel like you are just not doing well with the deployment, don’t feel bad about getting some extra help. Sometimes going to see a counselor can be just what you need to get through. I had to do this during our 4th deployment and going to see her was so helpful. Never be afraid to get any help that you might need. Deployments can be emotionally and mentally challenging for us spouses too.

What do you do to turn around a bad deployment day?

 

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: Deployment, military life, Milspouse

How To Make Your Holidays Special When Your Heart Is An Ocean Away

December 5, 2016 by Julie 1 Comment

How To Make Your Holidays Special When Your Heart Is An Ocean AwayHow To Make Your Holidays Special When Your Heart Is An Ocean Away

He left in November of that year for his 2nd deployment. That meant he was going to miss Christmas that year. We also were not going to be going home as we were in Germany and the idea of traveling with a 2-year-old and 4-year-old over the holidays was a little too much. Plus, my parents were coming to visit around my birthday in January.

As I looked ahead to Christmas day I couldn’t help but be sad about my husband missing the holiday. Our boys were still so young. These Christmases are important. They are what we will look back years in the future, the Santa Christmases when everyone was young enough to believe and the toys were rather simple.

But there was nothing I could do. My husband would be in Iraq that Christmas and we would be home in Germany without him. The good thing was I was not alone. There were quite a few other spouses going through the same thing, being without their spouse for Christmas. This included one of my best friends, who also had small children.

We decided that being by ourselves this Christmas wasn’t going to work well for us. We also knew that we needed to plan something to help us get through the day. We made plans. We would spend Christmas morning with our own children, watch them open their gifts and then meet up to make Christmas dinner together while our kids played.

This was one of the best things we could have done. Were we still sad and missing our husbands? Yes, but we had something else to focus on and so did our kids. That Christmas didn’t turn out to be too horrible after all and all it took was a little planning to make the holiday special.

The key to getting through the holiday season without your spouse by your side is to make the holiday special anyway. Do what you can to bring in the Christmas joy, even if you don’t feel like doing so. Here are some great ideas on how to make your holidays special, even when your heart is an ocean away-

Plan Christmas Day

If you celebrate Christmas, plan that day out. What will it look like? Where will you eat? How will you spend that time? You can plan a date with friends or stay home. Whatever will work for you and your family. Just plan something. Even if your plan includes taking the kids to the movies and picking up fast food on the way home.

Save Presents

Save a few presents to open when Dad is back home, even if that will be June. You can have a mini-Christmas later. You don’t even have to let your kids know there are more presents. You can save presents for your deployed spouse as well. Make a fun day of your mini-Christmas after he is home from his deployment.

Take pictures

Your husband might miss Christmas but he can still see what you guys did that day. Take photos of everything you do. Make an album and send that in your next care package or save for when he gets home. Include Christmas memories from your children as well. Your deployed spouse will enjoy reading those too. Ask your deployed spouse for Christmas of their day as well. They might have been able to celebrate a little bit, even if they were overseas. 

Decorate

Decorate your house anyway, even if doing so seems hard. Sometimes people just don’t have the desire to do so but try to make yourself decorate anyway. You will be glad you did. Life can’t stop just because they are deployed. Life has to keep moving, that includes decorating for the season. You can always put your tree up early if your spouse deploys in the fall. Who cares if it is in October? Sometimes us military families do things on a slightly different schedule than everyone else. You can also leave the Christmas decor up longer than usual so your spouse can see everything when he gets home.

What have you done in the past to make Christmas or the holidays special even when your spouse has been away? What advice would you give to new spouses going through their first Christmas alone?

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Life Tagged With: christmas, Deployment

For the Military Spouse Going Through a Deployment Over Christmas

November 29, 2016 by Julie 2 Comments

For the Military Spouse Going Through a Deployment Over ChristmasFor the Military Spouse Going Through a Deployment Over Christmas…

Christmas music on the radio, trees going up, presents being bought and travel arrangements being finalized. December is almost here, Christmas is right around the corner. This is a great time of year, right?

For the military spouse going through a deployment over Christmas, this time of year is one to be gotten through. One to be survived. The rest of the world can be excited but for this military spouse, Christmas is not going to be Christmas this year.

Her husband, the father of her children will not be home. He will be in a war zone.

She won’t be wrapping gifts with him and playing Santa together. He won’t be able to sit with her at the Christmas Eve service or watch as their kids open their gifts. He won’t be sitting at the table eating ham and he won’t be able to build snowmen in the backyard on Christmas afternoon.

I have been this spouse and it isn’t fun. Being without your spouse on Christmas can be so very difficult. You are always missing them but there is something about Christmas that brings people together. There are movies made about this. About someone rushing home and making it right before Santa flies by on his sleigh. 

For the military spouse going through a deployment, Christmas might just be a regular old day, one in which it feels as if the rest of the world is happy and rejoicing and that they clearly are not. 

There are things a military spouse can do to make Christmas a little better during a deployment. They can celebrate early or even late when their spouse will be home. They can videotape the gift opening. They can go home and be with family but that isn’t always an option.

They can plan a meal with a friend which helps them stay busy and allows them to make memories with friends they will always consider family. They can fill their calendars with every holiday activity their community provides. They can remember that next year their spouse will be with them and that someday they will be there for every Christmas.

The military spouse going through a deployment over Christmas can do all of these things to make the season a little better…

But when all the gifts are unwrapped, when the turkey has been eaten and the children are asleep after a fun day, she will shed a tear for the memories her sweet husband didn’t get to share with them that year, for the sadness she knew her kids felt and for the hope that after the holiday season is over, the countdown will speed up and that homecoming will be upon her, the day her husband will be home.

So if you are the military spouse going through a deployment over Christmas, know that you are not alone.

Know that this too will pass. Know that you are stronger than you think. Know that your holiday might look a little different than it did in the past. Know that it is going to be okay. Know that you are being prayed for and that people do think and care about you.

It’s going to be okay military spouse, it really is. You might shed too many tears on Christmas day. You might wonder why your spouse has to be away when other spouses never have to go. You might not want to celebrate the holiday at all.

But whatever you do, however you celebrate, know that it is going to be okay and that although being without your spouse on Christmas is going to be difficult, you will get through this. That as the new year starts you will look ahead and see that homecoming date in your future and know that deployments do end. Your spouse will be back with you and that you will be able to make memories with them again soon.

Missing someone is not about how long it has been since you have seen them or the amount of time since you have talked…it is about that very moment when you are doing something and wishing they were there with you.
—Anonymous

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Life Tagged With: christmas, Deployment, Holidays

The Weight of Multiple Deployments

October 27, 2016 by Julie Leave a Comment

The Weight of Multiple Deployments

In 2013 my husband left for his 4th deployment. I didn’t want him to go. I really didn’t want him to go.

He left for his 1st deployment in 2006 and the longest break he had had from deployments was just short of 2 years. I felt like he was always gone or leaving or getting ready to leave. He deployed 1 year after he returned home from his long 15-month deployment.

That was definitely not enough time at home. I felt like after 15 months they should have been home for at least as long as that, if not double that in order to really have time to heal and get ready to go again. We were not that lucky.

To prepare for a deployment, there has to be a lot of training that happens. So basically, he got home, we had block leave and then they started to prepare for the next deployment. Multiple long deployments can take a lot from families and the soldiers themselves.

Our family really felt this as we said goodbye again for another year apart.

These days, my husband is usually home which feels so strange to me after so many years when he wasn’t. So many years of wondering if he would be there for the next Christmas or birthday. Years of being the only adult in the house and then having to figure out how to let him back into our routines.

As I look back at our deployments, I know they have made me a stronger person than I otherwise would have been. I have made friends that became like family because of them. I sometimes wonder what my life would look like had my husband never joined the Army, never been away from us.

And I can’t imagine it.

I can’t imagine what life would have been like had he been home for everything during those years. Our story didn’t go that way.

Now that we are past the rapid deployment stage, I can’t help but think of the weight of multiple deployments and what they can mean to military families.

Sometimes the marriage doesn’t survive. Sometimes the marriage does but both of you become different people, with so many challenges ahead. You change, they change, the family changes.

During deployments, you will have to change the way you think about everything. You will have to let things go. You will realize that what you assumed your life would be is going to be something completely different.

When you go through multiple deployments you will look back at your “survival” days.

Those survival days when you couldn’t help but wonder how you will make it through. When you can only do the minimum. When you take the deployment day by day, or hour by hour.

When everything is calm, you will wonder what bothered you so much that you couldn’t do all those extra things you liked to do. You will wonder why you were so anxious and possibly why those days were so hard. And then you remember.

You remember the lonely nights, the days on the calendar that would not pass quick enough and the possibility that sat in your heart that your spouse might not even make it home after all.

When you go through multiple deployments you will become stronger.

You have to. Anytime someone goes through something difficult, they get through the ordeal, stronger than they were before. This will help you in the future as you can be a listening ear to someone going through that issue themselves.

You can have compassion for those who are having a harder time and can prepare for any future struggles that might be ahead. You can also help your spouse through the coming years, no matter how many deployments are ahead.

Service members can come back from deployment with so many wounds. Some might be visible and some might not be. Being there for your spouse in any way you can is important.

Knowing when there is a bigger problem than even you can’t handle is also important. Getting help is a must and being patient will be your best friend through it all. Remember, you don’t have to go through all of this alone.

You will feel the weight of multiple deployments and will have to figure out how to move forward from them…

War is rough. Deployments are rough. Even years later you might still feel the weight of them all. Get the help that you need and remember military spouse, you are strong and you can get through this, even if it is one day at a time.

Have you been through multiple deployments? How have you dealt with the weight of those years?

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: Deployment, deployments, military, military spouse, Milspouse

What You Can Do When Your Spouse is Not Home For the Holidays

October 17, 2016 by Julie 2 Comments

What You Can Do When Your Spouse is Not Home For the HolidaysWhat You Can Do When Your Spouse is Not Home For the Holidays

Fall weather, pumpkins everywhere, sweaters, peppermint mochas and Christmas decorations appearing in the stores. Tis the season for the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Hannukah and New Years will be here soon and with them come a lot of memory making moments. Time with family, time together and a lot of love.

However, if your spouse is deployed, the holidays take on a different tone, especially if they won’t be home until sometime in the new year. There is so much going on and when they are gone, you know they are going to be missing all of it. You know your kids will be missing their Dad a little bit more during this time of year and when you think about years past you can’t help but tear up thinking about what they will be missing this year.

In 2008 my husband deployed on Thanksgiving day. The worst time to start a deployment. We celebrated early which was smart but he still missed Christmas and everything that goes with that holiday season. He missed decorating, carols, the boys opening their gifts, the holiday meal and making memories with us at home. I took photos and videos but nothing could change the fact that he was in Iraq during that time, missing us and missing home.

What is the best way to handle your spouse being deployed for the holidays? You can’t change the fact that this will happen when you are a military family. The best thing to do is figure out ways to get through that time and to make the best of what you have anyway, no matter where in the world your spouse might be.

Here are some ideas to help you if your spouse is deployed during the holiday season:

  • Perceptive- Sometimes we get so caught up in what our spouse is missing or how long they have been away that we forget that this deployment is only temporary. That the deployment has an end date and that this is just one year out of all the years we will spend together. Taking a step back and thinking about this can help you during this time of year. Thinking about what you do have is also very important. Know that you are loved, even if it has to be across the ocean for right now.
  • Make a Plan- See what you can do to make some plans for the holiday. How will you spend Thanksgiving? What about Christmas day? Look for events in your community and stay busy! That will be a good way to get through the next few months and make memories even if your husband is away. Take the kids to see Santa, see if you can help with a Thanksgiving meal, plan a day trip to the snow or just invite people over for a New Year’s Eve party. 
  • Find Friends- See if there are others with a deployed spouse that you could get together with. If you are close with someone and feel comfortable doing so, make plans to spend the holiday together. I have done this with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Spending your day with others can help you enjoy all the fun memories without feeling as sad and lonely as you normally would.
  • Plan a Trip Home- You can always plan a trip home. There is nothing wrong with doing this. The holidays are a great time to be with family so why not plan a trip if you can? If not, see if family or a good friend will come visit you. In some cases, you just have to tell them that you would otherwise be alone for the holidays and someone will want to come stay with you.
  • Breathe- I know it is hard. I know it sucks. Holidays should be spent together, right? Sadly, this just isn’t a reality for a lot of military families. Remember to take it easy, don’t put pressure on yourself to have the perfect holiday and remember to breathe.

Have you had a deployed spouse during the holidays? How have you been able to get through those weeks? Any great ideas that helped you through?

Here are some more posts from other Milspouse Bloggers about getting through the holidays without your spouse…

Fun Ideas When You’re Spending the Holidays Apart

When “Home For The Holidays” Isn’t an Option

Gift Ideas for Your Deployed Loved One

How to Survive The Holidays When Your Spouse Is Deployed

The Holidays For 1: Tips to Survive the Holiday Season Alone & Far From Home

The Wives Who Wait (A Christmas Poem for Military Wives)

Facing the Holidays During Deployment

I heard the bells: when Christmas isn’t about family

 

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Life Tagged With: military

31 Things To Do When You Are In A Deployment Funk

September 29, 2016 by Julie Leave a Comment

31 Things To Do When You Are In A Deployment Funk31 Things To Do When You Are In A Deployment Funk

There comes a time in everyone’s deployment when you just hit a funk. Homecoming seems too far away, there is nothing to look forward to, you are stuck and not sure how you are going to make it through the next few months. You wake up sad, you go to bed sad, how to break out of this? Here are some ideas…

1.Plan something with some friends- Plan a night out or a lunch or something you can put on your calendar. Make plans. Let your friends know you want to make more plans now that your spouse is gone.

2. Start a best-selling, can’t put it down book- You will enjoy yourself and get lost in the characters.

3. Find a new tv series to lose yourself in- Like books, if you start a new series, you can have something to watch to get your mind off of the deployment, at least for a little while. Binge watching was made for deployments.

4. Make some weight loss goals- Want to work on you? Make some new weight loss goals. Losing weight was always easier for me when my husband was gone. A great time to work on myself.

5. Learn how to cook a new meal- A deployment can be a good time to learn new skills. Learning how to cook a new meal means you will expand what you can make. You can also do this with friends.

6. Sign up for a fun class- See what is available on post or in your community. A lot of places have classes you can take on anything from how to do your taxes to how to decorate a cake. This is also a great way to make some new friends. You can sign up for a one-time class or an on-going one.

7. Go on a USO or MWR trip- Depending on where you are stationed you might have some great opportunities you can take advantage of. In Germany, there were a lot of USO tours we could go on. Here in the states, MWR seems to have certain day trips you can sign up for too.

8. Plan a trip home- If things get really hard, plan a trip back home. Maybe just for a weekend. Doing so will give you something to look forward to.

9. Start a book- Have you ever had an idea for a book going on in your head? Want to get started? Maybe you just want to write about the deployment. Get started on something. NaNoWriMo is coming up in November and can be a great way to get started.

10. Take up a new skill, like photography- Learning a new skill is a great way to get out of your deployment funk. You can go back to an older hobby or try something new. Look online and at your local library to get started.

11. Commit to writing in a journal- I love writing in a journal. Doing so can be a helpful way to get all of your feelings out on paper. Get in the habit of writing in yours every day.

12. Work on a fun care package- Is there a holiday coming up? Plan a themed care package and send to your spouse. Have fun with the care package and send some treats.

13. Talk to a good friend- Get together with a friend or call one. Talk about life. If you need to vent with them, it can make you feel better.

14. Volunteer for something new- Try to sign up to volunteer somewhere. Either on post or in your civilian community. There are a lot of opportunities out there.

15. Write poetry- Some people find writing poetry about your situation very helpful and soothing.

16. Move your furniture around- Sometimes changing things around in your home can help you break out of that deployment funk. Just don’t hurt your back in the process.

17. Go on a walk- Walks are good for you. Not only can they help you with your weight loss goals but they can be a great way to get out of your house and clear your head.

18. Meet someone for coffee- Meeting someone for coffee is an affordable way to connect with others. You don’t have to spend more than $5 and meeting someone regularly can be a great way to help with your deployment funk.

19. Listen to music- Create a deployment playlist. Put songs on there that make you feel good and make you feel strong. Listen to the playlist whenever you start to feel down.

20. Call your mom- If you have a good relationship with your mom, give her a call. She might not totally understand what you are going through unless she herself was a military spouse but she can be an encouraging listening ear.

21. Plan your after deployment trip- Talk to your spouse about an after deployment trip. Then you can start to plan it.

22. Buy a new outfit- Go shopping and buy something new. Remember to stick within your budget.

23. Buy your homecoming outfit- If you know about when homecoming will be, start shopping for your homecoming outfit. This can be a great way to get excited about the end of the deployment.

24. Take your kids out somewhere fun that you have never been before- Plan a day trip or even go somewhere for a few hours. Explore and have fun. If you are on a tight budget, visit a new park or hiking trail.

25. Attend a local event- Check both on post and off to see what is going on in your local community. Fill up your calendar. This will help with the feeling that you have nothing to look forward to.

26. Buy new stationary and write a long old-fashioned letter to your husband- These days most of us are all about Skype or email. Buy some new stationery and start writing letters to your spouse overseas.

27. Start a regular meetup group- If you know a group of other spouses and friends that want to do this, start making plans. You could plan to meet up at a park every Saturday morning or start a book club that meets once a month.

28. Get professional photos done of you or you and the kids, send to your spouse- This can be a great thing to send to your spouse and they will love the photos.

29. Research your next duty station- If you know you are PCSing soon after the deployment, start researching your next duty station. There is a lot of information out there online and you can get started with your planning.

30. Plan a Space-A trip- Space-A can be a great way to see some of the US or World that you haven’t seen. You do need to plan a Space-A trip. There is a lot more to it than just showing up the day you want to fly.

31. Remember, you are not alone- There are a lot of other military spouses going through the deployment funk too. Find other spouses who get it either in person or online (You can join my Facebook group if you are looking for that extra level of support.)

What do you do to get out of a deployment funk?

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: Deployment, deployments

5 Tips for Saying Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment

September 19, 2016 by Julie 1 Comment

5 Tips for Saying Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment

As I look back at the last 11 years of military life, the hardest days have been the days I have had to say goodbye to my husband. To give him one more hug, one more kiss and hope and pray he would return to us. To watch him as he said goodbye to our children, knowing that they will be in different stages when he returns. Not knowing how hard this might be on them or if they will struggle as much as I think they might.

Saying goodbye is never easy.

5 Tips for Saying Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment

Saying goodbye to your husband as he goes off to war is one of the hardest things you will have to do as a military spouse.

Our goodbyes have been different depending on the deployment and the situation. Some we have stayed around for a while and waited until we saw him leave. Others we have dropped him off and drove away before he got on the bus. I learned after the first deployment that leaving earlier was easier on all of us.

If you are getting ready to have to say goodbye to your spouse for a deployment or other reason, here are some ideas to help get through that day:

1. Do your goodbye your way. Different people handle the goodbyes in different ways. Your spouse might have a certain way he wants to say goodbye, you might have a certain way you want to say goodbye. Take some time to talk things over and figure out what works best for your family.

2. Cry if you need to. If you need to cry, do so. I believe for some of us crying is getting the sadness out and it is a step we have to take to get to where we can accept what is going on. I have said goodbye to my husband and cried in the car and I have said goodbye and no tears came until I got home. It just depended on my mood. It’s okay to cry if you need to. Deployments are sad. Tears might come.

3. Plan the first few days. If you can figure out exactly what you are going to do after you say your goodbyes, it will be an easier start to the deployment. You might want to plan to rent a movie and order pizza, you might want to get together with friends, you might just want to go to bed early and call it a night. Make a plan and then you will have some direction once you leave the drop off location.

4. Call a friend. Or not. Some people want to talk to others as soon as they have said goodbye, others want some alone time. Think about what would work best for you. If you feel the need, call a friend or family member. If you don’t want to talk to anyone, don’t feel like you have to. Take the time to get used to your new normal and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for not calling them as soon as your spouse has left. If you need to notify family, send out a group text or message. Let them know you will be up for chatting in a few days. Most people will respect that.

5. Remember, goodbye means the countdown can begin. Waiting for a deployment to start is so rough. Once they actually leave, the countdown can begin. Each day you mark off your calendar is one day closer to them being home. As you say your goodbyes, remember that the deployment or time away is just a short period of time in the scheme of things. Time will pass and they will be back with you again.

If you are in a place where you will be saying goodbye soon, I am not going to lie, doing this will probably be one of the hardest things you will have to do. Know that you are not alone in what you are going through and that a lot of other military spouses around you are feeling the same way.

What do you do to get through the goodbyes of military life? How do you handle saying goodbye to your spouse over and over again?

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: Deployment, deployments, saying goodbye to your spouse

23 Memes That Explain What Going Through A Deployment is Really Like

September 1, 2016 by Julie 2 Comments

23 Memes That Explain What Going Through A Deployment is Really Like

23 Memes That Explain What Going Through A Deployment is Really Like

Deployments come, deployments go.

Through having to say goodbye, to the long and lonely nights, to planning for that homecoming day.

What better way to explain how a deployment really is then a meme…

Military Deployment Memes

Saying goodbye is never easy and you never truly get used to doing so. Saying goodbye is a part of military life and deployments will happen often. 

military deployment memes

A deployment is a big lemon in your life. Now go find some limes and make a margarita 🙂

military deployment memes

They truly do. The day the deployment ends and you have your spouse back in your arms again.

 

Military Deployment Memes

You really don’t. When you are together, you will truly appreciate the time you have with one another. 

1 (72)

Anyone who has been through a deployment has felt the deployment ache. It’s not a good feeling but the ache comes with being away from the person you love.

 

Military Deployment Memes

During my deployments, knowing that this was just a difficult time for us and that everyone has difficult times made the time apart a little easier. 

Military Deployment Memes

The weekends are so different depending on if they are home or not. 

Military Deployment Memes

You can’t talk about deployment without talking about OPSEC. Know what OPSEC and PERSEC are. You don’t want to be the reason a flight gets delayed or something else that could harm someone in the military. 

Military Deployment Memes

As you go through your deployment, you will notice that you will go through different stages. Here are the 4 stages that I usually went through. 

Military Deployment Memes

Yep! Deployments can make or break you. They will bring you down but that doesn’t mean you can’t get back up. And they will make you a stronger person through it all. 

Military Deployment Memes

Your friends might all handle separations differently. That’s okay. We are all on our own journey. We might handle deployments in a different way. Never judge someone because of that. 

Military Deployment Memes

Yes! Cereal for dinner is totally fine. Early bedtimes are a must! 

Military Deployment Memes

Exactly! There has to be trust! Has to be! 

Military Deployment Memes

One good thing about deployments is they make you feel like you are dating again. As you wait for your spouse to return home, you can’t help but get a little nervous and giddy.

Military Deployment Memes

I don’t think we are special. I think this life has made us have to become stronger people. And that is a good thing. 

Military Deployment Memes

I have been through long deployments, I have been through short deployments. None of them are easy and time away is time away. 

Military Deployment Memes

You can’t bring me down deployment. Even though you are trying…

Military Deployment Memes

The dates change all the time. And waiting for them is hard. 

Military Deployment Memes

Yep! Sounds like a typical night during a deployment.

Military Deployment Memes

On deployments, you will have good days and bad days. Days where you feel you got this and days when you don’t. 

Military Deployment Memes

There is a lot you can do to get you to a place of peace, even during a deployment.

Military Deployment Memes

It’s hard when it seems like the military is taking so much of your spouse’s time, it is even worse during deployments. Just remember, you are first in their heart.

Military Deployment MemesAnd at the end of it all, you just want that homecoming day. You wait and you wait. And finally one day you get it. And although dates might change, the end is in site and the deployment will be over soon.

Are you going through a deployment right now?

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: deployments, life in the military, military life

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 20
  • Page 21
  • Page 22
  • Page 23
  • Page 24
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 33
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Sign up for your FREE Guide to the First 30 Days of Deployment!


Thank you!

Check your email for confirmation! 

.

About Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

 

Welcome to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life! I am so glad you are here.

My name is Julie and I first became a military spouse in 2005 when my husband of 3 years re-joined the Army. Then, in 2014, he joined the National Guard. In January of 2024, he retired from the National Guard after 21 years of service.

During our time in the military, we got to spend 4 years in Germany as well as Tennessee where we now call home.

We have three boys and have been through four deployments together.

I hope that you can find support for your own deployments, PCS moves, or anything else military life brings you through my articles and social media posts.

 

Support Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life!

Buy Me a Coffee

Archives

Copyright © 2026 Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT