• 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
You are here: Home / Deployment / Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment

Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment

July 27, 2015 by Julie 14 Comments

Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment!

Deployment! I know I talk about deployment quite a bit on this blog. Deployments have been such a part of my life for so long, I have a lot to share. As time goes by, I get further away from my deployments but they still will always stick with me.

I have been thinking about what I would need if I was a new Military spouse getting ready for her first deployment. I know I would need encouragement, I would need to know it was going to be okay, and I think some sort of guide would help.

Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment

I remember reading in a magazine years ago that the first 30 days of a breakup are the hardest. This followed with an article about what to do each day to move ahead. A deployment is like a breakup in some ways. Although it is one that doesn’t last forever. You go through a lot of similar feelings of loss and sadness. Of wondering if there was a way your spouse didn’t have to get deployed and then eventually coming to some type of acceptance.

So here we go…

Your guide to the first 30 days of deployment.

Day 1 will be the day they leave, usually, it has been the morning for us so I did have a full day to get through before bedtime. If your spouse deploys at night, you can call the next day Day 1.

Day 1- Breathe. Relax. Get your kids together and tell them that you are all going to get through this. That you are there for them and you will make it through.

Day 2- Come up with a plan. A list of things you will do when your spouse is gone. Work on your hobbies? Redo the kitchen? Come up with at least 10 different projects you can focus on.

Day 3- Make a list of 5 friends you can call. When you want to get together with someone. Or if you really need something. Don’t be afraid to ask for help during the deployment.

Day 4- Buy some pretty stationary to write love letters on. You will be glad you did.

Day 5- Call your mom and cry your eyes out. If you don’t have a good relationship with her, call your Mother-In-Law, your sister or someone you can cry to. It’s okay to cry about this.

Day 6- Go get some ice cream or a yummy treat. You need it. You have made it almost a week.

Day 7- Find a new book to read. Go to the library and pick out a few. Ask your friends for suggestions.

Day 8– Start your first care package. Make it a themed one. Put all his favorite items in there.

Day 9- Start on your project list if you haven’t already. Complete at least one of them. Want to paint something? Pick a day you will do that, buy the paint and get started.

Day 10- Plan to have people over. Don’t know anyone in town? See if you can attend an event to meet people.

Day 11- Take your kids somewhere you have never been before. Maybe it is a new park. Maybe it is a new mall. Do something you haven’t done in the past. And take pictures.

Day 12– Write in your journal. Get it all out. Don’t have one? Go buy something pretty and start using it. You will be glad you did.

Day 13- Make a nice dinner. No cereal tonight. You are almost two weeks in. You got this.

Day 14- Plan a trip during the deployment. Make plans to visit home. If you can’t afford to travel, try a day trip. Put something on the calendar to look forward to.

Day 15- Try to attend an FRG meeting. Find out when the next one is and put it on the calendar. They might get a bad rap sometimes but they also can be a good way to connect.

Day 16- Start another one of your projects. Make plans to get it done.

Day 17- Binge watch a show. It’s okay. If you can’t binge watch, find time to watch a few episodes. Take your mind off the stresses of the last few weeks.

Day 18- Buy some bubble bath and enjoy. Grab your book and soak for a bit. You might have to wait until the kids are in bed but it will be worth it.

Day 19- Send another love letter. Make it silly. Spray some of your perfume. Why not?

Day 20- Talk to your spouse about an after deployment trip. Just throw out some ideas. You will want to go somewhere if only for a day or two.

Day 21- Invite a friend out for coffee even if you don’t feel like it. Talking with others will be good for you. It will be nice to get out and enjoy some girl time.

Day 22- Buy a new piece of clothing. On a tight budget? Hit the thrift stores. Just find something new for you.

Day 23- Join a new group. Heard of a book club you always wanted to try? Send an email and find out more details. Connecting with others will really help the time go by faster.

Day 24- Plan a potluck to celebrate one month down. Invite other spouses going through a deployment. It might seem like a little thing but making it through that first month is a big deal.

Day 25- Call his mom. She might be worried. She might be lonely. It will be good to hear from you. You are the two people in the world that miss that man more than anyone else.

Day 26- Start exercising every day if you don’t already do this. It is a great stress reliever.

Day 27- Plan another package. Ask your spouse what they need.

Day 28- Start a blog. Blogging during a deployment can be a great way to get things out. Don’t forget about OPSEC.

Day 29- Take your camera out for a photo walk. Doesn’t matter what kind of camera. It will do your heart good to get out there and take some new pictures.

Day 30- Celebrate the fact that you are now 30 days in. You are on your way. You got this deployment! You are making it, even if it is just a day at a time.

Going through a deployment right now? I hope this helps a bit!

Just know that you are not alone and a lot of us Military spouses have been through it before.

Want a Guide for the First 30 Days of a Deployment???

Last Updated on December 17, 2020 by Writer

Support Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

Filed Under: Deployment, Military Life Tagged With: army wife, Deployment, life in the military, military spouse, surviving deployment

About Julie

Owner of Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life. Writer, reader, coffee drinker. Mom to three boys, wife of a National Guard soldier. Living life in Tennessee.

Previous Post: « Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos and Changing Your Depth of Field
Next Post: 6 Things Bloggers Should Do On A Regular Basis »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amber

    July 29, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    Great list.

    I tend to eat a lot of chocolate and binge watch shows. And spread out in my bed. I love having it to myself.

    Reply
    • Julie-Soldier'sWife,Crazy Life

      August 2, 2015 at 12:45 pm

      Me too! I know a lot of people hate being alone in the bed but I love it. It’s almost to the point it is hard for me to sleep when he is in it 🙁

      Reply
  2. heather ruppel

    July 30, 2015 at 8:31 am

    This is like a bucket list for deployments, I love it. 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie-Soldier'sWife,Crazy Life

      August 2, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks! Hope it helps 🙂

      Reply
  3. Pam @ Hodge Podge Moments

    August 2, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    I take the first few days to do what I want (eat what I want, relax, watch tv, etc) and then I put my big girl pants on and start tackling my deployment to do list. I love being able to show him I did something while I was gone – like reorganizing our tiny apartment. I also plan a trip to go home during deployments…it helps break things up and gives me something to look forward to. Great list!

    Reply
    • Julie-Soldier'sWife,Crazy Life

      August 25, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks! Always nice to plan a trip when they are gone 🙂

      Reply
    • Samantha

      May 27, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      This is pretty much what I do since we’ve gone through quite a few deployments, I relax and then tackle a project. I love working in my garden….it’s my sanity saver when kids drive me nuts, or build furniture.My husband knows that each time he comes home, something will look different….I redid the kitchen one year, our bedroom the next time….he loves it. Love the tips also.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. new game releases says:
    August 27, 2015 at 10:00 am

    new game releases

    Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment – Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

    Reply
  2. Bearded dragon diet says:
    December 12, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    Bearded dragon diet

    Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment – Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

    Reply
  3. The Deployment That Never Goes Away - Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life says:
    August 27, 2017 at 8:00 am

    […] I hear that the Military is going “back” to Iraq, I think of that deployment. I think of the families and the men and women that will have to go back over there. I think of […]

    Reply
  4. Thriving vs Surviving During A Deployment says:
    October 25, 2017 at 6:00 am

    […] as you start your deployment and make your way to the finish line, remember. You don’t have to have things all together. […]

    Reply
  5. 27 Military Spouse Memes for a Difficult Deployment Day says:
    November 14, 2017 at 10:00 am

    […] a bad deployment day doesn’t mean you don’t support your spouse. They […]

    Reply
  6. 5 Tips for Saying Goodbye to your Spouse as they Leave for Deployment - Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:01 am

    […] 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 […]

    Reply
  7. A Letter To A New Military Spouse - Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life says:
    March 7, 2018 at 6:00 am

    […] Deployments will be some of the hardest months of your life. You will miss your spouse like crazy and you will wonder why you decided that joining the Military was a good idea in the first place. You will cry yourself to sleep some nights and pat yourself on the back on others. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Support Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life!

Buy Me a Coffee

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.

 

Archives

Copyright © 2025 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