How do You Survive Deployment?

I get this question quite a bit from co-workers, friends and family members. How do I do it? Well, I might say, "Very carefully." The truth is I do not always have a good time dealing with it. Even though my son is not in war zone, so to speak, I still worry and realize he is still a target. I find the not knowing aspect to be the hardest.

 

I cope by working on his Christmas care package, writing emails to him and updating his deployment website. I am so fortunate to be able to follow his deployment on FaceBook and Twitter. I also look at Marine, Naval and Unit websites quite regularly. I have said it before and I will say it again. Google is my friend.

 

Surviving deployment is made a little easier for me because I have many friends and family that understand when I get a little upset. Even though this is a non-combat deployment, there are other issues such as financial problems. I have to get his car registered this week and I have a feeling the experience will be less than pleasurable. Power of Attorney is not the end all to every situation that arises.

 

I also believe that we, the people back home can help ourselves survive by doing whatever we can, be that standing with the Patriot Guard, becoming a Soldiers' Angels or just shaking the hand of a vet and saying "Thank you." For some joining support groups or online communities such as Marineparents.com can help coping on a daily basis.

 

Deployment is hard any way you look at. 

So, how do you survive deployment?

Band of Sisters

I follow many milspouse blogs out there and I found this story inspiring and interesting. I was watching the news last night and I happened to see a story about the American Widow Project.

Widows Taryn Davis and Nicole Hart whose husbands were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are traveling around the country in a RV to military towns to offer love and support to what they call an "ever-growing band of sisters."

Davis and Hart are traveling in a black RV custom-painted with the names of more than 4,000 of the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan, including their husbands, Cpl. Michael Davis of San Marcos, Texas, and Sgt. David Hart of Lake View Terrace, Calif.

They believe if they can lessen the pain of just one widow then they will be accomplishing their mission of supporting other widows and widowers. You can read the full story and watch the news video here.

I also went to the website American Widow Project and it included several interesting areas such as "their belongings" where the widows can take everything from their husbands t-shirts to dog tags and turn them into mementos and keepsakes. They can also share their own stories and their are many tips and support offered to help other widows cope. There is even a 75 minute DVD which tells the story of 6 widows and offers hope and advice. It can be requested free of charge by any widow or widower. I can't imagine what it is like to loose your husband to war but once again I am proud to live in a country that contains so many people that even in their own pain and personal loss stand up for other Americans.

Please if you know a widow or widower pass this along.