Dealing with the Military Deployment of a Husband, Wife, Child or Loved One

One of the most commonly asked questions a spouse of a deployed soldier gets is "How do you do it." Then it's usually followed by something along the lines of "I would go crazy, I freak out if my husband is gone for even one night."

Well my friends, the truth is that there is no real answer. We do it only because we have to.

Being separated from your spouse is never easy, even if you have been through a deployment before. Military life is a constant circle of readjustment. Each time your soldier is gone you grow, and they grow. So basically you become changed people while apart.

I am personally approaching the end of my husbands second year overseas and almost six years of his service in the United States Army. I hope that every military wife feels as proud of their husband as I do of mine.

Also, be proud of yourself. What you do is not an easy job and you should give yourself credit where credit is due. I know you always hear people thanking your soldier for their service, well here is a big thank you for the spouses too.

Some of us are not so seasoned to the life that a military spouse takes on. Some of us may be new and possibly facing or are going through a first deployment. Well be prepared because everyone you know and sometimes those you don't know are going to have advice for you about how to handle it.

That's where it gets tough, because it's not the same for everyone. And it's not the same every time that they are gone either. For example, during our last deployment we were stationed in Texas and I stayed on post. But this time we were stationed out of Washington and closer to our home town. For some reason I knew I was going to need my family more throughout this deployment than the last. So I decided to move back home.

It's truly up to you how you handle having your spouse gone. There are a lot of factors to consider when they are preparing for their deployment. Such as what your family readiness groups are like.

A family readiness group helps to keep the information flowing, organizes events such as fundraisers and gatherings for the soldiers and their families. They also have information to the many, many means of support that you may need.