The Quick Reference Guide to Surviving Military Deployments for Couples

No matter what branch of the service you or your spouse is serving in there is going to come a day when the inevitable happens; the service member is going to have to make a deployment. Deployments can cause many emotions to start running rampant, especially if you have never made a deployment before. Often times the first emotion to take a choke hold on you is the inherent fear of leaving. Remember, you will not be the first person to deploy and you will certainly not be the last. Whatever you are feeling you will be okay and so will your spouse. The beautiful part about deploying is that they do not last forever! There are a few simple things you can do to ensure that your family will be well taken care and you can have that peace of mind while you are away defending your country.

Get your finances in order before you go. Typically household finances are a shared task for most families. Everything from paying the rent to balancing the checkbook is a joint effort. When you are gone it is going to be your significant other left to take care of the everyday finances. Make sure that your special somebody is going to have access to the money they need to pay bills, buy groceries, make the mortgage on time etc. Consider if using allotments are a good choice for your situation, many couples choose this option for the simplicity of it. Finances can make or break a relationship while someone is away. Do not let this happen to you.

Make sure that you have a will that is ready and a power of attorney. The hope is that you come back in one piece from deployment but be honest with yourself. Any military deployment runs the risk of the unthinkable happening. If that does, you want your family to be taken care of in what will undoubtedly be one of the most tragic times in their life. Also, having a power of attorney is a good idea so your counterpart can take care of things for you on your behalf. You can grant a general power of attorney or a special power of attorney. With that being said make sure that you grant the power of attorney that suits your situation. Many service members opt for the special power of attorney. Keep in mind that a power of attorney is a legal document that gives people the right by law to act on your behalf.

One of the easiest most effective and probably most overlooked ways to make your deployment as smooth as possible is to communicate. Communication is the difference in making your deployment one that is easy on your family from one that makes it unbearable. Communication needs to be big part of the process before and after deployment. Keep in mind though that you are not always going to be in touch. This is okay. Mail is not always as fast as we like and there are times when you just cannot make it to that computer to write that last minute email.

Remember that when you get home that things will have changed. Everybody acts different when deployment has come to an end and you are back on familiar ground. You have changed, your spouse or significant other has changed, and even your kids have probably changed if you have them. Do not rush anything and do not try to take back over the day you get home. Your home has been used to running without you for a long time and trying to be in command the day you come home will almost always make your homecoming something that you do not look forward to.

These are a few quick easy steps that you can follow to make your deployment as painless as possible for you and your loved ones. You would be surprised how smooth just following these four little tips can make your life while you are away. However, this list is not all inclusive as different people face different situations. Instead think of this list a rock solid starting point; a living document that you can add to as you see fit to fit your own personal situation.