New on this board- dh being deployed

[skoi]

Hi everyone. I've been on the dis for a while, don't post too much, though. I've read over here but don't post because my husband is a reservist, so we don't live much of a military life. But now he's being deployed for about a year give or take, to Afghanistan. Seeing how he's a reservist, going on IA orders, we have no real FRG to hook up with, so we're sort of on our own.

Looking forward to hanging out here more when I have time, but with 4 kids, one just home from China and needing major surgery (cleft palate) don't know how much time I'll have when he goes. We are getting in one trip to WDW before he goes, but he's going to have to miss our cruise.

Julie

 

[Swimmergirl]

Welcome! Sorry to hear your hubby will be deploying. My husband recently returned from a tour in Iraq - it was our first deployment, so it was quite an adventure! Has he deployed before? Glad to hear you'll get a little WDW fix before he leaves. Have a great night!

 

[SailorsPrincess]

I'm sorry to hear about your husband deploying. My DH has been gone 8 months over the past year (in and out, deployed to the sandbox.. blah!) It's good that you will get to go on a trip before he leaves, if you ever need to talk pm me

 

[skoi]

Thanks!

This is our first deployment, up to 400 days. He's a Navy guy, deploying with who knows, but it won't be the Navy.

Julie

 

[rparmfamily]

Welcome!! We are AD Navy and my DH is deployed too. We also went thru practically a year of hell last year, with him being gone about 280 days last year and then straight into a deployment (he left in nov, comes home in May), so about 400 days gone in about a year and half. Ugg. I know I'm ready to for him to get home but the last year has gone by so fast. They kids keep me going and going and honestly, I hardly have time to breakdown about him being gone so much. I can hardly imagine him home, it's going to be an adjustment when he finally gets home this May! I can't wait!

My advice is to keep busy (sounds like you will be!) and plan trips, have people come visit you, create benchmarks to look forward to. Maybe have a monthly party, to celebrate 1 month done, 2 months done. Take time for yourself, maybe you could celebrate by getting a massage or pedicure,etc once a month to help you countdown as well.

I can only imagine how difficult this must be for a reservist. My DH is AD so we are at a base and have the support (well, hardly, the base does very little for deployed families, actually, nothing for them) and at least we have a FRG.

http://www.mwrarmyhawaii.com/Deployment_schools_info.htm This has some great links on the right side.

 

[skoi]

I keep saying if he were AD, or if his entire unit deployed, it'd be easier, but he's going on IA orders and it's him, a single woman, and another guy who lives like 2 hours from us, so there's no real support.

My sister, however, has a son who's AD Army and has been gone on 2 Iraq tours, so she's more than willing to help out. We'll definitely be counting down and doing some traveling. One cruise (planned years ago so sister might be coming in dh's place), one trip to WDW in December with grandma and grandpa, then a lot of homeschooling in between.

Thanks for the good advice.
Julie