76th Brigade Deployment

[bassingirl969]

My husband is being deployed. We'll get to spend four days with him before he leaves. This is his first deployment, and I'm very scared. I am proud of him and I know that he is a smart man, along with the men and women in his unit. But I am still afraid. I'm not sure exactly where he will be going or what exactly he'll be doing. Can anyone give me some tips on how to be strong and handle him being away?

[Fireball]

My husband is being deployed ******, and they are currently in Ft. Stewart,GA. We'll get to spend four days with him before he leaves. This is his first deployment, and I'm very scared. I am proud of him and I know that he is a smart man, along with the men and women in his unit. But I am still afraid. I'm not sure exactly where he will be going or what exactly he'll be doing, but the last we heard is that the unit is going to ****** Iraq. Has anyone been there and can anyone give me some tips on how to be strong and handle him being away?

First thing... you shouldn't post your hubby's information... so edit your message and make it more general... it is a safety thing. :)

Second, be involved in your FRG... OR with a good support group of women going through the same thing... not to commiserate with eachother - but to keep the humor and encouragement going. You will have down times... don't let them last too long. :) We can all mope, but don't make that the center of everything you talk about or do. Focus on your hubby! Write often (I say daily, but many don't)! Get your hubby's roomie's info... so that you can use him to surprise your hubby. I have heard a lot of wives who have done surprise b-day parties for their hubbies... they send a letter to the roomie asking if they can help - send them party supplies and the roomie decorates the room and invites a few people for a party. To me, I use it as a time to "date" again. :) JUST HAVE FUN with it. STINKS to be away... but make the most of it - be CREATIVE.

Do you have kids? Video dad reading... take pictures and have him write a messages on the back of the pictures for them.... go to Flat Daddies (http://flatdaddies.com/) so you can have a large picture of him for the kids. Oh there is so much you can do... so many things that will help you feel close when you guys are far away.

[Txmom42]

I was terrified when my son left. Now that he's there he's done a lot to reassure me. I still worry, but I get e-mails from him all the time. He's called me several times. It makes it much easier to deal with. Do all the things Fire has mentioned. Keep your kids involved if you have them. Send lots of care packages. You can get a Flat Rate box from the USPS and fill it to the brim and send it for $7.95. I just bought a bunch of girl scout cookies to send to him. My granddaughter made him valentines and we sent those. I send him her artwork from pre school.

The FRG is a great help. Ours has a website with the lastest news from each unit. They also do a lot of fun things for the families that are there in the area. From what I have heard it depends on the base and the people in charge. Don't watch the world news, or read the wires on the computer. I get all my info from the FRG website.

There is also a website. http://www.dvidshub.net You can look for pictures and video from embedded reporters both military and civilian (I think). They also have video messages from soldiers on here. Haven't figured out this site totally yet, but it's fun.

You are going to have what I like to call "Freak Out" days. Prayer helps alot, and be reasonable. No news is good news. As long as there is not a government issue sedan in front of my house when I get home, then I assume everything is A-OK. Talk to the people on here. They know what they are talking about. There are other wives going through what you are going through. There's not only safety in numbers, but also sanity.

[A#1Mom]

Hi! I'm also a Mom of a deployed soldier. Definitely take all the advice you've been given here-it's reallyhelped me alot! Also, another local Mom of adeployed soldier in my town told me to stay as busy as I could, with positive things. I volunteer at a local hospital, and they've sent care packages to my son and his unit, as well as several friends, and my church. My son has been overseas for 8 mths now, B-Days, Holidays, Etc., and I have had my Bad Days, but the support I've found both here and in my community has gotten me through, as well as I know that I've adjusted and calmed down now. I took a few months, but yes stay in touch with him, tell him your're Proud of Him and Love Him as often as You can! You can get through this too! He needs you to be strong so that he can focus on what he's being sent to do-beleive me it's not easy; but once I got to this point, I felt much better. Good Luck and stay in Touch!

[Exo1]

All wonderful advice from those women who know what the story is.....

To pick up on one of Fire's points, please keep deployment information no matter how vague out of the post, you never know whos watching....;)

When confronted with an issue I want advice about but dont want to disclose it.. I always start with a "what if my ...." then onto "im trying to prepare myself for the situation if it ever arises"... it creates a hypothetical situation without any inclining of times/dates/etc....;)

Youll do fine, take stock in the fact that your kin are well trained, and well motivated... to that end, the advices about care packages, and emails/letters are oh so important.. theres only one thing that rivals the importance of brother soldiers on deployment, and thats the family the soldier left at home to do his duty!!.. so take pride in the fact that your support is a huge support to your soldier and the war effort.....

Exo...

[MSG Glenn]

Thanks to your husband for his service in a wartime Army & thank you for your support of him.

My son just returned from his 5th deployment & is now on post deployment leave. We no longer have to worry about his deployments as he gets out of the Army in May. Now we just have to worry about his National Guard assignment to finish off his 8 year obligation.

My wife is an old trooper when it comes to seperartion. I was in the Navy for 6 years before I met her & went into the Army after we were married for 14 years. She stayed at home raising the kids as I was always going one place or another for duty assigments. No stabilization there!

[kmullins]

just stumbled upon this post. my husband is apart of the same bridage, but is no longer in Georgia. he was home over the weekend, and flew out yesterday, to where i dont know. but its going to be okay. plan on sending him something special. my husbnad got a ps2 for christmas which i will be sending him when he gets an APO, and im also sending over a set of cornhole for them. if you dont know what that is, look it up! he got a new labtop, so hopefully we can stay better in contact, and dont listen to the news, they only report the bad stuff.

[Txmom42]

The laptop helps a lot!!! Son took his and it's nice to see his name when I log into my e-mails almost every day. Even if it's just a hey mom, I'm OK...tell Grandma we need more cookies. It makes my day.