We are amping up for another deployment in a few months and I wonder what this one has in store for us. Every deployment is different and we encounter new challenges every time. Our life has been at a different stepping stone in our journey during each deployment. We have experienced deployments without children, deployments with one child, deployments with three young children, and this one will be one with three school age children. Even though we have been through multiple deployments, each one has been difficult in its own. I cannot say that because I have three children now, that it will be emotionally harder than when we did not have children. I remember the emotional roller coaster that we experienced through each one. We still missed one another like crazy, we still worried for one another, and we faced many challenges apart.
You would figure that I would have this down after so many deployments. The truth is, I do not. I am not ready to experience the lonely nights, the worry for my husband, and the lack of communication. I do not cry to others about the hardships that deployments bring, because after all this is the life I choose. But truth is, I might have chosen this life, but it does not mean that I am immune to the hardships.
So, to all girlfriends/spouses this is my best advice. Whether this is your first or fifth deployment, know that you are not alone. Every deployment is different, but one thing remains the same: we miss our loved ones and wish for his or her safety. So, the next time you or someone is facing a deployment, remember this: Yes, there have been many that have gotten through deployments, but not without heartache, strength, and tears. This is what makes us unique among all others.