Well, it’s here. That dreaded D word that you have been trying to avoid or ignore, but as a military family you can never escape – deployment. Everyone has their own way of preparing for a deployment mentally and emotionally. While I’d love to say that I have that part figured out, every deployment is different and each one brings a new set of challenges. It can get very overwhelming at times, so this deployment checklist is going to break down three basic categories with examples to help you feel more prepared while your service member is away.
Necessary Paperwork
Everything from a copy of the service member’s will, a copy (or 5) of deployment orders, list of important phone numbers for the unit/squadron as well as base resources (ie: AAFRC, MFLC), a copy of the power of attorney, and last, but certainly not least, a list of all the usernames and passwords for everything. I like to keep all of these papers in a small folder so it stays together and I always know where it is if I need it. That also makes it easier to take with you if you travel because you never know when you’ll need something.
Home Preparation for Deployment
Let’s pretend we’re Flo, from Progressive, and bundle home and auto for this next one. Whether you own a home or rent it’s safe to assume that the majority of the responsibilities now fall on you. These range from making sure the yard gets mowed, to keeping up with the registration for your vehicles. You might already have a handle on some of these tasks, good for you if so! If not, be sure to sit down with your service member and discuss things prior to them leaving, as you don’t know how frequent communication will happen once they’re gone.
Some examples are how/where/when to pay your rent or mortgage, when (or where, if they are particular like my husband) to get an oil change on your vehicles, or even things like how to shut off the main water in case of an emergency. Again- you NEVER know because the Murphy’s Law of Deployments is: whatever can go wrong, will!
Family Deployment Preparation
Lastly, the deployment checklist category that will vary the most from person to person. This category mainly focuses on your family. If you have children, use your discretion on whether to tell them about the deployment as soon as possible or wait until closer to the leave date. Either way, there are so many great resources out there to help you prepare your children for a deployment (check out the blog post HERE).
One of the ways you can help children cope during the deployment is communication. Technology has come so far now and we are lucky that we don’t have to solely rely on snail mail to communicate with our service members. Each location of a deployment will have different advancements. Some options include getting an international phone plan, relying on wifi if available in that location, or cutting your phone off cellular data all together and buying a hotspot wifi “puck” and paying for internet monthly.
Finances During Deployment
This brings us to the most adult topic of all, finances. There are some financial differences that come along with a deployment also. Some deployments bring in more money than usual, while some bring new expenses(referencing the internet expenses above). It is important for you and your service member to discuss new budget items and get a game plan for paying bills and maybe working down debt, or even adding more to savings.
Overall, deployments will be tough. It will test you mentally and emotionally, but if you go into it feeling more prepared after working through this deployment checklist, you can focus on how to make the best of this time. The most important thing to remember is to give yourself grace. Find your tribe and lean into them. Look for support when you need it because no one expects you to have everything together, all of the time. Join a club, find a hobby, or even read some of those books you’ve had on your list but never made time for. Always remember to take care of yourself too, you can’t keep the ship afloat without a captain.You are stronger than you think and you are so capable of doing hard things. Now, go out there and kick this deployment’s butt!
Meet Nikki
I am currently a WAF at Ft. Stewart Army Base and stay at home with two beautiful girls, but recently got my national certification in medical assisting. I enjoy crafting, hanging out with friends, and a chilled glass of wine!
