Family Readiness

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Healing Stress Injuries

The stress of operational deployment can challenge service members and their families like few other experiences in life.It can also change them in many significant ways. The changes caused by a tough deployment can often be positive, including developing a greater appreciation for life and relationships, a greater level of...
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Return and Reunion Tips

Sometimes the most challenging part of a deployment can be the return. Reunion is a special time, but it can be a source of emotional strain for all members of your family. However, it can be a good time to work together to strengthen relationships. A great deal of time...
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Just the Two of Us: Child-Free Couples and Military Culture

I still remember the first Family Readiness Group dinner that I attended after getting engaged to my husband. Most of the women in attendance were either pregnant, shepherding fairly young children, or both, and I barely lasted five minutes before a complete stranger hit me with the apparently inevitable (and...
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A Guide to Understanding Deployment

Being a parent can be a difficult task in itself, but being an active duty military parent can not only be complicated, but also strenuous on a family unit. The United States Armed Forces have taken precautionary measures to insure the safety and well-being of all military dependents. Why The...
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The Importance of a Positive Attitude for a Military Spouse

It goes without saying that having a good attitude towards the ups and downs life throws your way is generally a helpful characteristic to have. In military life, however, it is even more vital. Life as a military spouse requires the relinquishment of a certain amount of control that for...
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The Emotional Timeline of a Separation

Brief or extended, the words “I’ll be leaving on_______ and by home by _______” strike a sadness into every military spouse’s heart. It’s a process of it’s own, somewhat like a grieving. Most spouses are given varying amounts of time to plan and prepare, but also to worry and become...
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Readjusting After a Deployment

You wait and you wait and you wait for the day your soldier gets home from deployment. Finally your life can go back to “normal,” finally you won’t have to shoulder all the responsibilities of holding down the home front. But homecomings aren’t always the fairy tale we build up...
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Issues Small Children Might Have During a Deployment

My oldest son has been through three deployments plus a long separation that was pretty much as long as our 3rd deployment. He is 8 years old and Daddy has been gone a lot during those years. I feel lucky since my husband has now been home for about 20...
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Why You Need a “Deployment BFF”

Deployment is hard, there is no getting around it. Whether it is your first time around or your fifth, having your spouse gone for months at a time is just no fun. Having a great support system is one of the best things you can do to help you through...
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Should You Move Home for a Deployment?

When deployment orders come down for your soldier, it can be pretty emotional. You have a lot to do to get ready for them to leave. One decision you might have to make is if you plan to stay at your duty station for the deployment or if you plan...
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