Aside from being away from loved ones, deployments share a key common feature: their varied pace. Know throughout the military as operational tempo or simply “op tempo,” and defined as how busy any given person or unit is during their time deployed. While everyone’s deployed jobs and experiences are different, the fact is that no […]

Deployments aren’t easy, whether it is to a combat zone or to another country, but with the information age in full swing communications with your deployed service member is easier than ever.  The Internet has brought us communication tools such as e-mail, instant messaging, Skype, and Facebook, and with these tools the amount, type, and […]

Attention Oregon National Guard Spouses & Friends: Lane Community College offers new Deployment classes!   Holding Down the Homefront: A Guide for Spouses   Based on the Army’s Battlemind training for spouses and her own work with military families as a Certified Professional Life Coach, Katie Dyer – National Guard wife and Founder of Heroes […]

By Sherri Ackerman / The Tampa Tribune Even with her father in Iraq, 2 1/2-year-old Keirah Nelson wakes to his voice each morning. “Keirah, this is Daddy,” Army Spect. Scott Nelson singsongs from a recording inside a cotton doll adorned with his picture. “I love you very much. Have a good day.” The custom-made Daddy […]

By Noah Shachtman / Wired The Army has ordered its network managers to give soldiers access to social media sites like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, Danger Room has learned. That move reverses a years-long trend of blocking the web 2.0 locales on military networks. Army public affairs managers have worked hard to share the service’s […]

This is a great idea! Pillowcases for kids with pictures of their deployed parents on them. Admittedly, I made Paul a pillowcase with a picture of me sleeping on it when he deployed. (Yes, so we could still sleep together. Sigh.) But I never thought of doing it the other way around! See the original […]

This is a great Op-Ed piece from the New York Times. The original article can be found here. One Husband, Two Kids, Three Deployments by Melissa Seligman Fort Riley, Kan. Five years ago, my new husband, David, swallowed his tears as he tried to find a way to say goodbye. He held our baby girl […]

Here’s a great Article from Military Spouse Magazine online. (I am also a subscriber to this magazine, and I love it! Lots of helpful information and tips – especially for deployment!) Why do you feel angry before a deployment? by Whitney Bailey If you’ve gone through a deployment, you are probably familiar with the cycle […]

The Army has now launched a Facebook page. So far, they have about 8,000 fans. (No, I’m not one of them  😉 )   Here’s an article about how they’re trying to get onboard with social media – even while banning its use by deployed soldiers. If you want to “friend” the Army, go ahead. […]

Post-Deployment Relationship Rescue When your soldier comes home safely from a deployment, of course you’re happy to have him back, but that doesn’t mean things automatically fall into place with your relationship. Jennifer, who is married to a Captain in the Marines, says one of the hardest parts of a deployment for her is the […]