Deployment

April is Month of the Military Child. During this month, all branches of the military join together to recognize the unique challenges children in military families face. Whether a child was born into a military family or has newly...

It was my most difficult goodbye. We spent a month leaving jobs and schools; friends and people who had became family; favorite places and foods. I ate more currywurst und pommes and drank more espresso doppio and Hefeweizen than...

The funny thing about a bruise: Sometimes you can't see a bruise, but you can feel it. Other times it's big and ugly and purple. Caused by trauma, these bruises may last a little or a long time. As...

If you ask me how I feel about my husband’s deployment, it might be a curse-laden rant about him being gone for nearly the first ten months of our daughter’s life. But most of the time I look back...

You told me you were deploying today. I wasn't that surprised. It comes with the job. You were due. We were due. It was time. We’ve been so fortunate for the several years without one, though time away was...

Military families make up less than 0.5 percent of the American population. Though we have been at war since 9/11, few Americans have served in the military or have a direct link to it. There is a large gap between civilians...

You've been dreaming about his or her homecoming for so long, but now that it's almost here, what should you do during the final week? Enter: The Final Days of Deployment: A Spouse's Checklist Woman-scape or man-scape. You owe it to...

I was 18 years old the first time I moved away from home. And it changed me. I learned how to live with another female. As a girl with only brothers, this was a big one. Thankfully, I was lucky enough...

Friendship can be hard especially when balanced on a perpetually spinning wheel. I liken military friendships to a roller coaster; the ride can be a thrill, circuslike enjoyment, spinning all sorts of directions with extreme highs and extreme lows....

“Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.” — W.R. Purche I did have the best dog. His name was Astro, and he died a few weeks ago at the (best guess) age of 18. He...

In December of 2001, I sat on the floor in the Newark airport crying as I heard them announce the final boarding call for my flight home to see my family for Christmas. After 2 hours of begging and...

On December 6, 2018, my husband burst through our front door much earlier than I was expecting him. He had been on duty all night, and I had not seen or heard from him since the day before. He...