Everyone involved in a deployment is often stressed, especially due to the separation and the challenges it can cause back home. Anxiety and stress are normal for your loved ones to feel, especially if you’re on a combat deployment where they have to worry about your life. If you can learn to understand how an Air Force deployment can affect your loved ones back home, it will be easier to prepare them for your separation so they can adjust while you’re working overseas. 

Ways a Deployment Impacts Your Loved Ones

It’s never easy to be apart from those you love, whether it’s your spouse, children, parents, siblings, or others in your life that you love. A deployment can have a massive impact on your mental health, but your loved ones can also experience some intense emotions after discovering you’re deploying soon, such as:

• Fear or anxiety
• Sadness and anger
• Denial or nervousness

Everyone will have their own emotions or reactions to the news. For example, your partner might become more withdrawn in the relationship in an attempt to make the separation and transition easier. Other people in your life may get obsessed over the potential dangers of your deployment and fixate on their anxieties, which can impact their mental health and others around them. 

Tips for Preparing Your Loved One for Your Upcoming Deployment

While deployments can be stressful, there are different methods you can use to help your loved ones cope with the separation so they can ease into the transition as much as possible. Check out our best tips for helping your loved ones prepare for your upcoming operation overseas. 

1. Let Them Know What’s Going On

Leaving your loved ones in the dark when you don’t have to is one of the worst things you can do, as it can generate additional stress to an already stressful situation. The unknown creates a lot of anxiety, and it’s better to tell your loved ones what you can rather than avoid talking to them at all. Try to keep them informed about things like:

• Your destination
• Expected duration
• Contacting the Red Cross during an emergency

There are some deployment scenarios where you may be unable to discuss the details about what’s going on, but try to provide your loved ones with as much information as possible. Knowing what’s going on can help alleviate some of the anxiety and fears your loved ones may be experiencing after learning you’re going to be deploying.

2. Be Honest About Communication

How much you’ll be able to talk to your loved ones back home will look different depending on the terms of your deployment and where you’re going. In some cases, you may have very limited to no contact for extended periods, which can create some anxiety with your loved ones.

Before you leave, sit down with your loved ones and give them an idea of what communication will be like while you’re gone. Try to give them information about how frequently they can expect to talk with you, so they don’t get anxiety if you aren’t able to speak with them for a while. Talking about other forms of communication outside of phone calls can also be helpful since you may be more reachable through other methods, such as care packages, emails, or letters. When phone access is limited, these forms of communication can help your family and friends stay in touch with you.

3. Take Care of Your Finances and Childcare

A significant source of stress for both you and your family is your finances when you’re away. There may be a lot of concerns about how bills are going to be paid, especially if you’re usually responsible for managing the finances and ensuring bills are paid on time. Before you leave for your deployment, make sure your partner has access to your accounts and knows when each bill should be paid. Taking care of your financial situation and obligations before you leave can help take some of the stress off your loved one’s shoulders while you’re gone.

If you have children, you’ll want to take care of childcare before you leave. If your spouse works, you may need to rely on family members, daycare, or babysitters to take care of your children when no one is home. If your spouse doesn’t work, help them find resources for support in case things become overwhelming, which can include family or professional resources for assistance. 

4. Offer Encouragement

Even if you take care of all the logistics and handle your finances and childcare, deployments can still have a major impact on your loved ones. Make an effort to encourage them to find methods for dealing with your time apart, such as:

• Spending time with loved ones
• Keeping a healthy routine
• Talking with others who’ve been at home during a deployment
• Engaging in hobbies or skills
• Finding support groups
• Talking to a mental health professional

What works for one person might not work for others. Encourage your loved ones to try out different methods for coping with your deployment until they find something that fits.

5. Prepare for When You Come Home

While your return home is going to be exciting for everyone, there will be an adjustment period to get through, especially after you’ve been gone for months at a time. You will have to readjust to your old routine, and your loved ones will have to get used to having you back in their life after they spent time adjusting to your absence. 

You can help you and your loved ones by reminding everyone to practice patience while everyone adjusts. Spend time focusing on the good things about your return rather than any of the challenges you may end up experiencing. Try to spend meaningful time with family and friends when you can so you can reconnect with them and reestablish your bond.

Get the Uniforms You Need for Your Deployment at AUSI

Part of preparing for your deployment will include ensuring you have the proper uniforms for your time overseas. If you’re looking for AFI-compliant uniforms, American Uniform Sales has you covered. We offer an impressive selection of OCPS, rank, insignia, and more, so you can feel confident heading into your deployment. Check out our impressive selection here or contact us with any questions.