When your spouse heads off for deployment, life takes on a whole new set of challenges and quirks. Here are ten things I never expected when my husband, a fearless Apache pilot I affectionately call “Maverick,” left for his tour in the Middle East.
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Every Noise is a Potential Intruder
With two kids and two dogs, every creak in the night transforms into a scene from a horror movie. My kids, unable to sleep without their dad, have taken to snuggling with me, leaving me to wonder if that rustling is a burglar or just my furry friend trying to escape his crate. Spoiler: it was the dog humping the Christmas tree again. -
Toilet Repair Skills
Let’s just say my toilet had a ‘leak’ of its own, and now it’s held together with superglue. Deployment has a way of teaching you DIY skills you never knew you needed. -
Epic Meltdowns in Public
When you’re juggling care packages and kids, expect the unexpected. Your little ones will choose the busiest place to throw their most theatrical tantrum. And yes, sometimes you might find yourself kicking at them—gently, of course—just to keep everything from crashing down. -
Intrusive Questions Galore
Friends and acquaintances will throw around questions about how you’re coping with the absence of your spouse. “Isn’t it hard?” they ask, as if you haven’t already figured that out. So, you start weaving little fibs just to avoid the awkwardness—after all, you love your partner and support their service, even if it means being on your own for a while. -
Crafting Skills You Didn’t Know You Had
Turning into a care package crafting wizard is a must, even if you usually panic in craft stores. With limited gourmet options overseas, I’ve embraced my inner Martha Stewart to create thoughtful packages filled with goodies. Who knew glitter could be so therapeutic? -
Midnight Emergency Room Visits
After a restless night, you might find yourself convinced you’re on the brink of death. Spoiler alert: it might just be a stomach bug. But hey, who else is going to drive you to the ER at 4 AM? -
Promises of Support
Friends often promise to help during deployment, especially after a few drinks at the farewell party. But when the time comes for actual assistance, good luck finding anyone. They’ll likely resurface just in time for the homecoming bash. -
Mother Nature’s Fury
Deployment seems to coincide with record-breaking snowstorms and blizzards. Just when you’re feeling under the weather, you’ll have to brave the elements to shovel snow and de-ice the car. Mother Nature clearly has a sense of humor! -
A Newfound Love for Video Calls
Skype becomes your lifeline. You learn to embrace the chaos of your bed head during those late-night calls, just grateful for a glimpse of your partner’s face, even if it’s at an ungodly hour. -
Finding Faith
There will be days when you don’t hear from your spouse, and that’s when you’ll need to dig deep and hold onto hope. As much as you worry, remember that the odds are often in their favor, and they’re likely just busy dealing with their own deployment challenges.
As I navigate this deployment, I know there are many lessons still to come. I’ll probably face more unexpected situations, like dealing with a burst pipe in the middle of the night using whatever is closest. But for now, I cherish that I get to call Maverick mine, even if it means waiting another 343 days until he’s back—at which point, he’ll also be on litter box duty for the first year!
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Summary:
Deployment can be a rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected challenges, from midnight emergencies to public meltdowns. As you learn to navigate life without your partner, you discover strengths you never knew you had, all while finding ways to stay connected and hopeful.