--He returns home with two bags of gear that the Army decides he NEEDS. Never mind that he has another 20,000 pounds of TA50 downstairs, and many of these items are duplicates.
--He has a date for the CONEX to be packed and it is too soon.
--They repaint the bottom of their bags.
--They get issued the new FRACU.
--Mountain boots have joined the pile of required gear and are being worn around the company in order to break them in.
--Block leave plans have been made, cemented, and are set in stone until the Army changes their mind.
--He drags out his hair clippers to pack so that he can keep his head shaved. (His first deployment to Bosnia, half the guys got mange, so he goes bald every deployment)
--He makes an appointment to get new POA's.
--I refuse to let him feed mac and cheese to the kids, so I know they will eat it while he is gone.
--He refuses to buy new clothes.
What else would you add to the list?
--Mountain boots have joined the pile of required gear and are being worn around the company in order to break them in.
--Block leave plans have been made, cemented, and are set in stone until the Army changes their mind.
--He drags out his hair clippers to pack so that he can keep his head shaved. (His first deployment to Bosnia, half the guys got mange, so he goes bald every deployment)
--He makes an appointment to get new POA's.
--I refuse to let him feed mac and cheese to the kids, so I know they will eat it while he is gone.
--He refuses to buy new clothes.
What else would you add to the list?
10 comments:
Yep. My hubby got his gear today too. It's currently decorating my floor. Yay.
The infamous TA50 that takes up all of the downstairs closet space and the infamous ½ days and block leave that creep along until deployment. I absolutely know how that is . You aren't alone :)
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I don't know about your husband, but MY husband starts acting like a total jerk, until like the last 4 or 5 days before he leaves. He emotionally "checks out" and it's all business and VERY jerky!!! It almost makes you want to say, FINE! LEAVE ALREADY!!!
Deployments suck. :(
- You both start nitpicking each other to death, sort of like chickens pecking food. Things that wouldn't really bother you before, not annoy the crap out of you.
- You start doing the "this is the last time that we will do _____ before you leave". Even mundane stuff you get all sentimental about. "This is the last time you will take out the trash for me!"
- You have to have the "talk" with the kids, again, and let them know that it is soon. THEN you start to see the behavior changes in them. Always a personal favorite.
- Your sex life seems to change - sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.
-You make grand plans for the deployment money before it comes in. I don't think I know one person who actually saved all they wanted too or actually got what they wanted from the money. The amount always seems larger on paper then in reality (to us anyway).
-You start to write the goodbye letter you will slip into his bag the night before he leaves when he is still packing. Because they are ALWAYS still packing the night before.
I know that there's more, but I just can't think of any more! lol
I always tend to think of things as being set in wet concrete, rather than stone.
Start talking about the vacation that we will take post deployment. Which includes looking up internet resources, ordering free travel guides, and listing what we want to do and what we will be able to do.
Start stocking up on little stuff that will be easier to pack and plan on sending bigger bottles of stuff later in the first box.
Answer questions that daughter has and try to reassure her that it will be okay.
Start putting on my mask that I am strong and I don't need him around to do anything for me because he isn't going to be here to do it for me in x days/months.
Start hunting down random objects that are on the packing list that everybody knows they are not going to use and it will probably just stay locked up for the duration of time spent over there.
great list!
Oh yes, the gear! The gear is EVERYWHERE!!!
Always a tough time, leaving ones family. Deployment rings are a thoughtful gift and a great way to record and commemorate a military career.
A true heirloom.
Mine went shopping for about 3 months straight before he left. He NEEDED: a frig, microwave, plasma TV, wireless headphones, new videogames, cell phone, 12 months worth of all hygeine items... All to pack!
He's gone and he is still very needy!!
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