Being an Army Parent:

There is a ton of presence put on ‘Army Moms’ when in my opinion there needs to be an equal presence placed on ‘Army Parents’. Dads make a huge contribution as well when a child is in the military. However, that is not what this blog is focusing on. I really want to bring attention to the different ways to keep the lines of communication open when a parent has a child in the military, specifically the Army. You see, if you know me personally, you already know my son is active Army and is out of the country deployed right now. So, this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

So, when my son first announced he was joining the Army he was just creeping up on high school graduation. So, the intent was to go to boot camp immediately following graduation. This made us fly into a tailspin as to how we were going to keep the lines of communication open. And that was when the research began. I joined social media groups, parenting groups, and talked to as many people as I could possibly find who had experience in this field. Because I had, none.

I found out two points very quickly: adaptation and patience would need to be on the forefront, always. Adaptation, because I would never know firsthand where he would be or what he would be doing. Patience, because I would need to wait for him to reach out to me. I would not be able to pick up the phone and call him anymore and expect an answer. This was something I would need to accept now, not later. I found several ways of communication for us. I am including some ideas below in hopes that they will help someone else that is in my shoes.

• Traded my phone in for an I-Phone and installed FaceTime for free communication, with video. This has been huge for us and the main form of contact over the past several years. The main reason I changed my phone was because the idea of him going out of the country was very high and I-Phone is compatible over borders. Also, it is important to remember that when someone does go into the military their individual cellphone plan can be placed on hold where they have service, but no bill. Make sure you ask your specific carrier about that!

• Email is a great way to keep caught up with one another. The only issue with email is that there may not always be service where your loved one is deployed. Generally, there is, but it is never really guaranteed. However, email is a great way to keep them updated with pictures or videos to keep them connected. I would tend to include pictures of the dog or a friend at a birthday party. Events to keep him connected with us and ensure that he knows he is missed. Email also gives him an opportunity to take a moment and write back. With technology the way it is, faster is better, right?

• Letters and care boxes are a good idea, if approved by your soldier. I did not know this but was informed very quickly by my soldier that some boot camps haze soldiers receiving care packages. I cannot understand for the life of me, why that would happen. But it does. We decided not to do care packages and only do letters few and far between while he was in boot camp. This was to totally avoid the hazing. That was surely something he did not need. If your soldier tells you, it is ok to send them, then send them. But I would not send anything materialistic without them saying, yes.

The military family life is a complicated one. I have had to learn how to speak differently, what to wear and when. This is all to keep my son safe. Just remember to never speak of a unit or a mission on social media. Another thing to remember is that deployments are secretive and should never be publicized. It is okay to ask for prayer for their deployment, but not to speak of exactly where it is going to be. This causes a severe breach in security not only for your soldier, but for all soldiers in that unit. The military life can be a very rewarding one; however, it is also a very secretive one. Just pray for them all, regardless of deployment arena.

Thanks for Reading.

KristinaWrites

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