Pre-Deployment Tips for the New Military Spouse

When my spouse got his first deployment orders, I had a lot of questions. My mind was racing a hundred miles per hour.  How was I supposed to prepare? What came next? I didn’t even get much time to process the news before he was gone. 

Deployments are a part of the military life cycle. They can be frequent or only a few times in a service member’s career. As a new military spouse, hearing that your service member received deployment orders can stop you in your mental tracks. 

This article will cover the pre-deployment phase and what you can do to be prepared for your service member’s time away. 

Go to a Pre-deployment briefing. 

This is a great way to connect with others who are also preparing to go through deployment. You will also be able to get Point-of-Contact information for the command ombudsman or key spouse, resources to help you navigate deployment and understand how finances work during separation. Most commands through all the branches will have a pre-deployment briefing, usually through your base’s Fleet and Family/Military and Family Center. 

Make a Deployment Binder. 

In my deployment binder I put copies of my service member’s orders, the Power of Attorney (POA), and a schedule of bills being paid. Even though they are on auto-pay, this helps me keep on our budget while my service member is deployed. I also put our marriage certificate and social security cards in our binder. 

Any important documentation that you may need while your service member is deployed should go into your binder. We have a handy guide for creating a deployment binder here.

I also like to put in the Plan My Deployment sheet from Military One Source. This helps me keep organized as well or at least pretend to feel organized.

Go over finances and make a budget. 

This is something that can be overlooked, even for seasoned spouses. It is important to remember that while your service member is deployed or on a Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment that you’re essentially maintaining two households. Creating a budget and sticking to this can help bring down stress while your service member is away. Accounting for extra expenses such as food and travel can help. 

Understand Operation Security (OPSEC) and Personal Security (PERSEC).

OPSEC and PERSEC are two important things to remember while your service member is away. The difference between the two is that Operation Security (OPSEC) isn’t optional while Personal Security (PERSEC) is a personal decision on what to share.

When it comes to OPSEC, think Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Don’t share on social media who is going, where they’re going, when or how long they will be gone, why they’re being deployed, and what they’re doing. Personal security is up to you and how you wish to go about that information. 

Remember that you’re not alone during a deployment. Reach out to your community, ask for help and know that the days may seem long, but it’s one step closer to home coming. If you need a mentor or someone to talk to please reach out to a MSAN mentor or an advocate. We are here for you and with you. 

To connect with our Deployment & Reintegration Advocate, join the HUB. 

Visit our website to learn more about our mentorship program.

Laura Daniel is the Deployment and Reintegration Advocate for MSAN. Laura is an Air Force spouse of seven years, has a husky named Atlas and a cat named Ahsoka.