By: Jason Jowers
The world is in a state of change right now. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel after this past year and a half during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are, as the media often states these days, “returning to normalcy.” And while civilian populations are getting back into the office and returning to work sites, the service members and military families within the military are continuing to stay strong and flexible for all challenges that come their way.
One ongoing challenge that is ever-present is the deployment cycle. With military service members preparing to get deployed or redeployed soon, we wanted to share a handful of resources that can help service members and their families cope and stay strong through this process. These tools and resources can also be utilized by professionals working with military families.
Resources Refresh
Military One Source offers resources in their blog post, “Deployment Resources for Families.” This suite of resources helps to connect military families and military family service providers to programs and services specifically designed to help before, during, and after a deployment cycle. These resources include access to the Military Family Readiness System services, resources for military spouses and children, for caregivers, and how to access Plan My Deployment, a stylized how-to guide for deployment cycles.
Military Kids Connect is another great resource for military kids that has a lot of great stuff to help during the deployment process. They share several videos with real military kids talking about their experiences with having a parent or parents be deployed and how to cope with the transitions these experiences bring. Military Kids Connect also shares resources on topics such as moving, family issues, and making tough choices regarding subjects like bullying and substance abuse.
Military.com is a one-stop shop for guides and resources related to deployment. They share a rundown of various programs affiliated with specific military services and branches. For the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserves, there are links that help with deployment transitions and challenges. They also share various other military services for families including legal services.
Finally, be sure to take advantage of the webinars, training, and resources right here within OneOp that highlight the importance of preparing for deployment and how to manage its impact on families.
This post was written by the OneOp Team. OneOp aims to support the development of professionals working with military families. Learn more about us at https://oneop.org/family-development, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to our Anchored. podcast series on iTunes and via our podcast page.
References
Military One Source (2020). Deployment Resources for Families. Retrieved from: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/parenting-and-children/parenting-through-deployment/deployment-resources-for-families/
Military.com (2021). Deployment Guides and Resources. Retrieved from: https://www.military.com/deployment/deployment-guides-and-resources.html
Military Kids Connect (2021). Deployment. Retrieved from: https://militarykidsconnect.health.mil/Military-Life/Deployment
Blog Image: Photo from Picryl [Preparing for deployment by Emma Tatum, September 23, 2001, CC0]
