By The Associated Press The Iowa National Guard is getting ready for what could be it’s largest call-up of a single unit for an overseas deployment since World War II. Guard spokesman Maj. Michael Wunn says troops from the 2nd Brigade of the 34th Infantry Division, which has about 3,500 soldiers, were alerted over the […]

When my husband deploys I set little milestones for myself. First, it is getting through day one. It is always a day of mixed emotions and that forever lump in my throat that will not go away until I break down and cry. I do my best not to cry when he leaves because I […]

Here’s a post from an Army wife counting down to her husband’s next deployment. You can read her blog here.   K.’s gear packed up in the barn a couple of weeks ago. GI Joe would sell his Kung Fu grip for all the stuff K. has stashed away in there! The closer he gets […]

Here’s some powerful testimony from SSG Eddie Black, a veteran of the Marine Corps (Desert Storm) and the Oregon National Guard (OIF2) about his return from combat. Eddie now gives free talks for veterans on PTSD. You can email him here.     “When I got back from Iraq, all I wanted to do was go […]

By Joel Brown / Argus Leader Being the father of a deployed soldier has been eye-opening. As a political conservative, I had grown accustomed to cheering for the USA in conflicts overseas. I had my own thoughts on Sept. 11, 2001, and supported the wars in two countries that have followed. I haven’t wavered as […]

Saying goodbye to my husband before he leaves is probably the hardest moment of deployment for me. I drive to the base with an upset stomach and a lump in my throat choking back the tears. Nothing can really make it better, but one of Mike’s former captions did share some good advice when Mike […]

Here is a fascinating interview that aired on public radio in San Diego, CA. It discusses the effects of repeated deployments on service members and their families. MAUREEN CAVANAUGH (Host): I’m Maureen Cavanaugh. You’re listening to These Days on KPBS. Being sent overseas to a war zone as part of America’s volunteer military is a […]

By Pamela Yip / The Dallas Morning News Good financial planning means being prepared for life’s unexpected occurrences. For military families, that’s particularly important because of the transient nature of military life. Repeated back-to-back deployments make it imperative that both spouses have the same financial goals and decide how the stay-at-home spouse will hold down […]

This is a re-post from a Blog called Daily Dwellings. Monica is the wife of an Army Chaplain who is currently deployed to Iraq. Military marriages are hard. They take a certain amount of extra work because of special circumstances that arise because of being a part of the military. The major special circumstance that […]

By Stuart Tomlinson / The Oregonian Seventy-two soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 168 Aviation detachments of the Oregon National Guard will deploy to Afghanistan next spring, the Oregon Military Department said today. Capt. Stephen Bomar, an Oregon National Guard spokesman, said soldiers in B, D and E companies within the battalion will report to Ft. […]