- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 160
I think there are problems with "assuming" how long a deployment is going to be, and then having that hardwired into your brain. When my wife was on Op Apollo, I was the spouse who stayed behind and attended the rear party family briefings. I heard on more than a few occasions the wives saying things like "He HAS to be home in 6 months. When he went to Cyprus/Bosnia/Kosovo/etc, it was only 6 months" I rained on one of the wife's parade when I told her that they could be there as long as they need to be, because if the gov't decided on, say a 9 month deployment, they probably wouldn't have a second roto for just 3 months. Boy, was she thrilled with my dose of reality.
My tour to Bosnia in 00-01 was 7 months long, mainly because "they" wanted to gradually extend the tours so that they started/ended in Apr/Sept for money/planning issued, as the rumour went. Whatever the reason, we were there (on average) for 7 months.
The 6 month long tour is what everybody should get out of their head as the "norm": if you are gone for 2 months, 6 months, 9 months or 5 years, that's part of being in the military. I have a service wife and 3 kids, and I have resigned myself to the fact that it could happen. Odds are that the deployments will likely stay 6 months, but don't program yourself to think that's as long (or as short) as they will ever be.
Oh yeah Hollywog, if "we" aren't at war, put a fake suicide bomber vest on, walk up to one of the main gates of one of our camps overseas, and see how you make out. The soldiers there that aren't at war will shoot holes into your argument (literally).
Al
My tour to Bosnia in 00-01 was 7 months long, mainly because "they" wanted to gradually extend the tours so that they started/ended in Apr/Sept for money/planning issued, as the rumour went. Whatever the reason, we were there (on average) for 7 months.
The 6 month long tour is what everybody should get out of their head as the "norm": if you are gone for 2 months, 6 months, 9 months or 5 years, that's part of being in the military. I have a service wife and 3 kids, and I have resigned myself to the fact that it could happen. Odds are that the deployments will likely stay 6 months, but don't program yourself to think that's as long (or as short) as they will ever be.
Oh yeah Hollywog, if "we" aren't at war, put a fake suicide bomber vest on, walk up to one of the main gates of one of our camps overseas, and see how you make out. The soldiers there that aren't at war will shoot holes into your argument (literally).
Al