Understanding Predeployment to Reunion and Reintegration

Find additional deployment preparation resources, benefits and support on Military OneSource.

Deployment can bring uncertainty and emotional distance, but staying informed and maintaining connection can ease the stress for families and service members alike. While communication may sometimes be limited, there are many ways to stay engaged and supported throughout the deployment. Check out this Managing Deployments and Separations MilLife Guide to explore resources in more detail.

Deployment extensions can happen. Find support for unplanned changes and challenges:

• Your installation Military and Family Support Center can link service members and military families to a number of installation services, including emergency financial support, child care and more.
• Service members and military families can find in-person confidential Military and Family Life Counseling on or near their installation for a range of topics including stress, relationships and other military life challenges.
• Learn how to make the most of your time during deployment.

Every child responds differently to deployments and separations, but here are some ways to help them feel supported and connected:

• Maintain daily routines, including meals, bedtime, chores and schoolwork.
  • Find additional information, tips and resources for supporting children, youth and teens during deployment.
  • Listen to this Thrive Through Deployment podcast to learn about help for families facing deployment challenges.
• Talk to children and teens about their feelings. Give them ways to express themselves, including journals, notebooks and drawing.
  • Find activities for younger children through Sesame Street for Military Families.
  • Explore ways to help teens deal with deployment.
• Help military-connected children, youth and teens stay connected to their loved one by sharing postcards, texts, videos or voice recordings, and updates on school achievements to strengthen bonds. Plan movie nights or other fun family activities to ease stress.
• Connect children and teens to their peers with military youth and teen programs and Defense Department summer camps.
• Watch for signs of distress in children and teens, like meltdowns, withdrawal, sleep issues and appetite changes.
  • Your installation Military and Family Support Center can connect you with child and youth services, school liaisons, chaplains, counselors, and family readiness groups and events.
  • Reach out to your installation Military and Family Life Counseling Program for free, confidential counseling for children and families.
  • Speak with a Military OneSource consultant. Call 800-342-9647, find international calling instructions or schedule a live chat.

Be mindful of what is shared about a service member’s deployment to protect you, service members and military families. Avoid sharing the following details about the service member’s deployment:

• Don’t share specific departure or return dates. If needed, use a private “code” with your service member when talking about timing.
• Don’t reveal their location or yours.
• Never share news about injuries or deaths in your service member’s unit. Official notifications follow strict protocols. Leaking information can cause confusion and distress.
• Keep unit morale, personnel and other operational details private both online and offline.

Safeguard your digital life to protect your family and the military community:

• Disable GPS tagging on phones, apps and social media. This includes photos, videos and social posts. Avoid using check-ins or geotags, especially near bases or during travel.
• Set social media accounts to private. Use caution when posting anything about deployment or military life.
• Games, quizzes, plug-ins and other third-party apps often collect personal data. Read privacy terms carefully and avoid allowing access to your accounts.
• Help children and teens understand what’s okay to share — and what’s not — for your family’s safety. Set parental controls on devices, games and social apps.

OPSEC applies both online and to everyday routines and conversations:

• Keep signs of support, like yellow ribbons, up all the time — not just during deployment — to avoid signaling changes in household status.
• Be careful what you say, even to friends and extended family. Don’t share deployment information with unfamiliar people, and be sure to refer media or officials to your local military public affairs office.
• Stop or reroute mail and newspaper delivery while away. Use lights, vehicles or neighbors to make your home appear occupied. Travel with a friend, and report anything suspicious to authorities.

A service member’s return from deployment is a joyful milestone — the emotional homecoming and those first few days of excitement. These tips can help ensure a smoother homecoming for all:

• Talk about the reunion in advance, and ask your service member how they want to celebrate. A thoughtful homecoming can be just as powerful as an elaborate event — without the stress of financial strain.
• Stay flexible and try to focus on what you can control as travel or mission delays may alter your reunion plans.
• Set realistic expectations about your reunion. It may take time to reconnect and fall back into a new rhythm.

Reintegration is the longer-term process of settling back into daily routines, redefining roles and reestablishing connection, and it takes time. Use these tips to help your family adjust to its new normal:

• Avoid overscheduling to allow time for rest, reconnection and downtime after deployment.
• Give everyone time to adjust. Be patient with yourself and each other, and talk openly about what’s working, what’s not and how to support each other.

Reunion or reintegration can be difficult, but you don’t have to go it alone. Free, confidential help is available:

• Tap into Military OneSource confidential counseling, 24/7. Call 800-342-9647 or live chat online.
• Installation Military and Family Support Centers provide guidance, workshops and local resources, including in-person counseling support.
• For urgent mental health support — including suicidal thoughts, domestic violence or child abuse — contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1. Chat online or text 838255 for immediate support.

Service members may face challenges returning home from deployment, such as adjusting to new routines or wrestling with strong feelings from experiences while deployed.

Some combat and operational stress reactions are common and usually heal with time, but here are resources to help you understand if your service member may need professional help:

• Learn the differences between combat and operational and post-traumatic stress. Combat stress can include irritability and anger outbursts, excessive fear, headaches and more. Post-traumatic stress may include flashbacks and intense feelings of fear, avoidance and numbness behavior, and hyperarousal.
• Know the signs of depression and find support for suicide prevention.
• Learn how to identify the warning signs of substance use disorders and where to get help.

Find more information on mental health resources and how to get help:

• Call the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1 to connect with 24/7 mental health support tailored to veterans and service members. You can also initiate an online chat or text 838255 for immediate support.
• Locate military treatment facilities and covered services in the civilian community with the TRICARE Mental Health website or using the TRICARE medical facility locator.
• Access information and resources on psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries.
• Find installation support through chaplains, Military and Family Support Centers and other programs and services at an installation.
• Talk to your health care provider for advice and resources.

Soldiers may do predeployment training at large training centers such as the National Training Center, the Joint Readiness Training Center or at specific training centers located at bases across the country. An average deployment cycle will include months of training at their home base and at these specialized courses.

Soldiers with specific skills may go individually or in smaller units. They will have different types of training requirements based on the job, their prior preparation and the location of the deployment. Learn more about Army deployments.

The Marine Corps prepares to support a wide variety of missions, often on short notice. Many deployments happen on Navy ships, but Marines may fly to their deployment location. Most Marine Corps deployments entail one year of training followed by six to seven months of actual deployment time. Some deployments may be scheduled for one year or more.

Deployment types include training exercises, force readiness, supporting ongoing missions and humanitarian support. Learn more about Marine Corps deployments.

Many Navy deployments are on ships or submarines, and sailors spend many months before the deployment training both on and off the ship or sub. Deployments typically last six or seven months, though occasionally longer. Time at sea may be broken up by port calls, when sailors are permitted to go ashore and enjoy some time off.

Sailors who deploy without a ship or sub perform a wide range of jobs in various locations. Deployments may be with Navy units, joint units or with different branches of the military. Deployments without a ship or a sub may last for as little as 30 days or more than a year. Learn more about Navy deployments.

Most Air Force deployments involve flying to another location, often an overseas Air Force base, a joint base or the base of another service. Airmen may live on base or stay in hotels.

Air Force deployments may be six to 12 months or can be a series of two- to three-month deployments in quick succession. Differences in deployment tempo are usually based upon job and unit. Learn more about Air Force deployments.