Communicate!

Hi everyone! Today, I'm going to tell you about the number one thing you are probably wondering about - communication! The hardest part about your soldier being away is that you do not know where they are all the time or if they are safe. Well, the good news is that with basic writing supplies and technology, you will be able to get over this fear of unknowing.

Basic training was probably the hardest part of my brother being away. It was the first time he was truly away from home where I could not talk to him on an everyday basis. It was really hard, but we did manage to get through it. In my previous post, I talked about the care packages you can send as a form of communication. Cards, pictures, and letters are all really good ways to communicate. During special events, my friends and I would take pictures of everyone and get the pictures developed. Then, we would write on the back of the pictures what was going on that made us take the picture. He said he really enjoyed stuff like that.

Also, during basic, it was very rare that we would be able to talk to him on the phone. He would call once a week for about a half hour. However, every once in a while, they would revoke his call because of something that happened with his unit. These were the worst days. We would sit by the phone all day, just to find out in his next letter that they could not call. However, once you get through basic, communication does get easier.

During the time he was in Afghanistan, communication was much easier, surprisingly. He would not be able to talk on the phone, but we did talk on Facebook and Oovoo or Skype video chat a lot. Video chat, in my opinion, is the best invention ever for military families. I truly do not know how people survived deployments without it. I would suggest that you download it, if you do not already have it. Even though the connection is not always very good, it always feels good to see your soldier safe on the other side of the camera.

Well, that is all for now. Communication is a really important thing to remember to do when your soldier is away. Although it is really hard for you to watch them leave, it's harder for them to leave everyone. Make sure you keep them informed and updated on everything. That way, when they come home, everything will feel normal!

My brother and his girlfriend on an oovoo message together. They would like to fall asleep together on nights when he was away!

My brother, my mom, and I on a Skype video blowing kisses to each other!