Wondering what to expect on your first deployment? Preparing for your first deployment is an object lesson in feeling overwhelmed. It’s a feeling that can last for weeks as you gear up to head out. Guys from your unit will do their best to help you prepare, but there’s a lot that can be understood through experience. Here’s what to expect on your first deployment and how to better prepare for everything:
You’ll Worry About Everything at Home — A Lot
There are so many things you should be doing to get ready for your deployment. The first thing you should do is to find someone you trust, maybe your spouse or a parent, and get them set up with a limited power of attorney. That way, if you miss anything during your preparations, they can step in and help you out.
Figure out what you’ll do to safeguard your home while you’re gone, put your car in storage, and make sure your bills are set up on autopay, for starters. That rumor you heard about the crummy military WiFi overseas? Yeah, that one is pretty true. Before you leave, you’ll want to have things set up well enough that a sporadic internet connection will be enough. Knowing that your life and your family back home are cared for will give you better peace of mind throughout your deployment.
Make Connections Before You Go
It’s essential to be at least somewhat familiar with the crew you’ll be deploying with. It’s harder if you’re deploying shortly after a PCS. Take the time to get to know the people in your unit, as that familiarity will help relieve some of your anxiety about the upcoming deployment. This is also an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Get to know people in your unit and get some pre-deployment advice from folks who have been there and done that fairly recently. The transition from home to deployed may be rough, but it’ll go a little better if you’re comfortable with some of the folks in your unit.
What to Expect From Your first Deployment? Staying Connected
You’ve probably heard already, but you really shouldn’t expect a great internet connection as provided by the basic military WiFi. And you’ll be sharing it with everyone else who wants to call home. Since you can’t plan to use your smartphone’s service, it’s crucial to figure out another way to stay connected with everyone back home. There’s letter writing, but most other options rely on an internet signal. Grab a personal WiFi puck for deployment, and you can have your internet connection no matter where your travels take you.
The Sapphire military WiFi device lets you create your secure WiFi signal from a device the size of a smartphone. Connect your smartphone, tablet, and laptop so you can email, video call home. Even check up on your favorite sports team. Those connections will help remind you of everyone you’re deployed to protect, and provide reassurance that everything back home is okay.
Connect with us online to grab your Sapphire today and enjoy better deployment internet at local prices, no matter where your travels take you.