Over the past month, several of my friends’ husbands (around 6) have come home from deployment. One was gone about 10 months (he left the same week as Mac), and the other was gone a grand total of six weeks. Six weeks. Obviously, each soldier has a different role to play in the overall mission, but it’s really frustrating to see everyone else come home early. Trust me, I fully understand why Mac has not had the opportunity to come home early. His unit is support, not combat arms, so they function differently in the current environment.
Jealousy is a very real and strong emotion that most milspos and families deal with during deployments. As adorable and heartwarming as surprise homecoming videos are, your heart breaks watching them because you’re not the one being surprised. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain Gold Star families feel watching those. But every day that passes is another day closer to Mac coming home.
I strongly believe that homecoming jealousy is one of the BIGGEST unspoken issues in this crazy lifestyle. We’ve done one deployment where my husband was the LAST flight home, and another one of our deployments he was on the first flight home. When your man is on the last one home, it’s SO hard to keep your emotions in check and be happy for your friends! So, so though. I’ve actually seen it RUINED two sets of friendships between girls who were best friends. One was happy for the other, and the girl whose man came home early was so hurt that her best friend wasn’t happy for her that they just cut ties.
One thing to remember is that the girls whose men are coming home earlier probably feel a little bit “bad” about it too because they know it’s hard for other people to watch. Also, it’s helpful to remember to be joyous instead of jealous that they’re home and SAFE and that waiting a little while longer is worth it to have them home.
Just know you are SO justified if your rollercoaster of emotions! I have been on both sides of the spectrum. YOU CAN DO IT! Not much longer. 🙂
Oh homecoming jealously! People do not seem to realize how real this is, and sometimes it happens when you least expect it. I can completely understand how frustrated you are. Hugs and hopefully the time flies by.
I can only imagine 🙁 you must miss him so much. Once he comes back will he be here for awhile?
I so feel you on this one. John’s last deployment he went early on ADVON. Sooo.. I thought he was supposed to be back earlier, but nope. He returned with the main body. I was SO mad. You’re getting so close though!
As a Navy brat I know how difficult it can be to be apart from family members and I can only imagine how challenging it is to be without your spouse for any extended amount of time. Military life is honorable but can also be very hard. A big thanks to both you and your husband for service and support of this great nation of ours. Fingers crossed that the time flies by!
The first homecoming I shot (for a friend) was a full 2 months before SoldierMan came home (He was ADVON, so he also left a month earlier. blah.) The waiting is hard, but it was also exciting, I went to a half dozen homecomings before he came home and actually being there and being caught up in the adrenaline was addicting.
This is so real! Those were some of my darkest moments during Tom’s deployment. I normally love homecoming stories, and I used to dread seeing anything about them on the news because inevitably I would get mad or have a big ugly cry (sometimes both).