Dh only got back from afghan in sept to be told he's deploying in june for 7 months!!!!

[SandyChick]

It will only be 9 months between deployments. The next one is sea based so no r&r. To save money they aren't prepared to fly dh home so he has to wait until ship is back at home. Was only supposed to be 4 month deployment at most. This will be his 3rd deployment in 3 years -two 7 months and one 4 months. We are totally fed up and at the stage where he's thinking of putting in his notice. There's just no work life balance anymore.

Sorry. Don't know anything about military life.

What's the gap between deployments supposed to be? When he signed up, what was he told it would be? Why has it changed? Is it just part of the life that it changes?

The branch he is in is busy due to current things going on in certain parts of the world.

They didn't expect to deploy his so soon (they understand he's just done 6 months in afghan) and wouldn't if they could help it but he's the next one on the list. Others are either deployed already or will be deployed soon. There's a sort of list of names and they work their way down it for the particular job dh does.

Its crap because he hasnt been given any of the choices he has asked for with his last 2 drafts whereas others seem to get posted wherever they want.

We were prepared for a max of 4 months at sea but another 7 is just too much so soon after the last.

This shouldn't happen, and I'm guessing that he's being individually rather than trickle posted.

Has he actually spoken to his posters about the total time spent in theatre. It's possible there has been a human error and they may not have noticed the cumulative burden.

If you are both really unhappy about this to the point of thinking of leaving, then he could perhaps ask at the same time for information about timings/procedures for resigning. This won't lead them to overturn postings decisions, but it will give you a basis for planning for life afterwards.

X-post.

I think this is the time to think about resignation.

I had the same thing and it's awful.. The first year I was married he was only in the country for 6 weeks and that wasn't even 6 weeks in a row.. Theres nothing else you can do other than get on with it.. I always found putting on a smile worked best.. Remember you dh will be just as upset as you are !! Keep your chin up xxxx

I normally do just get on with it with a smile on my face but after 3 years of long deployments one after the other I've just ran out of steam.We both have. The only thing that got me through dh being in afghan last time was knowing we'd get a summer/normality this year. It's awful for him too. He really hates it and would take redundancy if offered. We both feel trapped as we can't afford for him to leave.

Dh works away during the week so were only seeing each other at weekends as it is. Ds is almost 5 so he's more aware now that dads away all the time. Plus I'm pregnant so will have an 8 week ish old baby when dh deploys in June.

So he'll have had nine months at home? That's usual isn't it? I thought they got 2. Days off for every 1 day away
Why is he working in the week too?

No words of wisdom but just to say it is rubbish and having been through back to back 6 month deployments when DD was a baby make sure you photograph everything. Even now I will sometimes say something and my DH will say 'when did that happen'? Could your DH get an intructors job or recruiting job after this deployment - we were able to do that and had 15 months of realitve calm. It saved our marriage! My DH goes in March for 7 months so I can also offer to hold your hand :)

Gumby- we don't live in mq's. He works mon-fri and drives home for the weekend.

He came back from afghan mid sept, had a week at home then went back to work for 3 weeks then had leave(combination of Easter/summer and post deployment). Started his new draft Monday gone.

He's drafted there until summer 2013 but most people are being extended because they are 'short staffed' so chances are he'll come back in December for a few months and be away again. Colleagues at the moment are on a 5 month turn around with a 7 month deployment. dh has done this draft before ( was his draft before afghan) but it was a lot quieter then. They would only deploy you for a max of 4 months. They would fly you home and send a replacement but they arent doing that now because it's too expensive. You now leave with the ship and don't return until it does.

Deployments were never too bad in the past. We were both fine with them but now we just don't feel like we get any time together. Especially with the next one as theres no r&r. 7 months is a long time. He wants to leave. He's going to start looking into what's on offer If he was to leave. He has a commitment bonus thing in September which will mean he has to do another year from then.

Was his branch on the redundancy list last week? If so, can he apply, and is the package worth it for you?

Dh has two years until retirement from this Sunday (scary), and has started job hunting, but there is not always a lot out there.