Anxiety fills history teacher Abbigayle Marion as she answers the ringing phone. She knows what it means – the air force deployed her sister. Military deployment, both past and present, impacts many people throughout the school.
“It’s pretty crazy, especially because it’s my younger sister,” Ms. Marion said. “I’ve always looked at military service from a historical perspective and to think that my sister’s out there being a part of history it’s just kind of a reality check. These are the people protecting our rights and fighting for our country and keeping us safe.”
All enlisted members of the United States military have the potential to be deployed. All deployments, including that of Ms. Marion’s sister, vary in length of time, location and type of mission depending on the branch of the military.
“It was very weird over Easter not having her home,” Ms. Marion said. “I think that might be one of the first holidays she’s ever missed. And so that was odd. It is definitely weird thinking that she’s somewhere else in the world and living a very different lifestyle than I am here.”
When deployed, military members often cannot return home until the duration of their assignment concludes. This means that phone calls and texts serve as the primary form of communication between family members.
“We definitely miss her,” Ms. Marion said. “We are a unit and so we kind of feel like we’re missing a limb right now. So we’ll be ready for her to come home for sure.”
Similarly to Ms. Marion, junior Jazlene Garza’s mother and father served, each trading off who was deployed.
“[Deployment] really switches the family roles,” Garza said. “The things my mom usually does, my dad has to pick up and then the things that my dad usually does, my mom has to pick up.”
Garza lived on several military bases located in Japan, Hawaii, South Carolina and Texas. Though her parents no longer serve as active military, they still face impacts from their service.
“It made me admire them for their service,” Garza said. “When you really think about it and break down what they really went through, my parents lost friends, they lost siblings, my grandpa lost his brother. It really impacts them and changes the balance in your family life.”
Deployment, both past and present, causes family members such as Ms. Marion and Garza to feel stressed and anxious for their loved ones. To help, they find support within their families and friends.
“Be as positive as you can,” Ms. Marion said. “Obviously there can be times that are scary, but you don’t want to give yourself anxiety or force that hand. So communicate as much as you can. Lean on your support and don’t overindulge because you can’t control anything.”
