Countdown to DeploymentSample

Eight Ways to Prepare for Reintegration

Successful reintegration starts before the deployment. You may ask, “How is that possible?”

Veterans of deployment insist that reintegration needs to be addressed now. The goal is to be so in tune with each other’s hopes and plans that your reunion will be a time of celebration. 

So before the deployment, while you are facing many unknowns and schedules are intense, please take time to talk and listen. Here are eight tips:

1. Talk about your expectations of reintegration. What steps can you take now to address those expectations?

2. Talk about your fears of reintegration. What steps can you take now to help address those fears?

3. Talk about how you want to celebrate your love at reunion. Dream out loud about a special time or getaway to enjoy and plan for together.

4. Talk about how you can prepare your hearts in prayer for reintegration. Knowing how God will carry you when you reconnect, pray ahead of time for those qualities of kindness, patience, and grace. 

5. Talk about buying two journals (do it!) and plan a time during reintegration to share what you wrote in those journals while apart.

6. Talk about what you should have done differently after past deployments to make the transition smoother.

7. Talk about what couple you might mentor as they face their first deployment. Pray about whom God might lead you to share your experience.

8. Talk and agree to willingly seek help should you need the special expertise of Christian counselors or pastors following your wartime separation. 

Since your goal is not just to survive but to thrive during (and after) the deployment, trust God to propel you to have this special time together to talk—and listen—to each other’s hearts. 

1. Hold hands and pray together, asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit each day.

2. Ask God to give you an idea of what couple you know might benefit from your experience and wisdom.

Your relationship with God is the foundation of a lasting marriage. Read “Building a Spiritual Foundation for Your Marriage.”