Deployment Ceremony

live4christp1

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
DH's NG unit deployment ceremony is coming soon. Can anyone here tell me what to expect? Is it a casual dress event or dressy?

Thanks!
Cristy
 
is this the leave for MOB station or the go to war ceremony? If its leave for MOB station -it varies by unit but in the state my husband drills in we have soldier readiness processing the two days before. The night before the VFW hosts a dinner for the departing soldiers and their families-usually casual dress and very relaxed. We are from a small state population wise and large area wise and people are spread out so the VFW folks do this to give us a little extra time together. Day of the ceremony its self the Govenor comes and speaks as well as the Adjutent General and the unit Commander. If the unit is actually leaving that day-they get on the bus or the plane and go-if they are in an element that leaves later-( depends on the size of the unit-a Brigade combat team is 3500 plus soldiers and they dont all travel the same day) you just go home and drop him off the day they leave.
If its go to War-thats done at the MOB site at the end of the 4 day pass. Thats a pretty big deal. At Ft Carson and Ft Hood the post or Corps commander speaks, the Post or Corp Chaplain speaks and leads a prayer, the Unit does a pass in review and sometimes "cases" their colors. Then they say goodbye to the families and are put on lock down til they fly.
As for dress-go with what you are comfortable in-the leave for MOB station the time i went was on a day that was 20 below-and we said goodbye outdoors so we wore jeans and sweaters. The other times Mike has gone ADVON and left a month before the unit to set up -dropped him at the AFB and kissed him goodbye-watched the plane take off and came home-skipped the ceremony which was later. The go to war-once was also in winter and held in the Special events center at ft carson which is not heated-so again jeans and sweater. The other times were on the air field at north Ft hood..no shade in summer-shorts, t-shirt, hat, sunscreen and lots of water.
Take lots of Kleenex and if you wear contacts-wear your glasses-you will cry-alot. Hang in there-we all make it thru this -and if you need to vent-or someone who has been there and done that-more than once -to talk to -send me a pm and i give you some contact info.
 
Thanks! They will be leaving for MOB. All the unit is here now, lots of them that are over 50 miles from the post have come into town with their families (we live close by). The will be leaving the post by bus to the airports. We have been told we have to say good-bye at the post. No following them to the airport.

I so appreciate the info and your offer to be a listening ear. At this point (as long as it's been hanging over us) I am just ready for it to come so I can start counting down the days until it's over. Seems like it's been that dreaded thing ahead forever.

Have another friend from here on the DIS that is dealing with her first deployment too so we have been in contact. Also have a couple of other wives that I've gotten to know a little from our Yellow Ribbon event (my DH and their DH's are good friends). One has two boys close in age to our kids and she and I are planning to take a few little excursions/day trips with our kiddos together.

Already have lots of church friends and other friends asking about sending care packages, etc. So I'm sure I will be checking all your tips about items to send and going back to your baking thread for things to send.

We are also trying to put together a special trip for his leave time which he hopes to schedule about 1/2 way through or a little later and then another for coming home so that we all have something to look forward to together.

Do they always get a leave between their training at the MOB and the actual departure to theater?

Thank you so much for all the info, etc.
 
To the best of my knowledge they always get a 4 day pass between the end of training and departure to theater-since its a pass and not charged leave there can be some restrictions on how far they can get from the MOB station-where are they going to MOB ( thats not an OPSEC violation)? Most units allow the soldiers to go home for that time if they choose and can afford it. My husband does not like to come home once he has left. He says its easier not to and does not even take R and R. The last deployment he finished up the deployment and went to a month long school before he actually came home. My sons and i went to texas and we spent the 4 day in San Antonio this last time-he didnt get it the other two times because they were before that policy was instituted-he got 18 hours -once i came here-the other time i was at the MOB station for my job unrelated to his deployment.
Be careful about planning a vacation for R and R-the reality is-if he takes it-hes likely to be exhausted and just want to come home. Some families take vacations during that time-but plan things that you can be flexible with-dates shift and things at the last minute.
 


Thanks again. The info on the R&R is very helpful. He is thinking we should take a big trip (meet him outside the U.S. and stop at a couple different destination - it would be a busy trip) but I was thinking too that it would be hard and he would be tired. I know when he has been gone to training and gets a few days he sleeps a lot.

He will be going to MOB in Fort Bliss. My boss is NG too (same post but different unit). He said that we should try to fly out there instead of DH coming home as it's a day to get here and a day to get back which doesn't leave much time. We will see. I think DH kind of feels like your DH along those lines. It would be to hard to come home for a couple of days and have to turn around and leave again.
 
LOL-im sorry about the ft Bliss thing-yuck yuck yuck. I concure about flying out there-sadly there is not much to do with in a reasonable driving distance from El Paso unless you want to go to Cloudcroft New Mexico to ski. Albequerque is pretty neat but its about 6 hours or so from El Paso. Thats where the school my husband went to at the end of deployment-there are some wineries in the Mesilllia valley-but thats not so much a family activity ( our kids are grown and did not go with me to El Paso). Mexico is off limits to the soldiers. San Antonio was a blast-but its a 10 hour drive from El Paso. Ill think about what else there is to do in that part of the west and update you ( We are in colorado springs-i am actually a defense contractor and do exercise support and teach digital battlefield systems for a living)
We did go to Europe post deployment-Hubby got home in early april but had ALOT of leave to burn before he went back to work-our son got married in June and the we went for three weeks-a week in Italy and two weeks on a Med Crusie. i have a ton of info on Europe i will share if you want. I did look at going to Germany in December of 09-Mike escorted a soldier to Landstuhl and the commander knowing he wasnt taking leave let him stay a few days-i really wanted to go but we already had the other trip booked and i couldnt justify the cost of two round trip tickets to Europe in a 7 month period so i didnt-i still wish i had.
 
Europe is what we were/are considering too. Italy (Rome to see the Colesium) then Paris (Disneyland) and then train to England (DH's uncle is a chaplin to the military in Mildenhall). Would be a chance to use our passports before they expire and visit DH's uncle/aunt. But I don't want it to be to much for him. Plus I know it will be hard for him to go back.


My boss mentioned White Sands near Fort Bliss as a go see place but I think he said it's at least and hours drive.
 


Hi. We are stationed at Ft Bliss. Everything to is a drive. Ruidoso NM is good for skiing about 2 hours away. Cloudcroft NM good for tubing 1 1/2 away. White Sands your can rent sleds and sled on the white sands kind of cool about 1 hour. Carlsbad Caverns, NM about 3 hours. Btw Albuquerque is only about 4 hours been there numerous times. The Inn of the Mountain Gods was just voted most romantic hotel by Rachel Ray (idk) and is near Ruidoso. They have a casino if that interests you but when we went there we had nice dinner and sat on patio and listened to the wolves out in the distance.
My DH is nearing the end of his deployment and we may go here for a weekend. Then we will start focusing on our PCS to Germany in June.exciting but nerve wrecking at the same time.
Good luck and take care and remember to use and seek out resources for anything. :grouphug:
 
Thanks everyone! We said good-bye Saturday. They arrived safely. We have been snowed in since Sunday night and it's been so very quiet.....almost scary. At least we can start counting days off the calendar now.
 

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