With You All the Way

This is  a re-publish as I move the highlights over from my website to the new series of blogs.

With You All the Way deployment box from the USO

Sometimes when  you really miss someone your biggest wish is that you could just hold that person in your arms tightly and never let go. For a military child, it can be hard when that person they get comforting hugs from is taking care of business on the other side of the world. While a super soft bear cannot replace the hugs of a parent, “Cuzzie” can become a friend to hold tightly and absorb their tears.

This deployment care pack is a gift from the USO to help military children deal with the hardships of deployment. The kit includes:

• “Cuzzie”- a super soft bear decorated with patches of love and accessories of a leather-like flight cap, goggles and a camouflage scarf for personalizing your bear.
• A personal note card to the child from Cuzzie which states, “Through the ins and outs, and ups and downs of deployment- we’re with you all the way!”
• Two sets of dog tags that read, “WITH YOU ALL THE WAY” …one to keep and one to send with the deploying parent.
• “WITH YOU ALL THE WAY” post cards to send to the deployed parent.
• A deployment journal that gives the child places to write down important things, draw pictures, and even answer questions about how he/she is feeling.
• “WITH YOU ALL THE WAY- Dealing with Deployment” video that gives “real-life strategies” for helping children cope with the emotions of deployment.
• A “Caregiver Booklet”- probably the most important item in the box. A booklet filled with tips and facts about the emotional toll of deployment on children.

My personal thoughts are that the “Caregiver Booklet” may be handy to also give to the service member so that he/she has a better understanding of what the family is going through back home. During deployment, this understanding comes in handy as it shows what the family is going through and the need for communication with their deployed loved one.  As the booklet states,

This is their job, and they may withdraw a little bit as they focus on preparing for that job. It is normal for them to feel a mix of emotions: from excitement, to guilt, to uncertainty. Their family is their connection to the real world, and they may not want, or be able to share details about their job.

The second aspect of handiness of having the service member read the booklet is to help ease the reintegration back into the family after deployment. As handy as it may be, the reality is that the deployed service member may not have an opportunity to read it while they are gone…even though the booklet is small.