Pre-Deployment Advice for Military Couples

“What advice can you give for Christian military couples
preparing for deployment? What are the most needed things for them to focus on
while the husband is deployed?”

Here are five things to focus on, in order of priority.

1.    
The husband and wife should be in the Word daily,
perhaps on the same texts. Write down your blessings from the texts.

2.    
The husband and wife must keep short accounts
with the Lord and with each other (confession of sin).

3.    
Even if mail or email is not able to go out
daily, the husband must write to his wife daily—even if it is just two
sentences. Send the messages when you can. (If you are in a position to call
her, do that when you can.) Do not write about the danger. The wife should write
all kinds of news about herself and the kids. Do not write about problems, except
to ask for decisions, wisdom, and prayer.

4.    
Husbands should regularly write separate notes
to each of the children. This is very important, regardless how young the
children are.

5.    
Husbands should be a witness in life and word to
the officers and men and open to counsel men with family problems. The wife
should be a witness to other military wives and be open to counseling them.