Less Than a Month...

... I haven't really talked much about the deployment on here. I'm not sure if it's been due to the fact that there's just been a ton of other stuff going on, or an effort to avoid the topic altogether, therefore making it not really "real." BUT then I get emails from the squadron like the one below, which are always a nice dose of reality:

"With the upcoming deployment we all have a lot on our minds and on our agendas. To help break down the sometimes daunting deployment preparation, we have dissected a deployment checklist into a timeline. You can expect to receive these in your inbox 2 months prior, 1 month prior, 1 week prior, and 1 week after the deployment. We hope that this breakdown helps alleviate the stress of it all so you can focus on spending quality time with your loved ones before they leave.

1 month prior to deployment

Medical

*Prepare/Update Family Care Plan

*Prepare an emergency contact list and phone numbers

*Verify family enrollment in DEERS

*Review insurance policies (medical, life) and make sure they are current

*Discuss medical/dental/eye care and review insurance coverage

Home Safety/ Management

*Review/discuss home & personal security measures

*Check smoke detectors and replace batteries

*Discuss emergency exit procedures

*Ensure appliances are in working order, serviced, and in good condition

*Review/Update vehicle maintenance record

*Know where utility shut offs and breaker boxes are

*Make arrangements for household repairs

*Complete property inventory

*Arrange for lawn care/ snow removal

Miscellaneous

*Notify creditors, service providers, cell phone companies of deployment, they may offer deployment benefits

*Collect important documents (Will, POA, Marriage Certificates, Birth Certificates, Social Security cards) and put in a fireproof box

*Insure vehicle title, registration, insurance and warranty papers are current and safely stored"

Their projected date to leave is June 24th... which is only about 3 weeks. I've been prepared (by Aaron and also a few wives who have been through deployments before) that the date can and probably will change several times before they actually leave. Maybe even the week of- pushing it back a day, forward 2 days, back 3 days, etc... JUST enough so that you're completely emotionally unstable and ready to just push them out the door to get it over with. The good news is that the squadron said they'd quit taking missions in June and it's looking like they're actually doing it- though I realize that, too, can and probably will change. But for now, I'll bask in the fact that Aaron and I may actually get to spend 3 consecutive weeks together... for the first time since early February.... who knows, by that point we may be ready for 4.5 to 5 months away from each other :) Ha...

I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to put up here about where he is or his mailing address for y'all to send him care packages, etc... if you so desire, but I'll find out. And I'll try to use the blog to keep everyone as up-to-date as possible on his life and times over there.

Until then, stay tuned for the Deployment Countdown!