Deployment’s Over, What’s Next?

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It’s been almost two months since my husband got home from his first deployment. Things have definitely gone back to normal and we are living our lives again like we were before. Several people have asked me what the next few years hold for my husband’s military career and I thought I would take the time to write a post about what’s been going on and what’s coming up next for us.

First, we all know this is military life – anything can chance at a moment’s notice. So while I tell you all this, please know a lot of this could change tomorrow if the military so decided, but as of right now here it is…

Staff Sgt. Test
In two days my husband takes the test to rank up to Staff Sgt. This week he has taken Monday off, and has been given Tuesday off so he can study. Of course he has been studying for the past year, but having a few days off before the test always helps too!

I’ll be honest, this is not the first time my husband has taken the test. He took it last year before he deployed, but did not pass. I hear from other wives that this is pretty common as this particular test is a hard one. We won’t find out for another month if he has passed or not, but if he does then a year from now he will rank up and we will also get a small pay increase.

Prayers that he does well, and does not get nervous would be appreciated!

Airman Leadership School (ALS)
Next month my husband will start training for Airman Leadership School or as what they call ALS. I honestly don’t know much about it as this is all new to me, but he will be doing this training for about 5-6 weeks and it will take place here, during his usual work hours. I have also heard there will be other events such as volunteer work and other things he will have to do during non-work hours.

Basically this is training for him to be a good Staff Sgt. Once he finishes the program he will then be able to have other airmen under  him and be their supervisor. That’s about all I know about it, but I did find a definition that might help explain it better. Here it is:

“Airman Leadership School is a five week-long United States Air Force program designed to develop airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education (PME) that enlisted Air Force members encounter. ALS focuses on developing leadership abilities as well as effective communication.” – Wiki

I am excited for this new opportunity for him, and I think he will do very well. I also hear there is a nice graduation banquet at the end of the 6 weeks where I get to dress up. I must say I am quite excited about that!

A Degree
My husband has been taking some online classes for the past year trying to finish his degree. He had to stop during deployment because it was just too much, and he will be starting up again after ALS. He hopes to get his bachelor’s degree in the next few years and possibly even use it to switch to the officer side of the military.

I am so proud of him for trying to finish what he started and even if takes several more years I know it will be worth it. He might not make it in time to put in the paperwork to switch to officer, but we are both ok with that. It’s all in God’s hands. It’s not something that was necessary in his eyes, but something he dreamed of doing. We’ll see what the next few years bring for us and go from there.

PCSing
We have been here three and half years now and all I can say is I’m getting restless. I am restless to move around and see new places, we are ready to move and see what God has in store for us somewhere else. The thing about that is, God and the Air Force must not be ready for us to leave here because we have not gotten any orders to PCS as of yet. We have not been told how long we will be here, but if other people’s careers are any indication, we could be here another three years or we could leave tomorrow. You just never know. I do hope we leave sooner than later though.

One problem about us PCSing is the fact that Adam is in all kinds of therapy. Right now if we got orders, there is a very good chance that they would get denied because Adam needs to be in a place that has therapy to help him. I guess it’s a good thing because I wouldn’t want to be sent somewhere where he couldn’t get help, but once the orders are denied that’s it – at least for awhile.

We are hoping that once we get Adam into the Marcus Center that he will get the help he needs and won’t need therapy or as much therapy anymore. Hopefully PCS orders hold off until that time. If not, it will all depend on where the orders are to. If there are places within a hundred miles of the base where Adam can get therapy then we should be allowed to move. If there isn’t (usually somewhere overseas) then our orders will be denied and we will have to stay here, and I don’t know what will happen after that.

We would appreciate it if you would keep that situation in prayer as we would love to be able to continue to another duty station if called to do so.

Deployment
Several people have asked when my husband will deploy again. I don’t think I should put his deployment rotation all over the internet, however I will say the chances of him deploying next year are high. Of course this is also dependent on if we PCS in the next year or not.

How do I feel about this? Now that I have had him back for several months I have had time to think more clearly than during deployment. I do believe I can make it through another deployment. This is his life, and this is my life and I am committed to doing this- not just marriage, but military life. I’m not looking forward to it, but I know I am strong enough and I can make it through with God’s help.

 

Hope this helps answers all the questions about my husband’s career and what’s up next for us. Please leave your questions in the comments if you think of anymore!