Since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, more than 2 million American children have had a deployed parent. Many of them have seen multiple deployments: 3, 4, or even 5 family separations. That kind of loss can take it's toll on both sides. Soldiers without their families, families without their loved ones. Our family is no exception to this struggle. Having served over 20 years in the U.S. Navy, my husband is no stranger to hardships of being away. Spending endless days and nights at sea or on foreign soil, he will never forget the impact it had on him, his marriage, and especially; his son.
"As a career Navy person I participated in many regular and extended deployments throughout the years and I believe that military deployments are difficult even for the strongest and most experienced military families. It is a period of time when roles change, rules changes, relationships are taxed, the unexpected happens, and sometimes the unthinkable becomes reality. If children are part of the equation, special needs and problems arise more often than not. There are so many factors that must be planned for and considered that the list seems to go on forever. Post Deployment can also be difficult as the person adjusts to normal life again, roles change, relationships adjust, and responsibilities are redistributed. However, as difficult as the task may seem there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Many branches of service now offer family programs designed to make deployment easier and provide greater support for families in crisis through financial services, counseling, wellness, and even spouse groups where the primary goal is support for each other. Most families will survive the process without too many problems if they observe a few simple tried but true processes:
Communicate with each other as often as possible
Be understanding of the others feelings, circumstances, and concerns
Be there for each other as much as possible
Be patient
Be faithful
Have faith"
Like ours, many families face a number of challenges before, during, and after deployment. Amidst all the stresses we endure, we can sometimes lose sight of how hard it is on our children. Though a child's reactions to a parent's deployment will vary with each child, it is up to us parents to ensure they successfully handle the stress of deployment. As a result, our children will be less likely to develop behavioral problems or mental illnesses. One major issue that children have during active deployment is the void that opens when they lose the daily affection and love from a parent. In an effort to reconnect children to their parents, recordable teddy bears - along with other battery-powered devices such as recordable storybooks - provide reliable comfort no matter when or where their parent is deployed.
Duracell recently had the honor of meeting with a military family in California. Their young daughter showed them how she was able to have the comfort of her father’s voice during his deployment through a battery-powered recordable teddy bear. They were so moved by this family, that they made a short-film inspired by their story affectionately titled: The Teddy Bear. This absolutely touching video is a must watch and shows you just how powerful a voice can be. With so much on the line, Duracell is there to make sure your message is heard loud and clear.
In honor of all of the families who stand beside our troops, Duracell wants to power more comforting moments for loved ones through a donation of $100,000 to USO’s Comfort Crew for Military Kids. Continue the conversation by sharing the film and find out how you can donate to the cause through the USO at http://www.uso.org/donate.
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Disclosure: This review was made possible by iConnect and Duracell. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% mine.
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