If you were deploying to Iraq in a few weeks...?

Question

What would you do to enjoy your time while you were still at home?

Any suggestions for me?

Answer 1

Considering I'm a solider as well , not American mind you, I did the following things. Please keep in mind this was winter time when we deployed.
1. Call all my buddies I have in my phone book just to catch up and say hello. As well I got their addresses for letters latter on.
2. With the cash I had saved up I went on a little ski trip with my parents to a local resort.
3. Spent time in a sauna at the local gym and jimmied the temp gauge to see how hot I could really take it. This didn't help me at all it just dehydrated me. I really don't know what I was thinking.
4. I went to a local indoor water park with my gf at the time and we spent the day sliding and swimming and just relaxing.
5. Went for a professional massage because I knew the next six months were not going to be comfy.
6. Went a different movie every night the week before I left.
7. I stopped drinking coffee and pop (aka soda for you american types) 6 weeks before I left. I didn't want my body to go into with drawl symptons for anything I ate.
8. A group of buddies and I went to a local night club, chatted up some ladies and we managed to exchange mail addresses. It worked out pretty well, the girls enjoyed writting us and we enjoyed the letters. Some of us even got gift boxes from them.
9. I went to a local school and spoke to the guidance counselor and asked if there was a child in the school who'd like a pen pal. The lady I spoke was all over that and said I should send down as many people I knew. I got to know a very bright 8 year girl very well for those 6 months. Sadly we stopped writting after I came home but I did get to meet her and her family for lunch.
That's what I did.
Come home safe, rifle at the ready, and don't pick up anything you didn't put down

RRL

Answer 2

Spend lots of time doing what you enjoy most because while you are in Iraq, there are limited number of things to do. Mostly watch movies on dvd, read, and work out, besides work. Give your FPO AP address too as many people as you can so you get lots of letters and care packages, it keeps up your morale when times get tough and you start to forget that there's a life outside of what's going on in Iraq. Search the web and make a list of things that family and friends can send in care packages. Depending on your MOS and where you are stationed, you are limited in what you can buy. If you can, get a few magazine subscriptions started now so by the time you leave, the first magazines will be ready for your family to send. If you have a laptop or mp3 player, fill it with all the music you like because it's next to impossible to do this over there. Talk to your family and friends about their and your fears. Be honest with them so there's less anxiety when you leave. If you can and as soon as possible, let them know where you are stationed so your loved ones don't worry about you every time they hear something bad happened in Iraq. I think it's usps.com where you can have priority boxes and labels sent directly to your house free of charge. They only charge you when the boxes are sent. Tell them about motomail.us, it's a website where people can type up to a page of writing. For them, it's like sending an email. But the cool part is, on the Iraq side, the "email" is printed, put in an envelope, and sent to whoever it's addressed to. To do this, they have to know your FPO AP address though. It usually only takes 2 or 3 days for the letter to reach the individual, but if you're a grunt or always on the move, it might take up to 10 days. It's completely free so you don't have to buy paper, envelopes, and stamps and there's no limit to how many you can send. Hope this helps, best of luck to you, and gods speed.

Answer 3

Having been in your situation I feel that i can help you out here.Before you leave clear the air with any family member you have problems with,you do not want to go away with bad feelings in the air with anyone.Spend as much time with loved ones as possible.Burn the candle on both ends sharing your time with family and friends ( you will have plenty of time to rest when you get to your MOB sight ).If you are paying rent bring proof with you so you can get the proper amount of BAH (basic allowance for housing ).If you are married you have about a 75% chance of getting into spats with your wife.Remember you love each other and it`s not the fault of either one of you that you are leaving.If possible tie up any financial loose ends.Nobody can put anything legal on you as long as you are deployed.If that happens any judge should put it on the back shelf until you get home.Basically just enjoy yourself and remember to pay attention to your trainers and keep safe.Please stay in touch with me as I just returned home from IRAQ in [e-mail]

Answer 4

Business wise, set yourself up for internet banking. It'll make your life a lot easier on that aspect.

As for your time, make the most of it. If you have loose ends to tie up with friends, do so now.

Spend time with your friends and family and update your listes of phone numbers and email addresses and get them on paper so you can contact them while you're away. I did deploy myself, and over the six months I was gone I really missed everyone back home. Also, if there are small comforts that you would like to have, arrange with people back home to send them to you. It's amazing what having your favourite brands of soap, shampoo, pit stick and aftershave can do for your morale.

If you have a girl in sight, for your own sake, talk to her, tell her how you feel before you ship out. Trust me, it'll make you feel a lot better.

Other than this, try not to imagine what it's like out there. Live your life to the fullest until then, and deal with the hardships and privations when they come. And before you head out, have a good party. Have fun, drink your face off, get some action, and keep your eye on the prize: coming home and walking off the plane under your own power.

Answer 5

Yes - your best use of time in the coming weeks will be working on getting a section 8.

Answer 6

Spend time with family and friends. If you have a girlfriend, spend time with her. Do some reading and ask your military buddies about what to expect in Iraq, so that you can be better prepared.

Good luck, do us proud and don't forget to duck!

Answer 7

It depends on if you have a family. And it depends on if when your going what your job will be. like my dad is a cop and when he deploys to iraq none of us know when he is coming back. so he spoils us and spends time with my mom. like we go to the lake and we rent movies and go to the mall and just buy crap that we dont need. and we play baseball and stuff. but if you dont have a family you should just spend as less time as you can in your house. like go to the bar. lol...yea, your hearing this from a kid. :)

Answer 8

If it were me and i was being deployed too iraq i would spend as much time with my wife and family as i could....then I would deploy too iraq and hopfuly fight along side my brother....and kick some a$$ together!

Semper Fi

Answer 9

My memories of Iraq involved no alcohol, or women. Get a six-pack and bring your girl to the submarine races.

Answer 10

I would so the same thing when they told me I was leaving in two weeks. I would drink alot of Jack Daniels, and play ghost recon to sharpen my skills.