When deployed, what did you do to maintain connection with your family?

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:56:04 -0400

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 25 at 2015 5:56 AM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:56:59 -0400

Email and POTS (Plain Old Telephone System). Being an IT had its advantages!

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2015 6:03 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 06:03:52 -0400

Skype, mostly.

Response by TSgt Gwen Walcott made Jun 25 at 2015 7:03 AM

TSgt Gwen Walcott — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:03:20 -0400

Wrote letters. Saved major portions of paycheck so we could afford the once annual $25 per minute call if we couldn't make it through the queue to MARS.

(People today have NO concept or appreciation of what comms were like a couple decades ago)

Response by SPC Aaron Donnelly made Jun 25 at 2015 7:39 AM

SPC Aaron Donnelly — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:39:38 -0400

Skype and Facetime

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jun 25 at 2015 7:39 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:39:40 -0400

Emails, Phone calls, Videos. Actually wrote letters at first and called, no computers untill late in my carreer.

Response by SPC Carson S. made Jun 25 at 2015 7:48 AM

SPC Carson S. — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:48:41 -0400

Well, during the first deployment, we didn't have phones or Internet for the first four months, so there were a lot of letters sent home. Even after we got to LSA Anaconda, the Internet cafe and phone lines were so long, it almost wasn't worth going (almost). I hated having to wait for two hours in line for a 10-minute conversation. Still, 10 minutes was better than nothing. On my second deployment, the FOB was a lot smaller, and my radar shift allowed me to call when everyone else was asleep, so phone calls were a semi-daily occurrence. Also, the Internet, while not the greatest in the world, was sufficient and almost always available (again, due to my shift).

Response by MSgt John Grollimund made Jun 25 at 2015 7:50 AM

MSgt John Grollimund — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:50:00 -0400

Listened to my wife on our 10 minute phone call... twice a week.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jun 25 at 2015 7:57 AM

COL Jon Thompson — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:57:56 -0400

I deployed 4 times from 2003-2013. It evolved over time and I was fortunate to be at higher headquarters that had pretty good connectivity. in 2003-2005, email was great in addition to actual letters. I loved being able to send out real time messages and get replies that same day. On my last deployment, I Skyped with my wife almost everyday. If I could not Skype with her, I used the ATT call center unless I was otherwise disposed. Again, I was at larger bases (Brigade and higher) so it was relatively easy. I still would go back to the written word and send cards and letters to family as well.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2015 7:59 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 07:59:18 -0400

During my operational deployments to Kuwait and Saudi in 1999 and 2002, it was primarily hand written letters and the occasional email. We also had the oppunttunity to use VTC back then although the technology was slow and lagging but it beat not being able to see your loved ones. Durning my combat deployments, in the early stages of OIF 1, it was by mail only and even then, it took a little while to get that process started. My last two combat deployments, I was fortunate enough to be in locations where I could communicate through personal cell phones, DSN, email, SKYPE and regular mail. Things have improved dramatically with regards to being able to communicate with your loved ones and friends. This communication is vital to all Soliders morale and mental well being overall.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Jun 25 at 2015 8:30 AM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:30:14 -0400

HF phone patch to base Command Post. If you haven't used HF, it bounces off the stratosphere, so the quality of reception can vary from fair to terrible. Gotta love the warbles, clicks, and hisses!

Response by MSgt David Haupt made Jun 25 at 2015 8:59 AM

MSgt David Haupt — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:59:09 -0400

This is funny because I was discussing this with my wife and old two. We was thinking back to the 7 deployments and other TDYs through out my 21+ year career. Mainly contact started out with snail mail and phone calls on calling cards or 15 minute DSN. Then through emails and Skype. When I was in Afghan in 2010 I had a cell phone I could use to text and call the wife and kids. Now with facetime and other video chat lines it seems a simple letter is not the same.

Response by SFC Jason Heritage made Jun 25 at 2015 9:46 AM

SFC Jason Heritage — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 09:46:16 -0400

In OIF 1 I didn't talk to my wife for 81 days, nothing was setup but by the end of that tour we had letters, telephone, and super spotty Internet. My 2nd deployment had better Internet. By the 3rd deployment I paid for Internet service in my CHU so I didn't even have to goto the Internet cafe at all. Yahoo messenger is where I started and have since moved with the updates in software to Skype. My last 12 months in Kuwait I was able to see my family everyday, that 1w months wasn't bad at all.

Response by SSgt Charles Murphy made Jun 25 at 2015 11:03 AM

SSgt Charles Murphy — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:03:22 -0400

As a young airman, I was off on my first adventure in life. I wrote some letters, and made a few phone calls. I even hopped military "space available" flights and went home for my brothers wedding. It took three days to get from Hawaii to Ohio, and I missed the wedding, but had fun visiting with the family anyway for a few days. We didn't have computers, and cell phones, and email back then, so communication was limited to these options.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jun 25 at 2015 11:34 AM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:34:28 -0400

During OIF I, whenever my PLT was tasked to escort media, I would use their sat phone. All other tours their was infrastructure set up like email and morale calls.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2015 11:52 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:52:09 -0400

During both of my OIF deployments I utilized email or phone when I had the opportunity.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2015 3:04 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:04:22 -0400

Nothing beats good old handwritten letters.

Course phone calls, emails, video chats are all good ....but IMO the handwritten, or even typed, letter is king.

Response by SSgt Robert Jorgensen made Jun 25 at 2015 3:06 PM

SSgt Robert Jorgensen — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:06:13 -0400

Wow, I am OLD! Back in 1978 the only way to communicate - hand written letters and an occasionally a rotary dial telephone! What the hell was Skype or internet back then?

Response by SSG John Erny made Jun 25 at 2015 5:10 PM

SSG John Erny — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:10:53 -0400

Being IT in the civ div, I got a hold of some CAT 5 cable and ran a line to my bunk in the tent. :) OIF 1

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Jun 25 at 2015 5:37 PM

MSgt Jim Wolverton — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:37:58 -0400

We are talking about deployments right? Some people seem to be talking about being stationed overseas and calling home. It was usually DSN calls and email and then Skype during my last deployment in '10.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2015 9:02 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 21:02:12 -0400

FaceTime mostly, called and wrote letters.

Response by Lt Col Stephen Petzold made Jun 26 at 2015 12:58 AM

Lt Col Stephen Petzold — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 00:58:31 -0400

E-mail, phone calls, letters, and Skype occasionally.

Response by SSgt Trisha Braga made Jun 27 at 2015 12:40 PM

SSgt Trisha Braga — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 12:40:16 -0400

I would get up at 0300, four days a week, and call my daughter. 0300 for me was her bedtime back in the states. It was only a four month deoyment, but it felt like forever.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 29 at 2015 12:33 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:33:42 -0400

Yep, snail mail and occasional phone patches on MARS. There were no phones. Since I'm a HAM radio operator I used to "talk" to my dad using Morse Code, usually on the 20 meter band. Guys would come into the shack and tell me I looked young for a WW2 vet. My wife had an annoying habit. She'd write letters and then let them stack up on the table. So when I got about ten of them with the same postmark, I had to open and sort before I could read. Phone patches from KC4 Land were a problem too as the band would open up at O'Dark Thirty back in the States. Waking wives up at 0200-0400 had mixed results.

Response by TSgt David L. made Jun 29 at 2015 10:16 AM

TSgt David L. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:16:55 -0400

Daily emails and the weekly sat phone/ land line.

Response by SMSgt James Williams made Jun 29 at 2015 10:17 PM

SMSgt James Williams — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 22:17:51 -0400

I sent a card to both of my kids every 3 days for 8 months. I think they got annoyed after the first few months, but it gave me an opportunity to tell them what was going on for me and that I was thinking about them more than they knew.

Response by TSgt Jaclyn Sporcic made Jul 7 at 2015 1:13 PM

TSgt Jaclyn Sporcic — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:13:42 -0400

I would Skype with my daughter, and send her things in the mail.