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Home › Articles › Family Life › A Deployed Parent

A Deployed Parent

Helping Babies and the Homefront Parent Adapt

By Mark Stackpole

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Jenna Good of Camp LeJeune, N.C., knew that her husband Michael's stay in Afghanistan was going to be extended before he did. The heads-up on the disappointing news gave her a few days to prepare herself to be supportive of him when he was in a position to get back in touch.

"I had my few days to deal with it, moping and crying, but when he called me, I knew that I had to tell him it would be OK," Good says. "I had to be strong for my husband, and I was. At the end of the conversation, he told me how proud he was of me because I was dealing with the extension so well, which is exactly what I wanted him to think. When your spouse is deployed, the last thing you want them to do is worry about the homefront."

Good is being strong for her husband, for herself, but also for her 7-month-old daughter, Haylie, who has now spent more time separated from her father than together with him. While her husband is demonstrating his bravery overseas, Good is being courageous in maintaining the family, both logistically and emotionally, as they wait for him to come home.

"It's everything," Good says. "Every single aspect of my life is different. My support system is gone. My soft place to fall is thousands of miles away, and I'm lucky if I get to talk to him every few weeks to update him on our lives. Not only do I have to be both parents for our daughter, but I have to be my husband. I don't know about other ladies, but I can honestly say that I never had to worry about getting the oil changed in my car, mowing the grass, fixing things if they broke or anything that a man normally does. Now, the oil light in my car comes on, and I can't just tell my husband, I have to do something about it!"


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