Preparing for a Deployment as a Postal Platoon Leader
What is a deployment? A military deployment involves moving troops and materials from a home installation to a specified destination. The primary purpose of the U.S. military is to protect and defend the United States. This purpose is often best executed through an overseas deployment. For context, though this may vary, reservists are typically activated and mobilized every three years. I can genuinely say that I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to deploy overseas. In this three-part series, I will review my experience of preparing for deployment, being deployed, and returning from deployment.
As a Postal Platoon Leader who recently deployed to Erbil Air Base (EAB) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), I’ve gathered some valuable insights and lessons that I wish I had known while still stateside and preparing my platoon for deployment.
No deployment is the same. Throughout your military career, you could possibly deploy multiple times or never deploy at all. Many factors can affect your deployment experience, such as your branch/MOS, your rank, your position, where you are deploying to, and the size of the unit deploying. I deployed as a postal platoon leader to (EAB), Iraq. I had a total of 20 soldiers in my platoon, and although my entire company received orders to deploy, each platoon had a different location they were deploying to and different dates they were deploying. I deployed with a platoon-sized element and was the only officer, which made me the commander. My platoon left home station (Brevard, NC) on May 18, 2023, to mobilize, and we returned to the mobilization site (Ft. Bliss) on March 1, 2024.
Getting your family ready
At the end of the day, soldiers are people, and if a soldier's family or home life isn't stable, it can impact their focus and performance. Being notified of a deployment can be an emotional experience, filled with excitement but also uncertainty. My family and I attended a Yellow Ribbon Program in Charlotte, NC, where we participated in numerous workshops on various topics. Some of the most practical and relevant topics I found valuable were:
Communication: Staying connected with friends and family while deployed can be challenging. Time differences and the inability to physically be with loved ones can strain relationships. To help with communication, I added the local time for Iraq to my parents' phones, so they never had to guess the best time to call me. On my phone, I had Charlotte's local time. This simple hack helped us stay connected and aware of each other's schedules. I also notified my family early on that I would be deploying so we could adequately plan family gatherings and create proper plans in preparation for my absence.
Managing Stress: Deployment can be stressful for military families, with many family members feeling uncertain about their service member's safety. My best recommendation is to stay connected with loved ones and maintain open communication. Set aside time for video chats or voice calls. During my deployment, I noticed that different soldiers had different communication routines—some called home every day after work, while others called once a week. Regardless, it is important to communicate your availability and agree on a time for uninterrupted conversations.
Family Care Plan: A family care plan is essential, especially if children are involved. It’s important to consider who will be the primary caregiver and how you can support them while deployed, whether financially or emotionally. During my deployment, my roommate maintained a connection with his daughter by reading her a book every night via video chat. Setting aside time for such activities shows effort in staying connected with loved ones back home.
Getting yourself ready
The amount of time you have to prepare for deployment depends largely on your military component (Active Duty, National Guard, Reserves). In my case, as a reservist, I had over a year to prepare. However, this isn't always the case. For the active duty component, some units must be ready to deploy within 18 hours. Once in Iraq, I quickly learned from talking with others that preparation time varied significantly, but on average, most people received at least a few months' notice.
It's important to consider what goals you want to accomplish while deployed, whether they are financial, educational, promotion-related, or otherwise. I asked everyone in my platoon to identify five short-term goals (goals that can be accomplished during the deployment) and long-term goals (goals to be accomplished after deployment). My platoon sergeant and I individually sat down with each of our soldiers to discuss their deployment goals and create an action plan to achieve each one.
During deployment, my short-term goals included losing 15 lbs, increasing my savings to $25K, and completing two graduate classes. Some soldiers set family-related short-term goals, such as paying off a car, student loans, or a mortgage. I highly recommend encouraging your soldiers to set similar goals, as deployment can be an excellent opportunity to improve finances and accomplish other objectives.
Getting the Unit ready
During this phase, as a platoon leader I gave regular update briefs to Task Force RedHawk at Ft. Bliss on my platoons training and readiness to deploy. Most units will train at a combat training center, such as the National Training Center (NTC), the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), or the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC). Ultimately, the training must align with and support the mission. My platoon's mission was to provide postal support to Erbil Air Base and five forward operating bases (FOBs) in the Eastern Syria Support Area (ESSA). Instead of attending training at an NTC before deploying, my platoon participated in a postal certification at Fort Liberty, NC, and underwent mobilization site validation at Fort Bliss, TX. In general, preparing for deployment involves completing medical evaluations, ensuring the unit is trained and prepared to complete the mission, and making sure that every soldier is mentally and financially ready to deploy.