Deployment how long

In this article, we discuss Army deployment and review who is eligible for deployments, how long deployments last and the typical deployment cycle for service members. An Army deployment is when an Army service member temporarily moves from their home station to another location outside of the United States for a set period.

Typically, active duty service members take part in a deployment cycle, which means they have specific dates and times their deployments take place.

The deployment cycle starts when the Army notifies a soldier of their deployment and ends when that member returns and reintegrates into their pre-deployment lives. Related: What is a Military Tour of Duty? There are thousands of Army members eligible for deployment. There are certain requirements an individual fulfills before they are available for deployment tasking. Some of the individuals the Army selects for deployment include:. When soldiers first join the Army, they undergo rigorous training and education regimens.

During their training, these individuals are exempt from deployment. Once they arrive at their first duty station and become fully qualified in their job duties, they are eligible for deployment. Aside from becoming fully qualified, the Army expects soldiers to pass and maintain Army fitness requirements. This includes passing fitness assessments, such as push-ups, pull-ups and running. Individuals needing additional fitness training may attend training sessions until they achieve Army fitness standards.

Once they pass all physical fitness events, they're eligible for deployment. Additionally, there are certain groups of individuals that are exempt from deployment selection for a set period. Some individuals that are temporarily exempt from deployment selection include women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth and individuals that have medical waivers preventing them from performing deployment duties.

Many of these individuals have a set period in which the Army is unable to deploy them, and exempt soldiers typically receive these exemptions on medical waivers. However, after the expiration of a medical waiver, many service members become eligible for deployment tasking.

Deployment lengths in the Army can vary between 90 days and 15 months, however, many deployments are typically between six and 12 months. The length of an individual's deployment is contingent upon several factors, including:.

Before the Army deploys its service members, they attend training, medical evaluation and briefings to ensure they have the proper training and overall readiness for an upcoming deployment. Some of the expectations the Army has for its members prior to deployment include:. Several courses that service members attend help prepare them for deployment operations.

Some courses are available to Army members online, while others require in-person attendance. Some of the training courses that these members attend include:.

The good news is that the new-found freedom provides more time to pursue professional and personal aspirations. You may find that you have more time to finish schoolwork or to read books - which is great! Deployment is a great time to do something new. Or not. There are no rules here. You can volunteer, you can start a new hobby and you can get together with the other spouses in the unit. Or you can do none of these things. Extra house maintenance and parenting, if applicable, will certainly keep spouses busy.

Mowing the lawn, driving kids to sports leagues, managing the finances and maintaining auto repair are among the tasks which spouses should prepare for. Financial experts say that all families should save a minimum of six months of cash for living expenses in case of an emergency.

This is certainly true for military families who face the Murphy's Law of deployment. The moment a service member deploys, the car will break down, the plumbing will burst or the roof will cave in. Military spouses must be prepared to manage these crises. If you want to, sure. Or you could go for an extended visit.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to move while your service member is deployed. If you live in housing and want to keep the house, you have to keep paying for it. If you want to move completely out of the house, you aren't guaranteed a place when you return.

Also, there's no money in it. The military won't pay to move you "home" during deployment. Cue the "buts. You may also have to change Tricare regions and pay out of pocket for some medical care. Then there is the changing of schools, finding a new job and living with your parents that may cause some issues.

Whatever you decide to do, know this: you can change your mind. You don't have to do what your neighbor does. And you don't have to do for this deployment what you did for the last one. Extra money is often a selling point for deployments, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. While there are usually extra pays and allowances during deployment, there may be other things that cost more.

But they may also lose their basic allowance subsistence because meals are being provided. Try to get a good idea of how the pay will change in advance, and don't make any crazy changes before that first month's statement comes out. Then you can make plans.

You may also want to save some money for your service member to shop online or buy things they may need while deployed. Short answer: no. There is no rule in the military spouse handbook that says you have to send elaborately decorated care packages. Or handwritten cards or letters doused in perfume. You don't have to send anything, ever. Pretty much everything they need will be provided to them, or available for them to purchase. And, let's face it, you are short on time and love too.

So really, they should be sending you a care package for everyone you send there. Deployments are hard, but they eventually end. And then, you can enjoy the time together, laugh about all the things that went wrong and focus on the future. For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military. Parents spent hours waiting to grab the first COVID vaccination appointments for children ages 5 to 11 at the largest U.

Learn more about Army deployments ». Many Marine Corps deployments happen on Navy ships, or service members may fly to their deployment location. The majority of Marine Corps deployments include approximately one year of training followed by six to seven months of actual deployment time. However, a significant number of Marine Corps deployments may be scheduled for one year or more.

The Marine Corps prepares to support a wide variety of missions, often on short notice. Deployment types include training exercises, force readiness, supporting ongoing missions and humanitarian support. Learn more about Marine Corps deployments ».

Many Navy deployments are on ships or submarines. Ship- or sub-based deployments typically last six or seven months, though occasionally they will go longer. The time at sea may be broken up by port calls, where the ship pulls into a town and the sailors are permitted to go ashore and enjoy some time off.

Sailors who deploy without a ship or sub may go to a variety of locations to perform a wide range of jobs. Their predeployment training may be part of their regular job, so there may not be much disruption to their regular schedule, or they may need to learn entirely new skills for the deployment.

These deployments may be with Navy units or joint units, or service members may be assigned to a unit of a different branch of the military.

The latter is usually called an individual augmentee job. Sailors deployed without a ship or a sub may go for as little as 30 days or for more than a year.