5 Things You Need For A Fabulous Military Family Reunion

The military-industrial complex is necessary, though ideally, it wouldn’t be. Those who do serve occupy a social position that many simply cannot. It’s a position where stress and psychologically impacting activity are the norm, not the exception; and as such, individuals who have undergone these emotional maelstroms should be treated with deference, reverence, and respect.

Some societies are more apt to marginalize and ignore its veterans, leaving them homeless and neglected. This is a terrible thing, and families of veterans are only too aware of such tragedy. But many businesses can be a large part in keeping things like that from happening.

If you’ve got a returning military spouse in your family, following are a few suggestions to make the reunion better.

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1. Memorialize The Occasion With Something Special

Make an award or a collage. Have the kids paint daddy a picture if they’re young and he’s coming back from a long deployment. Give him a gift. Do something, it doesn’t have to be big, that shows your love and respect for him, and how much you missed him while he was gone.

Something else that may serve a family reunion is Embleholics; stand out by using their professional team create a memorable, long-term impact on others. Challenge coins are a great way of providing others with something they will cherish their entire career and ever after. A returning veteran could be presented a family challenge coin as a representation of your love for them. You can learn more about challenge coins here.

2. Do Something Unique

Consider Operation Oasis, which is a donor-funded program specifically designed to help veterans—or yet-active military personnel—who are returning from deployment in reconnecting with family members. There are family getaway packages, weekend getaway packages, romantic getaways, and more; all without any cost to the military individuals and their family involved except the cost for travel.

3. Respect Their Wishes

This one can be hard. A reunion shouldn’t be stressful. It should be fun, and relaxing. But sometimes the military forces its soldiers to do things which don’t sit well with their spirits. They may return home with a vacant look, or be unable to stand big social gatherings.

Watch for the signs in conversation with them before their return. If your family member in the military isn’t interested in some big event, then don’t force them into it. Would you want to be forced into such a situation? Oftentimes they’ll want to celebrate; but sometimes the circumstances of deployment make guilt and pain that aren’t necessary part of the celebratory process.

Such an individual is going to need time, you’re not usually going to do them any favors by forcing a party down their throat. So keep a finger on the emotional pulse of your military family member, and if they don’t seem celebratory, don’t force them to celebrate.

4. Don’t Be Pushy

Have you ever woken up to some meathead banging a trashcan at five in the morning and screaming in your face? Have you woken up to that for a few weeks straight? Probably not. The military forces staunch discipline on its members. The last thing a returning veteran or enlisted man wants is for you to try and push them into one activity or another. They want to kick back a little, relax, and not be part of a schedule.

Well, in most cases. Sometimes, the military man will return home and start creating plans and pushing people around; it all depends on the person. What you should do is know their personality, and not try to control where they go and what they do. Give them options, not commands.

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5. Have Fun!

Last, but certainly not least, have fun! Sure, there are fun times which are entertaining during deployment; but these aren’t the full measure of active duty. Your military family-member is likely looking to kick back and enjoy themselves for a bit. So you do the same. Now they’re back in your life, and the separation is over with! So enjoy it. The weight is lifted.

Reuniting Well

Some people prefer a big event, some prefer a small one. The one ingredient in all these steps which is sure to make the return of a military member in your life what it should be is: love. So don’t forget to incorporate this in your plans! Remember, it isn’t a feeling so much as it is a choice to put others above yourself. Put the returning veteran ahead of you, at least for the reunion. This can help them make the transition back to civilian life better, and will have many collateral benefits as well.