3 MORE Life Skills You Need for Deployment!
MORE Life Skills To Make Your Deployment Easier
The deployment life is entirely unlike any other experience a service member may face while serving their country. No matter how many deployments an individual has taken part in, there is still something new and possibly challenging that tends to pop up from time to time. In a previous article, we talked about life skills to help make deployments easier if something goes wrong or you find yourself in a situation that you are unfamiliar with handling. Below are 3 more life skills that you may need to make your deployment easier.
RELATED: 3 Life Skills You Need For Deployment
Life Skill #4
Know the Currency Exchange Rate
This is not necessarily a skill as it is just general knowledge that is crucial to ensure that you will not be getting ripped off in the event you are on a deployment that allows for leave in that region, such as the Balkans.
On my third deployment, I was fortunate enough to take leave within the deployed area, something I had not been able to do before. My buddies and I went to Skopje, Macedonia (highly recommend) for our R&R. Before leaving, I researched the exchange rate. I realized that for $300, I could live like a Kardashian for the leave duration. So that is what I did. I took out $300 from finance, and I went to Macedonia, exchanged my cash, then went on to have a fantastic experience.
So, before whatever country you take leave in, ensure that you understand the exchange rate and how it works. The finance personnel assigned to your area can assist as well. This video will help explain the exchange rate.
Life Skill #5
How to Fix a Wi-Fi Router
Advancements in technology have made staying connected on deployment a much easier task. Service Members can take online classes, watch TV, video chat, and play video games, all from the comfort of their rooms. However, with these advancements come minor problems that sometimes require a fix for the connectivity to continue. In most deployment area, the internet is managed by either military personnel or a local vendor. However, those vendors or personnel are only available for certain hours of the day, and if the router malfunctions, you may find yourself trying to pull some MacGyver moves to restore the internet. Here is a link to help with the basic troubleshooting of a standard Wi-Fi router.
Life Skill #6
How to Fix a Tire
Sometimes on deployment, you can get fortunate enough to be assigned a Non-Tactical Vehicle (NTV) that allows you some freedom to do administrative or logistical runs to support various elements of your unit, and even in some locations, those vehicles are the primary source of transportation instead of the standard-issue military vehicle. Most of the NTVs in circulation usually have between 150,000-350,000 thousand miles on them and are typically serviced by a post-maintenance shop with parts made by the lowest bidder to include tires. So, this could lead to a situation in which you find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire. Most of the time, the post has recovery assets that can retrieve the broke down vehicle; however, that could take hours, or those assets could already be used. One of the most common issues is a vehicle getting a flat tire, and surprisingly enough, many people do not know how to change a tire. Here is a link to help explain how to change a tire.
There are just a few more life skills that can help ease the mind and help prepare for these unique deployment situations.
RELATED:
- 3 Life Skills You Need For Deployment
- Deployment: How To Prepare
- Financial Planning For Your Next Deployment
- Take Ownership of Deployments
- Military Financial Preparation: An Introduction
- Celebrate the National Day of the Deployed
About the author
Lori Waddell serves as Co-director of an emergency response COAD in Montana, a freelance writer, and an Air Force Key Spouse. She is passionate about empowering communities and individuals through knowledge and resources. She currently lives in Montana with her husband and two children.
