The military is always looking toward tomorrow, the future, and the big picture. The routine of deployment lets you focus on one thing only, the task at hand: Mission first, no distractions. The days are counted by today and tomorrow—just get through today, and you are going home tomorrow.
Eventually, that statement becomes true, but for your family back home the chaos of everyday life continues, thousands of miles away. The focus for them is always today. Your kids need to get to school, your dog needs walked, the laundry needs to get done and dishes have been sitting in the sink for two days. All of this needs to get done, and they do it alone.
Months crawl by and deployment finally ends. You take the first step into your house: Everything is the same, but everything has changed.
There used to be a pile of papers sitting on your dresser you told yourself you would file before leaving. The standing desk you bought second hand is moved out of your bedroom. The clutter cleared out could pass inspection. You make your way down the hall to the kid’s rooms; the toys are put away in a dedicated play area in one corner and their beds are neatly made.
Farther down you notice the room. The one with old moving boxes from your last change of station that you never got through, used as storage until you found it a home. The old rocking chair with a once-worn jacket hanging off the back and unfolded shirts in the seat are gone. The unfamiliar tidiness of the pseudo-storage room has been transformed.
While you were gone, T-Mobile was here. They helped create a dedicated space once used to collect dust and turn into an office. T-Mobile knows while you were gone your family was still here, getting your kids to school, walking your dog, folding the laundry, and doing the dishes. They built a quiet space to get away from the screaming kids during a meeting and a place to concentrate. While you were gone, they created the space needed to work from home, pay the bills, shuttle the kids, and keep the lights on.
This is not the first time T-Mobile has come to help. They understand the value of family and what the military does for the community is not lost on them.
Getting out of the military is one of the biggest transitions in one’s life. With lingering unknowns, you wonder if it’s the right decision. The familiarity and routine of the military are almost comforting, knowing you will always get a paycheck every first and fifteenth. The military was always a means to an end, and the time has come to an end. The decision is made, and you transition out. Navigating through the system to get health benefits and for your G.I. Bill is complicated, but you figure it out and get it done. The job search is on, but T-Mobile makes it easier.
T-Mobile’s successful Returnship Program was developed specifically for those who’ve taken a long professional career break to care for family members, raise children or for veterans transitioning from active duty. Partnering with reacHIRE, they aim to help women and veterans return to the workforce in technology leadership roles.
It does not end there. This is a stressful time in your life that affects your health and mental well-being. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) selected T-Mobile as its primary wireless provider to create instant healthcare access in the comfort of your own home. Instead of driving an hour to the clinic, they bring access to healthcare to you. T-Mobile pledged 70,000 dedicated lines of wireless service to VA services including doctors, nurses, social workers, crisis hotline clinics, support staff, and outpatient facilities. T-Mobile links providers to veterans through telehealth.
While you take on the next chapter of your life, you are not alone. The services are out there, backed by a company that cares. You are not alone, with the support of friends and family and the resources of T-Mobile, you are ready to take charge of your next journey.
If it was easy, everyone would do it. The shared commodore is forged through experiences so only those who have done it would understand. The sacrifices you made for our country and for your family are thankless. Packing up your house, pulling your kids away from schools, and relationships everyone has made every few years is taxing. Months to years-long deployments put a strain on relationships with the entire family. No one said it would be easy, but you tackle the issues head-on, and you are not alone. Your country and community thank you. It is easy to say thanks, T-Mobile is on a mission to show thanks.