Deployment Blues

May 25, 2025

I was on deployment when we got the news.  We were getting extended and missing a port visit to Australia. Boy, was I mad. My friends and I had planned for weeks to hit Australia on my birthday. It was the one thing I had to look forward to that entire deployment.

I was livid for days. Meanwhile, my friend had already let it go. Every time I complained, she found something good to say about the situation. For every negative thought I had, she would mention something positive. I would say something like, “Man, that hotel we had was nice, this stupid boat,” and she would respond, “Well, at least we are saving more money.” This went on for days, and after getting annoyed with “little Miss Positive,” I asked her, “How can you be so happy about this? We are now stuck in the middle of the ocean for over 60 plus days. No land, terrible food, iffy hot showers, and it was hot as hell.” She replied, “I’m not, but bitching and complaining is not going to change anything; we are all stuck here. It’s all about your mindset and what you make of a situation. You’re either going to be mad or make the most of your situation.” I sat there thinking, “Well damn, there goes those words again” This time, it was being said by someone who is always uplifting and does her best to be kind and look out for others.
Later that night, lying in my rack, I genuinely thought about what she said. I didn’t want to be disgruntled anymore, so I challenged myself. I decided that I would turn a negative into a positive for the rest of that deployment. I would not dwell on the things I could not change. Lord, that was hard for me. Over time, I started to feel less disgruntled and more okay with my situation. I found myself genuinely laughing and smiling more.

It’s crazy how two phrases I had come to hate became something I chose to live by. It wasn’t easy; every day, there were challenges or situations that drove me up a wall. But I did not let it be the end of the world.