Serving in the military is an honorable choice and a fulfilling career for many of our troops. However, military service doesn’t come without its challenges, and many service members can become overwhelmed or experience unique challenges as a result of their work.

If you have a loved one in the military, you’re likely familiar with some of these challenges and the effect they can have on a person. While you can’t do their job for them, you can do a lot to support your loved one while they work to overcome their challenges. In this blog, we’ll guide you through some of the ways you can support your loved one during their military career.

Challenges Our Troops Face in the Military

Service members face a wide range of challenges during their time in the military. Apart from the challenges that come with their work each day, many service members also struggle with:

●Physical and mental health

●Substance abuse

●Familial problems

●Deployment

●Isolation

●Financial strain

●Time management

These challenges can make it incredibly difficult for service members to live their lives, especially when they occur simultaneously. It’s important for our troops to have a good support network that’s prepared to support them through their difficulties so they can persevere and overcome the obstacles in their way. With the right support, our service members can thrive in their careers and lives.

5 Ways You Can Offer Your Support

There are many different ways you can offer support to a loved one in the military, whether you’re at home with them every day or they’re stationed far away or deployed. Some of the ways that you can offer your support include:

1. Stay in Contact and Communicate

There are many instances where service members have to be away from home, such as when they ship off to basic training, go out into the field, or deploy overseas. These times can feel isolating to many service members since they’re away from their loved ones, so it’s important to stay in contact when you can and offer your support. Phone calls, texts, or even letters can make a world of difference to your service member when they’re stuck somewhere far from home. If they’re deployed, you can even send a care package to remind them of home and show them that you’re thinking of them while they’re overseas.

You should also do your best to communicate with your service member and ask them how you can help. If they’re struggling with something at work, see if you can talk with them to help them work through the challenge. If they’re overwhelmed, maybe you can help take some of their stress away at home by doing some of their chores or planning a relaxing day with them. Communicating effectively allows you to work better as a team so you can support each other better.

Keep in mind that service members aren’t always able to tell you about everything that goes on at work due to security issues, so don’t get frustrated if they’re being vague or only sharing general information. Instead, do your best to be understanding and still offer your help, which will go a long way, even if you don’t know the full story.

2. Send Care Packages

As we mentioned briefly above, you can send care packages to service members overseas or to basic training as a way to show them you’re thinking of them and supporting them all the way from home. You can send a wide range of items in care packages, such as:

●Necessities, like toiletries, sunscreen, underwear, lip balm, and more.

●Foods like cookies, beef jerky, trail mix, nuts, and more.

●Entertainment, such as DVDs, magazines, letter writing supplies, or journals.

●Games, like playing cards, activity books, puzzles, and crosswords.

When you send a care package, put some thought into it to ensure it has things your service member needs and some things that remind them of home. You should also take care when packaging it to make sure it makes it to the destination in one piece. That means using a sturdy box and cushioning materials to protect the items while they’re in transit. You should also make sure the package stays within size and weight restrictions, which you can find out from your service member.

3. Offer Your Help

Sometimes, working in the military can be busy and overwhelming, and it can be hard for your service member to get everything they need done outside of work. They may also be struggling in ways you can’t see, which is why it’s important to keep an open line of communication so you can address issues as they occur.

One way you can help your loved one is by pointing them in the direction of resources they can use to their advantage. Even though they’re in the military, they may not know what options they have, such as support groups, non-profits, and on-base or military-affiliated resources. You can help your service member do the research so they know what’s available to them and encourage them to get help through the proper channels when needed.

Our troops also often struggle with their mental health due to the stress the job can cause, which can create additional challenges in other parts of their lives. Another way you can help is to keep an eye on your loved one’s mental health and watch out for symptoms of conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other common disorders that affect service members. If you notice any signs or symptoms, consider finding mental health resources and encourage your loved one to seek treatment before the problem gets any worse.

4. Learn How to Manage Stress

Even if you’re not the one serving, you can become stressed just from hearing about your loved ones struggles and seeing them have a difficult time. Being a family member or friend of a service member also comes with its own challenges, so it’s important to learn how to manage your stress so you can more effectively support your loved one. Some ways you can learn to manage your stress include:

●Get enough sleep

●Eat a healthy diet

●Connect with your loved ones

●Exercise regularly

●Take time to relax

●Participate in enjoyable hobbies

●Talk with loved ones or a professional

Once you learn how to manage your own stress, you can teach the same skills to your loved one so they can manage the stress they have from work. If they’re able to better manage their stress, they will be able to perform better at work and improve their mental health when they’re at home.

5. Spend Dedicated Time Together

Something that can make a significant difference in your loved one’s life is creating dedicated time to spend together. Oftentimes, our troops miss out on key moments with family and friends because of their commitment to their work, and it can have an impact on their mental well-being. Missing out can make them feel more isolated and like their lives outside of work are passing them by, but you can take steps to help them feel included, even if they’re busy with work.

Make an effort to spend meaningful time with your loved one when they’re not working, which means making plans together where you’re making memories and enjoying each other's company. This can include getting together with family, hangouts with friends, dates, or dedicated time with their children. This dedicated time will help your loved one feel included and can help improve their mental well-being when they’re away from work.

MLC Offers Our Support to Our Troops

While we can’t be there for every moment with our service members, Military Luggage Company does what we can to support our troops everyday. We understand the sacrifice they make each day and their commitment to our country, which is why we offer a warrior discount on all of our products to take off some of the stress of finding and purchasing new gear for the job. This discount applies to our entire selection, so you can get started by browsing our entire selection. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!