How to Welcome Home a Marine

Homecoming delivers the promise of a family restored and a safe end to the latest journey in your Marine's career. Depending on the circumstances of that journey, this return home can have unexpected challenges. Anticipating concerns before your marine returns can make this much easier, so keep reading and make his homecoming a great event.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Hold off on having a big party or gathering for a few days or weeks to allow the Marine to ease into being home. Understand that your marine is coming back from stressful situations. Most marines are ecstatic to be home but need time to adjust from the environment they are coming from.
2. Set realistic expectations. Just as it took time to get used to your marine being gone, it will take time to adjust to the return home. The readjustment period could take weeks or months. Be patient.
3. Communicate openly with your marine about changes at home. Chances are, the marine is concerned about fitting back in at home, whether it is with a spouse, children, parents or even friends they left behind. Arrange for time to talk every day even if it is only for a few minutes.
4. Make the most of the homecoming. While old issues might not have disappeared when your marine left home, you can now share a new perspective. Take this opportunity to re-establish the relationship with your marine, whether it is as a spouse, parent, child or friend.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a scrapbook capturing things that the marine missed while away from home. This way the marine can digest it and ask questions at the pace comfortable for them. Resist the urge to fill your marine in on every detail as soon as she gets home.
• If the marine is a parent, do all you can to prepare the marine and the children. Remind your marine that children need time to adjust too and may not respond in the way the marine might hope for. Let the children know it is okay to feel what they are feeling.
• There can be a severe sense of letdown when the initial joy of homecoming has passed. Your marine may deal with depression, lingering flashbacks or bouts of anxiety. This will usually pass within a few weeks as the marine adjusts to being home.
• If your marine displays symptoms of alcohol or drug abuse, seems suicidal or becomes abusive towards others, seek help immediately. Rapid intervention is the best chance to get your marine on the road to recovery and back home for real.