Timor Leste Deployment

[Tiggerbaby]

Hi Everyone:wave:

Well I knew he was going there from Mothers day but seeing the violence in Dili escalating makes me nervous as DH has already been deployed since February and is still due home in 4 weeks, at this stage. Somehow with the original deployment being altered and the anxiety about the deployment being extended again I'm getting a bit ... well I'm gunna say I'm ****ty and angry with the total lack of communication as to how long it may go for. I'm also wondering if the operation will incur any special allowances and stuff as I'm trying to work out our centrelink stuff again for the new financial year and don't want to underestimate.

DH has already been away for the majority of this year and I have been coping fairly well I think, in regards to not complaining to loudly to anyone but like with everyone ... there comes a time to vent. I want to actually see my husband and have him see us in the flesh rather than by video call when we can mange that. i want him to be able to play with our daughter and come to our 19 week ultrasound for our next baby.... I want to be able to share things with him like a normal family for however briefly. I don't want to whinge to much but I'm sure everyone who reads this might understand that whilst I support him in his career choices it is hard stay behind. My DH does his best to provide a great life for us and for that I am truly grateful, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if he was in a regular job.

This thread is one of the few places that I feel I can say these things and get real support as most people here have someone serving, and truly understand. It means that I can talk to someone about what I feel without making my DH guilty while he is away doing his job.

Anyway thanks for letting me vent!

[MilkOnTap]

Hiya Tiggerbaby :wave:

I have just heard about 3 more navy vessels that have been detoured to Dili. Is your hubby likely to be sent? Fortunately my hubby is in Iraq, and already on a large deployment so he is unlikely to be altered; though I do know of about 5 or 6 people who have just been sent to Dili. I haven't heard any news from them recently though...

Best wishes - you are more than welcome to vent away here! As a fellow ADF wife I know and understand what their deployments are like.

Today is our 6 month wedding anniversary, and we have spent 5 broken weeks together so far. He is due home at the beginning of August and left in March - I just hope he doesn't get transferred anywhere enroute home! :fingerscrossed:

[Twoterrorsmum]

Hi girls, My DH isn't in the armed forces and I couldn't imagine how tough it must be for you having your DH's working away especially with the situation at the moment in Dili. Tiggerbaby I really hope your DH makes it home in time for your ultrasound. Happy 6mth anniversary to you Ally and your DH. Hopefully you'll have plenty of time to make up for it when he gets home!! wink, wink, nudge, nudge!..lol. I hope your DH's keep safe and well while away. I don't think I could cope if my DH worked away with the armed forces especially having littlies as well, you must be strong girls, good on you!!

[sharvs]

Hi Tiggerbaby

My first piece of advice is try not to listen to the media too much. I know it's easier said than done. My DF is going to the middle east in a few months & everytime they mention the name of the country on TV I'm stuck like glue to it. When DF was in Timor a few years ago, I would tell him something that I had seen on the news that day & he would say "that happened over a month ago". The information the media recieves isnt always up to date. The media also exaggerates some things so they get the best ratings, thats not to say it isnt dangerous over there. DF has told me not to listen to anything unless it comes straight from him or his CO.

I bet you cant wait for him to come home. I might be worng but I dont think they will extend his time over there, if they do it wont be by much. They have plenty of troops here that they can send to replace the guys that have been there since earlier this year. They know the morale of the guys would be rock bottom if they stayed & that doesnt make for good soldiering.

With regards to his pay whilst over there, my understanding is that if the operation is backed by the UN, they recieve the more than if it isnt. Since it has only recenlty flared up over there, I would say it may still take a while for the pay to change. As you know, everything takes ages to go through the system so I would say (assuming your DH is still coming home in 4 weeks) that it wont change but as always you are better to over-estimate then recieve a nice suprise at the end of the financial year.

Hope this helps a little, please feel free to vent here anytime you like. It is one of the few places you can get it off your chest without hearing "oh well, you have to expect that in the Defence Force".

A lady posted here a while ago & she is ex defence force herself, now married to a serving member. She wrote that now seeing it from both sides (the one leaving & the one left behind) it is harder to be left behind than it is to go away.

[tupper_lady]

Great Big Hugs to you. I know what you are feeling and the emotional rollercoaster that you are on.

My hubby has had 3 seven month long deployments to East Timor in the past three years and looks set to return once again now in the future.


In regards to the centrelink stuff, I always found it best to elect to receive the payments at tax time rather then throughout the year as you can give them the right amounts of taxable income. (Any foreign income while they are deployed overseas for 90+ plus is tax free, therefore those amounts he earns whilst there are not included on his group certificate at tax which will therefore increase the amount of FTB and CCB you receive. I personally find it easier this way as I always try and avoid overpayments.

I often wonder what a normal job would be like, but I come to the same conclusion albeit it upsetting that my DH would not be as happy in a normal job, he would earn much less money in a normal job, and that it is not forever. (He is getting out at his 20 year pension mark)

I have to look at it as an investment for our future, so our child(ren) can go to the best private schools, university, and we can set them up for their future too.

Having said that the day to day and constant worry when they are deployed overseas is a hard thing to cope with. Only thing I can reassure you of is that my DP and my brother were both their in DILI when the trouble first started many years ago and they are both safe and well today. The news will be upsetting as they will mostly report all the bad things for months to come until the trouble has really stabilised.

I find that having other defence friends helps as well, especially if you are really close with another army wife whose partner is serving o/s with your dp.

Great big hugs, not sure if anything I have rambled has been much of a help at all. Also with the centrelink thing and working that out there is usually someone you can contact at your DH work that can give you a hand with that. I had someone in the pay office happily help me with estimations etc the first time when he was o/s but then switched to fixing it all up at tax time.

[Tiggerbaby]

Hi Everyone:wave:

Thanks for all your messages of Support! DH got a phone call to me last night and I got mixed news as always. They are still on this operation but hope to be home on time, but we are not going to count on it so we won't be disappointed. that means that we are going to have the ultrasound before DH gets home and hope to video tape it.

I know that the allowances won't be happening now so we won't have any worries with FAO/Centrelink thank goodness!

Thanks and Regards