As a member of the United States military, the potential for lengthy deployments away from home and family may be a constant reality. A deployment is never easy, but proper preparation can help minimize stress and anxiety for service members and their families and help service members rest assured that their affairs and family are taken care of while they are away. As with any life-changing event, the more prepared service members and their families are to deal with the adjustments they will all need to make, the easier it will be to cope with the change. By becoming educated early on about what to expect during a lengthy deployment, service members and their families can become better prepared to handle the challenges as they occur. Service members and their families should begin preparing for a potential deployment well before they receive deployment orders. By preparing in advance, they can reduce the stress they feel in the weeks leading up to the service member's departure. This guide is intended to help service members and their families prepare for deployment, serve as a resource during the deployment, and help navigate the challenges of a service member's return and reintegration after the deployment. The information presented in this guide applies to deploying active duty service members from all branches of Service, National Guard service members, Reserve service members, and all family members (spouses, children, and parents) of active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members who are preparing for, undergoing, or returning from a deployment. Service members and their families should participate in installation or unit-sponsored deployment events to receive the most current information specific to their deployment.