I’ve been the girlfriend to a military man for 6 years; we have lived together for 5. Out of those 5 years, I have spent half alone. To top things off, I am 2,000 miles away from my family. This is just what military spouses/girlfriends do. Now, I’m sad to say this, but homecomings are glamorized. The truth is, they are not easy. The worst thing you can do is expect things to be perfect when he gets back. No one tells you reconnecting isn’t always easy. Life doesn’t stop because of a deployment. With that being said, you CAN survive “deployment separation” as long as you are BOTH willing to. The key is to find little ways to reconnect. Do something everyday to show him you love him. Most important of all, listen to him. Don’t claim to understand what he has been through because you can’t, just let him know that he can count on you to always be an ear for him when he needs you. If you plan to be in the “next act”, be ready to be his battle buddy on home turf. Good luck to you!