What Is A Deployment? (AFR, Marine, training, stationed)

[forsheamountain]

What does it mean to be deployed? My question is directed primarily to the Marine Corps but I would be interested in knowing how the other branches define the term as well. Thanks.

[TamaraSavannah]

In my terms, a ship is sent overseas to a certain theater and is away from home port for several months. The ship is part of a fleet command, of course. It could be something "boring" like the Indian Ocean (relatively speaking), something exciting/boring like the Med (ie doing stuff is exciting, being sent to some port to swing on the hook is boring), or something fun like UNITAS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNITAS .

Workup for the ship means making sure everything works as it can, there are enough spares aboard, everyone has what they need to be living off the ship for that time, the families are taken care of, training is done, things like that.

A squadron, though, could be something else. A friend I had in USMC air said that before the carrier left port, they spent many months working up with the carrier to be able to operate with it. As to whether they left port with the ship or flew on to it, that was iffy because it was a hell of a culture shock to leave home in your plane that morning and not get back for many months.

WHICH is another thing. The carrier (and its battle group) is US Policy in force. The deployment may only be scheduled for 6 months but if something goes down, that carrier could be out there past those 6 months, such as doubled or even tripled. In which case......watch the divorce rate of the families at home.

Now, that is talking from the late Cold War......things may have changed now.

[hunterseat]

When I was in the Corps (air wing), we had 2wk deployments, usually to support exercises going on. We also had 6 month deployments, staged in Iwakuni but most of us went to the boat.
For a longer, large deployment we had to take people in support positions since we added a couple hundred people to the population including supply people, I-level maintenance, corpsmen and we had to pull mess duty at the chow hall.
Troop movement was generally classified. My squadron was photo recon and we supported every exercise in the world. (Also had the 2nd highest divorce rate in the Marine Corp but that's another topic.)
There's always a purpose behind moving a group of troops. It's good to know why you're doing what you're doing. Don't be afraid to ask what the mission is.
Our carrier quals were 2 wks. The air crew might participate but they had a lot more requirements past 2wks worth.

[slduvall]

While writing a variety of policies and briefing newcomers this what I remember we briefed...clear as mud right.

In general terms, it is when an entire unit or the majority of it is sent somewhere (flight, Squadron, Group, Battalion etc). Or an individual is joining others on the same mission. It does not necessarily mean to a war zone, could be training, humanitarian etc but more often than not is a war zone. They also tend to be longer than a TDY, which is usually a single person (not always) going to meetings, training et.

It is often to a place with either no base, post etc or that base or post is transitional, as in operated with a constant rotation of units or troops, whereas a normal base has a permanent party stationed at it.

The biggest difference is how finances are allocated for the TDY or deployment. Meals and housing are usually provided during deployment, so normal per diem isn't paid. But there can be other payments made (hazard pay, incidentals and other special pay).

All that is general and from what I can remember...I'm sure there are legal definitions etc that I have forgotten.

[johngolf]

Typically means you (unit, ship, etc.) are sent somewhere other then your home base for a period of time. Say a ship sent to patrol the South China Sea from San Diego. Say your communications group sent to a monitoring station for a few months.

[forsheamountain]

Thanks for the information. A younger vet asked me if I had ever deployed when I was in (83-87). I didn't know if I had or not. It was a term I didn't recall hearing back then.