Deployment Can Be Stressful For Military Families

For Stephen and Elizabeth Claar, it has been a year of firsts. They have a new marriage, a new baby, and a host of new bills.

"It gets really stressful with baby food, diaper, rent, the electricity bill, and the phone bill," Elizabeth Claar said.

Soon, she may have to handle all of those bills on her own, if Stephen is deployed for Operation Infinite Justice.

"I'd give anything to go back and live at home and have no responsibilities, but I have them now and that's what I have to take care of," Elizabeth Claar said.

"If she would need help, I'm pretty sure the Army would help her in some way," Stephen Claar said.

That help would come from the Command Financial NCO program.

SFC Hubert Sutton counsels couples on ways to be financially ready before soldiers are deployed, to avoid unecessary stress.

"We (hope) to get the spouses to comunicate, so that if he does get deployed, and has to go, she knows where the checkbook is," Sutton said.

This financial program is still fairly new, only two years old. Anyone who wants more information can contact Army Community Services.