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The Bulwark ·Behind the news

When the Deployment Doesn’t End

by Mark Hertling

Published 2026-08-08 16:07:39+00:00

How do you face a room full of angry military families when a deployment doesn't end?

0:00 / 8:19 · Narrator Algieba

Context

In a piece published on 8 August 2026, a retired military officer looks at the endless deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln through a very specific memory. The focus shifts away from the geopolitical strategy of Middle East combat toward the families waiting in auditoriums back home. When a deployment extends indefinitely, the usual speeches about heroism and duty fall flat. What remains is a quiet, difficult question about leadership. What do military families actually need from the Pentagon when the date for coming home vanishes?

Show notes

An argument for a more direct approach to talking with the families of deployed troops. Using his 2004 assignment to brief spouses after an unexpected Iraq War extension, the author details what families need when a tour of duty drags on. He suggests that defense officials skip the pep talks about heroism and instead offer honest answers and a willingness to listen.

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