Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 5/29/2006

Question
My husband and I are dual-military... he's Airforce, and I'm Army. Right now he's in Germany and I've been deployed to the Middle East for 7 months. Our 1st anniversary is coming up in August. Any ideas on what would be good? I'll be home 2 months after out anniversary, but I still want our first one to be special.

Oh, and Thanks for your service!

Answer
Katherine --

Can you get your mid-tour R&R leave and take a military hop to Germany?  Then you can take a week tour of the Bavarian alps, enjoy some German food and wine, and each other's company.  It will not cost you too much because you cen get the charter mil flights in and out of Germany from Baghdad or Kuwait.

You need to arrange now to schedule your R&R but usually your unit will be happy to work with you, if your special event is near the mid-point of your tour.

If you cannot do that, perhaps you both can get a hop to Qatar.  Then you could do a beach vacation there.  That could be expensive, if you have to stay in a hotel, and not a military facility. However, it is an exotic locale and can make your first aniversary very memorable.

Trying for hops to Crete, and other sites on the sea, would be very romantic, but since the flights do not go as often, might be more difficult to coordinate.  You would have the highest priorty being on R&R.  Your husband would have lower priority since he would be on regular leave, but you should be able to plan something so you can be together.

Best of luck.  Thank you both for what you are doing for the country.