8 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH MILITARY FRIENDS AFTER YOU PCS
Having military friends is essential for surviving the challenges of military life.
Military life has you moving, or the people around you moving, from place to place, meaning that the person you once relied on for so many parts of life now lives across the country and can’t be there. But that doesn’t mean the friendship has to end. It just will look different.
The reality for most military families is that life is both busy and stressful. Without family support nearby, the people around you become your go to resources when challenges come. And unfortunately, most of the time, these people often need to live in the same location as you to provide the support you need.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected with friends from past assignments. Instead, remember that long distance friendships look different for everyone. There are no required meet ups per month or activities that need to happen. Instead, long distance friendships are built on a strong foundation.
8 Ways to Stay Connected with Military Friends
Below are 8 simple ways to stay connected with friends after you PCS.
1. Stay Connected on Social Media
Social media is a great tool to allow you to stay connected to military friends.
You can use it to see what is happening in your friend's life. More than just following a friend on social media, make sure to comment about their vacation, a hardship, or celebrate a new opportunity.
Bonus tip: Send a text message or call them if something they share on social media can be expanded into a conversation.
2. Schedule Regular Calls
Life gets busy. It is just the way things are. It seems silly to set up a regular phone call with a friend, but it has been a proven method to help stay connected.
It can be a regularly scheduled time, or you can look at your calendars at the end of the phone or video call and set up the next time that works for both of your schedules.
Katie, a Space Force spouse, said, “I stayed connected with a friend for years after we moved to a new assignment by setting up regular phone calls. It helped me not feel so lonely at my new location.”
3. Create a Group Text Thread
Another effective way to stay connected is to create a group thread with friends that you have met.
Shelly, a Marine Corps spouse, said, “I created a group chat with friends from one of my assignments where my husband deployed. We relied on each other throughout the time and even after our husbands came home our text thread continued.”
Group threads are nice because they rely on a group of people instead of just the two of you. It can be an easier way to stay connected, especially as you all move onto different paths.
4. Get Creative Together
During the COVID-19 pandemic, so many things that were once only in person events had to pivot to be digital. And while the pandemic is over and we can now be in person together, it is still possible to have access to online programs that allow people to connect in a digital way.
One of the most common recommended ideas is a paint night. You connect via a video connection platform after getting all the supplies you need and work on painting a project together.
But a painting project is just the tip of the iceberg. If there is another creative outlet you both enjoy, follow that path. It even could become a regular meet up to do something you both love together.
5. Start a Business Together
Another successful way to stay connected with a friend is to create a business together. Just make sure to set clear boundaries and know the goal each of you are looking for.
A business while a great way to stay connected, is a lot of work and needs to be equally balanced so that resentment doesn’t grow.
6. Go On a Trip Together
A great way to reconnect is to spend time together in person. This can be a weekend getaway with just the two of you, a group trip with other friends, or even your family meeting up with their family and connecting.
Karen, an Air Force spouse, said, “We had friends way back from our first assignment, recently we reconnected and our families went on a trip together. It was a great trip and it was wild how easily we reconnected.”
7. Pick Up Where You Left Off
No matter the amount of time between the last time you connected it doesn’t change the fact you are friends.
Get caught up on life and all the changes that have happened and then continue the connection. You can use the tips from above to help stay connected.
8. Reconnect Every Chance You Get
Make a point to see each other if your paths cross. Cross country moves where you stop to visit old friends is a great way to stay connected. Or maybe your vacation takes you close to where they live, it might be worth spending extra time with friends by adding an extra day to your trip.
Or even if the distance between you is far but close enough you can meet somewhere in the middle, set up a day to spend together.
A friend of mine lived three hours away at one assignment and we met in the middle and spent the day exploring a museum and eating lunch together. It was an amazing way to reconnect.
Military friends are different from many other people’s experiences. You spend deep personal moments with friends and then you move or they move and the friendship can fade. But that doesn’t mean the friendship has ended, it just looks different. These eight tips can help you continue being military friends for years to come.
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