How to Stay Active and Even Have Fun While Being Deployed

Military life can feel like you’re stuck doing the same thing day in and day out. Here are some ideas how to stay active and even have fun when you’re deployed.

Leave your room from time to time.
This is probably the most logical thing you could do if you’re bored. A lot of people take leaving your room for granted. Simply by going for a walk, going for a ride somewhere nearby, or even grabbing a bite to eat in the dining hall. Some people will even go to the gym or go for a run around the base. With that said, because there are only so many places that you can go, you can’t always appreciate being in a common area. For example, when you leave your room, you’re leaving the place where you are working or living just to get a bit of fresh air. You can enjoy the new scenery when you go to the library, USO or MWR areas. By visiting these places, you can occupy your time without being stuck in your room.

Take a walk with friends.
In your down time, you can see the sights, as limited as they may be, when you go out and take a walk. Use this opportunity to check out new parts of the base that you usually don’t visit. You could always ask your friends whether they know of any new places to see or if there are any cool new routes that you’ve never tried before. Not only is walking a free activity, but it can also help you create new memories to share when you get back home.

Leave the base when you can.
If you’re able to get on the base, we thoroughly recommend that you do so whenever it is possible. In doing this, you can enjoy the local culture that doesn’t include military equipment and personnel (unless it is in an exact situation). When you get off base and experience the culture of the country that you are deployed in, you can tell stories to your family back home that doesn’t deal with death and carnage.

Try the local cuisine.
Sure, the dining hall offers free food, but why not try some of the local cuisines and get an idea of what people outside of the US consider delicious fare. Keep in mind, eating new food is going to be an experience and if you know you can’t tolerate some spices, you may want to steer clear of it by reading the description of the food. But of course, this is the best opportunity to try new food and new ways of eating.

Photograph your experience.
One of the simplest, most efficient, and even artistic approaches to stay active and even have some fun while you’re deployed is taken pictures of the places you’re stationed at during your free time. Your friends and family will be interested in seeing the exotic locations, and they might better understand what you were through if they were able to see your living arrangements and the area that you called ‘home’ for a short period. Disposable cameras are inexpensive, so you needn’t worry about spending too much money. You could even ask for your family to send care packages with a few disposables included if you wanted to.

Meet the locals.
What can be a better way to get out of your room, be active, and have fun than meeting locals? When you make an active effort to meet people in the area where you are deployed, you can experience their culture first hand. Let’s not forget that they can show you the best places for food, drink, and fun. Socializing with the locals can help you get outside of what is going on in your head and enjoy the company of someone new. Why, if you’re uncomfortable hanging out with locals, you could even meet up with new people from the base.

Read something interesting.
In today’s world, if it isn’t easily accessible online, we don’t want anything to do with it. However, when you pick up a new book, you can forget everything that is going on around you, even if this reprieve is for a short time. If you choose a book that talks about the area you are stationed at, you could gain a better understanding of the people and maybe even appreciate their culture.

Learn a language.
It is never going to be too late to learn a pick up a language, especially if you’re in the military. You can help pass the time by learning the language of the place that you are stationed at because chances are you’ll be spending quite a bit of time there. Plus, when you learn the language, it will help you meet the locals and maybe even make some friends.