In April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates extended tour of duties from 12 months to 15, for active-duty Army soldiers. Additionally, according to americanprogress.org, 420,000 troops have been sent to Iraq more than once since the start of the war. The rising rate of deployment and lengthened tours cause undue stress on service members and their families and can lead to the breakdown of the family unit.  

Sara Dawalt, author of "365 Deployment Days: A Wife's Survival Story" (Bridgeway Books, November 2007, ISBN 978-1-933538-94-5, $12.95) faced this situation when her husband was deployed to Iraq for his first tour of duty. Lonely, hopeless, frustrated and angry, with a marriage that was seemingly solid, she even considered divorce as an option - a thought she had not flirted with before.

"I nearly ran away from my marriage and the military life," says Dawalt, an Army wife whose husband is now serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, this time for 15 months. "I did not get married to be alone, but I kept my feelings bottled up to spare my husband so he didn't worry about me. It wasn't until Brandon came home for R and R that we really started communicating, which was nearly the point-of-no-return in our marriage."

In her new book, Dawalt chronicles the strain and stress brought on by geographic separation. From anger to joy, she catalogs the annoyance of dropped calls from half-way around the world to victories of making it on her own. Motivated by a desire to help others going through a similar experience, Dawalt wants the book to be a source of hope and strength for other military wives and civilian spouses living apart.

Dawalt credits things like exercise and the companionship of her dog, as well as her community of friends, for helping her survive her husband's deployment. Additionally, "365 Deployment Days" brings light to various fears of military families and the positive and negative aspects of modern-day communication during war time.

"Deployment is never easy." says Dawalt. "Surviving it is something you have to decide you want to do and work for it every day. My husband's deployment was very difficult, but it allowed me to really discover myself. I am a much better person because of it."

Dawalt is a pre-kindergarten teacher with the Killeen Independent School District, where she serves as a mentor and trainer for new teachers. In her spare time, she plays soccer on a recreational team. Dawalt lives in Killeen, Texas, with her dogs and husband, who is currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.