in deployment can you have your own laptop and also can you send email to your spouse?

Thanks for the question. It all depends on where you go and what the threat is. You will almost certainly be able to take your personal laptop to most places but sometimes the internet is not as good as it is here. As an example, In Afghanistan, there was internet and we were able to email home regularly. However, there was a 30 min per person limit each day. When you are deployed on Operations (like Afghanistan) no one is permitted their personal mobile phone whilst there. This is to limit the threat to you and the rest of the troops that are deployed. In Afghanistan. there were fixed landline telephones provided so that you could call home 45 mins per week. There were also satellite phones provided for those not in a main operating base.

Thank you, Matthew, you reassured me, without my laptop I would be lost during my time-off.