How My Interest in Knowledge was Sparked

To summarize (Kaplow, Layne, Saltztman, Cozza & Pynoos, 2013, p. 322-340) this article looks at how grief through exposure to loss due to combat fights, loss of fellow unit members, or the loss of a service member can affect a service member or military family during deployment and reintegration phases. The article goes on to discuss some of the stresses that can increase due to deployments such as martial conflicts, abuse or neglect, and mental health problems stemming from both spouses or children. More military children function equally as well as their civilian counterparts, except during times of deployment where they experience more emotional and behavioral problems. The article looks at three key areas Separation distress characterized as missing the deceased. Existential/Identity Distress finding meaning or fulfillment, or taking on roles left by the deceased. Circumstance-Related Distress characterized as emotional pain brought on by how the deceased passed. The article furthermore looks into how the age of the military children plays into their separation distress. Followed by their existential/identity Distress may be disrupted by new

This article left me wondering what other ways military families could cope with psychological effects of deployment aside from those already

There is a large amount of military families around the world. About Forty- three percent of active military members have children (Website). These children face so many challenges and struggles in their life while having a parent in the military. Children of Active duty military members exhibit anxiety, depression and stress just as much as the service members and spouses experience. For instance the children experience going through multiple deployments, long separations, frequent moves and awkward reunions when their parents return home from deployment. Even more so if the parent has been physically or mentally traumatized from overseas.

“Studies of OEF/OIF combat veterans have revealed that rates of PTSD are higher in deployed soldiers compared to non-deployed soldiers (Buchanan, C. et al., p.743).” Unfortunately, in some cases, military spouses are not fully aware of the symptoms for PTSD. Some feel powerless and unsure on what to do when symptoms begin damaging their relationship with their love one. Broadly speaking, military couples who are challenged with a deployment suffer more stress which may lead to PTSD when they do not know how to obtain support when needed, have lower income, and are not satisfied with the military and it's missions. Other factors that may dictate the degree of stress for military couples facing a deployment are income, education, and rank. Couples who have had prior military experience such as having military parents or serving a number of years preceding a deployment may adapt well to the demands of military life. Overall, relationship satisfaction may result if couples possess excellent communication and marital quality. Greater emphasis on military assistance has been to shown to reduce stress in couples, but spouses who perceive the military as being “less concerned” for them and their love one usually experience higher levels of stress. Also, unenthusiastic emotions toward the mission in the middle east can be related to greater stress in couples. “Negative attitudes toward the U.S. Missions in Iraq and Afghanistan were associated with more stress (Allen, E.

These are further compounded for the returning veterans due to a complete change in culture and the need to re-establish a sense of belonging. Studies have shown that the transition into civilian life is not unique for every veteran but rather is influenced by several factors (Anderson and Goodman, 2014; Schlossberg et al., 2012). For example, variables during duty can affect how a veteran perceives the difficulty level of the transition process. Injuries during active duty time, death, and their role as a serviceman are all contributing factors to the emotional response the service person may have when attempting to assimilate to civilian life. In Schlossbergs model for veterans in transient, the authors studied soldiers from different military backgrounds and their ease of transition into civilian life (Schlossberg et al., 2012).

War creates a great amount of stress on families that go beyond the regular struggles that occur in every day family life. When a family member is deployed to a war, no one is left unaffected. Just as the soldiers themselves go into the war unaware of what effects it will cause neither does their families. War instills vulnerability throughout families as it is not certain that the enlisted family member will return home again. Robert Ross from Timothy Findley’s

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children from military families have a higher risk of social, emotional and behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Other reports have shown that military families also have a high rates of domestic violence, child abuse and spousal abuse. The immense strains and pressures of the military lifestyle create inconsistencies in the lives of military families that are often overlooked by those considering joining the military. Over the years the U.S government and other organizations have been doing ample research into family health in the military and effectively identifying and addressing critical issues that are faced by military families. Speaking from

The disconnection and the inability to relate to veterans creates difficulties between families, friends, and employees which results in a shock for both sides. This shock creates navigational challenges when it comes to reestablishing oneself into the civilian workforce (Schutz, 1945, p. 372). Schutz believe in the idea of acquiring insight into the transition experience of soldiers is the key foundation in comprehending the intervention aspect of returning veterans as well supporting successful readjustment into the civilian career world (Schutz, 1945, p. 372). Although what a service member personally goes through during a deployment is not really known, the challenges of return to civilian is a difficult one because the job being done in

Resnik et al. (2012) states that for many combat exposed veterans, the return to civilian life and the reintegration into society can be daunting. Resnik, et al. (2012), states that veterans returning from war zone deployments are often experiencing a feeling of estrangement from their families and communities. New research suggests that these feelings of estrangement are linked to the familial bonding in the military culture (Ahern, Worthen, Masters, Lippman, Ozer & Moos, 2015). Ahern et al. (2015) also determined that while veterans frequently referred to civilian life as “normal”, they no longer perceived civilian life as normal, but

Previously stated were the effects of war service remain a significant part of those who served. But let us not forget the families of veterans are also involved and impacted as well; dealing with changes and facing new challenges. Henry was struggling with not being able to relate to his family aftertime given to his country. “He jumpy and mean… [And] people got to leaving him alone” (580). In the article, “Impact Of Vietnam War Services On Veterans Perceptions Of Family Life”, Charles Hendrix and Lisa Anelli focused on at the ending of toured veterans dealing with PTSD and family satisfaction. This statement within the article was profound and appropriate, “Many Vietnam veterans returned back to their home countries at the end of their tour,

Veterans frequently note ‘finding a job’ as the most difficult task they face when transitioning out of the service, citing transferring military skills to a civilian professional atmosphere as one of the primary hurdles. Aside from the difficulties of the current job market, one of the biggest difficulties Veterans report in finding a job is dictating how their military skills translate to the civilian professional atmosphere. Nearly all believe they have the skillsets required to land their targeted job, but most express concerns about how to translate their skills to a civilian business environment. Many Veterans feel their military service is respected by possible future employers, but still three in five Veterans note concerns about cultural

War has tremendous effects on the human mind and impacts all parties involved. Remnants of war can dramatically affect relationships with loved ones and create greater problems ranging from financial problems to psychological damage that has more profound effects on the family infrastructure and its operation. The notion of war produces pressures and strains on the family that is not experienced everyday in the routine family life. Family member who experience PTSD from their service in the military also places unforeseen weights and consequences for the family to carry. There are specific effects distinct to a parent, a spouse, and children when a loved one is serving their country. The relationships between a service men and these family members are transformed with the absence and their reintegration.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD for short, is very real. It does not solely affect soldiers either. For example, my father, a retired firefighter, relives moments from when he worked at certain times when images are triggered. However, the modern soldier is more directly associated and found to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As Dexter Filkins, a former Baghdad correspondent for the New York Times, stated in his review on Redeployment “Armed conflict so fundamentally alters the environment it takes hold of that no aspect of life escapes undistorted: not love, not friendship, not sleep, not trust, not conversation.” Therefore meaning when most veterans return home, nothing is seen in the same light again. Phil Klay outlines several examples of this.

Deployment and integration are one the greatest challenges military families and children have to face on a daily basis. When a family member deploys or reintegrates within the entire family, it not only affects the service member but it affects the entire family. Deployment can often lead to families and children, experiencing a negative mental health outcomes and compromised wellbeing. Bello (2015) found that most families and children (80.5% required less than one month to adjust to the return of their deployed parent (Bello, 2015). Accordingly, the families and children are often quick to adjust to having their family member back in the home. Interestingly, discoveries are surprising in light of the fact that when contrasted to another family, the discoveries are definitely unique. Boberiene (2014) found that three out of every four families feel that reintegration after the first three months is the most stressful phase of a deployment (Boberiene, 2014). This is because the family experiences many emotions while the member is away.

As a military spouse of 12 years and someone who has had the privilege to serve the military community through my professional work as a therapist, my notion of community expands beyond the corners of my local, city, state and country. Bound by a common thread of service, sacrifice, shared values and commitment, the military community spans the world. While it may seem challenging to create hope in a community so expansive, as an optimist and one who is dedicated to serving this community, I believe it is possible. The question, “Upon completion of your NCU MFS degree program, what plan(s) would you develop to make a difference in your community that creates hope?” can be viewed in a two-dimensional manner. Creating hope in this community may be accomplished on a smaller scale through effective, military culture informed therapy and also on a larger scale through research and programming. Upon completion of