Relationships/Marriages &

Deployment

What we will discuss today

Definitions

Statistics

Different types of relationships

Who Deployment affects

How it affects them

Divorce rates Support and Counseling

Definitions Military deployment: the movement of armed forces and their

logistical support infrastructure around the world ("Military deployment," 2014).

Marriage: the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) :  the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage better known as same sex marriage ("Marriage," 2014).

Relationship: connection between persons by blood or marriage; kinship. 

an emotional or other connection between people.

a romantic or sexual involvement("Relationship," 2014).

Deployed, wounded, and death statistics

U.S. Military is currently deployed in more than 150 countries world wide

Afghanistan is still in active combat with 33,600 soldiers currently there

Since the war on terror has began in 2001, 50,987 soldiers have been wounded and 57,614 have been killed

This is the best estimate given today since many think the numbers are higher (defense.gov)

Illness and Injury

The most common illnesses that soldiers die from are mental illnesses.

PTSD can make soldiers suicidal, unable to relate to their family and friends, unable to find work and has little out reach from the community and military.

In an 2013 study almost 25% of active duty Army soldiers surveyed tested positive for a mental disease (Christensen 2013).

Mental illness can also lead to alcohol ,drug abuse, and violence.

For many soldiers the worst illnesses aren’t just physical, (TBI, shrapnel wounds, etc..)they are mental and likely to go untreated due to stigma or lack of resources

Types of RelationshipsSingle

Pros

Housing Benefits

Meal Benefits

Relocation

Infidelity of spouse

Cons

Responsibility

Deployment

Family Care Plan

Emotional Stability

Single-With ChildrenPros

Housing benefits

Meal benefits

Sole Decision Maker

Qualify for separate rations

Cons Harder relocations

Deployment

PTSD-reactions

Pressures and stress about survival

Family Care Plan

Married

Pros Housing benefits

Meal plans

Medical Insurance for families

Separate Rations

Emotional Support

Relocation support

Stay behind with children

Family Care Plan

Cons Long distance

relationships

Deployment pressures

Added conflict

Infidelity

Relocation

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

Pros Emotional Support from

companion

Could qualify for spousal benefits

Non-chargeable leave

Cons Not recognized in all states

Family Care Plan

Discrimination

They are the minority

Less benefits if relationship is not legal in that state

Deployment and the Ecological Systems Theory

Deployment affects the soldier, their partner, their children and many more individuals and people within different systems.

Ecological system theory consists of: Microsystem: Individuals in this system are the family members, schools, church,

peers, and health services

Mesosystem: For example the family and the school and school with the family, or school with peers and peers with school.

Exosystem: Examples of this would be the education system and government

Macrosystem: The cultural values, National customs the overarching believe system of the individual.

Chronosystem: The way environmental effects develop over time, and the way transitions and change affect a person’s growth and development.

Ecological Perspective

The ecological perspective of how deployment affects military children may be related to:

Historical

Social and cultural context

National response to returning service member and veterans.

 

How does deployment affect them? One of the biggest adjustments

after a deployment is the new roles and responsibilities in the household

Mobile analogy

This stress continues after deployed parent returns 

Some children handle parent’s deployment well, some have more trouble

Studies have shown that some children experience higher anxiety

Increased responsibility at home

Mental health/stress level of non-deployed parent

Can affect academic performance and social skills

Affects continued….

Prolonged separation (among countless other factors) can cause vulnerabilities in marriage such as finances etc…

In some couples, infidelity can be an issueCan occur both in the deployed and non-deployed

parent After an affair, the goal is to help couple move on

emotionally, whether separate or together

 

Divorce Rates

Military divorce rates rose by .1 percent -- to 3.4 percent -- during fiscal 2008, with 492 more divorces than the previous year, Army Lt. Col Les’ Melnyk, a Pentagon spokesman, reported. Military-wide, 25,750 marriages ended in divorce last year (“Miles, 2008”).

Divorce continued

Deployment Health Assessments The Deployment Health Assessments (DHAs) are three comprehensive health

screenings that address physical and behavioral health needs prior to, during and after deployment. They are critical to Army Soldier and Department of the Army (DA) civilian health and well-being (“Stand-To,2012”).

(1) Pre-Deployment Health Assessment (Pre-DHA, DD Form 2795)- taken within 60 days of deployment(“Stand-To,2012”).

(2) Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA, DD Form 2796) - taken within 30 days before or after redeployment(“Stand-To,2012”).

(3) Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA, DD Form 2900) - taken 90-180 days after redeployment(“Stand-To,2012”).

Having these assessments is very crucial to the soldiers mental and physical health because it can directly affect the family system and their well being.

Counseling Options

Your installation's chaplain

Combat Stress Control Teams are available as a field resource to support the mental and emotional well-being of service members during deployments.

Non-medical counseling resources -  There are two primary resources for non-medical counseling services: Military One Source and military and family life counselors. These personal sessions are available in three formats: Face-to-face By telephone Online

The Family Advocacy Program 

TRICARE or your nearest MTF 

United States Department of Veterans Affairs counseling at Vet Centers

Outside military support channels

Counseling is key to helping the family cope with deployments before during and after.

Support FAMILY READINESS GROUPS-  A Family Readiness Group (FRG) is an

organization of family members, volunteers, soldiers and civilian employees belonging to an Army command. They provide support, assistance and a network of information among its members, the unit and community agencies(“soldier life”).

FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM (FAP)-The FAP is dedicated to the prevention, prompt reporting, intervention, and treatment of spouse and child abuse (“soldier life”).

The Department of Veterans Affairs offers support through the Family Caregiver Program. Through the FCP Eligible post-9/11 Veterans will have the option to elect to receive their care in a home setting from a primary Family Caregiver (“Family caregiver2014”).

There are many other forms of support and these are just to name a few support systems made available.

It is very important for families to have many different resources and support systems to ensure they do not feel isolated.

How you can help Say thank you to a

service member because a simple thank you goes a long way. Showing pride in your soldier will give them a sense of welcoming.

When someone you know is deployed, offer support and send emails to communicate with one another. Knowing someone is there means the world to them. (Skype with them to keep them included)

Send them stuff!

What you can send them:

Food and drink: Powdered drink mixes, meal enhancers, quick protein, snacks, candy, and gum.

Personal care and clothing: Toiletries, personal care, foot care, disposable hand warmers, goggle-style sunglasses, cotton socks and underwear, fingerless gloves, stocking caps, long underwear, if the climate is cold.

Entertainment and communication: Reading material, word games and puzzles, electronics phone cards, batteries. 

Reminders of home: Your children's art projects or schoolwork. A small scrapbook filled with mementos from home. A homemade cassette tape or CD of your service member's favorite songs. The Sunday comics from your local newspaper. Homemade goodies, such as cookies or brownies. Just be sure to pack these in an airtight container.

Soldiers Coming Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bK-P5ZXl3Y

Hope you enjoyed our presentation! Questions? Comments!

References (Honey Bonjour)

https://www.facebook.com/BattlingBare/info

Miles, D. (December 4, 2008). Service Programs Strive to Strengthen Military Marriages, Curb Divorce. In U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52194.

undefined. (March 20,2012). Army Deployment Health Assessments. In Stand-To. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/issue.php?issue=2012-03-20.

undefined. (May 9, 2013). Counseling Options for Service Members and Their Families. In Military OneSource. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.militaryonesource.mil/non-medical-counseling?content_id=268934.

undefined. (2014). NEW: VA Family Caregiver Program. In Military.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care/new-va-family-caregiver-program.html.

undefined. (2014). What to Send Someone Who is Deployed. In Military.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.military.com/deployment/what-to-send-someone-who-is-deployed.html.

undefined. (2014). SOLDIER LIFE. In U.S. Army Strong. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.goarmy.com/soldier-life/army-family-strong/deployment.html.

undefined. (January 15, 2014). Military Deployment. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_deployment.

undefined. (2014). Marriage. In Merriam Webster. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marriage.

undefined. (2014). deployment. In free dictionary. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/deployment.

References ( Victoria Lee)

http://www.unmarriedamerica.org/Military/single-soldiers.htm

http://www.military.com/benefits/2013/08/29/gay-marriage-leave-may-be-administrative-absence.html

References (Emma Woodard)

Chandra, A., Martin, L. T., Hawkins, S. A., & Richardson, A. (2010). The impact of parental deployment on child social and emotional functioning: Perspectives of school staff. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(3), 218-223. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.10.009

Mmari, K., Roche, K. M., Sudhinaraset, M., & Blum, R. (2009). When a parent goes off to war: Exploring the issues faced by adolescents and their families. Youth & Society, 40(4), 455-475. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0044118X08327873

 

Snyder, D. K., Balderrama-Durbin, C., & Fissette, C. L. (2012). Treating infidelity and comorbid depression: A case study involving military deployment. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 1(3), 213-225. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0029919

References (Stephanie Friesen)

Lester, P., Colonel, L., & Flake, E. (2013). Military children and families. The Future of Children, 23(2), 121-125.

Nielsen, J. N. (2011). Metaphycial ecolgy reformulated. Retrieved March 24, 2014, from http://geopolicraticus.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/metaphysical-ecology-reformulated/

North American community of cultural ecology. (2012). Ecological theory of bronfenbrenner. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://nacce.org/ecological-theory-of-bronfenbrenner/

References (Meghan Evaland-Anderson)

Christensen, J. (2013, 08 6). Study: mental illness, not combat causes soldiers suicides . Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/06/health/soldier-suicides-cause-study/index.html?iref=allsearch

http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf

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