The Impact of Military Deployment

The Impact of Deployment Deployment causes military families emotional trauma in an unprecedented range. The long separations require the military to prepare their soldiers in five stages to ensure their families come to terms with the distance and make the process less stressful. These stages include; predeployment, deployment, sustainment, redeployment, and post-deployment. Ideally, each stage has its distinct impact on the families and soldiers, thus demanding mental health personnel to guide these individuals to master the courage to face the emotional challenges through a period different for each stage.

Training and Preparation Pre-deployment is the onset phase of deployment and begins with a warning order of being deployed and ends when the soldier leaves their home station. It involves denial and anticipation of loss, training for long hours, getting various affairs in order, arguments, and experiencing mental or physical distance. The period for this phase is variable.

The soldier's family to be deployed suffers profound emotional impacts and is in denial that the partner has to leave for the deployment. Many spouses plan occasions to increase intimacy and often have a heated argument before the deployment. On the other hand, the soldiers undergo intense training and talk more often about their upcoming mission to create a strong cohesion significant for a successful deployment. This stage is uncomfortable, and the family is filled with hurt feelings, withdrawal, and resentment.

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Deployment This is the first month of the long separation, and the soldiers' families express mixed emotions.

Spouses may experience anxiety issues, child concerns, and safety, while others are relieved that the long-awaited period of separation is due. Ideally, this separation phase is extremely complicated for non-military spouses, who spend a lot of time worrying, and their mental health is greatly affected compared to the military spouse who is prepared to expect such moments.

Jealousy is also apparent as the spouses envy their partners, relying on other soldiers and spending time during the deployment, which can lead to marital concerns. However, these anxieties can be relieved by constant communication through emails and the Internet, although it may lead to increased financial bills for the military.

Sustainment This is the second to the fifth month when the soldiers begin to get used to the deployment tasks, and their spouses develop new routines to go on with life without their partners. During this phase, life settles down, and the families connect with other family members, friends, or churches for support. For example, they may consult with friends about emergent and demanding issues instead of talking to their military couples, who may feel powerless and helpless at that particular moment. Although there are minimal questions on how the service member would respond concerning decisions made when deployed, the family members are confident and feel in control of everything during this phase. In most cases, the experiences of military families are positive during this stage as they grow.

Redeployment This is the last month before the soldier is scheduled to return home. The expectations of a reunion are filled with conflicting emotions, such as worries, fear, excitement, apprehension, and high expectations. For instance, the spouses are worried that they may have to give their independence or the service member may disapprove of their decisions. High expectations are inevitable and may lead to conflicts among military families. However, the military advises against isolation, withdrawal, and seeking explanations that may not favor their prior expectations. Further, the department also has to inform some of the military families about their losses, an incidence that is traumatic and cannot be sufficiently prepared for.

Post Deployment This stage is marked by three to six months after deployment after the soldier arrives at their home. It requires adjusting to the family patterns since the military members, spouses, and children have different expectations after the deployment. Ideally, the health concerns of the soldiers are an issue of concern during this period to avoid infecting the family with diseases that the members could have conducted during the deployment. In return, also, the service members may be extremely concerned.

Each deployment stage takes a toll on the mental health of the military family and can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). A military family experiences physical and emotional injuries that may take time to heal. Thus it is important for the civilians to understand them and for the responsible departments to prepare them to have diverse expectations. For example, military spouses must make financial adjustments, create time to spend with service members, be patient, and emphasize success rather than the negatives of being in the military. Besides, the members can adopt distinct coping strategies during each stage to ensure that they transform through the deployment without many traumatizing experiences. The military is also responsible for preparing the families on the separation schedules and enlightening them on how they can cope with the situations, for instance, through communication via email and mobile. Although anxieties and emotional challenges are inevitable, these efforts would relieve the spouses and children of extreme mental challenges during deployment.