PART VII: Survey and Research Findings
• Managing Deployment [Family Readiness Group and/or Rear Detachment Commander/ Officer Training; Family Readiness Support Assistants, Operation READY, Family Academies—Yellow Ribbon] • Getting Involved [Army Family Action Plan, Army Family Team Building, Army Volunteer Corps] • Home & Family Life [Marriage Enrichment-Strong Bonds, Military Family Life Consultants, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, New Parent Support Program, Victim Advocacy, Mental Health support]
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• Money Matters [Financial Training, Army Emergency Relief ] • Medical/Tricare [Entitlements] • Legal [Wills, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, Family Care Plan] • Continuity of Services [Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System—DEERS, ID Cards].
Circumstances and Effects of Deployment
Insights for FRG leaders who support Army Families is that extra support is needed during deployment and especially during extensions and referral to appropriate resources should be given priority. [For details on the spectrum of support, refer to the Resources section]. What are the key findings about Soldier’s and Spouse’s/Family member’s experiences regarding deployment?
Although there is limited research information on the effect of the Soldier’s and Spouse’s/ Family member’s actual life skills functioning within the relationship there are findings about long combat deployments and multiple tours to a war zone. A few highlights are listed below. • During OIF/OEF deployment, 50% of the spouses self reported on the Survey of Army Families (SAF V) that they did well (i.e., during a deployment between 2001 and 2004). In contrast, other findings indicate that only 39% of those spouses who experienced (or were currently experiencing) a lengthy separation of 18 months or more reported coping well (Orthner & Rose, 2006). These longer deployments seemed to lead to increased reporting of marital problems and more negative attitudes towards the Army (Orthner & Rose, 2006). • Findings from this study suggest that because Families are carrying unresolved anxieties, extreme fatigue and more concerns about Family relationships, the impact of this situation is blurring the distinct deployment stages. This is evident when some Family members indicate that although there are different stages of deployment, it is difficult to reintegrate when the Soldier is already preparing for the next deployment (Orthner & Rose, 2006).
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• Respondents to a National Military Family Association (2006) survey reported ongoing issues with reestablishing roles and sharing household responsibilities: “After the reunion stress—please consider adding something to the extent of learning how to share household responsibilities again. So many of us do it all while our spouse is deployed and get irritated when duties are shared again or if our spouse may unknowingly criticize the way we did something while he/she was deployed. Based on my own experience and talking with friends, this is a common experience post-deployment that many couples struggle with.” (Army Spouse, NMFA, 2006, p. 8).