essay on military life

Essay on Life of Soldiers for Students and Children

500 words on essay on life of soldiers for students and children.

Soldiers are one of the greatest assets of any country. They are the guardians of the nation and protect its citizens at all costs. Moreover, they are a very selfless lot who put the interest of the country above their personal interest. A soldier’s job is one of the toughest things to do in the world. They are supposed to fulfill challenging duties and possess exceptional qualities to become a great soldier. However, their lives are very tough. Nonetheless, they always fulfill their duties despite the hardships.

Duties of Soldiers

A country sleeps peacefully as the soldier performs its duties. The first and foremost duty of a soldier is to serve their country without any selfish motive. A person usually joins the army out of love for his motherland and to protect it. Even though they know they will have to face numerous problems, they still do so for their country.

Furthermore, a soldier safeguard’s the honour of his country. They do not step back in the face of adversaries instead they give there best. It does not matter if they have to give their life for the country, they are willing to do so happily. Besides, soldiers also have to be alert at all times. He is never off duty, whether he is sleeping or on the battlefield, he stays vigilant throughout.

Most importantly, a soldier’s duty is to maintain the peace and harmony of the country. He takes on the responsibility of ensuring a safe environment for all. In addition to guarding the border, they are also always there in case of emergencies. They learn how to handle every situation carefully whether it is a terrorist attack or natural calamity. In other words, the local authorities need them to bring the situation under control.

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Challenges Faced by Soldiers

Being a soldier is not easy, in fact, it is one of the most challenging things to do. Their lives are full of hardships and challenges which no ordinary person can survive. Firstly, they spend a great deal of time away from their loved ones. It disturbs them emotionally and they do not even get any holidays. Even in festivals, they are busy safeguarding the nation.

Similarly, soldiers have to undergo rigorous training to become fit to fight battles. It becomes exhausting and physically challenging, but they still go on. To make it worse, they do not even get an adequate amount of supply to lead a normal life. Sometimes, the food rationing is low, the other times they get posted in remote areas without any signal.

Subsequently, they also have to make do in the harshest of weather conditions. It does not matter if it is scorching hot or chilling cold, they have to be out on the battlefield. Similarly, they do not even get enough bulletproof equipment which will keep them safe. Thus, we see what a challenging life our soldiers lead to protect their country.

Q.1 What are the duties of a soldier?

A.1 A soldier has many duties to perform. He has to work selflessly for the betterment of the country. They ensure that peace and harmony are maintained throughout the nation. Moreover, they also remain vigilant at all times and render help in case of emergency situations.

Q.2 What challenges do soldiers face?

A.2 A soldier has to face a lot of challenges in their lives. They separate from their family and spend most of their time away from them. Further, they undergo hard training to achieve success. Sometimes, they don’t even get enough supplies to make ends meet. Moreover, no matter the weather, they have to survive in rough situations.

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Military Life vs Civilian Life: Differences and Comparison

Written by Everett Bledsoe / Fact checked by Brain Bartell

Although there is a fair share of military films and books, there are not a lot of resources for us to get deep insight into military life.

To understand more about the military and wholeheartedly appreciate soldiers in service, it is better to contrast civilian vs military life. It is also useful to know about military culture vs civilian culture if you are a soon-to-be service member.

Understanding this, we have put together an article. We will look at military life vs civilian life advantages and disadvantages while also juxtaposing soldiers vs civilians. So, make sure you read until the end!

Table of Contents

2. Housing & Living

3. employment & career, 4. education, 6. healthcare, 7. retirement, civilian life vs military life (7 differences).

military-life-vs-civilian-life-advantages-disadvantages

In this section, we will dive into seven differences between military life and civilian life. Specifically, these are culture, housing and living, employment and career, education, laws, healthcare, and retirement.

Although these are not all the aspects that can be explored, they are among the ones with the most noticeable differences worth knowing. Are you ready to explore each in detail? Yes? Then, go ahead!

In the military, members are a part of “something bigger than themselves”. Thus, there is a huge emphasis on living and succeeding as a “unit”, which goes hand-in-hand with the highlight of teamwork and cooperation.

Brotherhood or sisterhood is incredibly important and members are like each other’s family. Since you are essentially on the line between life and death with one another daily, camaraderie is the norm.

This is not as accentuated in the civilian world. Even though groups and organizations exist, the mentality of “every man for himself” is more common.

In addition, the military’s culture is largely characterized by discipline and rigid routines, while this is not the case for most civilians. Some people may be individually disciplined and follow a lifestyle with routines, but this is not the expected standard for every civilian, like it is for military personnel.

There is a three-part video on Youtube by Destination Occupation that talks more about military culture if you are interested!

Those who serve in the military live in a barrack, base, or post. This is further divided by location, family situation, and rank. Military housing is within an installation, which is, in essence, a self-sufficient community.

Service members can get everything they want or need inside of the installation. There are medical facilities, grocery stores, hair salons, entertainment grounds, malls, police and fire departments, etc. In this regard, a military installation is like a city or town.

Military personnel also receive housing allowances, which is also known as BAH. Plus, a lot of the time, you will be living with other military personnel that you do not know before joining the force.

In the civilian world, most people live on their own, with their family or close friends, and do not get housing allowances. Unless you own a house, you will have to pay rent.

Furthermore, resources and spaces are spread out. Thus, it is not uncommon to drive more than 30 minutes to get to a particular place, like an entertainment ground.

There are over 800 jobs in the military. They consist of MOS codes, job names, and ranks.

On the other hand, civilian employment involves industries where professional positions are available. They can be throughout the nation and even overseas. Most of the time, civilians can decide where they work in the application stage and any relocation phase.

However, in the military, your employment location will be selected, depending on your MOS and rank.

Despite this difference, many of the jobs in the military are typically similar to civilian jobs. For example, interpreters and translators, firefighters, electricians, engineers, etc.

As a result, military members’ skill sets and experience are more than often transferable when they leave the military and transition back into civilian life.

Plus, both military and civilian careers follow a similar trajectory for “ranking up” or “promotions”. For soldiers and civilians, it takes effort and time to move up to higher positions. The only minor difference is that the military’s promotion system(s) are more standardized, whereas civilian promotions can vary from industry to industry.

The military offers a lot of educational benefits. For instance, while in service, you can get up to $4,500 every year for tuition assistance. There is the GI Bill, which includes a range of sub-education programs, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty, etc.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill pays for your higher education tuition, housing stipends, and book stipends for up to 36 months, regardless of whether you are in college, vocational courses, apprenticeships, licensing programs, or job training.

The Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty covers up to $2,122 every month for 36 months, which applies for full-time institutional education. However, eligibility will also depend on when and how long you have enlisted.

These benefits can ease a personnel’s education path by offsetting the cost of attendance. There are financial aid and scholarships for a member’s spouse as well.

In contrast, civilians can apply for aid, grants, and scholarships but are not guaranteed an offset. Whether or not a person receives a “benefit” depends on a variety of factors, like their eligibility, qualifications, and “competition”, among others.

Sometimes, a civilian employer will offer to assist with tuition for an employee through reimbursement. However, this is not common, and civilians can never expect an employer to pay for his or her spouses’ educational ventures as well.

The third difference between soldiers and civilians is a distinct set of laws that the former must follow. It is called the UCMJ, which is short for the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The UCMJ was established by the United States Congress to promote discipline in the military. It forms the basis of the military justice system and is so important that it is mentioned in the armed forces’ oath of enlistment as well.

However, this does not mean that service members are allowed to neglect the laws that civilians abide by. The UCMJ’s laws are an “addition” to the general society’s civil and criminal laws. So, it is possible to say that military personnel are held to a higher and more demanding standard.

The fourth major difference between military and civilian life is access to healthcare. Those in service and their families have medical benefits through “TRICARE”, which offers a range of plans, such as TRICARE Prime, Young Adult, Select, For Life, and Dental Program. For more details, take a look at this site here.

On top of that, military members have annual checkups and professional medical treatment from a primary care manager. You will just have to schedule an appointment in the system, which is also available online, to get the medical attention that you need.

Most veterans are eligible for healthcare benefits. In particular, those who have been in service for at least 20 years will receive free healthcare when they retire.

On the other hand, civilians will have to request medical attention and reach out to practitioners and facilities on their own. They must also pay for health insurance or co-pay for medical services that they seek. In the United States, civilian medical bills can surge.

Like civilians, those who are or have been in the military have different options for retirement and pension. For example, a military member can use a “Thrift Savings Plan”. This gives somewhat similar tax benefits and savings to those private firms and corporations offer their employees under “401(k)”.

Moreover, the military offers members a pension depending on their service duration. When a personnel dedicates 20 years, the pension they receive is 50% of their base pay. The value increases by 2.5% for every additional year all the way up to 100% of the base pay if one stays for 40 years.

In the civilian world, retirement is less secure. It depends on the person’s specific retirement plan(s). However, just like the military, there are benefits available for civilians to avail of.

Now, you know the major differences regarding culture, housing and living, employment and career, education, laws, healthcare, and retirement between military life vs civilian life.

Hopefully, you have picked up what you need from this article. Do you know any other differences that should be added to this discussion? If yes, leave a comment! We are happy to hear from you. Also, feel free to share this article’s content with others.

I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. My purpose in this project is to give honest reviews on the gear utilized and tested over time. Of course, you cannot go wrong when checking out our package of information and guide, too, as they come from reliable sources and years of experience.

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How to Use Military Life in a College Application

How to use your military life in a college essay

When it comes to your college application essay, you probably are not going to write about the three months you spent "finding yourself" in the Seychelles. The value of your spring break trip through Patagonia seems equally doubtful.

We're guessing you won't even be writing about the 107 cats you saved from that burning building last year.

Why? Because that is not your life. The military is. And you want to know how to use your military life experience in your college essay.

What to write for college essays?

For many prospective students, the essay required by colleges and graduate schools can be the most difficult part of the application process.

"I have no idea what to write about and these suggestions don't make any sense to me," said Rebecca, a college-bound Air Force spouse I met thumbing through essay help books at her local Barnes + Noble.

"If everyone else is writing about priceless, incredible adventures or their plans to free the world from AIDS by 2018, what would writing about military life add?"

We asked military spouses (including some former military brats) for their experience, and we found out that for many, writing about military life added a lot of heft to their application.

Rebecca was hesitant. "What am I supposed to do? Talk about the time I parked in the wrong parking spot? Or didn't know about colors? Or that PCS where everything broke?"

Maybe you are thinking about the deployment when everything went wrong: the washer broke the day he left, and your car died on the way to the hospital with you, in labor, inside it. Or maybe you will be writing about the challenges your family has faced with budget cuts, sequestration and looming layoffs. Perhaps you will even open up about PTSD.

But no matter what aspect of it you choose, leveraging military life in your college application can lift your application from the stacks of mundane, boring essays and bring it to the top.

Open up to stories about your real life

"I applied to a distance learning program at a Boston liberal arts college," says Bethanny, an Army wife. "Writing that application felt like the hardest thing I've done. But I'm pretty sure I was the only one who wrote about dealing with three girls, a PCS, and a husband facing PTSD."

The idea of opening up about her personal life frightened her, Bethanny admits, but her topic was open-ended: Tell us about a moment when you applied something you learned in school to a real-life event.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about that, and the first idea I thought of was persistence," she explains. "Yeah math is hard and you have to stick with it. But learning that in second grade, you don't realize you'll be using it one day in your own family."

This was an early lesson, but an invaluable one. Persistence has carried her through every challenge her family has faced, she said, and it's the hallmark of her experience as a military spouse.

"I try to tell my oldest girl that when teachers say "you'll use this later," it's not about actual fractions or multiplication tables. It's about what you're learning about yourself when you struggle with those."

Bethanny poured her heart out in her application, and when she was finished with her last draft, she knew she had successfully made her point.

"Military life is harder than anybody's summer internship at a hospital or your mission trip to Zambia," she says. "That's pretending to know real life. I'm living it."

Focus on a powerful story

That real-life experience is something that can help you stand head-and-shoulders above the other applicants. But to use it to your advantage, you have to make sure you focus your military experience into a powerful, personal story.

According to the experts, the best way to make your essay count is to focus it on personal experience, keep it unique, and use it as an opportunity to really express your own voice. It is your one chance to tell the admissions committee something about you they do not already know.

"View it as an opportunity," encourages the admissions team at Carleton College . "The essay is one of the few things that you've got complete control over in the application process, especially by the time you're in your senior year. You've already earned most of your grades; you've already made most of your impressions on teachers; and chances are, you've already found a set of activities you're interested in continuing. So when you write the essay, view it as something more than just a page to fill up with writing. View it as a chance to tell the admissions committee about who you are as a person."

Consider the joys and hardships of military life and how they have shaped the person you are today. Those are not things shared by every candidate in the admissions pool. What kind of experiences has the military granted you that no one else will have had?

"I knew living in Germany was unique, but I know plenty of other kids probably visited in high school on some expensive trip and would be writing about that," says Marine Corps wife Robin.

Robin is as military as it comes without putting on a uniform herself: She and her husband have been together for over a decade, and she grew up in the Marine Corps, too.

"I didn't attend a typical college after graduation because I got married so young," she said. "I did an associate's degree, and I didn't think I would ever need more schooling than that."

Now that she wants her bachelor's, she is excited about school, but the application process has made her more than a little nervous.

"The essay is really scary," she says.

Robin had a travel prompt: Talk about a trip you've taken and the impact it had on you.

"I was afraid if I wrote about military life, they would think it's boring. My mom encouraged me to do it. I think what makes my story so different is it isn't about just taking a trip, it is all about dealing with real life overseas. Not being able to work. Trying to make ends meet without my income. Figuring out I needed to do something for me like going back to school, and that it would help my family too."

Robin is right: Her essay is honest, personal and tells the reader about who she is as a person.

Sure, her story isn't unique in the military world. Plenty of spouses face these challenges every day and find their own solutions to them. But in a sea of admissions essays, her story does something powerful: It tells you more about who she is in two pages than the rest of her application could put together.

"You don't know I'm a military brat or a military wife. You just know I have a broken employment history and a community college degree," she says. "In my essay, I can tell you who I am. This is who I am, and a lot of its military."

If you are trying to make your military life experience work in your college or graduate school essay, try following these simple do's and don'ts from military wives like yourself:

Do's and Don'ts From Military Wives

Talk honestly about the challenges of military life. -- Army wife Bethanny

Be open about adversity. Sometimes the hard stories are the best stories. -- Army wife Erin

Challenge assumptions about military life! -- Marine Corps wife Monica

Show who you are outside of your husband's job. -- Marine Corps wife Mary

Whine about how hard it is. You have to use a challenge to your advantage. If you are just whining, it should be in an email to mom. -- Navy wife Rachel

Assume they know the lingo. They don't. Take the time to spell things like FRO out. -- Marine Corps wife Robin

Expect them to understand military life is hard. You have to tell them about it. If they aren't in the military world, they won't know. -- Navy wife Christine

Use your thesaurus the whole time! You are smart enough as you are. Use the words you really know. -- Marine Corps wife Barbie

If you have leveraged your military experience in your college essay, we want to know . Do you think it was an asset to your application? What did you write about?

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College essays highlight military life

Our middle child, Anna, came home from school crying last week.

This is not unusual for teenage girls. In fact, it happens so frequently, that we sometimes have to feign concern. While we might gasp loudly and blurt with outstretched arms, “Oh, Sugar Dumpling, what’s got you so upset?” my internal monologue is really saying, Good Lord, what is it this time . . . probably boy drama, or another project is due, or skinny jeans went out of style . . . I’d better record “Survivor” because this might take a while.

But last week, Anna plopped onto the couch looking quite pitiful. With puffy eyes and a wobbling chin, she explained, “It’s just . . . everything! I have another paper due in English, a Stats test on Friday, the SAT this weekend, and I somehow have to upload my portfolio for my applications to Syracuse and Delaware. And between all that, somehow finish my college essay!” Her face contorted as tears plopped onto her sweatshirt.

Our daughter isn’t the only 17-year-old who is feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Many of the 3.3 million US high school seniors are under pressure from parents, guidance counselors, teachers and themselves to distill their life experience down to one single, flawless 650-word college essay.

But are the tears and missed “Survivor” episodes worth it? Do essays really matter all that much to admissions counselors?

There are varied reports on whether or not essays are seriously considered by colleges. Three former admissions counselors from Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago stated in a Nov. 14, 2014 article in Time Magazine that they read and seriously considered every essay that came across their desks. However, they all acknowledged that no student with lackluster grades and test scores ever got into their schools based on a great essay.

Mitchell Stevens, a sociologist who studies higher education, spent 18 months in the admissions office of a top-tier liberal arts school working alongside counselors through two full admissions cycles. In a Nov. 13, 2014 article in The New Republic , Stevens stated that the “hard numbers” – GPA, test scores, class rank, and number of AP and honors courses – reigned supreme in their admissions decisions. The applicants on the low and high ends of the school’s standards were decided upon quickly, but even for the middle pool of applicants, essays “rarely got even cursory attention from admissions officers.”

Stevens said the factors that mattered more were: “How likely was an applicant to accept our offer of admission? Had we already accepted anyone from his or her remote zip code? Had the applicant received any special endorsement from a college alumnus or a faculty member? Did someone in the office owe a favor to the applicant’s guidance counselor?”

Furthermore, in its 2014 State of College Admissions Report , the National Association of College Admissions Counselors found that the most important factors in admissions decisions were grades in college prep courses (82%), strength of curriculum (64%), SAT/ACT scores (58%), and overall grades (52%). While opinions on essays were evenly spread, with only 22% reporting essays as having considerable importance, 38% moderate importance, 23% limited importance, and 17% no importance at all.

Regardless of this disheartening research, the fact remains that the essay serves as the one place on the Common Application (the online standard application accepted by approximately 500 US universities) where military children can set themselves apart. If there is a weakness in class rank, GPA, or consistency of curriculum; a personal essay that mentions moving three times during high school, living overseas, or a parent’s lengthy deployment, might not only catch the attention of admissions counselors, but also will spotlight the resiliency, adaptability and strength of military child applicants.

Military children in particular must seize opportunities to mention their uncommon experiences in their applications. Honor, sacrifice, service, hardship, adventure, and worldliness — these traits don’t show up in the “hard numbers” of a student’s GPA or test scores.

So dry your tears military high school seniors, and put your pens to paper. It’s time to give those college admissions counselors an education in military life.

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Military Life

Glossary: military jargon.

Day-to-day life in the Military varies depending on Service branch, career choice and location, but there are several experiences service members have in common. Preparing for Basic Training, taking care of a family on base or deploying for the first time are just a few examples. Get a complete picture of military life by learning about all its unique challenges and benefits.

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Travel and deployment
Family and support

Length of Commitment

A service member's length of commitment largely depends on the Service branch, career choice and required training. Most first-term enlistments are four years of Active Duty, followed by four years in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Active Duty is not a 24-hour job; service members have off-work hours, similar to people in civilian jobs.

On the other hand, the IRR could be described as an "on-call" job. You don't train, and you live at home maintaining a civilian job, but you may be called to duty, if necessary, until your term expires. Some service branches also have an annual muster requirement to check in on basic health and fitness. Most local recruiters have all the details you'll need about terms of service.

Physical Fitness

Physical fitness has always been a large part of military training. It's a crucial element of Basic Training and strongly encouraged throughout a service member's military career.

Basic Training

Every recruit must pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) at Basic Training to graduate. The best way to approach any PFT is to come in as physically prepared as possible. Review the specifics of your Service branch's PFT and focus on the required exercises. Also, remember to time yourself; it will help you practice pacing.

After Basic Training

Physical fitness requirements for service members vary according to branch and career choice. Though fitness goals are different for each branch, all service members are required to pass the PFT. Based on their fitness scores, some service members may need to to take the PFT every six months.

On-base housing varies by rank, location and family situation. All recruits live in the barracks during Basic Training. Upon completing Basic Training, most single service members are required to live on base for a period of time. On-base housing varies from one location to the next, but, generally speaking, it is similar to living in modern college dormitories and apartment complexes. Service members with families who live on base have a variety of options, such as apartments or single-family homes.

In addition to the living quarters, most bases feature many amenities and recreational facilities accessible only to military personnel and their families at greatly reduced prices. Some examples include gyms, pools, bowling alleys, movie theaters, riding stables, libraries, camping grounds and golf courses.

Service members who live in off-base housing are given a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), which varies depending on the cost of living in their area. Also, keep in mind that off-base housing is granted based on a service member's rank and family status.

Basic Allowance for Housing (DoD Travel Management Office)

Each Service branch uniform is different, and service members take great pride in their distinct dress. From the black silk neckerchief worn with Navy Service Dress Whites to the Outer Tactical Vest worn with Army and Marine Corps Utility uniforms, service member dress caters to both form and function. Generally speaking, uniforms can be broken down as follows:

Evening/Full/Mess/Dinner Dress

This is considered formalwear. This uniform would be worn to special occasions such as balls, graduations, award ceremonies and weddings.

Service Dress

This refers to daily uniforms, roughly equivalent to the civilian "business suit." These uniforms are worn in office environments and at certain public events.

Utility/Working Uniform

These are work-duty uniforms. These uniforms are worn in combat and during day-to-day functions.

Physical Training Uniform

This is considered fitnesswear. These uniforms are worn during any type of physical training exercises.

All service members are provided an initial issue of required uniforms upon enlistment. Some service members are also given an annual clothing allowance to buy or replace uniforms.

Social Life

Being part of the Military doesn't mean giving up a social life. In fact, it's quite the opposite. From recreational facilities on base and special entertainment to sports leagues and discounted leisure travel, military personnel often maintain very active social lives.

There are plenty of on-base entertainment resources available to service members and their families: gyms, movie theaters, bowling alleys, parks and more. In addition to facilities, the Military also works with Armed Forces Entertainment to bring exclusive entertainment shows. Today, Armed Forces Entertainment hosts hundreds of exclusive entertainment shows around the world each year at various military installations, featuring some of the most popular musicians, comedians, athletes and actors.

For service members who like sports, the Military also has its own sports league: Armed Forces Sports. The program includes 25 different sports categories open to all active-duty personnel and features nine national championships and 16 international championships.

The Military also offers discounted vacation opportunities to service members and their families. Each Service branch has a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department dedicated to helping personnel with travel, recreation and social activities. You can learn more by visiting each program's site:

Air Force Lifestyle

Coast Guard MWR

Marine Corps Community Services

Travel and Deployment

Travel opportunities.

There are many opportunities to travel the world in the Military. Your first step after Basic Training will most likely be “A” School or Advanced Individual Training (AIT), followed by travel to your first duty assignment. While there's no guarantee of placement, you can volunteer for overseas duty if you want to see more of the world. The Military has bases in Hawaii, Japan, Germany, England, Italy, Spain and other unique locations. And no matter where they are based, depending on their current assignment, service members have opportunities to travel the world through deployment and recreation.

If you're looking to travel on your own, many commercial airlines offer discounted fares for service members. In addition, you can often take a free "hop" on a government airplane when extra seats are available through the Military's Space-Available (Space-A) program. The Military also operates low-cost rest and relaxation lodges and hotels in Korea, Hawaii, Germany and other popular destinations—even Disney World.

World Travel (Today's Military)

Generally speaking, deployment is the moving of military personnel and materials from a home station to a specified destination. It's never guaranteed that a service member will be deployed, and it depends on an individual's Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and unit of assignment (the group of service members you work with).

Keep in mind that deployment doesn't automatically mean going to war. Service members can be deployed for support in noncombat areas or foreign humanitarian missions, or they may even be deployed domestically to help with disaster relief. The U.S. Military has bases in multiple countries besides the United States. During deployments, service members may have some time for recreation and exploration.

With that said, deployment can present legitimate concerns. Proper preparation, especially for service members with families, can help minimize stress and anxiety. Online communities are available that offer guidance and support to service members and their families. It's also important to note that during deployment, service members usually have access to postal mail, email, instant messaging and phone service (even at sea). While communication may be restricted during certain missions, modern technology makes it relatively easy for service members to keep in touch.

Deployment (Military OneSource)

Family and Support

The Military understands that family is an important part of service members' lives. More than half of the active-duty force, approximately 50 percent, are married, and approximately 40 percent of families with active-duty service members include children. As a result, the Military makes family support a top priority.

Learn More About Family and Community in the Military

The Military has established exclusive programs addressing every aspect of family life to help service members and their loved ones. Some examples include affordable family housing, military spouse education, child care, affordable shopping, youth education and development, family health care, family advocacy, services for families with special needs, family citizenship, family recreation, financial stability, family relocation and family counseling. The Military is constantly developing and expanding programs to maximize service member families' stability and quality of life. Here are some of the better-known organizations:

National Military Family Association

Military OneSource

Support Networks

Whether a service member needs help with relocation, parenting, deployment, education, stress or any other aspect of military life, there are several support networks available to service members and their families. See the following sites for more information on these support networks:

Want to see more? Explore Futures Magazine

See how service members are achieving their personal and professional goals while leading fulfilled lives.

Related Resources

Review common acronyms and slang so you can understand a military conversation.

Learn about the types of service and the different opportunities they offer.

Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society (2019)

Chapter: 4 military life opportunities and challenges, 4 military life opportunities and challenges.

To build a clearer picture of military families and gain insights into both their strengths and their needs, in this chapter we build on Chapter 3 by examining the real-life experiences of active and reserve component military personnel and their families. By highlighting the opportunities and challenges of military life at different stages of service and for different subgroups, this chapter offers insights into how major and minor life stressors accumulate and converge to wear down service members and their families, as well as insights into features that mitigate their impact or help provide a safety net, such as a sense of community and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

This chapter is not intended to be a complete listing of all of the major opportunities and challenges of military life. The sponsor of this study will be familiar with these general topics, since understanding what attracts individuals to military service, what supports or impedes performance and deployability, and why personnel leave the military are all key to managing the all-volunteer force. Nevertheless, the challenges highlighted here are likely experienced and managed quite differently by today’s military families compared to those who served as recently as 2000.

Military families encounter opportunities and challenges in life, just like any family does, and the life-course of military families is similar to the life-course of their civilian counterparts. However, some experiences are particular to military life or are experienced differently because of the military context in which they occur. Moreover, there is great variability in military experiences across individuals and families.

An extensive body of research has emerged since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), which raises questions as to whether and how the experiences of service members and their families have changed with the times, and whether or how these experiences relate to family, such as well-being, resilience, readiness, and retention. Taken individually, the studies each face limitations such as: cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data, difficulties recruiting participations (particularly family members and junior enlisted personnel), relying on parents for insights about children, inability to weight samples to unknown characteristics, sample sizes that limit analyses of small subgroups, and restrictions on access to military populations, datasets, and findings not released to the public. As a body of research, however, considered alongside testimonials, news articles, and DoD-reported facts and figures, there are a number of prominent themes that emerge and questions they invite. The literature echoes most of the significant demands on military personnel and their families as well as influential societal trends that Segal (1986) described more than 30 years ago. However, in light of recent, rapid societal changes (discussed below) and ongoing military efforts to support service members and their families, we must continue to seek to understand how today’s families experience and respond to military life.

Recent research has paid particular attention to acute stressors that can be associated with military life, such as combat exposure, traumatic brain injury, family separations during deployment, and post-deployment family reintegration (see Chapters 5 and 6 ). There are also the daily and chronic stressors that can take a toll on individual or family well-being when they are experienced by particularly vulnerable populations or when they become cumulative, either through the same stressor chronically recurring or through multiple stressors occurring simultaneously. Military families must manage a wide range of stressors, of course, not just those that are particular to military life. At the same time, one should not overlook the aspects of military life that service members and their families may find attractive and beneficial.

___________________

1 As noted in Chapter 1 , for the reserve component, the committee focuses on the Selected Reserves, which refers to the prioritized reserve personnel who typically drill and train one weekend a month and two additional weeks each year to prepare to support military operations.

of the Department of Defense (DoD). We chose to spotlight the following seven issue areas, which the chapter addresses in turn, because of their prominence and implications for family well-being:

Transition into the military
Pay and benefits
Geographic assignment and relocation
Deployments, sea duty, training away from home
National Guard and Reserve issues
Diversity and inclusion issues
Transition out of the military.

These issue areas are all interrelated: we call them out separately to better highlight their contributions or roles as military opportunities or stressors.

OPPORTUNITIES OR CHALLENGES?

In this chapter, the committee has not categorized events or features of military families’ lives according to whether they are opportunities or challenges, nor does it presume that all challenges are stressors, for these reasons:

Some experiences could be opportunities, challenges, and stressors—such as job promotion.
Circumstances may influence how one individual appraises an experience. For example, someone may be eager for a permanent change of station (mandatory moves known as PCS) and to move away from one assignment or town, but then be reluctant to have to move away from another.
Different individuals have different preferences. For example, some personnel may welcome the opportunity to deploy multiple times, while others may prefer never to deploy.

Nevertheless, some aspects of military life are generally positive, such as opportunities to develop one’s skills and to receive steady pay and benefits; others may be generally negative, such as being passed over for promotion; and a few may be potentially catastrophic, such as a service-related permanent disability or the death of a loved one. Figure 4-1 depicts how challenges and opportunities, such as the examples discussed in this chapter, can contribute to or rely upon individual, family, and external resources, such as the ability to cope, social networks, and community organizations. That process can result in positive or negative well-being

and readiness outcomes. Managing challenges or opportunities can be an iterative process, one that involves multiple engagements with resources and potentially strengthens or drains resilience factors. These well-being and readiness outcomes can themselves contribute to new challenges or opportunities. This model builds upon a previously proposed Military Family Fitness model (discussed in detail in Bowles et al., 2015 ), and similarly provides illustrative examples rather than a complete listing in every category.

Military families, particularly those who choose to and are able to remain in the military, can be very adaptable and resilient and can develop healthy coping strategies for the stressors of military life such as moves and deployments ( Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ; Meadows et al., 2016 ). Military families can develop their own norms and rhythms for the process of managing family separations or moves and for finding out about the right networks, programs, and services available for their particular needs. Children’s responses to the opportunities and strains of military family life are likely to depend on parental and family maturity and the individual child’s developmental stage, temperament, and social capacity. Based on individual differences within the same family, one child can thrive and another struggle.

or personnel overseas and back, or it can require service members to live and operate in a combat zone for a year or longer. On the positive side, longer deployments can offer greater opportunities to hone leadership and occupational skills, enhance the ability to compete for promotion or key assignments, and increase service-member income through special pays and tax benefits. However, longer duration deployments can also increase service members’ exposure to hazardous environments (e.g., chemical, biological, climatic); present greater risk of war-related injury, death, or exposure to traumatic events; lengthen family separations; and cause service members to miss major milestones such as births and holidays. Individual family members are developing throughout their lives, and the timing of particular events relative to individual development may be consequential.

Early experiences can shape responses to later—sometimes much later—events ( Wilmoth and London, 2013 ). For example, service members’ exposure to adverse events such as abuse or violence prior to joining the military can affect their likelihood of later post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or suicide ( Carroll et al., 2017 ). Military service typically begins during the transition to adulthood, with the possibility of enhancing or disrupting the trajectories of individuals’ later work and family lives. Service members’ military experiences may alter the career trajectories of their spouses or partners ( Kleykamp, 2013 ). An individual could become a military spouse or partner well before their own careers have been established, or long afterward. That timing could result in differing processes for managing the demands of military life, differing levels of resilience resources, and differing types of need for support. Timing is particularly salient in childhood, when development happens so rapidly. For example, children’s experiences with relocations may affect later school performance ( Lyle, 2006 ; Moeller et al., 2015 ). Effects of the content and timing of life experiences can cascade across developmental domains, such that early difficulties at school might lead to later difficulties in relationships with peers ( Masten, 2013 ; Masten and Cicchetti, 2010 ).

These long-term effects of military experiences may be positive, as the “military-as-turning-point” perspective attests; they may be neutral; or they may be negative, as expressed in the “life-course disruption” perspective ( Segal et al., 2015 ; Wilmoth and London, 2013 ). The impact of life events and transitions is conditioned by their characteristics, such as how expected, how abrupt, or how traumatic they are ( Boss, 2002 ). In addition, both risks and resilience factors can accumulate to create mutually reinforcing ‘caravans’ that move together over time, accelerating positive or negative effects ( Layne et al., 2014 ).

as societal perceptions of those conflicts shifted. Historical changes in military compensation and educational benefits can also shape both the attractiveness and the consequences of military service. Attitudes of the public toward service members and their families can be powerful influences on the consequences of military service, leading to both positive consequences, such as special efforts to employ veterans, and negative ones, such as society’s failure to seek out military and veteran families as assets to their communities ( MacLean and Elder, 2007 ).

THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY FAMILY LIFE: YESTERDAY VERSUS TODAY

The context of military service is dramatically different today from what it was when the all-volunteer force was designed. Today, U.S. forces increasingly serve in diverse missions, including combat, peacekeeping, disaster relief, public health and humanitarian efforts, and homeland security. Many missions, such as those that involve technology or long-term engagement with local populations overseas, require expert knowledge and advanced skills that take years to develop. Today’s armed forces prepare for and carry out missions not only in the air, on the land, and on the sea, but through space and cyberspace. Unlike during the Cold War era, today the military is focused not on a single main adversary but on ever-changing threats from state and nonstate actors around the globe. In addition, the National Guard and the Reserves have been called up like never before in our nation’s military history ( Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, 2008 ).

As discussed in chapters 2 and 3 , today’s military personnel and military families are more diverse than ever ( DoD, 2017a ; Hawkins et al., 2018 ). The proportions of military personnel who are women, who are dual-military couples, and who are racial and ethnic minorities have all grown. As of 2011, gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members have been allowed to serve openly, and now dependent benefits extend to same-sex spouses. Occupations and units that had been closed to women have gradually opened, and by 2016 the policies that had excluded them from the remaining combat positions were lifted. Also, as discussed in Chapter 3 , in 2016, the secretary of defense ended the ban on transgender service ( DoD, 2015 ), which was reversed effective April 2019, with certain exemptions for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria after the ban was lifted ( DoD, 2019 ). There is no ban on transgender military dependents, however, and these dependents have been increasingly seeking gender affirming care through the military health system since it became available in 2016 ( Klein et al., 2019 ; Van Donge et al., 2019 ).

The number of military dependents continues to outnumber service members by increasingly large margins, and survey data suggest that there

are also significant numbers of unmarried partners of personnel in long-term relationships (see Chapter 3 ) ( DoD, 2018 ). The younger generations have grown up with smartphones, computer tablets, ubiquitous Internet access, GPS-based location and mapping services, online search engines, and the use of social media to create and share content with others (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube). Another important development is that today’s military and veteran family populations are more likely than those of past wars to include individuals with physical and mental wounds and challenges, because service members who historically would have died of battlefield wounds, illnesses, or injuries have survived in recent wars due to advances in military medicine, in training, and in aeromedical evacuations. 2

Geographic distribution has shifted as well. Today’s military families do not necessarily live near other military families or installation-based support services. Instead, they live across communities that are more geographically dispersed, rather than being concentrated in specific neighborhoods, as the active component has shifted from living primarily on military installations to living primarily off-installation ( DoD, 2017a ). Some families do live in regions with a greater concentration than average of military and veteran families, as noted in Chapter 3 . One way in which active component military personnel have become less diverse is that they are increasingly likely to have come from the South and least likely to come from the Northeast ( Maley and Hawkins, 2018 ). Recent analyses find that these regional differences are largely explained by differences in demographic characteristics, such as race, education, and religious adherence ( Maley and Hawkins, 2018 ). Nevertheless, the armed forces still bring together individuals from diverse communities across the United States who work and sometimes live together but who are also immersed in nonmilitary communities.

The structure of DoD’s personnel system has important implications for service member and family retention and readiness. To compete with civilian job market opportunities and mitigate the impacts of the demands of military life, particularly post-9/11, support programs for military personnel and their families have grown enormously. However, decades of research continue to show that other one-size-fits-all legacy aspects of the military personnel system, such as the up-or-out policy of promotion, frequent relocation, lack of individual and family control over placements and timing, and the standardization of career pathways, can often negatively impact service members and their families; moreover, they can also increase the military’s expenses and limit its ability to develop, assign, and retain the optimal staffing for its needs ( Carter et al., 2017 ; Task Force on Defense

2 For further details, see health.mil/Reference-Center/Publications/2016/09/01/Advances-in-Army-Medicine-since-9-11 .

Personnel, 2017 ). Turnover is highest among women ( DACOWITS, 2017 ) and among the junior ranks, where DoD has invested heavily in training and support but has not yet seen the yield of those costs ( GAO, 2017 ).

The widespread access to the internet and the rise of social media and smartphone use can facilitate information sharing, communication with friends and loved ones, self-expression, education, access to services, social networking, mentoring, translation, job and housing searches, and staying in touch with “battle buddies” after moves and deployments. But these digital developments can also be new channels for deception, inappropriate content, misinformation, information overload, abuse and harassment (e.g., cyberbullying, revenge porn, trolling), and distractions from real-world obligations and face-to-face interactions. Additionally, for many members of the American public the news media is the primary or sole source of information about U.S. military members, veterans, and their families, and this in turn can contribute to stereotyping, both positive and negative ( Kleykamp and Hipes, 2015 ; Parrott et al., 2018 ; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013 ).

The Pew Research Center estimates that U.S. internet use among adults has grown from 52 percent in 2000 to 89 percent in 2018 ( Pew Research Center, 2018a ). Social media use among adults has grown from 5 percent in 2005 (when Pew first began to collect estimates) to 69 percent in 2018 ( Pew Research Center, 2018b ). Smartphone ownership among adults rose from 35 percent in 2011 to 77 percent in 2018 ( Pew Research Center, 2018c ). Usage rates are even higher among younger adults; for example, 94 percent of those ages 18 to 29 had a smartphone in 2018, compared to 73 percent of adults ages 50 to 64 ( Pew Research Center, 2018c ).

Given these rapid changes over the past decade and a half—in military life, deployments, societal views, family arrangements, and digital access—to the extent possible we have relied in this study on the most recent literature, highlighting where there is still significant work to be done as well as where new developments may call for new strategies or new perspectives on perennial issues. We emphasize that many of the stressors of military life are not inevitable, inherent features, but policies that could be adapted to allow for greater flexibility for the preferences and needs of the diverse individuals and families DoD needs to attract and retain in order to meet the demands of the current and anticipated future national security environment.

TRANSITION INTO THE MILITARY

criminal record, or other such issues. Among youths ages 17 to 24, only about 29 percent (9.6 million) meet all the core eligibility requirements and would be able to enlist without a waiver ( JAMRS, 2016 , p. 5). Narrowed further to youths who are not enrolled in college and able to score average or better on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, the pool drops to 13 percent of youths (4.4 million) ( JAMRS, 2016 , p. 5). That figure does not account for individuals’ interest in serving in the military or reflect that the military must compete with other organizations with similar employment criteria, such as law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and the Department of Homeland Security.

The estimated cost to recruit, screen, and train each new enlistee is approximately $75,000 ( GAO, 2017 ). Rapid and successful adaptation to military life is key to military family readiness as well as to reducing attrition (failure to complete the first term of service) and increasing the retention of quality personnel beyond the first term of service. First terms of enlistment are typically 4 to 6 years long, but in fiscal year 2011 approximately 27 percent active component enlistees had separated from the military before they had completed 4 years of service, and close to 10 percent of new enlistees had attritted within just 6 months of service ( GAO, 2017 , p. 12). The recorded indicators of why service members attrite provide little insight, since the leading documented reason was the catch-all “unqualified for active duty, other” ( GAO, 2017 , p. 14). 3

This section considers some of the benefits and challenges that new service members may encounter as they transition into the service and into their first duty stations. Prominent examples from the literature and other sources (e.g., testimonials) discussed here are summarized in Box 4-1 . As noted earlier in this chapter, the committee does not sort issues into positive and negative categories, because characterization may depend upon the context and circumstances, the time at which they occur, individuals’ own vulnerabilities and interpretations, and other factors. Also, even positive changes can serve as stressors, and both positive and negative experiences can result in individual growth and enhanced resilience. The issues discussed in this section apply to both active and reserve component individuals, and many of them extend throughout the military life course.

3 Less common reasons for attrition, in order of occurrence (specific numbers not provided), were drug abuse; disability, severance pay; failure to meet weight or body fat standards; character or behavior disorder; temporary disability retirement; pregnancy; permanent disability retirement; fraudulent entry; and alcoholism ( GAO, 2017 , p. 14).

19 percent of military spouses are age 25 or younger ( DoD, 2017c , pp. 8, 125). Military service often begins with geographic separation from friends and family, as service and occupational entry-level training typically take even members of the National Guard and Reserves away from their hometowns. After initial entry training, reserve component personnel may return to their hometowns and be able to put down roots, but geographic separation from friends and family will be an ongoing feature of military life for many service members.

Especially for those not raised in a military family, entering service can require quite an adjustment to elements of military life. Military jargon, acronyms, organization, culture, and rules and regulations may present a steep learning curve. The loss of a certain degree of privacy—not just of physical space but also potentially loss of privacy of health records if deemed a military necessity—may also require an adjustment.

Military service can also provide a range of intangible benefits. Service members and families alike may greatly enjoy a sense of belonging, a sense of community, camaraderie and esprit de corps. Of course, not everyone who values those qualities feels valued and fully included in their military community. Being ostracized, socially excluded, or otherwise rejected in a tight-knit community can be physically and psychologically painful; DoD policy prohibits such treatment but only when it takes the form of retaliation for reporting crimes ( McGraw, 2016 ; Williams, 2007 ). In such environments, members may consider the risks of exclusion, ostracization, or other retaliation when

reporting misconduct or criminal behavior within the community, or revealing anything that may be stigmatized in that particular community.

New service members may be in a particularly vulnerable position in the organization given their relative unfamiliarity with the rules, regulations, and acceptable norms, and given the power imbalance between them and authority figures who have significant influence over their careers. This may put them at greater risk for abuse, such as sexual harassment or sexual assault ( Davis et al., 2017 ) and hazing rituals ( Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, 2017 ).

At the same time, it may not be long into a military career before a new service member gains the opportunity to hold a level of responsibility, authority, or power that someone their age and background might rarely experience in a civilian job. For example, recent college graduates (young military officers) can be sent to military operations or battlefields overseas, be held responsible for the lives of their charges, operate multimillion-dollar equipment, control weapons that could cause major loss of life and damage to infrastructure, and be expected to maintain the peace on the ground in an area of heightened tensions.

Related to the hierarchical structure of the organization and the stakes of military missions, the military forbids certain types of relationships. Fraternization refers to Service and DoD policies prohibiting certain relationships that can compromise or appear to compromise the chain of command. Although the term is often used to refer to romantic or sexual relationships, it can also refer to friendships, business partnerships, or other relationships that may indicate a supervisor or commander who is unable to be fair or impartial, who is using rank or position for personal gain or to take advantage of subordinates, or who would not have the ability to exert their authority properly. An example is officers who are too informal with and too often socialize with their subordinates outside of official settings and then find they cannot command effectively in military operations.

Military work can be challenging in both growth-enhancing and negative ways. Less desirable challenges include too-heavy work demands, particularly if they are seemingly relentless, are related to tasks that do not seem essential, or are perceived as being the consequence of poor leadership or organizational management. Examples might include long hours, understaffing, stressful work, or being frequently called away from home for temporary duty (TDY), training, unaccompanied tours, or deployments. As the next chapters will discuss further, traumatic military experiences can include participation in or exposure to combat or its aftermath, being taken a prisoner of war, and being physically or sexually abused, harassed, or assaulted by fellow DoD personnel or contractors.

Military service, awards, and promotions can become a source of pride. On the other end of the spectrum, disciplinary action can be a risk to well-being,

and family members may feel the brunt of the consequences economically or by reputation if their service member is confined, docked pay, demoted, required to perform additional duties, denied reenlistment, or discharged.

Officer and enlisted transitions into the military are not equivalent. Officers obtain a college degree prior to obtaining their commission, and thus on average are older and have a higher level of education. Poorer family well-being has been consistently correlated with lower rank ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , Key Findings, p. ES-8). In addition, there is evidence that enlisted ranks may be at higher risk of developing or reporting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , p. 31; Lester et al., 2010 ). Service members in the lower enlisted ranks and their spouses experience more isolation than officers and their families, and officers’ children have been reported to use more effective coping skills than those of lower-ranked parents ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , p. 4; Lucier-Greer et al., 2016 ). Not surprisingly, military families with lower incomes (such as those with members in the junior enlisted ranks) experience less financial stability and more strain than those with higher incomes. For married or partnered service members, unemployment or underemployment of nonmilitary spouses and disruption of their career progression are often by-products of aspects of the military lifestyle, and these consequences are further affected by a spouse’s gender and by the service member’s paygrade ( Shiffer, et al., 2017 ).

PAY AND BENEFITS

Service members and their families can benefit from various levels of military pay, health care, housing or housing allowances, education and training (or financial assistance to support it), subsidized child care, and recreational activities, facilities, and discounts. Eligibility can vary by active and reserve component military status, as noted in the examples summarized in Box 4-2 ). More benefits are available to service members on active duty status, as they are full-time military personnel. Members of the active component and the Reserves always serve under federal control (Title 10), and that is true regardless of whether members of the Reserves are on active duty or reserve status. Members of the National Guard serve under federal control when they are called up for a federal mission, which could include being mobilized for war or providing domestic assistance during national emergencies. When not on Title 10 orders, however, National Guard members work for their states. Responding to natural disasters or accidents as well as homeland security missions could fall under either federal (Title 10) or state (Title 32) control. 4

4 For more information on National Guard domestic operations and authorities, see U.S. Departments of the Army and the Air Force (2008) .

Because military service offers the promise of financial stability and upward mobility for many families, service members who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are over-represented in the forces ( Kelty and Segal, 2013 ) and within the enlisted ranks, although they are by no means the only socioeconomic class of individuals to join the all-volunteer force. Military service offers opportunities for overcoming structural and cumulative disadvantage among those who have been raised in poorer families and communities and received low-quality education, including among racial and ethnic minority groups ( Bennett and McDonald, 2013 ).

Youth from disadvantaged backgrounds often have relatively few options for accessing jobs that provide living wages and skill development

or higher education. Thus, military service offers the potential for socioeconomic advancement through competitive wages, educational achievement, including a pathway to college, housing, and health benefits ( Bennett and McDonald, 2013 , p. 138). In addition, service members have the flexibility to use their service to acquire needed training and skills for later entry into the civilian labor market or may stay in the military through retirement. Military employment opportunities can appeal to the middle class as well, for reasons such as the cost of financing a college education or vocational training, alternative entry-level employment for American youths looking for benefits and on-the-job training, and employment opportunities during economic downturns such as the Great Recession of 2008.

Among the major benefits of military service are steady earnings and employment for service members. For active duty service, those earnings include paid leave and pay when sick or off-duty recovering from injuries. Some personnel will qualify for bonuses or special pays based on the military’s need, their specialized skills, or their duty conditions (e.g., enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, pays for critical skills, hazardous duty incentive pay, flight pay, family separation allowance, tax breaks). 5 Increases in active and reserve component base pay correspond to increasing rank and years of service, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. However, there is not proportional representation across ranks and occupations by gender, race, or ethnicity. We cannot determine representation across ranks and occupations in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) service members due to limited systematic data. In the past, the military’s pay structure has resulted in a significantly smaller, though still present, wage gap between African American and White service members ( Booth and Segal, 2005 ).

Over time, there have been fluctuations in approved pay, incentives, and the design of the retirement system. One of the most significant recent changes is the new Blended Retirement System, which took effect January 1, 2018. This now provides options to the military’s legacy system, which had previously allowed only personnel who had served 20 years or more to receive retirement benefits, and those were in the form of monthly payments. The new system includes a Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) retirement savings plan), a pay bonus for those who continue beyond 12 years of service, and an annuity payment calculated with a

5 For military pay charts, see https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/PayTables.html .

2 percent multiplier (rather than 2.5% multiplier under the legacy system). 6 The preferences of service members and their families, and the impact of their choices (e.g., lump sum instead of monthly payout, Thrift Savings Plan option), remain to be seen.

In periods of downsizing, service members can be incentivized to leave voluntarily before their term of service ends, or involuntarily “let go” even if they have not done anything wrong. So a military term of service is not without uncertainties; however, such unexpected discharges tend to be less common than in the civilian sector. Service members serve under a contract or commitment for length of service: although some young adults might find it daunting to make a 4- to 6-year commitment to a job and an employer, especially not knowing what it will be like, where they will be serving, or what their boss or co-workers will be like, others may find the job security reassuring.

Financial Stress and Food Insecurity

Although service members receive steady pay and benefits, they may still struggle financially. Varied sources of data, including the 2013 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Members, indicate that junior enlisted families with children are the most vulnerable to experiencing food insecurity, although systematic data on the proportion or characteristics of military families who are food insecure is limited ( GAO, 2016 ). Analyses of nationally representative data on veterans have found that veterans serving during the all-volunteer era have had significantly higher odds of food insecurity when compared to either veterans serving during the previous era or to civilian households ( Miller et al., 2016 ). There are 18 federal programs for food assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and free and reduced-lunch programs, all of which have different eligibility criteria and access points ( GAO, 2016 ). Military personnel are not ineligible for these programs. In 2015, 24 percent of children in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools qualified for reduced lunch, and another 21 percent qualified for free lunch ( GAO, 2016 ).

6 For an overview of the new system in a reader-friendly format, see https://militarypay.defense.gov/Portals/3/Documents/BlendedRetirementDocuments/A%20Guide%20to%20the%20Uniformed%20Services%20BRS%20December%202017.pdf .

indicates that food insecurity is significant. According to estimates from a 2013 Census Bureau survey, approximately 23,000 active duty service members utilized SNAP in the previous 12 months ( GAO, 2016 ). London and Heflin (2015) examined SNAP use by active duty, veteran, and reservist participants in the American Community Survey from 2008 to 2012 and reported that use was low but “non-trivial” among the active duty respondents (2.2%), while use was 9 percent among surveyed reservists, and about 7 percent among veterans. More recently, service members on active duty spent over $21 million in food stamp benefits at military commissaries from September 2014 through August 2015 ( GAO, 2016 ).

As is the case for people struggling financially in the civilian sector, service members and their families face both logistical challenges and stigma in seeking food assistance ( GAO, 2016 , p. 21). Specifically, military families may have limited awareness of assistance programs and may assume that they do not qualify or may fear being stigmatized for using the services.

Health Care

Particularly relevant to the well-being of military families is free military health care, a benefit that extends to service members and their legal dependents. The military health care system covers preventive care, maternity care, hospitalization, outpatient procedures, mental health care, prescription medications, catastrophic illnesses, and preexisting conditions. This system is discussed more thoroughly in subsequent chapters, but it may be worth noting here that critiques of it include long wait times, poor care quality, limited access to specialists, and limited access for members of the National Guard and Reserves who are not serving on Title 10 active duty orders.

Supplemental to the military mental health care system are confidential, short-term nonmedical counseling options, akin to employee assistance program offerings, that help families with issues such as coping with a loss, stress management, work-life balance, managing deployment issues, and parenting and relationship challenges. These options, available through Military OneSource and the Military and Family Life Counseling Program, have been positively rated by most participants; however, these limited sessions alone are not likely to be able to resolve complex or severe problems, and awareness of this benefit may be limited among military families ( Trail et al., 2017 ).

For active component personnel, military service includes on-installation housing or a housing allowance adjusted to the local housing market and intended to cover the cost of housing in the local economy.

Military housing varies from installation to installation in terms of modernization, configuration, and location relative to other buildings, but regardless of this, housing options will vary based on personnel’s rank group and dependent status. DoD sets minimum configuration and privacy standards for housing, so that higher-ranking personnel have more space and more privacy than lower-ranking personnel. For example, all senior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) (pay grades E-7 to E-9), warrant officers, and commissioned officers unaccompanied by military dependents must have a private housing unit with a private bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room; junior NCOs (pay grades E-5 to E-6) may live in a shared unit, but must have at least a private bedroom and a bathroom shared with not more than one other person; and junior enlisted personnel (E-1 to E-4) may live in a shared unit with a bedroom and bathroom shared with one other person ( DoD, 2010 , p. 25). Thus, junior enlisted and junior NCO housing may resemble shared college dormitory or shared apartment living, but even the most junior officers without dependents will have private housing.

Family housing on installations accommodates service members accompanied by dependents, and families are not required to share a unit with another family. DoD guidance is for commanders to make reasonable attempts, based on the inventory and need, to provide family housing that will allow each dependent to have a bedroom, or at least share it with no more than one other “unless the installation commander determines the bedroom is large enough to accommodate more” ( DoD, 2010 , p. 14). Generally, family housing is separate from unaccompanied housing, and unaccompanied housing units are grouped by whether they house junior enlisted members, NCOs, or officers.

Over the last several decades, there has been a major shift among active component personnel and their spouses and children, from living primarily on installations to living primarily off of them and not necessarily even living close to their assigned installations. This shift in residence offers benefits to service members, including greater privacy, greater opportunities for single service members to meet potential partners, opportunities to live with nonmarital partners or others of one’s choosing, more control over the choice of neighborhood and housing, and more choice over how the home is kept and decorated.

The downsides of this shift include a more dispersed military community, neighbors who may know little about the military or even be hostile to it, additional time taken out of every work day to commute and get through the morning line at the gate to the installation (and potentially the need for a car where one otherwise would not have existed), the possibility of choosing housing that is more expensive than one can responsibly afford, and greater challenges for leadership and service providers in identifying families that are isolated or in trouble.

Education and Training

In addition to entry-level, on-the-job, and more advanced occupational training, the military can support other types of service member education. The military service academies are highly competitive colleges that provide a full-time, 4-year college degree, plus room and board, educational expenses, and military and other training opportunities at no expense to the students or their families, in exchange for a minimum service commitment once the graduate is commissioned as a military officer. Under competitive Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships, students receive full or partial scholarships for tuition, books, and fees at a civilian university, along with military training, in exchange for a minimum service commitment (also as an officer). Enlisted personnel are also able to compete to attend the academies or receive an ROTC scholarship.

The military also sponsors relevant graduate degrees for selected officers. Graduate degrees may help officers prepare for military careers. For example, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences provides a tuition-free medical school education plus a salary of $64,000 or more for selected service members to pursue their degree and obtain leadership training, in exchange for an additional service commitment after graduation. 7 Some officers may have opportunities to earn PhDs in graduate schooling sponsored by the military, but this is not the norm. More commonly, during the course of officers’ careers there are often opportunities to obtain military-sponsored master’s degrees at military graduate schools, such as the Air Force Institute of Technology, Marine Corps University, National Defense University, Naval Postgraduate School, and the U.S. Army War College, or occasionally at civilian institutions. Some families are geographically separated while officers attend graduate programs in-residence for a year, and then reunite through a permanent change of station (PCS) to the next duty station. For this reason, among others, graduate study can therefore be both an opportunity and a stressor.

7 See https://www.usuhs.edu/medschool/admissions .

equivalent civilian college credits. The 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill 8 offers service members postsecondary education tuition assistance, a living allowance, and related expenses, and personnel with a minimum number of years of service can transfer some or all of these benefits to a spouse or child(ren). In less than a decade, more than one million service members and veterans and more than 200,000 dependents utilized this benefit (Wenger et.al., 2017, p. xii).

Service members may take college classes on their own time, and enlisted personnel may earn an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or license or certificate beyond their military training. Some civilian colleges and universities even offer courses located on military installations, and of course many schools today offer courses online, which can provide opportunities for military families that lack the transportation or travel time to attend school on-campus.

Local installations typically offer classes to service members, and in some cases their families, for recreation, well-being, or self-improvement. Examples from the wide range of class subjects include stress management, anger management, communication, time management, financial management and budgeting, auto repair and maintenance, scuba, arts and crafts, yoga, nutrition, healthy cooking, smoking cessation, disease management (e.g., asthma, diabetes), parenting, job search skills, and English as a second language.

A key benefit of active component military service is access to quality affordable child care. As outlined in Chapter 3 , the military is a young force with many young families. Indeed, the average age of the active component force is 28 years old ( DoD, 2017c , p. iv). More than one-half of all active component members are married, and 43 percent of spouses are age 30 or younger. Nearly 41 percent of active component personnel have children; almost 38 percent of these children are age 5 or younger, and 69 percent are age 11 or younger.

DoD is the provider of the nation’s largest employer-sponsored child care system, serving approximately 180,000 children ranging in age from birth to age 12 ( DoD, 2016a ). More than 700 DoD child development centers and child care facilities are located across more than 230 installations worldwide ( DoD 2017b , pp. 3–4).

In terms of both cost and quality, DoD’s child development program is viewed as a model of child care for the nation. The quality of DoD child care is upheld through national accreditation standards; 97 percent of DoD

8 Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 33, Sections 3301 to 3324 – Post-9/11 Educational Assistance.

child development centers are accredited ( DoD, 2017b ). More broadly, one report notes that, “Nationally, only 11 percent of child care establishments are accredited by the National Association for the Education of the Young Child or the National Association for Family Child Care” ( Schulte and Durana, 2016 ). The affordability of DoD’s child development program for service members and their families is assured by appropriated funding. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 1996 required that the amount appropriated by Congress for child development centers must equal or exceed what service members pay in fees. On average, these subsidies cover about 64 percent of the cost of military installation child care, which for each child includes 50 hours of care a week and two meals and two snacks per day, with all families paying some fees based on an income scale ( Floyd and Phillips, 2013 , p. 85). Free respite care provides a temporary break in caregiving to spouses whose service member is deployed overseas or to families with children with special needs.

However, civilian child care for infants and toddlers is costly, so demand for subsidized military child care for this age group is high and child care spaces are limited. In 2016, at 32 percent of installations the wait lists for child care exceeded 3 months—in particular, areas with large military populations and a high cost of living, such as San Diego (California), Hawaii, the Tidewater Region of Virginia, and the National Capitol Region ( DoD, 2016b ).

Limited access to child care and lengthy wait times are key concerns for many military families. In a 2017 Blue Star Families survey, 67 percent of military family respondents indicated they are not always able to obtain the childcare they need. The survey found that the top employment obstacles reported by military spouse respondents who wanted to be working but were not, were service member job demands (55%), child care (53%), and family commitments (43%), rather than lack of job skills or opportunities ( Shiffer et al., 2017 ). Moreover, 67 percent of female service members and 33 percent of male service members reported they could not find child care that worked with their schedules ( Shiffer et al., 2017 ). That finding was reinforced by focus groups that also emphasized the mismatch between the hours military child care is available and the needs of service women ( DACOWITS, 2017 ). Although the survey and focus groups may not be representative samples, it is clear from these and numerous sources over recent decades that there is a high demand for more affordable, quality child care and that DoD’s capacity still has not yet been able to fully meet the need ( DACOWITS, 2017 ; Hawkins et al., 2018 ; Huffman et al., 2017 ; Zellman et al., 2009 ).

By DoD’s own metrics, in fiscal year 2015 it was only able to meet 78 percent of the child care needs of military families, rather than its

goal of 80 percent, and was reaching into the civilian community to expand child care, as well as building new child care facilities while repairing or replacing aging ones ( DoD 2017b , p. 5). Additionally, as part of a secretary of defense initiative, in 2016 installations began offering extended child care hours to better align with service member schedules. Some child development centers faced hurdles in recruiting and hiring providers, however, which Congress addressed in the fiscal year 2018 NDAA by modifying the hiring authorities ( Kamarck, 2018 ). Time will tell how much headway these reforms will be able to contribute toward better meeting the child care needs of military families with children. DoD may need to increase its goal for how much of the child care need it aims to meet, although not all eligible parents of military children needing child care services will likely wish to use DoD’s.

Activities, Facilities, and Discounts

Other benefits of military service include free or low-cost recreational facilities, such as installation pools, fitness centers, movie theaters, golf courses and hobby shops; rental of outdoor equipment, such as kayaks, bikes, and camping gear; ticketing services for activities, such as concerts, festivals, amusement parks, and comedy shows; and free or discounted flight opportunities. Additionally, some businesses and organizations offer discounts to military personnel and their families, such as free or discounted admission to zoos, parks, and museums. Many of these benefits provide access to venues through which community and family bonds are built and reinforced, and the subsidies and discounts go far to keeping such activities affordable for military families.

DoD policy for Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs specifically states that these offerings by DoD are an integral part of the military and benefits package, that they build healthy families and communities, and that their purpose is to maintain individual, family, and mission readiness ( DoD, 2009 ). A 2018 GAO study, however, found that from 2012 to 2017 the Services had not been consistently meeting funding targets for some of these resources, and noted DoD recognition that, “extended engagement in overseas conflicts and constrained budgets have resulted in an operating environment that is substantially different from the peacetime setting in which the targets were first established” more than 20 years ago ( GAO, 2018c , p. 13). Thus, the GAO concluded that we cannot be certain that even meeting those funding targets would be adequate for today’s operating environment. DoD concurred with the GAO’s recommendation to evaluate the funding targets and develop measurable goals and performance measures for these programs ( GAO, 2018c ).

GEOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT AND RELOCATION

As shown in the summary in Box 4-3 , many of the challenges related to military assignments and relocations are primarily associated with the active component, as reserve component members can typically choose where to live and are not required to keep moving to new locations throughout their military careers.

Military families’ geographic location can play a significant role in their satisfaction with military life, their ability to access military resources, and their ability to interact with other military families or their own family members. Families may prefer to live near other family members, in either rural or urban areas, or in particular climates or regions of the country. Life in remote and isolated areas can present difficulties, however even for families who otherwise enjoy rural or small-town life. For example, in such areas there may be few opportunities for civilian employment or education for members of the National Guard or Reserves or for military spouses or partners, and only limited opportunities for single service members to meet potential romantic partners. Remote areas also provide more limited access to specialists who can examine and treat those with particular medical needs. Because remote and isolated locations offer fewer local nonmilitary opportunities for socializing, fitness, and recreation, additional appropriated fund spending on morale, welfare, and recreation is permitted at installations in such locations ( DoD, 2009 ).

Foreign assignments can present multiple advantages, such as the opportunity to experience new cultures and learn new languages, as well as an appreciation of taken-for-granted advantages back home. They can also introduce difficulties. Some service members or their family members may be uncomfortable venturing off of installations, spouses may face limited opportunities for employment, and the distance and differences in time zones can make communication and contact with family and friends at home particularly challenging. Those who have difficulty adapting to overseas assignments can experience poor mental and physical health as a result ( Burrell et al., 2006 ).

Reactions to a foreign assignment may depend in part on timing. For example, a 2012 survey of 1,036 adolescents with at least one active-duty parent found differences between those living in the United States and those living in Europe ( Lucier-Greer et al., 2016 ). Among adolescents ages 11 to 14, foreign residence was associated with being more likely to turn to their family as a means of coping along with lower levels of self-reliance/optimism, and among adolescents ages 15 to 18 it was associated with higher levels of self-reliance but more depressive symptoms ( Lucier-Greer et al., 2016 ).

Relocation: PCS Moves

opportunities at another location, or to reunite with friends and family. However, PCS moves can be stressors even when desired, because of the process of packing, moving, finding a new home (for some, selling the current home), transferring schools, changing medical providers, and so on ( Tong et al., 2018 ). PCS moves can be undesired as well, as they can disrupt social networks, children’s education, spouses’ employment and career and educational advancement, the families’ ability to build home equity, and continuity of health care, especially for military families that include members with special needs. For LGBT service members and racial or ethnic minorities, PCS moves may create specific stressors when the new location offers fewer protections or is less welcoming within the local social and cultural contexts.

Moreover, PCS moves can split families, such as when dual-military couples cannot co-locate, when a family decides it is better for the spouse/partner or children to remain behind until the spouse can find a new job, or when a significant milestone passes, such as a newborn reaching a certain age, a child graduating, or a family member in a vulnerable state stabilizing or recovering. Unfortunately, the literature is lacking evidence on the extent to which families relocate together or in staggered fashion or remain separated, or the effect of the adopted strategy on PCS-related disruptions ( Tong et al., 2018 ).

PCS Moves and Children

Mobility and geographic transitions were once considered a key benefit of military service. While that mobility continues to be an inducement for military service, PCS moves can have a harmful impact on the education of military children. On average, military children move and change schools six to nine times from the start of kindergarten to high school graduation, which is three times more often than their civilian peers. School-age military children are especially vulnerable to the stress related to frequent transitions, as they must simultaneously cope with normal developmental stressors, such as establishing peer relationships, conflict in parent/child relationships, and increased academic demands ( Ruff and Keim, 2014 ). Although many PCS moves occur during the summer months, some families must move during the school year.

has been associated with reduced grades, increased depression and anxiety symptoms, skipping class, violence and weapon carrying, gang membership, and early sexual activity, although the overall prevalence is quite low ( Hawkins et al., 2018 ). Evidence is limited regarding the impact of single relocations vs. accumulations of relocations over time.

However, there is evidence suggesting that for some children, frequent relocations may promote resiliency and the development of coping behaviors, and PCS moves can become normative in some military families ( Spencer et al., 2016 ). Having experienced a number of military moves, these children have a better sense of what is involved, and some look forward to the excitement of new opportunities in a new location.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children aims to address what it identifies as the major challenges for children in public schools, including:

Enrollment requirements for educational records and immunizations
Waiver of course requirements for graduation if similar classes were completed
Similar course placement (e.g., honors, vocational) and flexibility in waiving prerequisites
Excusing absences so children can spend time with service members on leave from or immediately returned from a deployment
Special education services
Flexibility with application deadlines for extracurricular activities ( Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, 2018 ).

Families with children may also rely on social supports offered by the military and civilian communities in dealing with PCS moves ( MCEC, 2009 ). DoD has stated their commitment to serve military children by providing youth programming for children ages 6 to 18 on installations and in communities where military families live. Part of this effort includes establishing approximately 140 youth and teen centers worldwide that serve more than 1 million school-age children of active duty and reserve component members annually. Centers provide educational and recreational programs designed around character and leadership development, career development, health and life skills, and the arts, among others ( DoD, 2016a ).

DoD has also recognized researchers’ recommendations to align the formal supports of a military installation with the informal supports of the nonmilitary community to support families ( Huebner et al., 2009 ). DoD has partnered and/or contracted with federal and nonfederal youth-serving organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Big Brothers Big Sisters, 4-H, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the Department of Labor summer employment program, and other local

and national youth organizations to provide programming to military youth on and off installations. Programs that have resulted from partnerships with national youth serving organizations, such as the USA Girl Scouts Overseas 9 and BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers, 10 often identify their goal to positively influence well-being, resiliency, and academic success and provide a sense of security, stability, and continuity as families transition to new locations. DoD has stated its intention to continue to building “strong partnerships with national youth-serving organizations that augment and offer valued resources” ( DoD, 2016 , p. 5). Given that a significant proportion of the current military population comprises reserve component service members, the expansion of formal support systems to include agencies and organizations located outside of the military installations is key ( Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ; Huebner et al., 2009 ).

PCS Moves and Family Financial Well-Being

PCS moves every 2 to 3 years can disrupt the pursuit by spouses and partners of higher education, as well as partner eligibility for in-state tuition. Moves can also disrupt their employment, leading to loss of seniority, employment gaps, and underemployment. All of these effects can hurt the financial well-being of a military family.

In a representative longitudinal DoD-wide survey of active component civilian spouses conducted by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), 6,412 spouses participated in all three waves of the 2010, 2011, and 2012 surveys. The study provided self-reported evidence that PCS moves had a negative impact on spouses’ pursuit of higher education or training, on their employment, and on families’ financial condition ( DMDC, 2015 ). Another study of the earnings of active component spouses who were not in the active component themselves also found evidence of a family financial disruption associated with a PCS move. Based on an analysis of DoD administrative data and Social Security Administration earnings data between 2000 and 2012, it found that a PCS move was associated with a 14 percent decline in average spousal earnings during the year of the move ( Burke and Miller, 2018 , p. 1261).

9 For more information, see http://www.usagso.org/en/our-council/who-we-are.html .

10 For more information, see https://www.bgca.org/about-us/military .

a disruption to their education and earnings, but they would have been ineligible for assistance to spouses provided by DoD. For example, Military Community and Family Policy’s (MC&FP’s) Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program offers career counseling and tuition assistance in the form of My Career Advancement Account [MyCAA] Scholarships for spouses of early-career service members to support occupationally focused education and training in portable career fields. Through these initiatives, DoD helps spouses select and prepare for portable careers likely to be in demand wherever their service member is stationed, so that the spouse’s employment and earnings trajectory will be better able to weather frequent military moves. Unmarried partners are not eligible for this support, nor are they eligible for state benefits for military spouses negotiated by the DoD State Liaison Office, such as unemployment compensation eligibility after following their service member for a PCS move, or accommodations to support the portability of occupational licenses and credentials across state lines. 11

TRAINING, SEA DUTY, AND DEPLOYMENTS

Deployments and sea duty 12 can provide service members with a number of desirable opportunities and benefits, such as

Employing or developing their skills in real-world settings
Making a difference in the world
Developing strong bonds with others
Earning financial bonuses through special pays and tax advantages, and
Learning about other parts of the world.

Training and field exercises can also confer some of these advantages and help prepare service members to succeed in military operations.

Personnel tempo, commonly referred to as perstempo , refers to the amount of time individuals serve away from their home duty station, whether for deployments, sea duty, exercises, unit training, or individual training. Although a 2013 DoD policy is supposed to limit the amount of time service members spend away from home, a 2018 GAO assessment found that DoD perstempo data are incomplete and unreliable and that the Services do not have or do not enforce perstempo thresholds ( GAO, 2018a ). Thus, GAO found, DoD lacks the ability to gauge the amount of stress

11 For more information, see https://statepolicy.militaryonesource.mil .

12 Sea duty refers to Navy personnel assignments to ships or submarines. It contrasts with shore duty , or land-based assignments. For more information, see http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/milpersman/1000/1300Assignment/Documents/1306-102.pdf .

perstempo rates place on the force and any associated impacts on military readiness ( GAO, 2018a ).

Much of the literature has focused on the stressors of these family separations, which can have a negative impact on individuals, relationships, and the family as a unit. Examples include service members worrying about their families while geographically separated and trying to manage family problems from afar; relationship problems (e.g., couples growing apart, infidelity, or the end of a relationship); and missing major life events (e.g., births, weddings, funerals, childhood “firsts,” graduations, holidays, and family reunions). Other challenging life events associated with military separations include traumatic experiences, such as combat participation or exposure to dead bodies, violence, atrocities, or abhorrent living conditions (discussed further in subsequent chapters); family members’ fear of death, injury, or illness (physical or psychological) of their service member serving in a hostile area; and post-absence readjustment/reintegration between/among family members, including the service member’s adjustment to “routine” life upon returning. Family difficulties can be created or exacerbated due to communication challenges, such as connectivity problems, time zones, military-implemented blackouts (e.g., before a secret raid or after major casualties), and even the well-intentioned withholding of information among family members about problems or dangers ( Carter and Renshaw, 2016 ). Box 4-4 provides a brief overview of examples of opportunities and challenges of these types of duties away from personnel’s home duty station. As a reminder, these are not sorted into positive and negative categories, as that interpretation can depend on the context and timing, individuals’ experiences, and other factors, and some can have both positive and negative aspects.

Deployments

More than two million military service members and their families have been impacted by deployments since the inception of combat operations in 2001, and some families have faced five or more such separations and reunions. The effects of combat deployments on military families can be complex ( Cozza and Lerner, 2013 ). Combat deployments have been associated with increased rates of interpersonal conflict ( Milliken et al., 2007 ), impaired parenting ( Davis et al., 2015 ), and child maltreatment ( Gibbs et al., 2007 ; McCarroll et al., 2008 ; Rentz et al., 2007 ). Military spouses have demonstrated increased distress ( Lester et al., 2010 ) and utilization of mental health treatment ( Mansfield et al., 2011 ) associated with deployments. Military children have similarly demonstrated negative deployment-related effects, including emotional and behavioral problems, increased mental health utilization, and suicidal behaviors ( Chandra et al., 2010 ; Flake et al., 2009 ; Gilreath et al., 2015 ; Lester et al., 2010 ; Mansfield et al., 2011 ).

Combat deployment is associated with increased anxiety in military children, which is highly associated with distress in both civilian and active duty parents ( Lester et al., 2010 ). Additionally, deployment has a cumulative effect on children, which can continue even upon return of the deployed parent. Thus, effects in children may be sustained beyond the actual threat to the deployed service member’s safety, potentially reflecting elevated anxiety and distress in highly deployed communities where children witness cycling deployments of adults in their lives. Importantly, children’s anxiety reflects the broader distress within their parents and family as a whole.

Many of these studies involved cross-sectional designs to examine associations between deployment and effects within families and were limited by the lack of longer-term outcomes. The few longitudinal studies that have been conducted provide a more nuanced picture of deployment’s impact on families (e.g., Balderrama-Durbin et al., 2015 ; Erbes et al., 2017 ; Gewirtz et al., 2010 ; Snyder et al., 2016 ). For example, one study using DoD data found that an increase in cumulative time deployed was associated with a greater risk of divorce and that this risk was greater for women service members, those who served on hostile deployments, and those who married before 9/11 (when there may have been less of an expectation of deployments as frequent events) ( Negrusa et al., 2013 ). A similar study, focusing on Army soldiers, found that in addition to time spent in deployment, self-reported mental health symptoms consistent with PTSD further increased the risk of divorce ( Negrusa and Negrusa, 2014 ).

The Deployment Life Study, conducted by the RAND Corporation ( Meadows et al., 2016 ), assessed military family members at different times during the deployment cycle (before, during, and after deployment), focusing on the health of family, marital, and parental relationships, the physical and psychological health of adults and children within the family, and attitudes toward the military. The study found that changes in marital satisfaction across the deployment cycle were no different than those experienced by matched controls. However, service members’ exposure to physical injury or psychological trauma (but not combat exposure) was associated with increased physical and psychological aggression after deployment, as reported by spouses. Any perceived negative effects of deployment on family satisfaction and parenting were confined to the deployment period, although the presence of psychological trauma and stress contributed to negative post-deployment consequences for families. The researchers found no long-term psychological or behavioral effects of deployment on service members or spouses, except when deployment trauma was experienced. Similarly, child and teen responses to deployment appeared to be contained within the deployment period, except when deployment-related trauma (e.g., injury or post-deployment mental health problems) was involved. 13 These findings resonate with results from other studies showing that a service member’s psychological functioning as a result of combat exposure during deployments (i.e., PTSD, traumatic brain injury [TBI], and related symptoms) appears to influence family functioning more than the physical characteristics of the deployments, such as their length or number ( Gewirtz et al., 2018 ).

Military deployments add an additional stress to military families in addition to frequent moves, changing schools, and the challenge of integrating

13 For a summary of these findings, see Meadows et al. (2016) .

into new communities. The deployment of a parent requires the child to manage stress related to separation from a loved one and the impending sense of danger that accompanies a deployment and combat operations. Spouses or partners who are parents can find themselves needing to function as single parents. These additional demands while their service member is away can present conflicts for those who are employed or seeking employment, and spouses or partners may need to scale back their hours or even give up their jobs if they cannot obtain work schedules allowing them to fulfill household and child responsibilities. This can in turn have a negative impact on the financial well-being of the family. Some spouses and partners are fortunate to live in communities that offer support to families of deployed personnel, such as help with lawn care, maintenance tasks, and transportation to appointments.

Research indicates that a caregiver’s emotional well-being is related to the child’s emotional well-being. In one study ( Chandra et al., 2011 ), caregivers who reported poorer emotional well-being also reported that their children had greater emotional, social, and academic difficulties. Further, if a caregiver’s emotional health difficulties persisted or increased on average over the study period, youth difficulties remained higher when compared with youth whose caregivers reported fewer emotional difficulties. In the same study, it was found that families that experienced more total months of parental deployment also reported more emotional difficulties among the youth, and these difficulties did not diminish over the study period. Families in the study with more months of deployment reported more problems both during deployment and during reintegration. Caregivers in the study with partners in the reserve component (National Guard or Reserves) reported having more challenges than their counterparts in the active component. In particular, National Guard and Reserve caregivers in the study reported more difficulties with emotional well-being, as well as more challenges during and after deployment ( Chandra et al., 2011 ).

Deployments also take a toll on the psychological health of military children of all ages. Studies have shown that preschoolers with a deployed parent are more likely than other preschoolers to exhibit behavioral problems and that school-age children and adolescents with a deployed parent show moderately higher levels of emotional and behavioral distress ( Chartrand et al., 2008 ). School-age children and adolescents with a deployed parent have also displayed increased problems with peer relationships, increased depression and suicidal thoughts, and higher use of mental health services. It has also been found that children with a deployed parent are more likely to be maltreated or neglected, especially in families with younger parents and young children ( Lester and Flake, 2013 ). Again, although there may be increased risks for these negative outcomes, overall these effects are not the norm.

Research has also shown that a parent’s deployment can affect how military children perform academically. Studies of military children, caregivers, and schools have shown that deployments have a modest negative effect on performance. Children with a deployed parent have shown falling grades, increased absence, and lower homework completion ( Lester and Flake, 2013 , p. 129). A recent study of military children in North Carolina and Washington State whose parents have deployed 19 months or more since 2001 demonstrates that they have modestly lower (and statistically different) achievement scores than those who have experienced less or no parental deployment. This last study suggests that rather than developing resilience, children appear to struggle more with more cumulative months of deployment. Further, the study found that some of the challenges observed by teachers and counselors are ones that stem from the high mobility of this population, which could be amplified during deployment ( Moeller et al., 2015 ; Richardson et al., 2011 ).

Understanding the effects of deployments on children is challenging, in part because it is difficult to distinguish factors related to deployment and military service. Furthermore, it is difficult to know whether military and civilian children differ. There are currently no publicly available large-scale studies presenting well-controlled comparisons of military and civilian families regarding parenting beliefs or practices, or other family behavior. Well-controlled comparisons of child outcomes among military and civilian children also are rare. The largest source of information about how child outcomes might differ comes from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through which all youth in selected middle and high schools in every state throughout the United States are asked to complete a mostly standard set of items. A few states have incorporated a military identifier, providing the best comparisons to date of military and civilian youth (for more detail, see Box 3-1 in Chapter 3 ). Due to slight variations in items across states, some of the data sets include children whose parents have left military service as well as those who continue to serve, some data sets include children whose siblings served, and some include children whose military parents have not deployed or who deployed several years ago rather than recently. As a result, it is possible to identify differences indexed by military service alone vs. military service and deployment, and whether it was a parent or sibling who served.

Across the available data, calculations suggest that children with family members who served but were not deployed were more likely to report higher levels of a variety of kinds of risky behaviors or adverse experiences than nonmilitary children, including more use of cigarettes or other substances, and more experiences of violence and harassment, carrying a knife or gun to school, or having suicidal thoughts. These differences were larger

for children whose parents (vs. siblings) had served. Military and civilian children did not differ in rates of ever having used alcohol.

With regard to children whose military parents had deployed, reports of risky behaviors or adverse experiences were more common than among children whose parents had served but not deployed. Thus, military service and deployment each were associated with increments. For example, increments in the rate of ever having used alcohol were 9 percent each for military service and for deployment. Among military children whose parents had deployed, reports of suicidal thoughts were 34 percent higher and reports of having carried a knife or gun to school were about double those of children whose parents had not been deployed and about 80 percent higher than those of civilian children.

It is important to point out that these data come from self-reports by children, which may be subject to biases and memory errors. The differences for some of these experiences or activities, while large on a percentage basis, are small in terms of percentage points. Finally, patterns about exposures to violence may reflect mistreatment of military children as much as they do military children’s behavior. The committee notes that the degree to which stresses faced by military families during combat deployments are attributable simply to family separations, sudden single parenthood, or fear regarding the safe return of the service member has not been disentangled.

There are positive aspects to deployments as well. Deployments can present opportunities for service members to apply their training, improve their skills, take pride in a sense of accomplishment from overcoming hardships and living in austere conditions, and derive satisfaction from feeling that their work makes a difference in the world. The last aspect may particularly hold true for humanitarian and disaster relief missions. Additionally, during military operations overseas, service members can forge close bonds with their unit members and form lasting friendships. Service members and families can financially benefit in significant ways, through tax benefits and additional pays associated with serving in a combat zone, re-enlisting while deployed, and family separation pays. These deployments can thus provide opportunities to pay off debt, invest in property, help relatives, or improve one’s standard of living. Deployments can also help service members subsequently be competitive for promotion or choice assignments.

Several researchers have postulated resilient pathways for children facing combat deployments (e.g., Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ), including the seven C’s model of positive development, where attributes such as competence, confidence, contribution, and control may all have relevance in providing positive opportunities for military children through such challenging experiences, resulting in pride and growth. However, the committee notes that these pathways of resilience have not been tested in military children.

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE SERVICE

Although members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families experience many of the other opportunities and challenges described throughout this chapter, there are certain experiences particular to the reserve component. We consider those experiences here and summarize them in Box 4-5 .

National Guard and Reserve service can be appealing to some families because of the geographic choice and residential stability affords. Unlike active component personnel, guard and reserve personnel do not face frequent, mandatory geographic relocation, and some move from the active component to the reserve component precisely for this reason. If National Guard members choose to move, they can request an interstate transfer. However, National Guard and Reserve members who do not live near their units are responsible for their own transportation expenses for travel to and from duty. Additionally, those who move may face challenges, in that the unit near their new home may not have a vacancy for their same occupation and pay grade.

There is evidence that for military children, friendships with other military children and participation in military-sponsored activities can be beneficial for their well-being ( Bradshaw et al., 2010 ; Lucier-Greer et al., 2014 ). Children of members in the reserve component (as well as active component children who live far from military installations) may have few opportunities for face-to-face interactions with others who would have a basic shared understanding of life as a military dependent.

Because the National Guard and Reserves are both part of the “reserve component,” clarifying what aspects of their service differ from service in the active component is critical to having a comprehensive picture of the military. National Guard members usually apply to enlist and work at the unit closest to their home, although they do not necessarily live close to that unit’s headquarters or facilities. Recall that they work for their states (under Title 32), unless they are mobilized to work under the federal government (under Title 10), as they would be for an overseas military deployment. Moreover, for the National Guard and Reserves the job requirements, eligibility for programs and services, health care system, and more can vary depending on whether the member’s current orders fall under Title 32 or Title 10. Reservists work for the federal government only, but like National Guard members they traditionally train one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, although they may also be called to full-time active duty service. We are unaware of any tool that would assist National Guard and Reserve families in understanding what they are eligible for at any point based on their service member’s current status or upcoming change in status.

Deployment for National Guard and Reserve personnel is typically preceded by mobilization and followed by demobilization, and thus can have deployment cycles that are lengthier than their active component counterparts. When they are mobilized for federal service, they are not necessarily mobilized with their National Guard or Reserve unit as a whole. Individuals may be called up to augment other units that could be located quite far from their homes. Thus, even for those who do live near their own unit, they and their family members may not be near the deploying unit and thus not have easy access to predeployment briefings, activities, or support groups, nor would they already be on the distribution list for unit or spouse network email announcements or newsletters. Similarly, those families may be distant from programs and services designed to aid with post-deployment family reintegration. During demobilization, National Guard and Reserve members usually return to their hometowns and civilian jobs, which may not be close to any fellow unit members or military resources that can assist them with their transition or post-deployment issues.

Mobilizations as Disruptions to Service Member and Spouse Employment

14 For more information, see https://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/userra_fs.htm .

return and at that time compensate them as though they had been working continuously the entire time (e.g., with regard to pay rate, position, and benefits terms and eligibility). This can present challenges to employers, and despite these legal protections, reservists may still face employers hesitant to hire them. Since 9/11, National Guard and Reserve members have been mobilized at unprecedented levels ( Figinski, 2017 ; Werber et al., 2013 ). Due to the large numbers of reservists mobilized for long deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, there were dramatic increases in the number of veterans receiving unemployment benefits, as more reservists were eligible for the benefits and long deployments made it more difficult to return to civilian employment ( Loughran and Klerman, 2008 ). Some reservists also work as DoD civilian employees, which makes them “military technicians” who work under somewhat different employment terms than their civilian employee or reservist counterparts. 15 For example, a condition of their DoD civilian employment is that they maintain their membership in the Selected Reserve, although an exception may be made if they receive combat-related disability but are still able to perform their DoD civilian job.

Changes to Pay, Benefits, Programs and Services

Members of the National Guard and Reserves mobilized since 9/11 have encountered pay and allowance delays, underpayments, and over-payments that the military later sought to recoup, all due to lack of integrated pay and personnel status systems ( Flores, 2009 ). Eligibility for benefits and services can be complicated for members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families. Exactly what they are eligible for and under what conditions varies across programs and services and can be based upon whether they are or have recently been on active duty status and whether that was under Title 32 or Title 10 orders. Perhaps most notably, reserve component families are eligible for health care benefits under TRICARE only while their service members are on active duty for more than 30 days or are mobilized for a contingency operation. Otherwise, when their service member is on reserve status or during shorter periods of active duty, the service members and their family are responsible for their own health care insurance, and the service members are responsible for ensuring that they are medically ready to deploy should they be called up.

15 The terms are specified under Section 10216 of Title 10 in the U.S. Code.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

As today’s military community is more diverse and geographically dispersed than previous generations, the challenge becomes: How does DoD continue to address the diverse needs in the military community and foster a sense of community given ongoing shifts in demographics and the balance of the force ?—Third Quadrennial Quality of Life Review ( DoD, 2017a , p. 4)

DoD has been implementing institutional policies and practices designed to reduce barriers to service and promote equitable and respectful treatment of all service members ( DoD, 2017a , p. 10). According to Lutz (2013) , the core training at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) aims to achieve total force readiness through a focus on the American identity of service members. This legacy of legal inclusivity has continued into the 21st century with the repeal of the so-called Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy (2011), extension of family benefits with the implementation of legal same-sex marriage (2015), and most recently the lifting of blanket restrictions on the service of military women (2016). This section will highlight some examples of diversity- and inclusion-related issues, summarized in Box 4-6 , but as is the case with this chapter more generally, this high-level review is by no means complete. Furthermore, it does not capture the complexity of the issues represented in the literature that a deeper dive on any one of these topics could provide.

Variability Across and Within Groups

As discussed in Chapter 2 , ecological and family systems theories emphasize the embeddedness of individuals within multiple, reciprocal, and interacting contexts. As helpful as these frameworks are in identifying interactions that influence individual and family development, they do not capture systematic or structural inequity, such as race- and gender-based discrimination and attitudes, which may affect military families who are members of marginalized groups. An intersectional lens can serve as an organizing framework for understanding how overlapping social statuses, including gender, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, connect individual service member and family experiences to structural (macro) realities ( Bogard et al., 2017 ; Bowleg, 2012 ).

unique experiences of chronic stresses stemming from social institutions in addition to their everyday experiences of racial bias. When applied to sexual minorities, analysis tends to focus on stresses related to heteronormative bias and anti-LGBT experiences.

Discrimination or even suspected discrimination in promotion, job assignments, assigned duties within a position, 16 opportunities for promotion and career development, and the enforcement of rules and regulations can be a detrimental stressor to the well-being of service members. Intersectionality is also a useful concept in understanding “the intersectional nature of resilience” ( Santos and Toomey, 2018 , p. 9), which reflects the ability

16 For example, a women truck driver being tasked with handling the unit’s administrative work, or Black or Hispanic personnel being assigned the dirty or heavy manual labor.

of military service members and their families to function well in spite of significant disadvantages, stresses, or experiences of inequity.

Taken together, ecological, life-course, and intersectional models of individual and family well-being all indicate that what is most effective at supporting military families is not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather a variety of approaches that seek to align programs with the diverse needs of service members, diverse family constellations, and local social contexts ( Lerner, 2007 ). Of course, this is not meant to imply that a custom program must be developed for each military family. The point is that DoD and local service providers cannot make assumptions based on one or two characteristics at a given point in time (e.g., single newly enlisted service member, deployed parent, Latinx Marine) about what is most important to military personnel and military family members, what they need, or what is the best way to support them. Instead, they must take into account the perceptions, priorities, and preferences of service members and their families; provide a range of types of support from which to draw (e.g., mode of communication, military vs. nonmilitary); and ensure that the support networks contain providers with knowledge about and sensitivity to the needs of different subgroups (e.g., noncitizens and immigrants, male sexual assault victims, religious minorities).

Servicewomen in the Military

Women make up one-half of the U.S. population but only 17.5 percent of the total force ( DoD, 2017c , p. 6). Notably, relatively few servicewomen occupy leadership positions at the officer ranks of colonel and admiral/general ( DACOWITS, 2015 ). Findings from the most recent (2017) DACOWITS report indicate that women often identify different reasons for joining the military than men do, that they are more likely than men to be married to another service member (both within and across services), and that they separate from the military earlier in their careers than do men. Key factors in servicewomen’s decisions to leave the military relate to the challenges of geographic separation from family, both because of deployment and inability to co-locate with a service member spouse; pressure to prioritize one’s military career among dual- military service members; and difficulties with work-life-family balance. In addition, servicewomen are more likely than men to separate from the military prior to starting a family ( Clever and Segal, 2013 ).

accommodate long shifts, nontraditional working hours, and care for ill children. DACOWITS (2017) presented recommendations to increase DoD’s ability to attract and retain servicewomen that similarly emphasize policies supporting families with children, educational initiatives to address unhelpful perceptions related to gender roles, and protocols for appropriate physical training for women. Findings also indicate that servicewomen are disproportionately affected by findings of noncompliance with family care plans, indicating a need for more appropriate application of these protocols.

There is very little research on motherhood in the military, and almost no research on the impact on families of a military mother’s deployment to war (see, e.g., Barnes et al., 2016 ). A series of studies of Navy mothers during the Gulf War indicated that anxiety and distress increased among the children of those who were deployed more than among children of the nondeployed ( Kelley et al., 2001 ). Among deployed Navy mothers, length of separation from families and perceptions of social support both contributed to psychological adjustment ( Kelley et al., 2002 ). More recent research on a sample of mothers who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan reported that reintegrating mothers experienced more adverse past-year life events, and more depression and PTSD symptoms, than nondeployed mothers (of deployed spouses), but this research did not report worse parenting, couple functioning, or child adjustment ( Gewirtz et al., 2014 ). More research is needed to examine the adjustment of deployed mothers, how programs and policies may affect them ( Goodman et al., 2013 ), and other factors that may affect these mothers, such as societal norms that stigmatize a mother’s leaving her children for war as “non-maternal” behavior ( Gewirtz et al., 2014 ).

Segal and Lane (2016) bring attention to contextual factors within military culture and everyday life that likely affect servicewomen’s well-being. Specifically, they identify “leadership behaviors” that set the tone for how women are treated by their male peers and commanders as well as social isolation that can result from being ostracized within a unit. As part of the 2017 DACOWITS research, focus group participants similarly indicated that servicewomen may be disadvantaged by cultural attitudes based on traditional gender roles, especially as women begin to move into previously closed combat and leadership roles. Segal and Lane (2016) bring to light gender-based sexual harassment, ranging from inappropriate behavior—such as sexual comments, jokes, offensive pictures or posters, and gestures—to criminal-level assault. Recent estimates find that servicewomen report and experience sexual harassment and sexual assault at higher rates than male service members ( Davis et al., 2017 ; Galovski and Sanders, 2018 ) and that sexual trauma is likely underreported due to concerns about safety, stigma, avoidance, and shame ( Galovski and Sanders, 2018 ). Relatedly, servicewomen are more likely than servicemen to be harassed or stalked online and through social media ( DACOWITS, 2017 , p. 76). The psy-

chological impact of sexual trauma on servicewomen can be especially disruptive to fulfilling service roles, family functioning, parenting, and child outcomes ( Kimerling et al., 2010 ; Millegan et al., 2015 ; Rosellini et al., 2017 ; Suris et al., 2013 ).

Segal and Lane (2016) assert that women’s gynecological, contraceptive, and pregnancy-related needs are not fully and universally accessible across settings, including deployment environments. Pregnancy, new motherhood, and maternity leave can disadvantage servicewomen in several ways. Pregnancies do not always occur only and precisely when desired, and their timing can make it more difficult to manage work demands and attract harmful stigma, such as accusations of having become pregnant to avoid sea duty or deployment. Added to this, pregnancies and new motherhood can involve new physical and emotional health challenges, such as problematic pregnancies, problems at birth, difficulties breastfeeding, managing post-pregnancy physical fitness and weight requirements, and suffering from post-partum depression ( Appolinio and Fingerhut, 2008 ).

However, the committee notes that in recent years, granting of parental leave for service members has become more common in order to increase recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces. Recent changes to military parental leave mandated in the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 521 of the enacted bill) authorize

up to 12 weeks of total leave (including up to 6 weeks convalescent leave) for the primary caregiver in connection with the birth of the child. It also authorizes 6 weeks of leave for a primary caregiver in the case of an adoption of a child and up to 21 days of leave for a secondary caregiver in the case of a birth or adoption. – (Sec. 521, p. 19) 17

More research will be needed to examine the consequences of these policy changes for service members, as well as their impact on family well-being.

Finally, with the full integration of women into combat roles, attention has turned to women’s physiology and ability to meet the military’s physical standards for combat and related roles. DACOWITS (2017) reports that because of physiological differences between women and men, physical training and nutritional protocols designed for men, such as “large field training” and cardio focus, may not be most efficient for women, and point to sports science and human performance approaches (pp. 55–57) to prepare all service members.

17 See https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44577.pdf , pg. 19, Sec. 521.

LGBT Status

The history of military policy related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and military service has developed in tandem with broader changes in social attitudes and evolving state and federal legislation in the post-9/11 period. Three pieces of legislation during the Obama administration represented a sea change in federal and military policy: (1) the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act; (2) the 2011 repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT); and (3) the 2015 legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court ( Obergefell v. Hodges ). Additionally, in 2016 the secretary of defense ended the ban on transgender service (although as noted in Chapter 3 , those advances have been rolled back effective April 2019).

LGBT service members enlist at higher rates than heterosexual people and identify diverse reasons for joining ( Ramirez and Bloeser, 2018 ) that extend beyond patriotism, altruism, and commitment to public service. For example, given the troubling rates of family rejection of LGBT youth ( Zimmerman et al., 2015 ), some LGB service members enlist as a mechanism to escape fraught home environments ( Legate et al., 2012 ). For some men, the hypermasculine culture of the military may be appealing, while for lesbian women, the military allows a laser focus on career and mission rather than gender-bound heteronormative roles of motherhood and marriage ( Ramirez and Bloeser, 2018 ).

In population health research, sexual minorities have been found to be at risk for multiple health and mental health burdens when compared to heterosexuals ( Hatzenbuehler, 2009 ). Minority stress theory ( Meyer, 2003 ) articulates that members of sexual minorities experience excess and accumulated stress, including stigma, prejudice, and discrimination, and often expend significant energy to remain vigilant to environmental and interpersonal threats, safety, and disclosure of sexuality. In addition, for LGBT recruits, self-awareness regarding sexual orientation or the decision to live as their gender rather than birth sex and the coming out process often coincide with socialization into military culture.

Until the federal legalization of same-sex marriage, military policy and practice under DADT also interfered with lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members’ family functioning and well-being ( Kelty and Segal, 2013 ) by requiring concealment, excluding same-sex partners and children from receiving benefits, and limiting same-sex partners from participating in family roles. 18 In addition, concerns about being outed and career repercussions

18 Testimony of Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the American Military Partner Association, at Voices from the Field , a public information-gathering session held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on April 24, 2018.

prevented many sexual minority service members from seeking help and support under DADT ( Mount et al., 2015 ).

With the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, DoD began immediate efforts to extend benefits to spouses and children of sexual minority service members, and in 2016 new health care and service options became available for transgender service members. However, because these important policy changes are very recent, we still know little about LGBT service members, couples, parents, and families. However, some findings are emerging. A DoD systematic review indicated that active-duty lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals may be at increased risk for sexual assault victimization ( DoD, 2016c ). DoD’s 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey found that LGBT personnel were as likely as other personnel to receive routine medical care and less likely to be overweight, but more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking, unprotected sex with a new partner, and having more than one sexual partner in the past year ( Meadows et al., 2018 , pp. xxx–xxxi). LGBT personnel were also more likely to report moderate or severe depression, lifetime history of self-injury, lifetime suicide ideation, lifetime suicide attempt, suicide attempt in the previous 12 months, lifetime history of unwanted sexual contact, or ever being physical abused ( Meadows et al., 2018 , p. xxxi). Although these highlights describe LGBT people as a group, of course their needs and experiences vary. For example, “transgender” refers to a gender identity, not a sexual orientation, and a ban against transgender military service was just reinstated.

Lessons from foreign military forces in which LGBT personnel have been integrated, which date from the 1970s (in 1974 in the Netherlands), indicate that LGBT integration has had no effect on readiness or effectiveness there ( Belkin and McNichol, 2000–2001 , 2000 ). Rather, environments which are inclusive of sexual orientations and gender identities are positively linked to mental health, well-being, and productivity among LGBT individuals, which in turn benefits morale, cohesion, and recruitment and retention ( Polchar et al., 2014 ).

A hallmark of best military personnel practices is maintaining policies that are inclusive, especially in the context of international and multinational cooperation among diverse nations (e.g., NATO, 2016 , p. 45). Relevant to LGBT personnel, best practices include intentional “top-down” leadership demanding respectful conduct, and attention to deployment environments in which LGBT service members may be at greater risk because of local attitudes or local laws, including criminal statutes against same-sex relationships or sexual practices ( Polchar et al., 2014 , p. 13, p. 50). The most inclusive military systems, including Australia’s, encourage and even require disclosure of sexual orientation within the context of national security ( Polchar et al., 2014 , p. 57).

The National Defense Research Institute Report ( Rostker et al., 2010 ) concludes that the ability of LGBT persons to serve openly can increase unit trust and cohesion, enhance the well-being and performance of LGBT service members, and reduce LGBT vulnerability in out-of-country assignments and deployment environments (such as blackmail by enemy combatants), among other reasons. Common to foreign nations that have integrated LGBT service members are education and training related to fair treatment of all personnel and clear anti-discrimination policies ( Azoulay et al., 2010 ).

Race and Ethnicity

Demographic trends in the general population indicate that the United States will become a majority-minority nation within the next generation. With only one percent of the U.S. population volunteering for military service, the current demographics of military personnel and their families do not reflect those of the population as a whole (see Chapter 3 ). Rather, racial and ethnic minorities, including immigrants, are more likely to consider military service than White people, and specific regions of the country, in particular several states with high percentages of Hispanics or Latinx, are over-represented ( Bennett and McDonald, 2013 ; Council on Foreign Relations, 2015; also Elder et al., 2010 ). During the long wars, immigrant service members have provided critical language skills, including the roles of translator and interpreter, and offered needed cross-cultural expertise ( Council on Foreign Relations, 2009 ; Stock, 2009 ).

Several scholars have concluded that the life-course impact of service for ethnic-minority families is “generally positive” and that service provides important opportunities to groups that might not have alternative pathways to socioeconomic independence and sustainability ( Burland and Lundquist, 2013 , p. 186). Black service members in the forces are accessing educational benefits through the GI bill at higher rates today than in earlier cohorts ( Lutz, 2013 , p. 75).

The scholarship on diversity and inclusion has made important contributions in the realm of exploring equal opportunity-related issues: accessions, mentors, promotions and assignments, distributions across occupations and paygrades, and discrimination and harassment ( Asch et al., 2012 ; Booth and Segal, 2005 ; Lim et al., 2014 ; Military Leadership Diversity Commission, 2011 ; Parco and Levy, 2010 ; Rohall et al., 2017 ; Tick et al., 2015 ). All of this scholarship is important and relevant for service member and family well-being, although gaps in our understanding remain.

several studies indicate that racial/ethnic minority status is linked to higher self-reported rates of PTSD ( Burk and Espinoza, 2012 ; DeVoe et al., 2017 ; Meadows et al., 2018 ) and that the positive benefits service has on families’ well-being for ethnic-minority service members do not extend to combat veterans ( MacLean, 2013 ). Other racial/ethnic differences include higher prevalence of overweight among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks in the military ( Reyes-Guzman et al., 2015 ) and various differences in health-related behaviors, such as smoking (non-Hispanic blacks were least likely to smoke) and hazardous and disordered drinking (more likely among non-Hispanic whites) ( Meadows et al., 2018 , p. xxxvii).

No synthesis across the literature has yet been carried out concerning how race and ethnicity relate to military family well-being. Additionally, little attention has been paid to exploring the priorities of racial and ethnic minority families to answer such questions as, What are the top problems and needs of minority service members and their families? and, Is the Military Family Readiness System addressing these problems and needs or helping minority service members and their families address them?

Families in the Exceptional Family Member Program

The Office of Special Needs was established in 2010 19 to enhance and improve DoD support for military families with special medical or educational needs. The office operates in and oversees the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), the provision of services pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and a DoD Advisory Panel on Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs ( Office of Special Needs, 2018 ).

Enrollment in the EFMP is mandatory for active component service members who have a family member with special medical or educational needs ( EFMP, 2016 ). Approximately 133,000 military family members are enrolled in the EFMP ( Office of Special Needs, 2018 ; GAO, 2018b ). The EFMP helps families in two ways:

Documenting family members’ special needs, so that the availability of necessary services is considered during personnel assignment decisions.
Identifying and accessing relevant information and military programs and services.

In a benchmark study of the EFMP ( Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2013 ), military families enrolled in the EFMP expressed

19 Established in Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Sec. 1781c.

concerns regarding stigma surrounding special needs family members and military career advancement. Focus groups and interviews with service members, family members, and service providers across eight CONUS installations revealed that some families initially did not enroll in EFMP, disassociated from EFMP services, or hid their family member’s needs because of embarrassment and because of fears that they would miss out on assignments important for career advancement or reenlistment opportunities. Although current policy directs that assignments should be managed to prevent adverse impact on careers ( DoD, 2017d ), service members may still face difficult choices. To illustrate, an officer might have to decide whether to

turn down a key command opportunity overseas or in a domestic remote and isolated location, because the area has limited resources to support the family member,
take the career-enhancing assignment, but serve geographically separated from the family for 2 years, leaving someone else to care for the family member with special needs, or
take the family member along, try to compensate for the resource limitations, hope the condition does not worsen, and if on an unaccompanied tour overseas, be responsible for the cost of sending the family member back.

Within EFMP families, members with special needs are not the only ones who may need assistance. For example, deployments can present additional challenges, as the nondeployed parent can become overwhelmed managing care for EFMP family members, on top of all of the other family and household responsibilities while the service member is away from home ( Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2013 ). The nondeployed parent (or other caregiver) may have to quit their job or reduce their work hours to manage, which in turn can negatively impact the family’s financial well-being. Especially in circumstances like these, the sole caregiver can have a dire need for respite care. Siblings may also become caregivers as well, assisting their brother or sister who, for example, has limited physical abilities or behavioral problems. While they may enjoy that role, it may also limit what else they are able to do in terms of extracurricular activities, socializing with friends, interacting with parents, or having time to themselves.

Each Service runs its own EFMP, so one of DoD’s roles is to help ensure consistency and successful implementation ( Office of Special Needs, 2018 ). However, a recent GAO report raised questions about whether there were gaps in services based on wide variation in the ratio of EFMP staff to EFMP service members, the types of program activities, and the low number of

service plans given the number of enrollees and requirement that all should have plans ( GAO, 2018 ). GAO recommended that DoD develop common performance metrics and evaluate the Services’ monitoring activities, and DoD agreed and plans to do so ( GAO, 2018 ).

A recent study of EFMP family support providers provides some insight into the types of special needs in military families ( Aronson et al., 2016 ). The study participants were EFMP professionals who help families document the special needs and connect them to information, services, and support groups. The researchers asked whether the providers worked with families dealing with any 1 of 13 specific special health care or educational needs. Most (93 to 94%) reported working with military dependents with autism and dependents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Each of the following types of disabilities were encountered by more than 80 percent of these family support providers: emotional/behavioral disorder, speech and language disorder, developmental delay, asthma, and mental health problems ( Aronson et al., 2016 ).

In the same study, the providers were asked to share their impression of the impact on EFMP families of each of 12 specific challenges (including educational concerns, child behavior problems, parent stress). Of the 12 challenges, 8 were perceived to have an impact ranging on average from “moderate extent” to “great extent.” Educational concerns about children were reported as the foremost issue. The next most prominent issues for families were navigating systems (e.g., school, community, or military), child behavior problems, parent mental health or stress, child care issues, and medical problems ( Aronson et al., 2016 ).

Many of these concerns were exacerbated by the frequency of and associated stress of relocation. Lack of continuity associated with changing doctors, carrying over prescriptions, re-applying for referrals, creating new individualized education plans (IEPs), and the like can be stressful for both the families attempting to manage the care and support their loved one and the family member with special needs. Such delays leave the family member with special needs with gaps in necessary care. A recurring issue that EFMP family support providers reported, which related to their own work, was a lack of information sharing that would alert them to incoming families and their needs so that the providers could start assisting with the transition prior to the move.

Note that EFMP is not the only type of support for military family members with special needs, but it should be able to refer families to appropriate resources and help them understand their rights and protections. Figure 4-2 illustrates overlapping types of programs for children with special needs: (1) Exceptional Family Member (EFM) Program; (2) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) special education; and (3) school-related services or accommodation through Section 504 of the Rehabil-

itation Act of 1973 (MCEC, 2005, p. 29). Both IDEA and Section 504 aim to ensure that students with disabilities are able to receive a free and appropriate education.

Although this section tended to discuss “special needs” generally, keep in mind that this represents a great deal of variability in type, severity, and persistence of disability and variability in associated needs. It encompasses autism, blindness, deafness, learning disabilities, speech disorders, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and many other physical, mental and psychological disabilities, and of course dependents can have more than one, and families can have more than one member who has special needs.

For some families, the benefits and accommodations the military makes to support families with special needs are an incentive to remain on active duty. The advantages include medical benefits afforded to the EFMP family members and assistance coordinating with schools and other programs and services. They also include the service member having the ability to take time off of work to manage the special needs (although some supervisors might be more stringent) without worrying about getting fired or losing money the way one might in a civilian job if required to “clock out.” Even if a family member with special needs is high-functioning, the service member might need to take that dependent to appointments and work with the schools on developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

TRANSITION OUT OF MILITARY SERVICE

Military personnel and their family members transition away from military life for a wide variety of reasons, in different life stages, and after differing levels and types of exposure to military life. Box 4-7 summarizes some key characteristics of this transition, although they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the post-service adjustments and post-service trajectories of veterans and their families.

Service members may die as a result of military operations, accidents, suicide, or other causes that may or may not clearly relate to their service. Such deaths can be emotionally traumatic to the family and can lead to additional challenges, such as having to leave the military community (even having to move, if they live in military housing), and losing the military pay and benefits associated with service. Post-death benefits, such as the death gratuity, are one type of military benefit for which service members can designate nonmilitary dependents to be recipients, including nonmarital partners and parents.

Service members may separate from military service voluntarily or involuntarily. Some will choose or be required to leave before their initial term of service is complete, but most will face decisions about whether to begin an additional term of service. As the size of the military expands and contracts over time, due to the changing scope of missions and congressional authorizations for personnel, periodically individuals are required or incentivized to leave military service before their current term ends. Additionally, in the event of war, the military can issue a “stop loss” to prevent service members from leaving at the end of their contracts; or, if authorized by the Presidential Reserve Callup Authority, the military can call back to active-duty individuals who had already separated or retired but had not completed their period on “Individual Ready Reserve” status (e.g., as was done to provide ground forces for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan).

Retirement has traditionally been possible after 20 years of service, once any terms of service have been met, such as obligations after receiving additional schooling. Former spouses may be awarded a portion of a retiree’s pay as a part of a divorce proceeding. As noted earlier, the new Blended Retirement System provides alternatives to this traditional system that resemble many private sector 401(k) plans.

After leaving the military, service members and their families may choose to stay in the same area as the last duty station, although those living in family housing will have to move off of the installation. Or they may move to pursue a job opportunity, live closer to relatives, live in a favorite part of the country, or live where there are other military-connected individuals and resources. The Transition to Veteran Policy Office (TVPO) is responsible for policy and implementation of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), 20 operated by 300 Family Support Centers at military installations worldwide. TAP offers a number of services and resources including counseling, employment assistance, information on veterans’ benefits, and other employment and family support. An analysis of data on the use of support services administered by transition assistance centers is underway ( GAO, 2019 ).

20 For more information, see https://www.dodtap.mil/ .

Some veterans use their GI Bill benefits to attend college after they leave the service. Many are drawn to the career focus and flexibility offered by for-profit educational institutions; however, some of those schools have been found to prey upon veterans and have high dropout rates and low postgraduation employment rates ( Guo et al., 2016 , p. 9).

Research on recent veteran populations finds that their workforce participation rates and unemployment are similar to the rates of comparable civilians, although personnel separating at a young age (18 to 24) appear to face some employment hurdles when initially transitioning ( Guo et al., 2016 , p. 2). Tax credits for hiring veterans appear to be both beneficial and cost-effective: one study found that a 2007 tax credit expansion resulted in the employment of 32,000 disabled veterans in 2007 and 2009 who would have otherwise been unemployed ( Guo et al., 2016 , p. 4).

Multiple studies have found that both service members and veterans earn more than their comparable civilian counterparts and that service members who worked in health care, communications, or intelligence occupations saw larger earnings in their post-military careers than other veterans ( Guo et al., 2016 , p. 5). One study that focused on women veterans’ civilian labor market earnings found that military service was even more of an advantage for racial and ethnic minority women than it was for White women veterans, so much so that it raised their earnings as high as, or in some cases higher than, White nonveterans’ earnings ( Padavic and Prokos, 2017 ).

For veterans and their family members, the transition to civilian life can be made more difficult by physical disabilities or conditions, such as chronic pain, or by mental health challenges, such as posttraumatic stress disorder or major depression (which are discussed in Chapter 5 ). Multiple surveys suggest that veterans who served as officers have better health than those who were enlisted ( MacLean and Edwards, 2010 ). Women veterans appear to be more likely to have a disability or function limitation than veterans who are men ( Prokos and Cabage, 2017 ; Wilmoth et al., 2011 ). As veterans move from the DoD health care system to the VA, they may find challenges to maintaining continuity of care, and not all veterans who need treatment will receive it ( IOM, 2013 ).

Yet studies of past generations of war veterans have found that the long-term outcomes of military service are positive. The benefits of military service include not only education and economic gains but also positive coping strategies, the ability to withstand stress, and other resilience factors that can promote lifelong health and well-being ( Spiro et al., 2015 ).

Military life can offer tremendous benefits but also significant challenges. Some who enter will thrive, others will struggle or fail. Not everyone

who enters will be willing or able to remain a military family member until the service members’ transition to civilian life. The ongoing work for DoD, however, is to help prevent, mitigate, and respond to the negative impact of stressors to promote the well-being, readiness, effectiveness, and retention of quality service members and their families. Some of the challenges mentioned above may extend to parents, grandparents, siblings, close friends, and others in service members’ personal networks, such as military separation from loved ones, concern about the safety of service members working in dangerous environments, and caring for service members’ children or seriously injured service members.

Some events specifically related to military life can impact not just the service member but also other individuals in the family and subsystems within the family. Most notably, these include

pay and in-kind benefits, such as housing and health care
assignments to installations in other countries
deployments, sea duty, and temporary duty away from home
combat experience and exposure
service-related mental and physical injuries and death
career progression (or lack thereof), and
separation from military service and transition to civilian life.

The opportunities and challenges of military life change as the size of the military expands or contracts; as the civilian economy improves or declines; as the number, length and nature of military operations changes; and as public knowledge and attitudes toward the military change.

These types of military experiences will vary across different subgroups and regions, too. For example, military life experiences such as frequency and length of deployments, options of installation assignments, and career progression are often linked to military occupation, and military occupations vary greatly in their personnel composition (e.g., by entry requirements, race, ethnicity, gender, and concentration in the active component or National Guard or Reserves). Additionally, some military families have significantly more privileges and resources than others. The differences in pay mean senior military officers are much more likely than junior enlisted personnel to be able to afford to locate their families in neighborhoods with greater resources and better schools; to hire help with housekeeping, yardwork, or tutoring; to be able to fly other family members out to visit; to pay for their children’s college education, and so on. Regardless of the resources a family may have, however, some installations are located in areas where there are few or low-quality resources, or where the resources are already overtaxed because the civilian population has great needs.

Thus, we reiterate here our call in Chapter 3 to be attentive to the ways intersectionality or overlapping statuses of numerous characteristics can shape how individual family members and families experience and interpret the events and features of military life.

It also bears repeating that we have more information on the life course of service members and military dependents than we do on partners, children who are not military dependents, and other military family members, as well as more information on historically majority subgroups in the military (e.g., men, Whites, heterosexuals).

Given finite resources and a vast array of possible challenges, the need is for DoD to find the best way to prioritize and focus its efforts to enhance the well-being of diverse military families, without compromising its ability to meet its missions. An important question to answer toward this end is: What are the most beneficial and meaningful types of interventions, guidance, and support that DoD could offer to achieve this?

CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSION 4-1: Studies on the roles and impacts of nonmarital partners, ex-spouses, or ex-partners, parents, siblings, grandparents, and others in the personal networks of service members are scarce, despite the significant positive or negative influences those people could have or the important roles they could play in some situations, such as child custody disputes, respite child care, temporary guardianship of children during parents’ deployments, and other situations.

CONCLUSION 4-2: There is a lack of understanding of how military family well-being varies by race and ethnicity, the concerns of minority families, and whether the Department of Defense is sufficiently meeting these families’ needs. Scholarship on racial/ethnic diversity in the military tends to focus on equal opportunity issues for service members (such as discrimination and promotion rates), whereas findings concerning well-being are scattered widely across the literature.

CONCLUSION 4-3: The frequency of mandatory military moves and the associated stress of relocation create challenges for the continuity of care for active component military families, especially families who have members with special needs and must rely heavily upon community resources.

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The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation – their families.

Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties.

Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.

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Importance of Military Essays ⚔

Essays on the military are critical because they help us comprehend the military’s history, tactics, and effects on society. They give us a place to conduct in-depth study and analysis, enabling us to examine and assess many facets of the military career.

We may learn a great deal about the complexity of combat, the advancement of military strategies and equipment, and the military’s influence on international politics and security by reading and writing on military topics. These pieces encourage critical thinking, spark intellectual debate, and improve military knowledge and study in addition to instructing and informing readers.

When writing a military essay, you may explore compare and contrast essay topics such as the similarities and differences between military strategies or the contrasting perspectives on the impact of warfare in different historical periods. For example, you can compare the military tactics used in World War I and World War II or contrast the views on the effectiveness of air power in modern warfare.

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Military essays come in various formats with various functions and writing styles. Here are four specific categories:

☑ Expository essays

These papers seek to offer a concise and impartial exposition of a military subject or idea. They investigate the issue logically and methodically while providing factual information. Expository essays can be written on various subjects, including the history of a particular fight, the composition and organization of a military unit, and the operation of military technology.

☑ Argumentative Essays

In a military setting, an argumentative essay will express a particular point of view or argument and back it up with facts. Critical thinking and persuasive writing skills are needed to make a strong argument in these essays. Argumentative military essays could examine the moral ramifications of military action, debate the merits of a specific defense plan, or assess the efficacy of a military strategy.

☑ Comparative essay

Comparative essays analyze and contrast various elements of military systems, tactics, or historical events. They draw attention to contrasts, similarities, and patterns to comprehend the topic better. A comparative essay, for instance, can examine the parallels and differences between ancient and current combat or contrast the military strategies of various countries.

☑ Analytical essays

They dive into the specifics of a military subject, dissecting it into its component elements and critically analyzing them. To comprehend the subject, these essays require thorough investigation, data interpretation, and theoretical frameworks. Analyzing the origins and effects of a particular fight, evaluating the influence of military technologies on conflict, or reviewing the efficacy of a military doctrine are a few examples of analytical military studies.

If you’re looking to incorporate a capstone project into your military essay, consider exploring various capstone project ideas related to the military. These can range from analyzing the effectiveness of military training programs to developing strategies for improving military logistics or examining the ethical implications of autonomous weapon systems.

What is a Military Essay? - A squadron of jet fighters soaring through the sky.

Format and Structure of a Military Essay 🪖

Here is a broad outline for a military essay, though precise requirements may change based on the assignment or institution:

☑️ Introduction

Start your paragraph with a compelling opening sentence or hook to capture the reader’s interest.

Describe the subject’s history and how it relates to the military.

Declare the essay’s thesis or significant point in clear terms.

Each paragraph should concentrate on a distinct subtopic or argument supporting the thesis.

Start each paragraph with a topic phrase that states the paragraph’s central theme.

Include examples, analysis, and supporting data to support the core point.

Use transitional words or phrases to transition between paragraphs and concepts seamlessly.

☑️ Discussion and Analysis

Discuss the implications of the evidence offered in the body paragraphs after it has been analyzed.

Think critically and offer perceptive criticism on the subject.

Consider opposing viewpoints or arguments, then reasonably and logically respond to them.

Summarise the key ideas covered in the essay, focusing on their importance.

Indicate how the essay’s main argument or thesis has been reinforced by restating it.

☑️ Citations & References

Include a separate section or bibliography for references, if necessary.

Use an appropriate citation format (such as APA, MLA, or Chicago) to give credit where credit is due.

Make that the reference list and in-text citations are formatted correctly and consistently.

Writing Tips for Military Essays

Research: Investigate your issue in-depth using reliable sources, including academic journals, books, government publications, and reliable websites. Obtain a range of viewpoints to create a comprehensive grasp of the subject.

Creating a Strong Thesis: Create a thesis statement that summarizes your essay’s essential points and is clear and concise. Throughout the essay, specific, contested arguments should support your thesis statement.

Creating an outline or structure for your essay guarantees the concepts are presented logically. Your essay should be broken up into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should contain a primary topic or point supporting your thesis.

Using Proper Language: Use a clear, concise, and formal tone when writing. Use proper and suitable military jargon and concepts. Aim to avoid jargon or excessively technical language that could mislead readers unfamiliar with military lingo.

Accurately citing your sources will ensure they receive due credit. Use the APA, MLA, or Chicago citation styles as specified by your instructor or institution. Use in-text citations for direct quotations, paraphrases, and other material that is not well known.

Military essay examples

“The Impact of Military Technology on Modern Warfare” examines how the character of warfare has changed due to developments in military technology, including drones, cyberwarfare, and artificial intelligence, and what this means for military strategy and ethics.

“Leadership Lessons from Historical Military Figures”: Examine the traits and tactics of historic military titans like Sun Tzu, Alexander the Great, and General George Patton, and discuss how they apply to modern military leadership.

Examine the historical development, present difficulties, and prospects for women serving in the armed forces in “The Role of Women in the Military.” Discuss how gender integration has affected military culture and effectiveness.

“The Use of Propaganda in Military Conflicts”: Examine how various countries and their armed forces have used propaganda to sway public opinion, inspire soldiers, and affect the results of military operations.

“Ethical Dilemmas in Modern Warfare”: Examine the moral dilemmas that military personnel face in today’s conflicts, such as the use of drones, the killing of civilians, and torture. Analyze various ethical systems and consider possible answers to these problems.

To incorporate the concept of a capstone project in your military essay, it’s crucial to understand the four essential elements that make up a successful capstone project. These elements include identifying a problem or challenge, conducting in-depth research, developing a comprehensive solution or approach, and presenting your findings through a well-structured and persuasive essay, for example, in “I want to be soldier” Essay .

For a concise and focused military essay, you may employ a 5-paragraph essay format . This format includes an introduction, three body paragraphs discussing key points or arguments, and a conclusion. It allows you to present your ideas clearly and organized, making it easier for readers to follow your thoughts.

Remember to pick a subject that interests you personally and fits the assignment’s or course’s requirements. To make your military essay exciting and instructive, do extensive research, create a fascinating topic, and employ concise, well-structured arguments backed by proof.

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As a result, military essays are critical in helping us learn more about the military, its history, tactics, and effects on society. They give people a place to conduct research, analyze information, and engage in critical thought, which promotes intellectual development and adds to the body of knowledge in military studies. Whether it’s an argumentative essay on the ethics of war or an expository essay on military technology, these pieces provide insightful analysis.

By diving into the complexities of military themes, we acquire a greater understanding of the sacrifices and difficulties military people face and the broader ramifications of their actions. Military essays provide a way to explore, analyze, and connect with the many facets of the military profession, making them an essential instrument in education, research, and intellectual conversation.

Writing a military essay can be a tricky task. Hence, you should seek professional help. There are various advantages to ordering your essay from WritingMetier . Our staff of expert writers, who specialize in military subjects, guarantees thoroughly researched and excellent articles.

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Laura Orta is an avid author on Writing Metier's blog. Before embarking on her writing career, she practiced media law in one of the local media. Aside from writing, she works as a private tutor to help students with their academic needs. Laura and her husband share their home near the ocean in northern Portugal with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

How to write an Essay on Army Values?

Army values, deeply entrenched in military ethos, serve as guiding beacons not just for soldiers but for society at large. These principles of loyalty, respect, and selfless service are more than mere words; they are the very foundation upon which harmonious societies can be built.

How to Write a World War 2 Research Paper + Topics

Explore different topics and get tips on showcasing the global impact of this monumental World War 2.

Military Ethics Paper Topics🎖️

Explore the intricate ethical dimensions within the military while selecting an engaging paper topic. Analyze the foundational principles guiding ethical decision-making and examine current dilemmas that challenge military professionals.

Military Topics for Research Paper

Military Topics for Research Paper - article offers students a guided exploration into the undercurrents of these pivotal regions, inviting fresh perspectives and deep understanding. Key global regions with this guide.

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Home — Application Essay — National Universities — Life as a Military Child: Nurtured by Change

Life as a Military Child: Nurtured by Change

University: University of Washington

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Words: 472 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 472 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

I have never lived in one place for more than four years at a time. The reason? I am an Army brat. Some feel sorry for me, but I think my life was greatly enriched by moving so often. My life has given me many unique opportunities to observe and live in other cultures, including a whole different lifestyle within the military community itself. I feel that this experience as a military child has positively developed my character and has enabled me to adapt readily to new situations.

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Moving exposed me to many different countries and cultures. I was born in Germany and subsequently moved to Minnesota, Hawaii, Holland, Hawaii again, Pennsylvania, and finally back to Hawaii. In all these situations, I was struck by both the differences between people and places and our remarkable ability to get along anyway. For example, people of many countries converge in Hawaii, where one can hear five languages spoken around him at once, whereas Germany is a fairly homogenous place. In Holland, I attended an international school for two years and befriended Canadians, British, Germans, Dutch, and Yugoslavians – a wonderfully diverse group that found plenty of commonalities to share.

Living in a place is the best way to learn about its local culture, but traveling is a strong runner up. I have been fortunate to travel to many countries around the world and to many places in the USA. This traveling has made me realize how important it is to learn about other societies. Travel has taught me to be more open-minded, to accept others, and to appreciate how others may view life in a different way than I do.

Military culture has also affected who I am. Being part of a military community is different than growing up in what we call “the civilian world.” The rules – including my parents’ – are stricter than elsewhere. We live in close proximity to our neighbors, and that requires learning to get along with them. Learning to build relationships easily is essential to survival as a military brat since you have to make new friends and meet new people each time you move. I also attribute my independent and outgoing nature to the moving associated with military life. Moving and leaving friends behind is never easy, but these experiences have prepared me for change and taught me how to adapt. Because of these experiences I recognize that life is unpredictable and that sometimes there’s nothing I can do about it. I try to look at things optimistically and be the best person I can be.

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Despite the negative connotations of the term, I am proud to be a “military brat” and I know that the experiences and skills I have developed as a result will benefit me in college and beyond.

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6 Things I Learned Being a Military Child Last Updated: 17 Apr 2020

Steven a. cohen military family clinics updates, being a military kid was the best thing that ever happened to me. .

Close up portrait little girl looking at military father.

When someone asks, “Where are you from?”, I brace myself. The answer is never as simple as they expect.

“I was born on an Air Force Base in central California, but I only lived there for a few months before we moved to Maine,” I explain.

“Oh, so you grew up on the East Coast?” they ask.

“Well, no not really,” I stammer. “We lived there for about a year, then we moved to New York…then Washington, then Texas, then England, then Illinois, then North Dakota, then Texas again.”

By this point, usually, I’m met with wide eyes and a little bit of confusion.

Most military kids have had this conversation about a hundred times. Military families relocate on average every 2 to 3 years. This is ten times more than civilian families.

And that’s not the only difference. Military kids usually grow up on military bases, hang their pictures on-base housing walls, shop at the commissary, and play with the kids they just met who moved in down the street.

When I have this conversation with people who didn’t grow up in the military, they have different reactions. Some thank me for the way I helped my dad serve his country. Some are confused. Some feel sorry for me.

However, no matter how other people react to the lifestyle in which I grew up, I find myself being wildly thankful for the ways military life shaped me, molded me, and made me who I am today.

Here are a few reasons why I am proud to be a military kid.

I learned how to be adaptable.

From the beginning, I was a shy, quiet child. While my siblings were outgoing, I struggled with anxiety when it came to socializing in the new places we’d move. However, as I began to grow, I watched myself grow braver with each new address. I learned how to adapt to the lifestyle I was born into, and it created in me the knowledge that I could do things that were difficult, even if they scared me. I have seen this trait move with me throughout adulthood— even when a change takes place, I know that I can find a way to handle it gracefully.

I saw first-hand the incredible men and women serving our country.

Being a military kid means you’re usually around other military families… especially if you live on base. Now that I’m an adult, I realize how rare and special this is. While many people see military service members as distant members of our Armed Forces, I saw them as the people I babysat for, the people who gave me rides to school, the people who served me cake at Christmas parties. I saw them for who they were— not superheroes, but regular men and women filled with courage and a sense of duty.

I learned to value the people in my life.

When some people hear you’re a military kid, they are hesitant to grow close to you. “You’re just going to move in a few years. Why would I invest in you?” I heard this several times growing up, and I have a very solid answer: Because when you know that something is temporary, you cherish it with vigor. Military kids know how to be present, to appreciate the people in their lives, to revel in the good times, and to keep those memories forever. Plus, we’re great at visiting and staying in touch!

I saw how people live all over the country (and beyond).

From birth to graduation, my family followed the usual military family pattern: move every 2-3 years. This meant I grew up in not one, not two, but eight different states and countries over the course of my military kid career. I got to experience life on the east coast, the west coast, the midwest, the south, and even overseas. To this day, I hold these experiences as the most educational and formative pieces of my early life. It is a humbling thing to watch the way people do things differently in different places. I believe it made me more curious, open, and inquisitive as an adult.

I was raised with a love of country.

When most kids hear that they’re moving overseas, they dream of castles and knights and princesses. However, when my nine-year-old self heard the news, I wept for days. I was probably the most patriotic person I know. “I don’t want to leave America!” I wailed. As we boarded the plane, I whispered the pledge of allegiance. Now that I realize this was a bit dramatic, it does make a point: I grew up learning to love and appreciate the country I was born into. Patriotism pulsed through my veins, and I was taught how to believe in and stand for something bigger than myself.

I had a strong sense of community.

Living on base is a very special thing. Despite the fact that the population can be transient and people come and go, there is always a sense of togetherness— of being a part of a larger military family. Even when my dad was deployed, other families stepped in to help. We did the same when other families had needs we could meet.

Military kids are worth celebrating.

Needless to say, I now see how incredibly special it was to be a military kid. And I’m thankful when other people recognize it too.

“It is important for us to remember the children of military members that have sacrificed so much,” says Jeremy Lynn, LMSW, Intake Coordinator at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors, San Antonio .

We may not be on the front lines, but our military kids make up a big part of military life. I’m proud to call myself a member of the larger military family.

The author of this blog was born a self-proclaimed Air Force Brat and still remains proud to call herself a child of the military. Though she is a civilian, she remains a proud supporter of her many family members who are in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Endeavors places a high emphasis on serving military families at our Military Family Clinics in San Antonio, Killeen, and El Paso . These clinics provide high-quality, mental health services for Veterans and military families. Services include: counseling (for individuals, groups, couples, children, and families), medication management, case management and connections to local resources, life skills and wellness groups, specialty workshops, and more.

About Endeavors

Endeavors is a longstanding national non-profit that provides an array of programs and services in support of children, families, Veterans, and those struggling with mental illness and other disabilities. Endeavors serves vulnerable people in crisis through innovative personalized services. For more information, please visit www.endeavors.org .

About The Cohen Veterans Network

The Cohen Veterans Network is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit, clinically integrated mental health system for post-9/11 veterans and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, with a goal to build a network of outpatient mental health clinics for veterans and their families in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. Learn more about CVN .

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The difficult transition from military to civilian life.

Why do some veterans have a hard time readjusting to civilian life while others make the transition with little or no difficulty? To answer that question, Pew researchers analyzed the attitudes, experiences and demographic characteristic of veterans to identify the factors that independently predict whether a service member will have an easy or difficult re-entry experience.

Using a statistical technique known as logistic regression, the analysis examined the impact on re-entry of 18 demographic and attitudinal variables. Four variables were found to significantly increase the likelihood that a veteran would have an easier time readjusting to civilian life and six factors predicted a more difficult re-entry experience.

According to the study, veterans who were commissioned officers and those who had graduated from college are more likely to have an easy time readjusting to their post-military life than enlisted personnel and those who are high school graduates. 1 Veterans who say they had a clear understanding of their missions while serving also experienced fewer difficulties transitioning into civilian life than those who did not fully understand their duties or assignments.

In addition, those who served in a combat zone and those who knew someone who was killed or injured also faced steeper odds of an easy re-entry. Veterans who served in the post-9/11 period also report more difficulties returning to civilian life than those who served in Vietnam or the Korean War/World War II era, or in periods between major conflicts.

Two other factors significantly shaped the re-entry experiences of post-9/11 veterans but appear to have had little impact on those who served in previous eras. Post-9/11 veterans who were married while they served had a significantly more difficult time readjusting than did married veterans of past eras or single people regardless of when they served.

Eight other variables tested in the model proved to be poor predictors of how easily a veteran made the transition from military to civilian life. They are race and ethnicity (separate variables tested the effect of being white, black, Hispanic or some other race); age at time of discharge; whether the veteran had children younger than 18 while serving; how long the veteran was in the military; and how many times the veteran had been deployed.

Predicting the Ease of Re-entry

This analysis employs a statistical technique known as logistic regression to measure the effect of any given variable on the likelihood that a veteran had an easy or difficult time re-entering civilian life while controlling for the effects of all other variables.

To identify the factors that best predicted an easy re-entry, eighteen independent variables were included in the regression model. The variables were chosen based on their predictive power in previous research. The demographics were: veteran’s age at discharge; how long the individual served; the veteran’s education, race and ethnicity (tested as four separate variables: white, black, Hispanic or some other race); whether the veteran was married or had young children while in the service; highest rank attained; and era in which the veteran served. Other variables tested the impact of specific experiences on re-entry: whether the veteran had been seriously injured while serving; experienced a traumatic or emotionally distressing event; served in a combat or war zone; or served with someone who had been killed or injured. A question that asked veterans whether they understood most or all of the missions in which they participated also was included.

Of the 18 variables in the model, ten turn out to be significant predictors of a veteran’s re-entry experience. Four were positively associated with re-entry: being an officer; having a consistently clear understanding of the missions while in the service; being a college graduate; and, for post-9/11 veterans but not for those of other eras, attending religious services frequently. Six variables were associated with a diminished probability that a veteran had an easy re-entry. They were: having a traumatic experience; being seriously injured; serving in the post-9/11 era; serving in a combat zone; serving with someone who was killed or injured; and, for post-9/11 veterans but not for those of other eras, being married while in the service.

Factors that Make Readjustment Harder

Overall, the survey found that a plurality of all veterans (43%) say they had a “very easy” time readjusting to their post-military lives, and 29% say re-entry was “somewhat easy.” But an additional 21% say they had a “somewhat difficult” time, and 6% had major problems integrating back into civilian life.

Overall, the survey found that serious injuries and exposure to emotionally traumatic events are relatively common in the military. Nearly a third (32%) of all veterans say they had a military-related experience while serving that they found to be “emotionally traumatic or distressing”—a proportion that increases to 43% among those who served since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. About one-in-ten veterans (10%) suffered a serious injury; of those who served in the post-9/11 era, 16% suffered a serious injury, in part because service members with serious injuries are more likely to survive today than in previous wars, when those with serious injuries died.

The survey also pinpoints some of the specific problems faced by returning service members who suffered service-related emotional trauma or serious injury. More than half (56%) of all veterans who experienced a traumatic event say they have had flashbacks or repeated distressing memories of the experience, and nearly half (46%) say they have suffered from post-traumatic stress. 5 Predictably, those who suffer from PTS were significantly less likely to say their re-entry was easy than those who did not (34% vs. 82%).

According to the model, serving in a combat zone reduces the chances that a veteran will have an easier time readjusting to civilian life (78% for those who did not serve in a combat zone to slightly more than 71% for those who did). Knowing someone who was killed or injured also lessens the probability that a veteran will have an easy re-entry by six percentage points (73% vs. 79%).

Service Era and Re-entry

Many veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, have experienced difficulties readjusting to civilian life. The model predicts that a veteran who served in the post-9/11 era is 15 percentage points less likely than veterans of other eras to have an easy time readjusting to life after the military (62% vs. 77%).

A word of caution about comparing re-entry experiences between service eras. Those in the post-9/11 era were interviewed relatively soon after they left the military, and their views could reflect the immediacy of their experience and could change over time. For earlier generations of veterans, their views could have changed from what their views were at a similar point in their post-military lives.

Also, the overall view of veterans of earlier eras could change as members of this generation die and the composition of the cohort becomes different. As a consequence, these results are best interpreted as the views and experiences of current living veterans from each era, and not necessarily the views each generation held in the years immediately after leaving the service.

Marriage and Re-entry

The analysis produced a surprise. Post-9/11 veterans who were married while they were in the service also had a more difficult time readjusting to life after the military. Overall, being married while serving reduces the chances of an easy re-entry from 63% to 48%.

In fact, the answer to another survey question points to a likely explanation. Post-9/11 veterans who were married while in the service were asked what impact deployments had on their relationship with their spouse. Nearly half (48%) say the impact was negative, and this group is significantly more likely than other veterans to have had family problems after they were discharged (77% vs. 34%) and to say they had a difficult re-entry.

Among those married while they were in the service, about six-in-ten (61%) post-9/11 veterans who had experienced marital problems while deployed also had a difficult re-entry. In contrast, about four-in-ten veterans (39%) who reported that deployments had a positive or no impact on their marriage say they had problems re-entering civilian life—virtually identical to the proportion of then-single post-9/11 veterans (37%) who experienced difficulties re-entering civilian life.

Taken together, these findings underscore the strain that deployments put on a marriage before a married veteran is discharged and after the veteran leaves the service to rejoin his or her family.

Factors that Improve the Chances of an Easy Re-entry

Three variables tested in the model—rank at the time of discharge, how well the mission was understood and education level—emerged as statistically significant predictors of an easy re-entry experience for all veterans. A fourth variable, religiosity as measured by service attendance, is a powerful predictor of an easier re-entry experience for post-9/11 veterans but not for those who served in earlier eras.

College-educated veterans also are predicted to have a somewhat easier time readjusting to life after the military than those with only a high school diploma. According to the analysis, a veteran with a college degree is five percentage points more likely than a high school graduate to have an easy time with re-entry (78% vs. 73%).

Again, a word of caution is in order. Veterans in the survey were asked how many years of school they have attended. Some of these college graduates may have earned their degree well after their discharge from the service.

Religiosity and Re-entry

As noted earlier, one reason for the absence of an impact may be related to the question measuring current attendance at religious services. This measure of attendance may be a good proxy for the religious convictions of more recent veterans. But it may be a poor estimate of how religious older veterans were immediately after they were discharged from the service. Over the years the religious belief of these older veterans may have changed, obscuring the impact of religious conviction on their re-entry experience.

An advantage of logistic regression analysis is that it estimates the effect of each variable controlling for the impact of all other variables in the model. For example, service in combat significantly increases the chances of having a difficult time adjusting to life after the military irrespective of the effect of being injured, having a traumatic experience while serving or any of the other positive or negative factors included in the model. Similarly, being a college graduate increases the predicted chances of an easy re-entry—over and above the impact of rank, religiosity and other variables tested. ↩
Most of the estimated effects reported in this study are based on the change in probability between a veteran with a given experience or demographic characteristic (a commissioned officer, served since Sept. 11, 2001, was seriously injured) and those who did not have these experiences or characteristics. For some variables, the reported estimates are based on contrasts between two different levels of that variable. For example, the estimated effect of education on re-entry is based on the contrast between those who are college graduates and those whose formal education ended with high school graduation. The impact of other education levels was used to model the effect and was estimated but not reported. ↩
A possible explanation of the absence of an effect on older veterans is that the religion question asked how often a respondent currently attends religious services. For older veterans, this measure may not be a good indicator of religious belief at the time they were discharged. ↩
To estimate the impact of church attendance and marital status while serving on recent veterans, the model was rerun using only the sample of those who served after Sept. 11, 2001. ↩
For a more detailed look at veterans’ experiences with PTS and other emotional problems, see “ The Military-Civilian Gap: War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era ,” Pew Research Center, Oct. 5, 2011. For more on the consequences of serious injuries for veterans in later life, see “ For Many Injured Veterans, a Lifetime of Consequences ,” Pew Research Center, Nov. 8, 2011. ↩
For summaries of scholarly research into the benefits of marriage, see Thomas A. Hirschl, Joyce Altobelli, and Mark R. Rank, “Does Marriage Increase the Odds of Affluence? Exploring the Life Course Probabilities,” Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 65, No. 4 (November 2003), pp. 927–938, or Allan V. Horwitz, Helene R. White, and Sandra Howell-White, “Becoming Married and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of a Cohort of Young Adults,” Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 58, No. 4 (November 1996), pp. 895–907. ↩
These probabilities have been rounded. The actual percentage-point difference is slightly more than 10 percentage points. ↩
This variable was included in the model in an attempt to see if veterans who clearly understood their assignments and missions in the military had an easier or harder time readjusting to civilian life than those who did not have a clear understanding. It is possible that the causal relationship may flow in the other direction; that is, having an easy or difficult re-entry may shape veterans’ judgments about their military experience, including their attitude toward the missions they served. Omitting this variable from the analysis produces no significant changes in the model. ↩
For a summary of some of the benefits of marriage, see “ The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Spiritual/Religious Practices ” by Rutgers University sociologist Ellen L. Idler. ↩

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Work-life balance in the military

Work-life balance describes the (ideally harmonious) relationship between your job responsibilities, personal pursuits, and family obligations. But it’s a balance that Warfighters don’t always find so easily. Service Members take on jobs and duties that go well beyond punching a time card from 9-to-5. And if they’re married, their spouses (who also might be balancing careers) often support the home front so they can. Enlistment is a commitment to a life dictated by your duties and responsibilities, and it’s a lifestyle devoted to honor and service. It’s a commitment your family has to make too. That’s why phrases such as “enlist a Service Member, retain a family” ring true in discussions about work-life balance in the military because your career impacts everyone. And at the end of the day, a healthy work-life balance affects performance, so it’s important to find a way forward that works for you and your family.

Work-life balance for military families

More than half of active-duty and reserve forces have family responsibilities. Whether it’s your partner, kids, or older family members, most Warfighters have people who depend on them at home. As a unit, you have to navigate separations, moves and relocations, unpredictability, and worries about safety. What’s more is that the commitment to the job is more than just by choice. Warfighters are legally bound to the military for years at a time so you all have to find a way to make it work, even when the road gets tough.

With all that, it can be challenging to find balance when the line between your career and your personal life isn’t so clear. This is especially true for dual military couples and families. Still, the desire for work-life balance continues to be highly valued by members of the force. For example, one of the top concerns reported by Service Members is the amount of time away from their families. Work-life balance is important for the military too since it’s a major factor in retention. Positive work-life balance is related to job satisfaction and commitment, while negative balance is linked to turnover intentions.

When things are going well in one area, there’s a good chance those good vibes will carry across your day, no matter where you are.

How work-life balance affects performance

What’s work-life balance? Or a better question: What does it look like when your work and personal life are in conflict? And what does “conflict” actually mean?

Work-life balance (and conflict) go both ways: What goes on at work affects what happens at home and vice versa. This is sometimes called “spillover” because the events or emotions of the day spill over into different aspects of your life. Start by thinking about work-to-family conflict. In this direction, your role in the military interferes with your family life because your work spills over into your home. Negative experiences at work and with co-workers are linked to depression and anxiety, and they can affect your relationships with loved ones.

On the flip side, family-to-work conflict occurs when family demands make it tough to fulfill work responsibilities. Family-to-work conflict is less common than work-to-family conflict, but it has significant impact on performance. For example, those who experience family-to-work conflict are less satisfied with their jobs, have more interpersonal conflicts at work, and tend to have poorer physical health.

Time. A time-based conflict is about not having enough hours in the day to meet the needs of both your family and your job. For example, maybe that early morning formation overlaps with family breakfast. Or your latest temporary duty assignment means you’ll miss your wedding anniversary. Emotional energy. A work-life conflict in this area means that emotions (and often stresses) in one area make it hard to be present and focused in the other one. For instance, heading to work after a tense argument with your teenager might distract you, affect your mood, and impact your ability to focus while on duty. Behavior. A particularly tough point for Service Members is shifting the way you act at home and at work . It can be tough to move from drills, orders, and combat training to playing on the floor with your toddler all within a few hours. And sometimes it’s not so easy to change how you act when others expect you to.

The fact is, regardless of whether the balance breakdown starts at home or at work, the spillover effect means that issues will very quickly start to pile up. You might quickly find yourself in a negative spiral trying to navigate tension in your relationships in both places.

Ways to find balance

In the private sector, strategies to find work-life balance include talk of flexible work schedules, compressed workweeks, on-site day care, telecommuting, and so on. But those aren’t always practical options for Warfighters. While the different branches have developed programs and leave policies to support military families and work-life balance, there are also some things you can focus on to move the needle yourself. (Keep in mind that “balance” doesn’t always mean you’ll spend an equal amount of time and energy at home and at work—it means you’ll find the right balance of time and energy for both you and your family.)

Increase the positive spillover!

The good parts of your home life and your work life can actually enrich one another. When things are going well in one area, there’s a good chance those good vibes will carry across your day, no matter where you are. Moods, behaviors, and even skills gained at home can enrich your work and vice versa. Positive spillover is also related to job satisfaction, resilience, marital satisfaction, and mental well-being. One of the best ways to increase positive spillover is through building strong relationships with co-workers , battle buddies, and supportive family members .

Focus on open communication at home.

At home, it’s important to keep your partner or spouse in the loop of what’s going on at work. Of course, sometimes there are limitations around operational security or barriers to communication during deployment . But a good way to prevent work stress from compounding at home is to let your partner know when you’re struggling. When you keep the lines of communication open, there’s less of a chance your relationship satisfaction will be negatively impacted despite challenges at work. In military families, it’s also key to share the big picture with your partner. In fact, spouses who are more involved in military culture and have more knowledge about the military tend to be more satisfied with military life despite the added pressures.

Tackle issues directly at work.

In the military, you might not always have flexibility or room to set healthy work-life boundaries. That’s why when you get the chance, it’s important to use assertive communication to get support when needed. Talk to your supervisor or commanding officer directly about stressors you’re experiencing, especially if they’re getting in the way of your ability to do your job. While it’s a good skill to be able to manage and cope with your feelings (or stress), you’ll actually experience less work-family conflict if you address the problem itself. So, take a direct approach and tackle your problems head-on.

Published on : July 24, 2020

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Work-Life Balance in the Military Research Paper

The purpose of this research is to establish the main concerns work-life balance in most of the organizations and fields of employment such as the military, business enterprise, health care facilities just to mention but a few (Eales, 2010, p.1 ).

The research looks at how workers are able to maintain a balance between work and their personal life without limiting the concentration of one. It further goes down to establish the importance of having a proper work-life balance to the employee as well as the employer and the organization at large (Bloom et al, 2006, p. 154).

The impact of work-life balance issues on current organizational behavior and future goals are also looked at to establish the positive or negative impacts that could result after proper and poor work-life balance respectively. Last but not least, the research ends by a critical analysis of ways through which an organization can pro-actively address the issue to minimize the potential of negative impact.

Introduction

Employment is one of the biggest challenges in life when it comes to balancing the two. According to studies conducted in the year 2005 by a research scientist by the name Lowe showed that 6o percent of the surveyed population had conflict between family and work (Parkes and Langford, 2008, p. 270).

This therefore shows that most people are facing the challenge of correlating work and family issues. However, there are those fields of employment that increase the chances of conflict between the two. Some of these include people working in the military, health care facilities, mines, manufacturing industries just to mention but a few.

The reason behind this is the fact that most of the aforementioned working institutions require a lot of devotion especially in terms of time (Parkes and Langford, 2008, p. 272).

Take for example a military soldier who goes on a peace mission for a period of three or even more years or on the other hand a medical practitioner who is called for an emergency case at the health care facility during odd hours of the night. In both cases, it calls for a good balance between work and family one of the two will be greatly affected.

Work-life balance is therefore the act of giving family or work issues proper priority so as to establish a clear balance between the two. It can thus be deduced that work-life balance is an important issue in the contemporary business environment responsible for the reward and fulfillment of a healthy career.

This paper is therefore an in-depth analysis of the importance of work-life balance and the impact it has on current organizational behavior and future goals as well as a discussion of how the organization can proactively address the issue so as to minimize negative impacts.

Work-life balance in the Military

Work-life balance entails a broad spectrum of many concerns about family and personal life such as leisure, health, spiritual development among others. The military on the other hand is among the many fields of employment where some of these personal life experiences are rarely achieved if any.

For a long time, military workers have been having the difficulty of balancing their life in the military and that of their families and even their own (Britt et al, 2006, p. 89). The main reason behind this is the fact that, life in the military is itself of its own given the terms and conditions accorded to it.

For example, the military is one place where a worker will stay for a very long time away from their homes or rather families. At the same time the military is prone to many risks such that those who work in the military have to make a lot of sacrifice to accept to work there.

In most cases, the decision to join the military is usually a crucial hence requiring discussion among the family members. This is because of the simple of the devotion and sacrifice that the individual as well as his or her family should make to allow them to join the military.

The issue of balancing life and work in the military comes about due to the concerns of time, risks involved among other factors. Time is however the most conflicting issue because they have to choose between spending time in the military cruises or family.

If one chooses to spend their time in the military, their personal life and that of the family is neglected. Cases of fathers in the military who have come back home to find their children fully grown up without even a single trace of who their father is, are not any knew to the society.

At the same time, women in the military have ended up being spinsters or having marital issues because of they lack time for the family. Other than time, the numerous risks of being prone to dangers of being killed or hurt are also an issue of concern (Parkes and Langford, 2008, p. 278).

Families that have their members in the military are always expectant of anything like, they may come back dead or alive. In addition to this, the stress the military workers face during their service is a possible cause of the suicide cases rampant in the military. Thus, military entails make a lot of sacrifices which at times are not worth making because of the possible outcomes.

As part of my research, I had a lengthy counseling session with a senior enlisted soldier who explained to me that he had fully committed his life to his career in the military while neglecting that of his family. He explained to me how he had difficulty balancing the two since work in the military was very demanding. He was very sorry, due to the fact that his career has separated him from his family such that he rarely spent any time with them thus creating a poor relationship with his wife and children.

I specifically explained to him the benefits of balancing the two since both were important part of his life. For one, I explained to him the way he could possibly achieve a balance between his life in the military and that of his family. This would be by for example spending as much time possible with his family during his leave periods or off duties.

Frequent communication back at home while at work would create a feeling of unity and oneness despite the distance involved (Matsch, 2010, p. 78). Last but not least would be the issue of proper care for his family to make them feel that someone was still responsible for them. All this I said because I had heard of several spouses to the military workers who had been neglected hence leading miserable lives.

The subject of balancing life not only entails taking care of the family life but also that of the work itself (Holden and Renshaw, 2004, 104). Workers ought to be responsible enough to take care of their jobs by spending the required time allocated and doing the work perfectly.

For example, a military worker who decides to stay at home with their family instead of going to their work place will not be properly balancing the two and will be prone to be sacked. Thus work should be respected while at the same time having healthy family time.

Importance of work-life balance

Work-life balance has been a conflicting issue having impacts on the employers, employees, family and the society at large (Abercromby, 2007, p.1).

As mentioned above, workers are having the problem handling their responsibilities in work places, homes and even volunteering programs for the society. However, it is possible to balance the two thus having a comfortable. The balance can be achieved through the following,

Proper time management whereby work and family time is clearly distinguished without having to encroach to the time set for a specific duty.
For those who go home on daily basis, it is important that they do not take home work assignments as this will prevent them from having adequate family time.
Dealing with the issues and concerns of family and work separately such that the stresses at work do not affect the family life and those from home do not affect the output at work (Martin, 2011, p.1).

These are just but few ways through which general work-life balance can be achieved.

Despite of the difficulty involved, a balance between the two is very important because of the following.

The most important benefit of achieving work-life balance is that of being flexible to comfortably handle obligations (Eales, 2010, p.1). This is whereby, a worker will be very effective at work and at the same time his or her family life is good. At the same time, Effectiveness in work is achieved when the worker has had some time off from the work duties.

That way workers would be able to meet their targets since they have had relaxation time thus coming back to work with high stimuli. The workers will also be able to have quality time with their families as well as having time to develop their personal skills and hobbies something which is healthy for the mind as well as providing satisfaction (Eales, 2010, p.1).

Impact of work-life balance issues on current organizational behavior and future goals

The human resource departments of most business organizations have the obligation of making sure that their employees maintain a proper work-balance. The issue of work-life balance of the employees has many impacts on the current organizational behavior and its future goals (Kalliath and Brough, 2008, p. 325).

This is because an organization that fosters a good balance between work and the personal life of their employees enjoys the benefits of having high rated and qualified employees. The positive impacts of employees who have a balance of work and life could include;

Good reputation of the organization in the society. This is to mean that the society will be applauded for the great job they have done to initiate their workers positively. The organization will also be praised for producing all rounded and effective workers who are able to have a clear cut and control of the work life and personal or family life.
Equality of time – The fact that the workers will have the capability of balancing the time they spend at work and life issues, they will in the long-run acquire essential skills that will be applied in the work environment. Take for example an accountant who is burdened with the office work as well as external work such as audit meetings. For people without the skill of proper balance of duties, they may end up failing to attend the audit meetings which are a crucial part of the accountant’s job. Therefore an organization that has workers that are able to effectively spend their time will be higher on the ladder unlike those without such employees.
Satisfaction- Job satisfaction encompasses a number of things. If employees are given time to be with their families as well as handle their private life matters, they will have the feeling of job satisfaction (Parkes and Langford, 2008, p. 273). Thus, if employees achieve satisfaction in the work place they will be highly productive hence leading to the attainment of the future goals of the organization.
Measure of control- Having proper work-life balance is an indication of the ability to have control of even the pressing matters. Thus, this indication will be in turn reflected in the work of the employees which will have much contribution to the achievement of organizational goals.

On the other hand, organizations that offer their employees with the opportunity to have a balance between work life and personal life will not be practicing good human resource practices thus will have negative impacts as a result. Some of these impacts include;

Poor reputation- Most fields of employment that do not provide a proper work-life balance for their employees usually end up having a bad reputation in the society despite the positive things they might be doing. For instance, despite the life saving assistance that most health care facilities give to the public, they still end up receiving a bad reputation in the society just because their workers spend more time in the facilities unlike at home with their families. This could in the long-run affect the aims of the organization.
Stress- If employees fail to have a balance between their work life and personal life; they may end up experiencing stressful moments. They may experience stress either at work or at home whereby their family members and especially their spouses may retaliate due to the neglecting they get due to the worker’s preference of work to family. This may affect the productivity of the workers hence affecting the organization as well.
Burn out- Hard work is complemented but hard work without rest leads to burn out of the workers. If the organization does not provide room for the employees to have some time on off duties, they will experience burn out. Burn out is one of the main causes of poor or low productivity of workers which in the long-run will lead to poor performance of the organization thus not achieving the set organizational goals.

How an organization can pro-actively address the issue to minimize the potential of negative impact

As per the negative impacts evidenced above, all organizations will be working hard to ensure that their employees are maintaining a proper work-life balance. This is because the negative impacts have detrimental effects on the achievement of the set organizational goals (Mercer, 2004, p.95). Therefore, organizations can pro-actively address the issue of work-life balance so as to minimize the potential of incurring the negative impacts.

This can be achieved through a number of ways including;

Provision Conducive working environment: As seen above in the case of the military, the working environment matters a lot to the employees. Therefore, if at all the organizations want to minimize the potentials of negative impacts as a result of work-life balance, they should be able to provide their employees with a conducive environment to work in. This way, the employees will increase their productivity to benefit the organization. A conducive work environment involves off-duties, rewards, leaves, trips just to mention but a few.
Health and well-being- An organization should yearn to providing their employees with god health and well being so that they can minimize the potential of incurring negative impacts. For example, if workers are subjected to health hazards during their duty of service, they may have problems balancing their work and personal life.
Avoid burn out- Employers should be on the watch so that their employees do not experience burn out. They can do this by making that their employees are not overworked but given adequate time to relax which they can use for personal and family matters.
Effective leadership- Other than the aforementioned factors, the management of human resource should be done by effective leaders (Eales, 2010, p.1). Effective leadership ensures that the employees are properly managed towards the achievement of the goals of the organizations without being biased on the workers. By effective leadership providing good work-life balance means that they will be minimizing the potential of experiencing the negative impacts associated with poor work life balance.

The above discussion has been an enlightenment of the issue that comes in hand with work life balance of employees in organizations.

As mentioned, despite the fact that all organizations can be reasons for poor balance between life and work, there are those that have the highest degree of such occurrences. These are for example the military and health care facilities regardless of the great contribution they provide to the society.

The contemporary business is also prone to issue of work life balance just like most of the other organizations. It has also been discussed that the way a worker manages their work life and personal life has great impacts on the organization as well as themselves. Proper work and life balance has many advantages to those of achieving organizational goals and should thus be encouraged.

Given the possible effects of poor balance of work and personal life, the human resource departments of organizations should ensure that they practice the aforementioned proactive measures so as to minimize the effects which have an impact on the organizational objectives. Thus it will be advisable that workers are educated on proper work and personal life balance so as to attain the organizational objectives.

Reference List

Abercromby, M. (2007). A report on the Importance of Work-Life Balance . Web.

Bloom, N., T. Kretschmer, and J. Van Reenen. (2006). Work life balance, management practices and productivity. London: Centre for Economic Performance.

Britt, T. Adler, B. and Castro, A. (2006). Military Life: Military performance. ABC-CLO.

Eales, J. (2010). The Importance of Work/ Life Balance. Web.

Holden, R. and Renshaw, B. (2004). Balancing Life and Work. Dorling Kindersley.

Kalliath, T. and Brough, P. (2008) Work-life balance: A review of the meaning of the balance construct. Journal of Management & Organization 14(3): 323-327.

Martin, J. (2011). The Importance of Maintaining the Right Work-life Balance. Web.

Matsch, M. et al. (2010).Perceptions of Work-Life Balance Among Military Law Enforcement Personnel and their Spouses. Journal of Police and Criminology Physiology. Volume 24.

Mercer, S. (2004). Extending working life: UK experiences. London: International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics .

Parkes, P. and Langford, P. (2008) Work-life balance or work-life alignment? A test of the importance of work-life balance for employee engagement and intention to stay in organizations. Journal of Management & Organization 14(3): 267-284.

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Bibliography

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The Notion of the Work-Life Balance
Benefits of Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Conflict and Performance
Work-Life Programmes in Business Strategy
Flexible Work Schedule and Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Policies in the U.S. Army
Work-Life Balance and Its Influences on Employee Development and Career Management
Work-Life Conflict
The Importance of Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance: A Comparison of Policies in the UK and Australia
Team Performance Evaluation in Health Organizations
Team Performance Measurement in the Health Care
The Role of Leadership Strategy in Hospital Cooperation of America
Importance of Involving Employees in the Decision Making Process
Economic and Political Issues in the Global Expansion

After serving in the military for decades she developed ALS. Now the VA is refusing to pay for care where she lives.

The va will only pay for patricia gallegos delgado’s care at a facility that would require her family to drive 80 miles round trip each day..

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Greg, Sara and Mario Delgado with their mother Patricia Gallegos Delgado, in her room at NeuroRestorative in Riverton, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

In 2003, Patricia Gallegos Delgado was deployed to Kuwait. In the midst of the chaos of war and camel spiders, she threw a party for Cinco de Mayo. She made flowers out of toilet paper, finding a bit of joy in a difficult time.

More than 20 years later, lying completely paralyzed, she’s still making the best of it. A dream catcher hangs above Pat’s bed and a bowl of candy sits by her door. Each month her son Mario covers her in a festive blanket to match the season. The stream of visitors is constant.

Patricia, who goes by Pat, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2016. She is now 70 and has lost all mobility. “I still enjoy life,” Pat said, “I never give up on being happy.”

For the last two years, she has required intensive care and lived in a facility that has come to feel like home. But now Pat and her family are caught in a bureaucratic nightmare and fight with the Veteran’s Affairs Salt Lake City Health System and are afraid she will lose their home, health and even visits from loved ones.

Her ALS is considered service-related, which means the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health System pays for her care. Researchers are unsure of exactly what causes ALS, but it is more common among veterans and the government automatically accepts claims.

ALS is fatal and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years.

In February 2022, Pat stopped breathing and surgeons made a hole in her windpipe (a tracheostomy). She now breathes with the help of a ventilator and can still speak.

After the surgery, Mario and Sara got a list of nursing homes from the VA and consulted with the ALS Association on which one would be best. That’s how Pat landed at NeuroRestorative, a quiet, rustic-themed, facility where many of the patients also have tracheostomy tubes.

Pat didn’t want to leave her house, but it helped that two of her kids and most of her extended family were just a short ten–to fifteen-minute drive away. She was rarely alone.

Her daughter Sara took family medical leave time to help with the transition. Mario spent every day at NeuroRestorative.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Relatives gather to celebrate Valentines Day with Patricia Gallegos Delgado, in her room at NeuroRestorative in Riverton, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

At her new home, strangers managed every aspect of Pat’s care and it took time for her to feel comfortable. For weeks, she refused to allow a nurse to give her a shower.

More than two years later, she has surpassed the life expectancy of someone diagnosed with ALS. She cannot move, but she still tells stories and cracks jokes. The staff at NeuroRestorative paint her fingernails, brush her hair back and tie it in a neat bun.

On her 70th birthday, family members flocked to NeuroRestorative and hired a mariachi band to celebrate.

“I love this place,” Pat said, “it’s my home.”

An 80-mile drive

On Jan. 10, Pat got a call from a VA social worker informing her that she would be transferred to a new facility, Heritage Park, in Roy.

The family was stunned. The Roy facility would require the family to drive roughly 80 miles round trip to visit.

“The VA wants to take her 15% survival rate and cut it down further by ignoring her mental health,” Mario wrote in a letter to several VA staff involved with the case. “Perhaps it was an inconvenience [that] she survived so long. Maybe she was perceived as the type of bill better to snuff out. I don’t remember anyone checking her condition prior to arranging her move.”

Pat’s declining health and understanding of the agreement between the VA and NeuroRestorative made the family think she would not have to settle into a new home again.

On Feb. 6, 2022, a VA administrator sent a letter to NeuroRestorative explaining that they would enter into an agreement to pay for Pat’s care because the “veteran is at end-of-life care and moving [the] veteran would create undue circumstances.”

The VA administrator acknowledged that “a move to the facility at this time would add undue stress to the veteran and her family.”

Pat and her family wonder what could have possibly changed.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kris Ortega gives his aunt Patricia Gallegos Delgado a kiss as he arrives for a visit, at NeuroRestorative in Riverton, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

$28,000 a month for care

Pat’s main concern is spending time with her family. She’s an extrovert and loves to chat. Many of the nurses and caregivers at NeuroRestorative adore Pat, who is equal parts witty and kind.

“With our patients with ALS, quality of life is so important because they’ve lost their physical function,” Cassie Kuhn, a nurse practitioner at the University of Utah’s Multidisciplinary ALS Clinic said, “the other piece of their quality of life is that psychosocial component. And so with [Pat] she thrives off of her relationships with her family who are close by and she likes to see her kids and she has people that visit often.”

Kuhn said it was important for Pat to stay at NeuroRestorative in Riverton, mainly because of the proximity to her family.

“Existential stress for these patients is significant,” Kuhn said, “I fear what could happen if she does have to move or doesn’t have that family support ongoing.”

Stressful events can trigger the next progression of the disease Kuhn said. And for Pat, the next progression is losing her ability to speak.

A week after getting a phone call from a VA social worker informing her she’d have to move, Jason Funderburk, VA Salt Lake City chief of staff, sent Pat an official letter.

“Your medical records have been evaluated and it has been determined appropriate for your care to be transitioned from NeuroRestorative to Heritage Park Healthcare & Rehabilitation.”

Funderburk stated Heritage Park reviewed Pat’s records and accepted her as a patient. Two days later, on Jan. 19, she would be transferred, per the letter. If she declined the transfer, she would have to pay NeuroRestorative out of pocket starting on Jan. 20. The cost could be more than $28,000 a month, according to the billing documents the facility sent the VA each month.

The Delgados asked if the VA might pay for care at a long term community nursing home in the Salt Lake Valley, making it a little easier to continue visiting her each day.

There are no long term care facilities in Salt Lake County that are contracted with VA to provide care for a veteran with a tracheostomy tube. The only facility in the Wasatch Front that is contracted for such care is Heritage Park in Roy.

“They are not giving us options,” Mario said.

On Jan. 19, Pat, Mario and Sara waited all day. They assumed that the VA would arrange transportation to take Pat to Heritage Park in Roy. No one came. So Pat stayed.

As the family worked to keep Pat close, the VA asked to meet with them shortly after The Tribune had reached out requesting comment.

On Jan. 29 Funderburk and several other representatives met with Pat and nine other friends and family who came to voice support for keeping her at NeuroRestorative.

The VA representatives explained that Pat’s care at NeuroRestorative was paid through a Veteran Care Agreement — a temporary contract that isn’t supposed to last more than 100 days. The agreement and memorandum shared with The Tribune state that it is valid for three years and Pat had been there two.

(Courtesy of Mario Delgado) Patricia Gallegos Delgado at the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California in 1982 where she took a one year course to learn Russian.

“Because she was too fragile to move, we agreed with the facility that they would become contracted under a Community Care Network,” Kelsey Worner, community care services chief for the VA, said. NeuroRestorative never became a contracted facility and apparently failed to send in a monthly required form, triggering the VA’s letter stating it would no longer pay.

NeuroRestorative’s rating through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating System is a major sticking point, according to the VA.

The VA requires that a facility have at least a three-star ranking to qualify for a contract; Neurorestorative only has two.

“We have to rely on objective measures by law,” Funderburk told the family, “and one of those objective measures is the CMS star ratings.”

NeuroRestorative declined to comment further on their rating.

The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System said it would not discuss Pat’s case specifically but provided answers to more general questions.

The VA Salt Lake Health Services public affairs officer Jeremy Laird, wrote to The Tribune that while Medicaid’s Quality Star Ratings were used to identify “high-quality facilities,” “other factors like a family’s wishes are taken under consideration as part of the overall decision-making process, ensuring the individual Veteran receives the highest quality of care.”

Medicaid could potentially pay for Pat’s care at NeuroRestorative — but the state of Utah could recover the costs by taking her home and all other assets. Mario was Pat’s caregiver prior to the move to NeuroRestorative and lives in their family home.

If Medicaid is the only option left, “I’ll be straight up,” Mario said, “I’ll probably be homeless.”

A disease that came with service

Those who serve in the military have an increased likelihood of developing ALS, according to studies from Harvard researchers. In 2008, the VA started covering all veterans for ALS.

Pat deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, from 2007 to March 2008. (Mario deployed shortly after). She also served in the Utah Army National Guard. “I was always committed,” Pat said. Altogether, she deployed twice and served for 32 years.

Not all ALS patients choose to get a tracheostomy. But, for Pat, relying on a ventilator has meant more time to watch her grandkids grow, to reminisce about her childhood with her sisters and to be with her kids, who already lost their father to cancer.

“Many people living with ALS face a challenging decision when it comes to invasive ventilation,” Leslie Ryan, with the ALS Association, wrote in an email, “not only because of the medical implications, but also because of the extreme financial burden and lack of support and resources.”

(Courtesy of Mario Delgado) Patricia Gallegos Delgado with her son Mario at his air force basic training graduation in 2005.

Fighting back

In a folder titled “Moms fight” Mario, Greg and Sara have assembled dozens of documents. They’ve spent hours soliciting more than 30 letters supporting Pat’s continued care in the Salt Lake Valley.

Pat’s sister Yvonne Hincks wrote “[Pat] hasn’t stopped crying since she got that call, we are all trying to stop this move. She will surely die and she knows this, she does not want to give up.”

Mario and Greg spent weeks pouring through VA documents, trying to understand the labyrinthine process and policies that would determine whether or not their mother would have to leave her home.

They reached out to Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee for help and Rep. Burgess Owens.

Despite the outreach, on March 1, Mario received a letter from the VA Salt Lake Health Care System denying their appeal.

“We appreciate and respect the numerous heartfelt letters with an outpouring of support from many family and community members,” the letter stated. “Family requests are always considered in the decision process as we attempt to fulfill Veterans desires.” It was signed by Funderburk and medical center director Angela Williams. “Safety and quality standards prohibit me from supporting your request.”

The next step is filing an additional appeal to the regional Rocky Mountain VA office. Mario filed that appeal on April 4.

In the meantime, Pat is remaining at NeuroRestorative. The family is unsure if they will be hit with a bill for tens of thousands of dollars. They say they were initially told that they would not be charged but never got a statement in writing.

The tight-knit family is determined to fight. They’re private people. But the move has spurred them to speak out.

Despite developing ALS, Pat doesn’t regret her service. She’s proud of serving her country and state. But she hopes that other veterans won’t have to face the same hurdles she has. She’s still fighting — not just for herself but for other soldiers who may find themselves in the same place.

“If there are other soldiers,” Pat said, “I want them to know they are not alone.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Patricia Gallegos Delgado, with her Beetlejuice doll, in her room at NeuroRestorative in Riverton, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

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Class Destroyed

By Chantal Da Silva, Yasmine Salam, Matthew Mulligan and Bianca Britton

Built over decades, Gaza’s universities embodied the ambitions of young Palestinians.

In weeks, the Israeli military destroyed them.

April 4, 2024

Gaza’s universities are revered, embodying Palestinians’ dreams and ambitions, their values and traditions.

They have also represented a way for Palestinians to exercise some control over lives stifled by conflict, a 17-year blockade, political stagnation and misrule, and an economy on its knees.

“We don't have oil, we don't have petroleum, we don't have gold. The only capital we have is a human capital,” Akram Habeeb, an English literature professor said. “So we believe in education.”

This is the Islamic University of Gaza, or IUG, the Strip’s oldest degree-awarding institution.

It opened in 1978, its earliest classes held in tents .

It grew into a sprawling and modern campus with dozens of buildings across Gaza, with doctors, engineers, celebrated poets and politicians — including Hamas leaders — among its graduates.

This is IUG now.

The Israeli military destroyed the university’s main buildings in air strikes on Oct. 11.

It hailed the assault, saying the buildings and surrounding areas were used by Hamas “above and below ground” for training and to develop weapons. University administrators and students deny these charges.

This was Israa University.

Its towering main building and archway entrance was a love letter to Islamic architecture.

Gaza’s youngest university was set to mark its 10th anniversary this year — and planned to open to the public a museum highlighting Palestinian history and culture.

In moments, Israa was destroyed.

Video of the Israel Defense Forces' demolition of Israa’s main building appeared online on Jan. 17. The IDF initially said that the building had been “used by Hamas for military activity” and that there were concerns the group might use it to attack Israeli forces.

Later, the IDF said there had been “flaws in the operational process, including in the decision to destroy the entire building,” noting that the commander who ordered the demolition was formally censured and that an investigation was ongoing. The IDF did not respond to a subsequent request for further information.

Israa and IUG were not alone — universities across Gaza have been leveled.

According to an NBC News analysis of more than 60 videos and photos, and interviews with university administrators, professors, students and experts, at least five of Gaza’s seven major universities have been destroyed or partially damaged since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks, which killed some 1,200 and saw 240 taken hostage. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing war, including prominent professors, university leaders, and students.

‘Our future is dead’

Abdallah Abujaser, a 21-year-old clinical psychology student at Israa, first saw the video of his school reduced to rubble on social media.

It was like watching his future disappear.

A photograph on Abujaser's Instagram account on Oct. 4 shows him on campus, beaming.

“The first picture in the fourth year,” he wrote alongside a dove and olive branch emoji.

Days later the war shattered his plans of becoming a qualified psychologist.

Abujaser was drawn to Israa because of its beautiful campus and its clinical psychology program — and he loved playing on the school’s competitive volleyball team.

He also believed in Israa’s mission — a modern university providing a higher education for those who might not be able to afford it.

Weekly hangouts with his three best friends are now WhatsApp calls, where the four men ask, “Are you OK? … Are you still alive?”

Nights are now spent in a bleak room with his mother and three sisters in Rafah, along with more than 1 million other displaced Palestinians.

The constant buzzing drones and thudding explosions remind him that the city, once deemed a safe zone by the Israeli military, could be stormed at any moment. He said he tries to remain optimistic, but until Gaza’s universities are rebuilt “our future is dead.”

Aya Salama, a 21-year-old English language and translation student, was set to graduate this spring from Al-Azhar University. Here she’s pictured, wearing a pink headscarf, with her classmates and professor during a phonetics class in May 2022.

Salama, left, and her friends are struggling to cope with their academic plans hanging in the balance. “As a student, this year was supposed to be the most beautiful year for us,” she said.

“We were dreaming of the graduation party, what we were going to wear, what activities we were going to do.”

Salama fondly recalled the “breakfast parties” she would have with her friends on Al-Azhar’s lawn before classes. It was a ritual of sorts for them.

This is Salama’s home after it was demolished in an airstrike on Al Maghazi camp in northern Gaza on New Year’s Eve.

“The Israeli army has killed all our plans, all our passions,” she said, referring to her disrupted college life, adding that she has “literally cried many nights” over the news that her campus had also been destroyed.

The IDF said armed terrorists and a missile launching position were spotted near Al-Azhar, adding “enemy infrastructure” was disguised in its buildings. It also published photos of a tunnel shaft and explosive charges, rocket parts, launchers, explosive activation systems and weapons technology it says were found.

"The findings indicate that Hamas used the university building in order to execute attacks against our forces," the IDF said.

University administrators did not respond to requests for comment on the IDF allegations.

‘You’re fighting the existence of the Palestinians’

Around half of Gaza’s population is under the age of 18, and unemployment rates – before the war at about 45% – are among the highest in the world .

Higher education is seen as a way to combat a sense of powerlessness.

With a 17-year blockade imposed by Israel and reinforced by Egypt, traveling in or out of Gaza is difficult, if not impossible. Higher education opens doors to overseas opportunities, although students are often denied travel permits, which must be obtained from Israeli or Egyptian border authorities.

The war halted the studies of at least 88,000 students enrolled in universities and vocational-focused colleges, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Higher Education.

“When you destroy those kinds of institutions, you're not fighting Hamas, you're fighting the existence of the Palestinians. You’re fighting their capability to have memory and to have records and to be educated,” said Rashid Khalidi, a historian at Columbia University and author of several books on the region.

‘Everything is leveled to the ground’

When professor Akram Habeeb joined the IUG faculty in 1992, an American literature degree wasn’t offered anywhere in Gaza.

“I was very keen on teaching American lit and making our students understand the American values and the American beliefs – to show that American people are different from the government,” said Habeeb, who got his Ph.D. at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

He cultivated his department over three decades, teaching Emily Dickinson and Thomas Paine, among others.

His favorite assignment was asking students to analyze the literary style and political arguments in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and then draft a Palestinian one.

The irony is not lost on him that his life’s work – four decades of lecture recordings and syllabuses — was destroyed by an Israeli military that is partially funded and armed by the U.S.

“Everything is leveled to the ground,” Habeeb said of the university buildings, including his office, that he saw while fleeing Gaza City in mid-October.

“My research, my books, my personal things,” the professor said. “I won’t retrieve them.”

Habeeb, who never stopped teaching even though he is officially retired, is anxious to get back to work.

“I'm waiting for the moment the war is over.”

IUG began as a university focusing on Arabic literature and Islamic theology. It grew into a research facility teaching disciplines from medicine to marketing with 18,000 students.

Like at Israa, women outnumbered men at IUG, with women represented equally to men in STEM fields.

Among IUG’s graduates are Hamas leaders like Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh. But so are award-winning poets like Mosab Abu Toha, journalists like Wael Al Dahdouh and opposition politicians like Mohammed Dahlan.

The IDF has highlighted IUG’s alleged militant ties, and told NBC News that the university and the area around it “were used by Hamas for various military activities, above and below ground.” This included the production of weapons and training of Hamas military intelligence personnel, its spokesman said.

IUG administrators maintain the school is run independently from the enclave’s government and rejected accusations the university was used as a training camp.

“Our graduates have many different political affiliations,” Habeeb said, adding that the university can’t control the beliefs of those who enroll.

Qasem Waleed, an IUG physics graduate and English literature student, has rescued university library books from being sold as kindling for cooking fires.

“I will return them once the universities get back to work again,” he said from the refugee camp that is now his home.

But Khalidi, the Columbia professor, warned not everything can be restored.

“You can rebuild some of these things,” he said. “But the records — and the people — are irreplaceable.”

Development

Nigel Chiwaya and Jiachuan Wu

Photo Editor

Max Butterworth

Photo Director

Art Director

Chelsea Stahl

Contributors

Alfred Arian and Khalid Razak

VISUAL CREDIT INDEX

1. Al-Azhar University, 2017, Chris McGrath/Getty Images. 2. Islamic University of Gaza, 1993, Rula Halawani/Sygma via Getty Images. 3. Al-Azhar University, 2020, Yasser Qudih/Picture Alliance/Photoshot via SIPA USA. 4. Al-Aqsa University, 2024, AFP via Getty Images. 5. Al-Aqsa University, 2024, AFP via Getty Images. 6. Islamic University in Gaza, 2024, AFP via Getty Images. 7. Islamic University of Gaza via Israel Defense Forces. 8-9. Islamic University of Gaza via Facebook. 10. Unknown Gaza University, 1993 Esaias Baitel/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images. 11. Islamic University of Gaza via Facebook. 12. Islamic University of Gaza via Telegram. 13. Israa University via Facebook. 14. Satellite Images via Planet Labs PBC. 15. Israa University via Israel Defense Forces. 16. Map by NBC News. 17. Video by NBC News. 18-19. Courtesy of Abdallah Abujaser. 20-23. Courtesy of Aya Salama. 24. Islamic University of Gaza, 2011, Lynsey Addario/Getty Images Reportage. 25. Al-Azhar University, 2013, Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images. 26. Al-Aqsa University, 2006, Khalil Hamra/AP. 27. Unknown Gaza University, Unknown Year, Agostino Pacciani/Anzenberger via Redux. 28-31. Courtesy of Akram Habeeb. 32. University of Palestine, 2023, Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via AP. 33. Al-Quds University, Ramez Habboub, Abaca Press/Alamy. 34. Israa University via Facebook.

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Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence

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We live in an increasingly complex world, and the security threats faced by Canada are rapidly changing. Growing challenges to the international order that has long protected Canada’s prosperity and security, the rising impact of climate change, and the rapid pace of technological change is all affecting Canada’s national interests. These trends are also having real and tangible impacts on the daily lives of Canadians.

In response to these challenges, the service of our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is more important than ever – from defending Canada and securing our sovereignty in the Arctic, to protecting our continent alongside the United States, to providing life-saving assistance to Canadians impacted by natural disasters, to strengthening NATO’s collective defence and providing military assistance to help Ukraine defend itself, to increasing our presence in the Indo-Pacific.

We need a robust military that can defend Canada and protect Canadians at home, including in our North, while defending North America and our national interests abroad with Allies and partners. The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, today released Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence and announced a new overall investment of $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years in defence spending to be included in the upcoming Budget 2024. Canada’s defence spending to GDP ratio is expected to rise to 1.76 per cent by 2029-30, a major step toward reaching the NATO commitment of 2 per cent.

Since the launch in 2017 of Strong, Secure, Engaged , Canada’s comprehensive defence policy, we have already invested to strengthen the CAF, and we are on track to more than double our defence spending from 2016-17 to 2026‑27. We are acquiring new fighter jets and maritime patrol aircraft, and new built-in-Canada Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels are being delivered to Canadian sailors. In 2022, we invested around $38 billion to modernize our contribution to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Our North, Strong and Free builds on these previous commitments, providing a renewed vision for defence and investing in Canada’s capacity to respond to the significant global shifts we have witnessed since the release of Strong, Secure, Engaged .

As Arctic waters become increasingly navigable due to the disproportionate impacts of climate change, Canada will be exposed to new vulnerabilities in the North, which is also NATO’s Northern and Western flank. The character of war is changing, while new and disruptive technologies as well as increasingly hostile autocratic states are redefining what it means to be safe and secure. Autocracies are challenging the international order that keeps Canada safe and prosperous. At a time when defence and security needs are changing faster than ever, Canada’s military needs to be equipped to keep us strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world.

The most urgent and important task we face is asserting Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic and Northern regions, where the changing physical and geopolitical landscapes have created new threats. The investments outlined in Our North, Strong and Free will provide the CAF with the tools and capacity they need to defend Canada and protect North America. These include:

$1.4 billion over 20 years to acquire specialized maritime sensors to conduct ocean surveillance. They will be used to monitor Canada’s maritime approaches, including in the Arctic and North, and will be a critical component of the CAFs’ ability to defend Canada from a growing range and sophistication of underwater threats, including vessel-launched missiles, underwater systems, ships, and submarines, on all three coasts.
$18.4 billion over 20 years to acquire a more modern, mobile, and effective tactical helicopter capability. This will provide the CAF with the speed and airlift capacity to assert Canada’s sovereignty and respond to natural disasters and emergencies throughout the country.
$218 million over 20 years for Northern Operational Support Hubs to better ensure Canadian sovereignty by establishing a greater year-round presence across the Arctic and the North, and invest in multi-use infrastructure that also meets the needs of territories, Indigenous Peoples, and Northern communities.
$307 million over 20 years for airborne early warning aircraft that will vastly improve Canada’s ability to detect, track, and prioritize airborne threats sooner, ensuring a faster, better coordinated response with the United States when required.

At the same time, the security and prosperity of Canadians is ensured by the international rules and institutions that we helped build. Our investments to help the CAF advance Canada’s global interests and values include:

$9.9 billion over 20 years to improve the sustainment of our naval fleets. This will include extending the life of the Halifax-class frigates and preserving the Royal Canadian Navy’s interim at-sea replenishment capability. These investments will help Canada maintain a globally deployable naval fleet capable of supporting NATO and engaging in operations, exercises, training, and defence diplomacy with key Allies and partners, among other activities.
$5.5 billion over 20 years to acquire a comprehensive worldwide satellite communication capability. Working with our Allies, we will jointly develop updated access to the satellite constellations that enable the military to operate effectively around the world, including by better defending its communications against jamming or disruptions by adversaries while deployed.
$2.8 billion over 20 years to stand up a joint Canadian cyber operations capability with the Communications Security Establishment, integrating the unique strengths of each organization into a unified team that will conduct active cyber operations in support of Canadian interests.
$2.7 billion over 20 years to acquire long-range missile capabilities to enable our Armed Forces to deter threats to Canada from an appropriate distance and reach targets at greater ranges than our adversaries in combat.

None of this work is possible without the CAF members who bravely serve our country. Investments to support them include:

$295 million over 20 years to establish a CAF Housing Strategy, build new housing, and rehabilitate existing housing so CAF members have safe and affordable places to call home where they and their families are posted.
$100 million over five years to improve child care access for CAF personnel on bases across Canada.
$497 million over 20 years to accelerate development of an electronic health record platform to improve the continuity of care as CAF members move between provinces and territories.
$1.8 billion over 20 years to increase the number of civilian specialists in priority areas to accelerate and improve the purchase of new equipment, our capacity to recruit and train new soldiers, and infrastructure upgrades.

To enable future growth, we must also strengthen the foundations of defence – and invest in building an innovative Canadian Defence Industrial Base that can equip our military and create skilled, middle-class jobs across Canada. Our plan will support these objectives by investing in key areas, including:

$10.2 billion over 20 years to maintain and renew National Defence infrastructure to support the required tempo of training, operations, and day-to-day military activities. These investments will range from asset maintenance and repair to other improvements to military facilities, such as piers and runways.
$9.5 billion over 20 years to build a strategic reserve of ammunition and scale up the production of made-in-Canada artillery ammunition in partnership with Canada’s defence industry, to equip our Armed Forces and create good jobs.
$9 billion over 20 years to sustain military equipment under the National Procurement Program to ensure the CAF can continue to receive the critical updates necessary to preserve their ability to deploy on operations.

This is about preserving our values of democracy, freedom, peace, and fairness for the next generation of Canadians, so they can enjoy the same security and prosperity that was given to us by our parents and grandparents. It is about supporting and honouring members of our Armed Forces and equipping them with the resources they need to keep Canadians safe in an increasingly unpredictable world. In Budget 2024, we are also building more homes faster, getting healthy food on kids’ plates, investing in health care, making life more affordable, and creating good jobs to make sure every generation can get ahead.

“Members of our Armed Forces serve our country with unwavering dedication. With today’s announcement, we’re strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces with transformative investments in equipment, capabilities, and talent. As we tackle the evolving challenges ahead, including protecting and defending the Arctic, these investments will keep Canada safe, secure, and prosperous.” The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“The brave Canadians who serve in our Armed Forces need cutting-edge equipment to protect Canadians and defend democracy. They help uphold the rules-based international order, which has enabled the decades of peace and prosperity that generations of Canadians have enjoyed. Our government is making transformative investments to secure our Arctic and ensure the Canadian Armed Forces can keep up with emerging threats today and in the years ahead.” The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

“In our rapidly changing world, we are committed to fulfilling our essential responsibility of protecting Canada and its people. Our world has evolved significantly in the past few years, and we need to do more to respond to new security threats. Our North, Strong and Free outlines our plan to do more and is a significant step forward in meeting our commitments to our Allies. I thank our personnel for their dedication to protecting Canada – and I am more confident than ever in their future.” The Hon. Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

“As Canada faces increasing and constantly evolving threats, the service of Canada’s military members is more important than ever. These investments will ensure that, from child care to housing, our servicewomen and men will be well equipped and well supported in all they do ‒ at home and on deployments.” The Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Quick Facts

Around $38 billion over 20 years to strengthen the defence of North America, reinforce Canada’s support of our partnership with the United States under NORAD, and protect our sovereignty in the North.
$11.5 billion over 20 years for Canada’s contribution to increasing NATO’s common budget and to establish a new regional office in Halifax for NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.
More than $11 billion since 2015 to enhance benefits for veterans, including improvements to education, employment, and caregiver supports as well as the introduction of Pension for Life.
$4.4 billion over 20 years to enhance Canada’s cyber security by expanding cyber operations capability and shoring up critical infrastructure to fend off cyber attacks.
$3.8 billion over 20 years to acquire new critical weapons systems, replenish stocks of ammunition, and improve the CAF’s digital systems.
$3.5 billion to renew and expand Operation REASSURANCE, the CAF’s largest overseas mission, through which it contributes to NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe.
$4 billion in military assistance for Ukraine.
$910 million to support military operations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Nearly $1 billion over 20 years to support culture change and wellness in the CAF, and introduce amendments to the National Defence Act to implement key external recommendations to advance culture change.
In recent months, the government has also announced significant acquisitions to enhance the defence of Canada and North America. This includes approximately 140 new aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) – including F-35 fighter jets, CC-330 Husky aircraft, and P-8A Poseidon aircraft – and a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System to provide the CAF with the capability to remotely engage targets in complex environments.
New Arctic and Polar Over the Horizon Radar systems and enhanced space-based surveillance systems to expand situational awareness of Canadian territory and air and maritime approaches.
New long-range and additional short- and medium-range air-to-air weapons systems to expand the reach of Canadian fighters in engaging threats and respond to evolving air-based threats.
New command and control capabilities, including a modernized aerospace operations centre and enhanced Polar communications satellites.
New infrastructure initiatives at three forward operating locations and one deployed operating base across Canada’s North to support a more robust presence in the Arctic and the new capabilities Canada is acquiring, like the F-35.
To protect our NATO Allies, Canada is more than doubling its military presence on Operation REASSURANCE – from about 1,000 troops to a sustained deployment of up to 2,200 troops by 2026, as committed in the July 2023 Roadmap on Scaling the eFP Latvia Battle Group to Brigade . Canada is also deploying additional capabilities to the Battle Group, including a Canadian Army Tank Squadron of 15 Leopard 2 Main Battle Tanks to Latvia. And starting this summer, Canada will begin to deploy RCAF helicopters to the Battle Group.
The Government of Canada’s Budget 2024 will be tabled in the House of Commons by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Restore generational fairness for renters, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, by taking new action to protect renters’ rights and unlock pathways for them to become homeowners. Learn more .
Save more young families money and help more moms return to their careers by building more affordable child care spaces and training more early childhood educators across Canada. Learn more .
Create a National School Food Program to provide meals to about 400,000 kids every year and help ensure every child has the best start in life, no matter their circumstances. Learn more .
Launch a new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction or upgrade of essential infrastructure across the country and get more homes built for Canadians. Learn more .
Top-up the Apartment Construction Loan Program with $15 billion, make new reforms so it is easier to access, and launch Canada Builds to call on all provinces and territories to join a Team Canada effort to build more homes, faster. Learn more .
Support renters by launching a new $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund to preserve more rental homes and make sure they stay affordable. Learn more .
Change the way we build homes in Canada by announcing over $600 million to make it easier and cheaper to build more homes, faster, including through a new Homebuilding Technology and Innovation Fund and a new Housing Design Catalogue. Learn more .
Secure Canada’s AI advantage through a $2.4 billion package of measures that will accelerate job growth in Canada’s AI sector, boost productivity by helping researchers and businesses develop and adopt AI, and ensure this is done responsibly. Learn more .

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Amy Ettinger, who inspired readers with her life-affirming essays on dying, succumbs to cancer at 49

( JTA ) — Amy Ettinger, an author and creative writing instructor who chronicled the last months of her life in articles for the Washington Post , died March 20 from cancer at her home in Santa Cruz, California. She was 49.

Ettinger’s essays focused on the things she was able to do and cherish despite her diagnosis with a rare, incurable cancer called leiomyosarcoma : seeing a live performance of “Mamma Mia!” with her 14-year-old daughter, Julianna; eating her favorite pastry from a San Francisco bakery.

“ I’ve learned that life is all about a series of moments, and I plan to spend as much remaining time as I can savoring each one, surrounded by the beauty of nature and my family and friends,”she wrote.

Ettinger was an occasional contributor to Kveller, the Jewish family website that is a Jewish Telegraphic Agency partner. There she wrote about her mother’s kugel recipe (“light brown on its crispy top, and the color of milky coffee in the middle”) , and how she, as a “non-observant Jew,” marked Yom Kippur — which in 2013 happened to fall on her 10th wedding anniversary .

“Like Yom Kippur, a wedding anniversary is a time to take a step back from your daily life — to weigh the good and bad, to contemplate your triumphs and missteps, to make a vow to do better individually and as a couple,” she wrote.

Ettinger was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in Cupertino, California. She discovered her calling as a journalist in high school. She majored in American literature at UC Santa Cruz and earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1999.

Her writing appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Salon, CNN and Newsweek. In a 2021 article for AARP, she wrote how her mother’s death inspired her to learn Sheila Ettinger’s favorite game: mahjong. She taught writing classes at Stanford Continuing Studies.

In 2017, Penguin Random House published her memoir-cum-travelogue “Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America.” In it she wrote how she keeps “between fifteen and thirty dollars’ worth of ice cream in my freezer at all times” — not to eat, but as an “emergency backup system” in case one of her favorite shops or stores runs out.

Her follow-up story to her Washington Post article, titled “I Have Little Time Left. I Hope My Goodbye Inspires You,” appeared on the newspaper’s homepage less than two weeks before she died.

“I am choosing to focus my limited time and energy on doing the things I love with the people I care most about. It’s a formula that works, I think, no matter where you are in your life,” she wrote.

In an article written after she died , her husband, the writer Dan White, wrote that she had dictated her last essay to him from a reading room at UC Santa Cruz with a view of a redwood forest. He said she had gotten hundreds of personal responses: A handful “unwelcome, including missives from ultrareligious people wanting my proudly Jewish wife to get saved to spare herself from hellfire,” but the vast majority saying Ettinger had inspired them to make the most of their lives no matter the cards they’d been dealt.

“Amy had no way of predicting that the lines she composed on the spot would be calls to action for readers from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Poland, France and Greece,” White wrote.

Jewish Life Stories: A tech couple killed in a private plane crash, a Holocaust survivor who arrested a top Nazi

Jewish Life Stories: A legendary Washington hostess and peacemaker, and an Israeli champion of civil rights

Bert Pogrebin, attorney and partner to leading feminist Letty Cottin Pogrebin, dies at 89

Maurice El Medioni, Algerian Jewish pianist revered among Jews and Muslims, dies at 95

Joseph Lieberman, centrist senator and first Jew on a major presidential ticket, dies at 82

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Committee on the Well-Being of Military Families; Le Menestrel S, Kizer KW, editors. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2019 Jul 19.

Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society.

Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

4 Military Life Opportunities and Challenges

This chapter is not intended to be a complete listing of all of the major opportunities and challenges of military life. The sponsor of this study will be familiar with these general topics, since understanding what attracts individuals to military service, what supports or impedes performance and deployability, and why personnel leave the military are all key to managing the all-volunteer force. Nevertheless, the challenges highlighted here are likely experienced and managed quite differently by today's military families compared to those who served as recently as 2000.

An extensive body of research has emerged since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), which raises questions as to whether and how the experiences of service members and their families have changed with the times, and whether or how these experiences relate to family, such as well-being, resilience, readiness, and retention. Taken individually, the studies each face limitations such as: cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data, difficulties recruiting participations (particularly family members and junior enlisted personnel), relying on parents for insights about children, inability to weight samples to unknown characteristics, sample sizes that limit analyses of small subgroups, and restrictions on access to military populations, datasets, and findings not released to the public. As a body of research, however, considered alongside testimonials, news articles, and DoD-reported facts and figures, there are a number of prominent themes that emerge and questions they invite. The literature echoes most of the significant demands on military personnel and their families as well as influential societal trends that Segal (1986) described more than 30 years ago. However, in light of recent, rapid societal changes (discussed below) and ongoing military efforts to support service members and their families, we must continue to seek to understand how today's families experience and respond to military life.

This chapter highlights broad categories of opportunities and challenges of military life for active or reserve component 1 military personnel and their families. Several overarching themes frequently appear across reports that convey input from service members and spouses, whether that input is qualitative or quantitative, based on large or small samples, based on opportunity or probabilistic samples, or originate from inside or outside of the Department of Defense (DoD). We chose to spotlight the following seven issue areas, which the chapter addresses in turn, because of their prominence and implications for family well-being:

Transition into the military

Pay and benefits

Geographic assignment and relocation

Deployments, sea duty, training away from home

National Guard and Reserve issues

Diversity and inclusion issues

Transition out of the military.

These issue areas are all interrelated: we call them out separately to better highlight their contributions or roles as military opportunities or stressors.

OPPORTUNITIES OR CHALLENGES?

In this chapter, the committee has not categorized events or features of military families' lives according to whether they are opportunities or challenges, nor does it presume that all challenges are stressors, for these reasons:

Some experiences could be opportunities, challenges, and stressors—such as job promotion.
Circumstances may influence how one individual appraises an experience. For example, someone may be eager for a permanent change of station (mandatory moves known as PCS) and to move away from one assignment or town, but then be reluctant to have to move away from another.
Different individuals have different preferences. For example, some personnel may welcome the opportunity to deploy multiple times, while others may prefer never to deploy.

Nevertheless, some aspects of military life are generally positive, such as opportunities to develop one's skills and to receive steady pay and benefits; others may be generally negative, such as being passed over for promotion; and a few may be potentially catastrophic, such as a service-related permanent disability or the death of a loved one. Figure 4-1 depicts how challenges and opportunities, such as the examples discussed in this chapter, can contribute to or rely upon individual, family, and external resources, such as the ability to cope, social networks, and community organizations. That process can result in positive or negative well-being and readiness outcomes. Managing challenges or opportunities can be an iterative process, one that involves multiple engagements with resources and potentially strengthens or drains resilience factors. These well-being and readiness outcomes can themselves contribute to new challenges or opportunities. This model builds upon a previously proposed Military Family Fitness model (discussed in detail in Bowles et al., 2015 ), and similarly provides illustrative examples rather than a complete listing in every category.

The military family well-being and readiness model and illustrative elements. SOURCE: Adapted from in Bowles et al. (2015, Fig. 1).

Military families, particularly those who choose to and are able to remain in the military, can be very adaptable and resilient and can develop healthy coping strategies for the stressors of military life such as moves and deployments ( Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ; Meadows et al., 2016 ). Military families can develop their own norms and rhythms for the process of managing family separations or moves and for finding out about the right networks, programs, and services available for their particular needs. Children's responses to the opportunities and strains of military family life are likely to depend on parental and family maturity and the individual child's developmental stage, temperament, and social capacity. Based on individual differences within the same family, one child can thrive and another struggle.

The impact of the challenges and opportunities of military life can be shaped by the duration and timing of these events as well. For example, a deployment can be a short mission to transport equipment, supplies, or personnel overseas and back, or it can require service members to live and operate in a combat zone for a year or longer. On the positive side, longer deployments can offer greater opportunities to hone leadership and occupational skills, enhance the ability to compete for promotion or key assignments, and increase service-member income through special pays and tax benefits. However, longer duration deployments can also increase service members' exposure to hazardous environments (e.g., chemical, biological, climatic); present greater risk of war-related injury, death, or exposure to traumatic events; lengthen family separations; and cause service members to miss major milestones such as births and holidays. Individual family members are developing throughout their lives, and the timing of particular events relative to individual development may be consequential.

Early experiences can shape responses to later—sometimes much later—events ( Wilmoth and London, 2013 ). For example, service members' exposure to adverse events such as abuse or violence prior to joining the military can affect their likelihood of later post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or suicide ( Carroll et al., 2017 ). Military service typically begins during the transition to adulthood, with the possibility of enhancing or disrupting the trajectories of individuals' later work and family lives. Service members' military experiences may alter the career trajectories of their spouses or partners ( Kleykamp, 2013 ). An individual could become a military spouse or partner well before their own careers have been established, or long afterward. That timing could result in differing processes for managing the demands of military life, differing levels of resilience resources, and differing types of need for support. Timing is particularly salient in childhood, when development happens so rapidly. For example, children's experiences with relocations may affect later school performance ( Lyle, 2006 ; Moeller et al., 2015 ). Effects of the content and timing of life experiences can cascade across developmental domains, such that early difficulties at school might lead to later difficulties in relationships with peers ( Masten, 2013 ; Masten and Cicchetti, 2010 ).

These long-term effects of military experiences may be positive, as the “military-as-turning-point” perspective attests; they may be neutral; or they may be negative, as expressed in the “life-course disruption” perspective ( Segal et al., 2015 ; Wilmoth and London, 2013 ). The impact of life events and transitions is conditioned by their characteristics, such as how expected, how abrupt, or how traumatic they are ( Boss, 2002 ). In addition, both risks and resilience factors can accumulate to create mutually reinforcing ‘caravans' that move together over time, accelerating positive or negative effects ( Layne et al., 2014 ).

Timing also refers to the historical and social context of military service. MacLean and Elder (2007) , for example, documented how the effects of military service varied substantially across conflicts during the 20th century, as societal perceptions of those conflicts shifted. Historical changes in military compensation and educational benefits can also shape both the attractiveness and the consequences of military service. Attitudes of the public toward service members and their families can be powerful influences on the consequences of military service, leading to both positive consequences, such as special efforts to employ veterans, and negative ones, such as society's failure to seek out military and veteran families as assets to their communities ( MacLean and Elder, 2007 ).

THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY FAMILY LIFE: YESTERDAY VERSUS TODAY

The context of military service is dramatically different today from what it was when the all-volunteer force was designed. Today, U.S. forces increasingly serve in diverse missions, including combat, peacekeeping, disaster relief, public health and humanitarian efforts, and homeland security. Many missions, such as those that involve technology or long-term engagement with local populations overseas, require expert knowledge and advanced skills that take years to develop. Today's armed forces prepare for and carry out missions not only in the air, on the land, and on the sea, but through space and cyberspace. Unlike during the Cold War era, today the military is focused not on a single main adversary but on ever-changing threats from state and nonstate actors around the globe. In addition, the National Guard and the Reserves have been called up like never before in our nation's military history ( Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, 2008 ).

As discussed in chapters 2 and 3 , today's military personnel and military families are more diverse than ever ( DoD, 2017a ; Hawkins et al., 2018 ). The proportions of military personnel who are women, who are dual-military couples, and who are racial and ethnic minorities have all grown. As of 2011, gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members have been allowed to serve openly, and now dependent benefits extend to same-sex spouses. Occupations and units that had been closed to women have gradually opened, and by 2016 the policies that had excluded them from the remaining combat positions were lifted. Also, as discussed in Chapter 3 , in 2016, the secretary of defense ended the ban on transgender service ( DoD, 2015 ), which was reversed effective April 2019, with certain exemptions for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria after the ban was lifted ( DoD, 2019 ). There is no ban on transgender military dependents, however, and these dependents have been increasingly seeking gender affirming care through the military health system since it became available in 2016 ( Klein et al., 2019 ; Van Donge et al., 2019 ).

The number of military dependents continues to outnumber service members by increasingly large margins, and survey data suggest that there are also significant numbers of unmarried partners of personnel in long-term relationships (see Chapter 3 ) ( DoD, 2018 ). The younger generations have grown up with smartphones, computer tablets, ubiquitous Internet access, GPS-based location and mapping services, online search engines, and the use of social media to create and share content with others (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube). Another important development is that today's military and veteran family populations are more likely than those of past wars to include individuals with physical and mental wounds and challenges, because service members who historically would have died of battlefield wounds, illnesses, or injuries have survived in recent wars due to advances in military medicine, in training, and in aeromedical evacuations. 2

Geographic distribution has shifted as well. Today's military families do not necessarily live near other military families or installation-based support services. Instead, they live across communities that are more geographically dispersed, rather than being concentrated in specific neighborhoods, as the active component has shifted from living primarily on military installations to living primarily off-installation ( DoD, 2017a ). Some families do live in regions with a greater concentration than average of military and veteran families, as noted in Chapter 3 . One way in which active component military personnel have become less diverse is that they are increasingly likely to have come from the South and least likely to come from the Northeast ( Maley and Hawkins, 2018 ). Recent analyses find that these regional differences are largely explained by differences in demographic characteristics, such as race, education, and religious adherence ( Maley and Hawkins, 2018 ). Nevertheless, the armed forces still bring together individuals from diverse communities across the United States who work and sometimes live together but who are also immersed in nonmilitary communities.

The structure of DoD's personnel system has important implications for service member and family retention and readiness. To compete with civilian job market opportunities and mitigate the impacts of the demands of military life, particularly post-9/11, support programs for military personnel and their families have grown enormously. However, decades of research continue to show that other one-size-fits-all legacy aspects of the military personnel system, such as the up-or-out policy of promotion, frequent relocation, lack of individual and family control over placements and timing, and the standardization of career pathways, can often negatively impact service members and their families; moreover, they can also increase the military's expenses and limit its ability to develop, assign, and retain the optimal staffing for its needs ( Carter et al., 2017 ; Task Force on Defense Personnel, 2017 ). Turnover is highest among women ( DACOWITS, 2017 ) and among the junior ranks, where DoD has invested heavily in training and support but has not yet seen the yield of those costs ( GAO, 2017 ).

TRANSITION INTO THE MILITARY

The military invests significant resources to attract quality recruits and transform them into disciplined and skilled military personnel. Most young Americans do not meet military recruitment standards because of their weight, drug or alcohol abuse, physical or mental health conditions, criminal record, or other such issues. Among youths ages 17 to 24, only about 29 percent (9.6 million) meet all the core eligibility requirements and would be able to enlist without a waiver ( JAMRS, 2016 , p. 5). Narrowed further to youths who are not enrolled in college and able to score average or better on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, the pool drops to 13 percent of youths (4.4 million) ( JAMRS, 2016 , p. 5). That figure does not account for individuals' interest in serving in the military or reflect that the military must compete with other organizations with similar employment criteria, such as law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and the Department of Homeland Security.

This section considers some of the benefits and challenges that new service members may encounter as they transition into the service and into their first duty stations. Prominent examples from the literature and other sources (e.g., testimonials) discussed here are summarized in Box 4-1 . As noted earlier in this chapter, the committee does not sort issues into positive and negative categories, because characterization may depend upon the context and circumstances, the time at which they occur, individuals' own vulnerabilities and interpretations, and other factors. Also, even positive changes can serve as stressors, and both positive and negative experiences can result in individual growth and enhanced resilience. The issues discussed in this section apply to both active and reserve component individuals, and many of them extend throughout the military life course.

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Transition into and Service in the Military.

For most service members, transitioning from civilian life into military service is typically simultaneous with the transition to adulthood ( Kelty et al., 2010 ). Some military spouses and partners are also experiencing this transition. As discussed in Chapter 3 , 40 percent of service members and 19 percent of military spouses are age 25 or younger ( DoD, 2017c , pp. 8, 125). Military service often begins with geographic separation from friends and family, as service and occupational entry-level training typically take even members of the National Guard and Reserves away from their hometowns. After initial entry training, reserve component personnel may return to their hometowns and be able to put down roots, but geographic separation from friends and family will be an ongoing feature of military life for many service members.

Military service, awards, and promotions can become a source of pride. On the other end of the spectrum, disciplinary action can be a risk to well-being, and family members may feel the brunt of the consequences economically or by reputation if their service member is confined, docked pay, demoted, required to perform additional duties, denied reenlistment, or discharged.

Officer and enlisted transitions into the military are not equivalent. Officers obtain a college degree prior to obtaining their commission, and thus on average are older and have a higher level of education. Poorer family well-being has been consistently correlated with lower rank ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , Key Findings, p. ES-8). In addition, there is evidence that enlisted ranks may be at higher risk of developing or reporting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , p. 31; Lester et al., 2010 ). Service members in the lower enlisted ranks and their spouses experience more isolation than officers and their families, and officers' children have been reported to use more effective coping skills than those of lower-ranked parents ( Hawkins et al., 2018 , p. 4; Lucier-Greer et al., 2016 ). Not surprisingly, military families with lower incomes (such as those with members in the junior enlisted ranks) experience less financial stability and more strain than those with higher incomes. For married or partnered service members, unemployment or underemployment of nonmilitary spouses and disruption of their career progression are often by-products of aspects of the military lifestyle, and these consequences are further affected by a spouse's gender and by the service member's paygrade ( Shiffer, et al., 2017 ).

PAY AND BENEFITS

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Military Pays and Benefits.

Youth from disadvantaged backgrounds often have relatively few options for accessing jobs that provide living wages and skill development or higher education. Thus, military service offers the potential for socioeconomic advancement through competitive wages, educational achievement, including a pathway to college, housing, and health benefits ( Bennett and McDonald, 2013 , p. 138). In addition, service members have the flexibility to use their service to acquire needed training and skills for later entry into the civilian labor market or may stay in the military through retirement. Military employment opportunities can appeal to the middle class as well, for reasons such as the cost of financing a college education or vocational training, alternative entry-level employment for American youths looking for benefits and on-the-job training, and employment opportunities during economic downturns such as the Great Recession of 2008.

Among the major benefits of military service are steady earnings and employment for service members. For active duty service, those earnings include paid leave and pay when sick or off-duty recovering from injuries. Some personnel will qualify for bonuses or special pays based on the military's need, their specialized skills, or their duty conditions (e.g., enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, pays for critical skills, hazardous duty incentive pay, flight pay, family separation allowance, tax breaks). 5 Increases in active and reserve component base pay correspond to increasing rank and years of service, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. However, there is not proportional representation across ranks and occupations by gender, race, or ethnicity. We cannot determine representation across ranks and occupations in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) service members due to limited systematic data. In the past, the military's pay structure has resulted in a significantly smaller, though still present, wage gap between African American and White service members ( Booth and Segal, 2005 ).

Over time, there have been fluctuations in approved pay, incentives, and the design of the retirement system. One of the most significant recent changes is the new Blended Retirement System, which took effect January 1, 2018. This now provides options to the military's legacy system, which had previously allowed only personnel who had served 20 years or more to receive retirement benefits, and those were in the form of monthly payments. The new system includes a Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) retirement savings plan), a pay bonus for those who continue beyond 12 years of service, and an annuity payment calculated with a 2 percent multiplier (rather than 2.5% multiplier under the legacy system). 6 The preferences of service members and their families, and the impact of their choices (e.g., lump sum instead of monthly payout, Thrift Savings Plan option), remain to be seen.

Financial Stress and Food Insecurity

Due to limited systematic data from these benefit providers, DoD does not have a comprehensive picture of the extent to which service members need or use food assistance programs ( GAO, 2016 , p. 13). Nevertheless, the use of SNAP among service members, while hard to measure exactly, indicates that food insecurity is significant. According to estimates from a 2013 Census Bureau survey, approximately 23,000 active duty service members utilized SNAP in the previous 12 months ( GAO, 2016 ). London and Heflin (2015) examined SNAP use by active duty, veteran, and reservist participants in the American Community Survey from 2008 to 2012 and reported that use was low but “non-trivial” among the active duty respondents (2.2%), while use was 9 percent among surveyed reservists, and about 7 percent among veterans. More recently, service members on active duty spent over $21 million in food stamp benefits at military commissaries from September 2014 through August 2015 ( GAO, 2016 ).

Health Care

Military housing varies from installation to installation in terms of modernization, configuration, and location relative to other buildings, but regardless of this, housing options will vary based on personnel's rank group and dependent status. DoD sets minimum configuration and privacy standards for housing, so that higher-ranking personnel have more space and more privacy than lower-ranking personnel. For example, all senior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) (pay grades E-7 to E-9), warrant officers, and commissioned officers unaccompanied by military dependents must have a private housing unit with a private bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room; junior NCOs (pay grades E-5 to E-6) may live in a shared unit, but must have at least a private bedroom and a bathroom shared with not more than one other person; and junior enlisted personnel (E-1 to E-4) may live in a shared unit with a bedroom and bathroom shared with one other person ( DoD, 2010 , p. 25). Thus, junior enlisted and junior NCO housing may resemble shared college dormitory or shared apartment living, but even the most junior officers without dependents will have private housing.

Over the last several decades, there has been a major shift among active component personnel and their spouses and children, from living primarily on installations to living primarily off of them and not necessarily even living close to their assigned installations. This shift in residence offers benefits to service members, including greater privacy, greater opportunities for single service members to meet potential partners, opportunities to live with nonmarital partners or others of one's choosing, more control over the choice of neighborhood and housing, and more choice over how the home is kept and decorated.

Education and Training

The military also sponsors relevant graduate degrees for selected officers. Graduate degrees may help officers prepare for military careers. For example, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences provides a tuition-free medical school education plus a salary of $64,000 or more for selected service members to pursue their degree and obtain leadership training, in exchange for an additional service commitment after graduation. 7 Some officers may have opportunities to earn PhDs in graduate schooling sponsored by the military, but this is not the norm. More commonly, during the course of officers' careers there are often opportunities to obtain military-sponsored master's degrees at military graduate schools, such as the Air Force Institute of Technology, Marine Corps University, National Defense University, Naval Postgraduate School, and the U.S. Army War College, or occasionally at civilian institutions. Some families are geographically separated while officers attend graduate programs in-residence for a year, and then reunite through a permanent change of station (PCS) to the next duty station. For this reason, among others, graduate study can therefore be both an opportunity and a stressor.

As enlisted personnel move up the organizational hierarchy, professional military education helps prepare them for the leadership and management duties that noncommissioned officers must take on. As is the case for officers, these professional development opportunities for selected enlisted personnel will be paid for by the military. Enlisted personnel and officers alike may take advantage of Defense Voluntary Education benefits, including education counseling services, testing services, academic skills training, tuition assistance, and college credit exams. Through use of a Joint Services Transcript, they can also have their military training translated into equivalent civilian college credits. The 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill 8 offers service members postsecondary education tuition assistance, a living allowance, and related expenses, and personnel with a minimum number of years of service can transfer some or all of these benefits to a spouse or child(ren). In less than a decade, more than one million service members and veterans and more than 200,000 dependents utilized this benefit (Wenger et.al., 2017, p. xii).

Service members may take college classes on their own time, and enlisted personnel may earn an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or license or certificate beyond their military training. Some civilian colleges and universities even offer courses located on military installations, and of course many schools today offer courses online, which can provide opportunities for military families that lack the transportation or travel time to attend school on-campus.

DoD is the provider of the nation's largest employer-sponsored child care system, serving approximately 180,000 children ranging in age from birth to age 12 ( DoD, 2016a ). More than 700 DoD child development centers and child care facilities are located across more than 230 installations worldwide ( DoD 2017b , pp. 3–4).

In terms of both cost and quality, DoD's child development program is viewed as a model of child care for the nation. The quality of DoD child care is upheld through national accreditation standards; 97 percent of DoD child development centers are accredited ( DoD, 2017b ). More broadly, one report notes that, “Nationally, only 11 percent of child care establishments are accredited by the National Association for the Education of the Young Child or the National Association for Family Child Care” ( Schulte and Durana, 2016 ). The affordability of DoD's child development program for service members and their families is assured by appropriated funding. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 1996 required that the amount appropriated by Congress for child development centers must equal or exceed what service members pay in fees. On average, these subsidies cover about 64 percent of the cost of military installation child care, which for each child includes 50 hours of care a week and two meals and two snacks per day, with all families paying some fees based on an income scale ( Floyd and Phillips, 2013 , p. 85). Free respite care provides a temporary break in caregiving to spouses whose service member is deployed overseas or to families with children with special needs.

Limited access to child care and lengthy wait times are key concerns for many military families. In a 2017 Blue Star Families survey, 67 percent of military family respondents indicated they are not always able to obtain the childcare they need. The survey found that the top employment obstacles reported by military spouse respondents who wanted to be working but were not, were service member job demands (55%), child care (53%), and family commitments (43%), rather than lack of job skills or opportunities ( Shiffer et al., 2017 ). Moreover, 67 percent of female service members and 33 percent of male service members reported they could not find child care that worked with their schedules ( Shiffer et al., 2017 ). That finding was reinforced by focus groups that also emphasized the mismatch between the hours military child care is available and the needs of service women ( DACOWITS, 2017 ). Although the survey and focus groups may not be representative samples, it is clear from these and numerous sources over recent decades that there is a high demand for more affordable, quality child care and that DoD's capacity still has not yet been able to fully meet the need ( DACOWITS, 2017 ; Hawkins et al., 2018 ; Huffman et al., 2017 ; Zellman et al., 2009 ).

By DoD's own metrics, in fiscal year 2015 it was only able to meet 78 percent of the child care needs of military families, rather than its goal of 80 percent, and was reaching into the civilian community to expand child care, as well as building new child care facilities while repairing or replacing aging ones ( DoD 2017b , p. 5). Additionally, as part of a secretary of defense initiative, in 2016 installations began offering extended child care hours to better align with service member schedules. Some child development centers faced hurdles in recruiting and hiring providers, however, which Congress addressed in the fiscal year 2018 NDAA by modifying the hiring authorities ( Kamarck, 2018 ). Time will tell how much headway these reforms will be able to contribute toward better meeting the child care needs of military families with children. DoD may need to increase its goal for how much of the child care need it aims to meet, although not all eligible parents of military children needing child care services will likely wish to use DoD's.

Activities, Facilities, and Discounts

DoD policy for Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs specifically states that these offerings by DoD are an integral part of the military and benefits package, that they build healthy families and communities, and that their purpose is to maintain individual, family, and mission readiness ( DoD, 2009 ). A 2018 GAO study, however, found that from 2012 to 2017 the Services had not been consistently meeting funding targets for some of these resources, and noted DoD recognition that, “extended engagement in overseas conflicts and constrained budgets have resulted in an operating environment that is substantially different from the peacetime setting in which the targets were first established” more than 20 years ago ( GAO, 2018c , p. 13). Thus, the GAO concluded that we cannot be certain that even meeting those funding targets would be adequate for today's operating environment. DoD concurred with the GAO's recommendation to evaluate the funding targets and develop measurable goals and performance measures for these programs ( GAO, 2018c ).

GEOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT AND RELOCATION

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Geographic Assignment and Relocation.

Military families' geographic location can play a significant role in their satisfaction with military life, their ability to access military resources, and their ability to interact with other military families or their own family members. Families may prefer to live near other family members, in either rural or urban areas, or in particular climates or regions of the country. Life in remote and isolated areas can present difficulties, however even for families who otherwise enjoy rural or small-town life. For example, in such areas there may be few opportunities for civilian employment or education for members of the National Guard or Reserves or for military spouses or partners, and only limited opportunities for single service members to meet potential romantic partners. Remote areas also provide more limited access to specialists who can examine and treat those with particular medical needs. Because remote and isolated locations offer fewer local nonmilitary opportunities for socializing, fitness, and recreation, additional appropriated fund spending on morale, welfare, and recreation is permitted at installations in such locations ( DoD, 2009 ).

Relocation: PCS Moves

Active component personnel typically experience frequent PCS moves approximately every 2 to 3 years. These can be welcome opportunities to move to a more desirable area (with “desirable” being self-defined), to see other parts of the country or world, to take advantage of new career opportunities at another location, or to reunite with friends and family. However, PCS moves can be stressors even when desired, because of the process of packing, moving, finding a new home (for some, selling the current home), transferring schools, changing medical providers, and so on ( Tong et al., 2018 ). PCS moves can be undesired as well, as they can disrupt social networks, children's education, spouses' employment and career and educational advancement, the families' ability to build home equity, and continuity of health care, especially for military families that include members with special needs. For LGBT service members and racial or ethnic minorities, PCS moves may create specific stressors when the new location offers fewer protections or is less welcoming within the local social and cultural contexts.

PCS Moves and Children

Frequent moves can cause military children to suffer academically, lose connections with others, and miss out on opportunities for extracurricular activities (because of the timing of the move) and, among children with special needs, experience gaps in services, continuity of care, and educational plans ( Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2013 ; Hawkins et al., 2018 ). These are issues that any child who moves may face, not just military children. Across various studies of military children, relocation has been associated with reduced grades, increased depression and anxiety symptoms, skipping class, violence and weapon carrying, gang membership, and early sexual activity, although the overall prevalence is quite low ( Hawkins et al., 2018 ). Evidence is limited regarding the impact of single relocations vs. accumulations of relocations over time.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children aims to address what it identifies as the major challenges for children in public schools, including:

Enrollment requirements for educational records and immunizations
Waiver of course requirements for graduation if similar classes were completed
Similar course placement (e.g., honors, vocational) and flexibility in waiving prerequisites
Excusing absences so children can spend time with service members on leave from or immediately returned from a deployment
Special education services
Flexibility with application deadlines for extracurricular activities ( Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission, 2018 ).

DoD has also recognized researchers' recommendations to align the formal supports of a military installation with the informal supports of the nonmilitary community to support families ( Huebner et al., 2009 ). DoD has partnered and/or contracted with federal and nonfederal youth-serving organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Big Brothers Big Sisters, 4-H, Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), the Department of Labor summer employment program, and other local and national youth organizations to provide programming to military youth on and off installations. Programs that have resulted from partnerships with national youth serving organizations, such as the USA Girl Scouts Overseas 9 and BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers, 10 often identify their goal to positively influence well-being, resiliency, and academic success and provide a sense of security, stability, and continuity as families transition to new locations. DoD has stated its intention to continue to building “strong partnerships with national youth-serving organizations that augment and offer valued resources” ( DoD, 2016 , p. 5). Given that a significant proportion of the current military population comprises reserve component service members, the expansion of formal support systems to include agencies and organizations located outside of the military installations is key ( Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ; Huebner et al., 2009 ).

PCS Moves and Family Financial Well-Being

In a representative longitudinal DoD-wide survey of active component civilian spouses conducted by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), 6,412 spouses participated in all three waves of the 2010, 2011, and 2012 surveys. The study provided self-reported evidence that PCS moves had a negative impact on spouses' pursuit of higher education or training, on their employment, and on families' financial condition ( DMDC, 2015 ). Another study of the earnings of active component spouses who were not in the active component themselves also found evidence of a family financial disruption associated with a PCS move. Based on an analysis of DoD administrative data and Social Security Administration earnings data between 2000 and 2012, it found that a PCS move was associated with a 14 percent decline in average spousal earnings during the year of the move ( Burke and Miller, 2018 , p. 1261).

The impact of these moves on the financial well-being and satisfaction of service member families is likely more widespread than has been estimated, given that in the 2017 Status of Forces surveys nearly 10 percent of active component and 17 percent of reserve component personnel indicated they are in a long-term relationship that has lasted a year or longer ( DoD, 2018 ). Those unmarried partners of service members may also have experienced a disruption to their education and earnings, but they would have been ineligible for assistance to spouses provided by DoD. For example, Military Community and Family Policy's (MC&FP's) Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program offers career counseling and tuition assistance in the form of My Career Advancement Account [MyCAA] Scholarships for spouses of early-career service members to support occupationally focused education and training in portable career fields. Through these initiatives, DoD helps spouses select and prepare for portable careers likely to be in demand wherever their service member is stationed, so that the spouse's employment and earnings trajectory will be better able to weather frequent military moves. Unmarried partners are not eligible for this support, nor are they eligible for state benefits for military spouses negotiated by the DoD State Liaison Office, such as unemployment compensation eligibility after following their service member for a PCS move, or accommodations to support the portability of occupational licenses and credentials across state lines. 11

TRAINING, SEA DUTY, AND DEPLOYMENTS

Deployments and sea duty 12 can provide service members with a number of desirable opportunities and benefits, such as

Employing or developing their skills in real-world settings
Making a difference in the world
Developing strong bonds with others
Earning financial bonuses through special pays and tax advantages, and
Learning about other parts of the world.

Training and field exercises can also confer some of these advantages and help prepare service members to succeed in military operations.

Much of the literature has focused on the stressors of these family separations, which can have a negative impact on individuals, relationships, and the family as a unit. Examples include service members worrying about their families while geographically separated and trying to manage family problems from afar; relationship problems (e.g., couples growing apart, infidelity, or the end of a relationship); and missing major life events (e.g., births, weddings, funerals, childhood “firsts,” graduations, holidays, and family reunions). Other challenging life events associated with military separations include traumatic experiences, such as combat participation or exposure to dead bodies, violence, atrocities, or abhorrent living conditions (discussed further in subsequent chapters); family members' fear of death, injury, or illness (physical or psychological) of their service member serving in a hostile area; and post-absence readjustment/reintegration between/among family members, including the service member's adjustment to “routine” life upon returning. Family difficulties can be created or exacerbated due to communication challenges, such as connectivity problems, time zones, military-implemented blackouts (e.g., before a secret raid or after major casualties), and even the well-intentioned withholding of information among family members about problems or dangers ( Carter and Renshaw, 2016 ). Box 4-4 provides a brief overview of examples of opportunities and challenges of these types of duties away from personnel's home duty station. As a reminder, these are not sorted into positive and negative categories, as that interpretation can depend on the context and timing, individuals' experiences, and other factors, and some can have both positive and negative aspects.

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Deployments, Sea Duty, and Training Exercises Away from Home.

Deployments

Combat deployment is associated with increased anxiety in military children, which is highly associated with distress in both civilian and active duty parents ( Lester et al., 2010 ). Additionally, deployment has a cumulative effect on children, which can continue even upon return of the deployed parent. Thus, effects in children may be sustained beyond the actual threat to the deployed service member's safety, potentially reflecting elevated anxiety and distress in highly deployed communities where children witness cycling deployments of adults in their lives. Importantly, children's anxiety reflects the broader distress within their parents and family as a whole.

Many of these studies involved cross-sectional designs to examine associations between deployment and effects within families and were limited by the lack of longer-term outcomes. The few longitudinal studies that have been conducted provide a more nuanced picture of deployment's impact on families (e.g., Balderrama-Durbin et al., 2015 ; Erbes et al., 2017 ; Gewirtz et al., 2010 ; Snyder et al., 2016 ). For example, one study using DoD data found that an increase in cumulative time deployed was associated with a greater risk of divorce and that this risk was greater for women service members, those who served on hostile deployments, and those who married before 9/11 (when there may have been less of an expectation of deployments as frequent events) ( Negrusa et al., 2013 ). A similar study, focusing on Army soldiers, found that in addition to time spent in deployment, self-reported mental health symptoms consistent with PTSD further increased the risk of divorce ( Negrusa and Negrusa, 2014 ).

The Deployment Life Study, conducted by the RAND Corporation ( Meadows et al., 2016 ), assessed military family members at different times during the deployment cycle (before, during, and after deployment), focusing on the health of family, marital, and parental relationships, the physical and psychological health of adults and children within the family, and attitudes toward the military. The study found that changes in marital satisfaction across the deployment cycle were no different than those experienced by matched controls. However, service members' exposure to physical injury or psychological trauma (but not combat exposure) was associated with increased physical and psychological aggression after deployment, as reported by spouses. Any perceived negative effects of deployment on family satisfaction and parenting were confined to the deployment period, although the presence of psychological trauma and stress contributed to negative post-deployment consequences for families. The researchers found no long-term psychological or behavioral effects of deployment on service members or spouses, except when deployment trauma was experienced. Similarly, child and teen responses to deployment appeared to be contained within the deployment period, except when deployment-related trauma (e.g., injury or post-deployment mental health problems) was involved. 13 These findings resonate with results from other studies showing that a service member's psychological functioning as a result of combat exposure during deployments (i.e., PTSD, traumatic brain injury [TBI], and related symptoms) appears to influence family functioning more than the physical characteristics of the deployments, such as their length or number ( Gewirtz et al., 2018 ).

Military deployments add an additional stress to military families in addition to frequent moves, changing schools, and the challenge of integrating into new communities. The deployment of a parent requires the child to manage stress related to separation from a loved one and the impending sense of danger that accompanies a deployment and combat operations. Spouses or partners who are parents can find themselves needing to function as single parents. These additional demands while their service member is away can present conflicts for those who are employed or seeking employment, and spouses or partners may need to scale back their hours or even give up their jobs if they cannot obtain work schedules allowing them to fulfill household and child responsibilities. This can in turn have a negative impact on the financial well-being of the family. Some spouses and partners are fortunate to live in communities that offer support to families of deployed personnel, such as help with lawn care, maintenance tasks, and transportation to appointments.

Research indicates that a caregiver's emotional well-being is related to the child's emotional well-being. In one study ( Chandra et al., 2011 ), caregivers who reported poorer emotional well-being also reported that their children had greater emotional, social, and academic difficulties. Further, if a caregiver's emotional health difficulties persisted or increased on average over the study period, youth difficulties remained higher when compared with youth whose caregivers reported fewer emotional difficulties. In the same study, it was found that families that experienced more total months of parental deployment also reported more emotional difficulties among the youth, and these difficulties did not diminish over the study period. Families in the study with more months of deployment reported more problems both during deployment and during reintegration. Caregivers in the study with partners in the reserve component (National Guard or Reserves) reported having more challenges than their counterparts in the active component. In particular, National Guard and Reserve caregivers in the study reported more difficulties with emotional well-being, as well as more challenges during and after deployment ( Chandra et al., 2011 ).

Research has also shown that a parent's deployment can affect how military children perform academically. Studies of military children, caregivers, and schools have shown that deployments have a modest negative effect on performance. Children with a deployed parent have shown falling grades, increased absence, and lower homework completion ( Lester and Flake, 2013 , p. 129). A recent study of military children in North Carolina and Washington State whose parents have deployed 19 months or more since 2001 demonstrates that they have modestly lower (and statistically different) achievement scores than those who have experienced less or no parental deployment. This last study suggests that rather than developing resilience, children appear to struggle more with more cumulative months of deployment. Further, the study found that some of the challenges observed by teachers and counselors are ones that stem from the high mobility of this population, which could be amplified during deployment ( Moeller et al., 2015 ; Richardson et al., 2011 ).

It is important to point out that these data come from self-reports by children, which may be subject to biases and memory errors. The differences for some of these experiences or activities, while large on a percentage basis, are small in terms of percentage points. Finally, patterns about exposures to violence may reflect mistreatment of military children as much as they do military children's behavior. The committee notes that the degree to which stresses faced by military families during combat deployments are attributable simply to family separations, sudden single parenthood, or fear regarding the safe return of the service member has not been disentangled.

There are positive aspects to deployments as well. Deployments can present opportunities for service members to apply their training, improve their skills, take pride in a sense of accomplishment from overcoming hardships and living in austere conditions, and derive satisfaction from feeling that their work makes a difference in the world. The last aspect may particularly hold true for humanitarian and disaster relief missions. Additionally, during military operations overseas, service members can forge close bonds with their unit members and form lasting friendships. Service members and families can financially benefit in significant ways, through tax benefits and additional pays associated with serving in a combat zone, re-enlisting while deployed, and family separation pays. These deployments can thus provide opportunities to pay off debt, invest in property, help relatives, or improve one's standard of living. Deployments can also help service members subsequently be competitive for promotion or choice assignments.

Several researchers have postulated resilient pathways for children facing combat deployments (e.g., Easterbrooks et al., 2013 ), including the seven C's model of positive development, where attributes such as competence, confidence, contribution, and control may all have relevance in providing positive opportunities for military children through such challenging experiences, resulting in pride and growth. However, the committee notes that these pathways of resilience have not been tested in military children.

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE SERVICE

Examples of Prominent Themes Specific to Members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Because the National Guard and Reserves are both part of the “reserve component,” clarifying what aspects of their service differ from service in the active component is critical to having a comprehensive picture of the military. National Guard members usually apply to enlist and work at the unit closest to their home, although they do not necessarily live close to that unit's headquarters or facilities. Recall that they work for their states (under Title 32), unless they are mobilized to work under the federal government (under Title 10), as they would be for an overseas military deployment. Moreover, for the National Guard and Reserves the job requirements, eligibility for programs and services, health care system, and more can vary depending on whether the member's current orders fall under Title 32 or Title 10. Reservists work for the federal government only, but like National Guard members they traditionally train one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, although they may also be called to full-time active duty service. We are unaware of any tool that would assist National Guard and Reserve families in understanding what they are eligible for at any point based on their service member's current status or upcoming change in status.

Mobilizations as Disruptions to Service Member and Spouse Employment

The Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 14 requires that civilian employers not discriminate against reservists in their hiring practices, allow reservists time away from work to fulfill their federal military duties, and hold their position for them until they return and at that time compensate them as though they had been working continuously the entire time (e.g., with regard to pay rate, position, and benefits terms and eligibility). This can present challenges to employers, and despite these legal protections, reservists may still face employers hesitant to hire them. Since 9/11, National Guard and Reserve members have been mobilized at unprecedented levels ( Figinski, 2017 ; Werber et al., 2013 ). Due to the large numbers of reservists mobilized for long deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, there were dramatic increases in the number of veterans receiving unemployment benefits, as more reservists were eligible for the benefits and long deployments made it more difficult to return to civilian employment ( Loughran and Klerman, 2008 ). Some reservists also work as DoD civilian employees, which makes them “military technicians” who work under somewhat different employment terms than their civilian employee or reservist counterparts. 15 For example, a condition of their DoD civilian employment is that they maintain their membership in the Selected Reserve, although an exception may be made if they receive combat-related disability but are still able to perform their DoD civilian job.

Changes to Pay, Benefits, Programs and Services

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

As today's military community is more diverse and geographically dispersed than previous generations, the challenge becomes: How does DoD continue to address the diverse needs in the military community and foster a sense of community given ongoing shifts in demographics and the balance of the force ?—Third Quadrennial Quality of Life Review ( DoD, 2017a , p. 4)

DoD has been implementing institutional policies and practices designed to reduce barriers to service and promote equitable and respectful treatment of all service members ( DoD, 2017a , p. 10). According to Lutz (2013) , the core training at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) aims to achieve total force readiness through a focus on the American identity of service members. This legacy of legal inclusivity has continued into the 21st century with the repeal of the so-called Don't Ask Don't Tell policy (2011), extension of family benefits with the implementation of legal same-sex marriage (2015), and most recently the lifting of blanket restrictions on the service of military women (2016). This section will highlight some examples of diversity- and inclusion-related issues, summarized in Box 4-6 , but as is the case with this chapter more generally, this high-level review is by no means complete. Furthermore, it does not capture the complexity of the issues represented in the literature that a deeper dive on any one of these topics could provide.

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Diversity and Inclusion.

Variability Across and Within Groups

Each military service member and each family member is positioned within a unique social location and occupies multiple social statuses, which helps to explain the tremendous diversity in individual service members' responses to what appear to be similar military and life experiences. Minority stress theory ( Meyer 2003 ) spotlights minority group members' unique experiences of chronic stresses stemming from social institutions in addition to their everyday experiences of racial bias. When applied to sexual minorities, analysis tends to focus on stresses related to heteronormative bias and anti-LGBT experiences.

Servicewomen in the Military

Women make up one-half of the U.S. population but only 17.5 percent of the total force ( DoD, 2017c , p. 6). Notably, relatively few servicewomen occupy leadership positions at the officer ranks of colonel and admiral/general ( DACOWITS, 2015 ). Findings from the most recent (2017) DACOWITS report indicate that women often identify different reasons for joining the military than men do, that they are more likely than men to be married to another service member (both within and across services), and that they separate from the military earlier in their careers than do men. Key factors in servicewomen's decisions to leave the military relate to the challenges of geographic separation from family, both because of deployment and inability to co-locate with a service member spouse; pressure to prioritize one's military career among dual- military service members; and difficulties with work-life-family balance. In addition, servicewomen are more likely than men to separate from the military prior to starting a family ( Clever and Segal, 2013 ).

Globally, 74 foreign militaries allow or require women to serve, including 13 in which combat roles are open to servicewomen ( DACOWITS 2017 ). Among militaries that have successfully integrated women, policies to support servicewomen include flexible parental leave policies, co-location and geographic stability, and comprehensive and affordable child care that can accommodate long shifts, nontraditional working hours, and care for ill children. DACOWITS (2017) presented recommendations to increase DoD's ability to attract and retain servicewomen that similarly emphasize policies supporting families with children, educational initiatives to address unhelpful perceptions related to gender roles, and protocols for appropriate physical training for women. Findings also indicate that servicewomen are disproportionately affected by findings of noncompliance with family care plans, indicating a need for more appropriate application of these protocols.

There is very little research on motherhood in the military, and almost no research on the impact on families of a military mother's deployment to war (see, e.g., Barnes et al., 2016 ). A series of studies of Navy mothers during the Gulf War indicated that anxiety and distress increased among the children of those who were deployed more than among children of the nondeployed ( Kelley et al., 2001 ). Among deployed Navy mothers, length of separation from families and perceptions of social support both contributed to psychological adjustment ( Kelley et al., 2002 ). More recent research on a sample of mothers who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan reported that reintegrating mothers experienced more adverse past-year life events, and more depression and PTSD symptoms, than nondeployed mothers (of deployed spouses), but this research did not report worse parenting, couple functioning, or child adjustment ( Gewirtz et al., 2014 ). More research is needed to examine the adjustment of deployed mothers, how programs and policies may affect them ( Goodman et al., 2013 ), and other factors that may affect these mothers, such as societal norms that stigmatize a mother's leaving her children for war as “non-maternal” behavior ( Gewirtz et al., 2014 ).

Segal and Lane (2016) bring attention to contextual factors within military culture and everyday life that likely affect servicewomen's well-being. Specifically, they identify “leadership behaviors” that set the tone for how women are treated by their male peers and commanders as well as social isolation that can result from being ostracized within a unit. As part of the 2017 DACOWITS research, focus group participants similarly indicated that servicewomen may be disadvantaged by cultural attitudes based on traditional gender roles, especially as women begin to move into previously closed combat and leadership roles. Segal and Lane (2016) bring to light gender-based sexual harassment, ranging from inappropriate behavior—such as sexual comments, jokes, offensive pictures or posters, and gestures—to criminal-level assault. Recent estimates find that servicewomen report and experience sexual harassment and sexual assault at higher rates than male service members ( Davis et al., 2017 ; Galovski and Sanders, 2018 ) and that sexual trauma is likely underreported due to concerns about safety, stigma, avoidance, and shame ( Galovski and Sanders, 2018 ). Relatedly, servicewomen are more likely than servicemen to be harassed or stalked online and through social media ( DACOWITS, 2017 , p. 76). The psychological impact of sexual trauma on servicewomen can be especially disruptive to fulfilling service roles, family functioning, parenting, and child outcomes ( Kimerling et al., 2010 ; Millegan et al., 2015 ; Rosellini et al., 2017 ; Suris et al., 2013).

Segal and Lane (2016) assert that women's gynecological, contraceptive, and pregnancy-related needs are not fully and universally accessible across settings, including deployment environments. Pregnancy, new motherhood, and maternity leave can disadvantage servicewomen in several ways. Pregnancies do not always occur only and precisely when desired, and their timing can make it more difficult to manage work demands and attract harmful stigma, such as accusations of having become pregnant to avoid sea duty or deployment. Added to this, pregnancies and new motherhood can involve new physical and emotional health challenges, such as problematic pregnancies, problems at birth, difficulties breastfeeding, managing post-pregnancy physical fitness and weight requirements, and suffering from post-partum depression ( Appolinio and Fingerhut, 2008 ).

up to 12 weeks of total leave (including up to 6 weeks convalescent leave) for the primary caregiver in connection with the birth of the child. It also authorizes 6 weeks of leave for a primary caregiver in the case of an adoption of a child and up to 21 days of leave for a secondary caregiver in the case of a birth or adoption. – (Sec. 521, p. 19) 17

More research will be needed to examine the consequences of these policy changes for service members, as well as their impact on family well-being.

Finally, with the full integration of women into combat roles, attention has turned to women's physiology and ability to meet the military's physical standards for combat and related roles. DACOWITS (2017) reports that because of physiological differences between women and men, physical training and nutritional protocols designed for men, such as “large field training” and cardio focus, may not be most efficient for women, and point to sports science and human performance approaches (pp. 55–57) to prepare all service members.

LGBT Status

The history of military policy related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and military service has developed in tandem with broader changes in social attitudes and evolving state and federal legislation in the post-9/11 period. Three pieces of legislation during the Obama administration represented a sea change in federal and military policy: (1) the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act; (2) the 2011 repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT); and (3) the 2015 legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court ( Obergefell v. Hodges ). Additionally, in 2016 the secretary of defense ended the ban on transgender service (although as noted in Chapter 3 , those advances have been rolled back effective April 2019).

Until the federal legalization of same-sex marriage, military policy and practice under DADT also interfered with lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members' family functioning and well-being ( Kelty and Segal, 2013 ) by requiring concealment, excluding same-sex partners and children from receiving benefits, and limiting same-sex partners from participating in family roles. 18 In addition, concerns about being outed and career repercussions prevented many sexual minority service members from seeking help and support under DADT ( Mount et al., 2015 ).

With the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, DoD began immediate efforts to extend benefits to spouses and children of sexual minority service members, and in 2016 new health care and service options became available for transgender service members. However, because these important policy changes are very recent, we still know little about LGBT service members, couples, parents, and families. However, some findings are emerging. A DoD systematic review indicated that active-duty lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals may be at increased risk for sexual assault victimization ( DoD, 2016c ). DoD's 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey found that LGBT personnel were as likely as other personnel to receive routine medical care and less likely to be overweight, but more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking, unprotected sex with a new partner, and having more than one sexual partner in the past year ( Meadows et al., 2018 , pp. xxx–xxxi). LGBT personnel were also more likely to report moderate or severe depression, lifetime history of self-injury, lifetime suicide ideation, lifetime suicide attempt, suicide attempt in the previous 12 months, lifetime history of unwanted sexual contact, or ever being physical abused ( Meadows et al., 2018 , p. xxxi). Although these highlights describe LGBT people as a group, of course their needs and experiences vary. For example, “transgender” refers to a gender identity, not a sexual orientation, and a ban against transgender military service was just reinstated.

A hallmark of best military personnel practices is maintaining policies that are inclusive, especially in the context of international and multinational cooperation among diverse nations (e.g., NATO, 2016 , p. 45). Relevant to LGBT personnel, best practices include intentional “top-down” leadership demanding respectful conduct, and attention to deployment environments in which LGBT service members may be at greater risk because of local attitudes or local laws, including criminal statutes against same-sex relationships or sexual practices ( Polchar et al., 2014 , p. 13, p. 50). The most inclusive military systems, including Australia's, encourage and even require disclosure of sexual orientation within the context of national security ( Polchar et al., 2014 , p. 57).

Race and Ethnicity

It is common for DoD surveys and academic studies of military family well-being to include race and ethnicity as variables and report on significant differences, but greater synthesis across the research is needed. For example, several studies indicate that racial/ethnic minority status is linked to higher self-reported rates of PTSD ( Burk and Espinoza, 2012 ; DeVoe et al., 2017 ; Meadows et al., 2018 ) and that the positive benefits service has on families' well-being for ethnic-minority service members do not extend to combat veterans ( MacLean, 2013 ). Other racial/ethnic differences include higher prevalence of overweight among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks in the military ( Reyes-Guzman et al., 2015 ) and various differences in health-related behaviors, such as smoking (non-Hispanic blacks were least likely to smoke) and hazardous and disordered drinking (more likely among non-Hispanic whites) ( Meadows et al., 2018 , p. xxxvii).

Families in the Exceptional Family Member Program

Documenting family members' special needs, so that the availability of necessary services is considered during personnel assignment decisions.

Identifying and accessing relevant information and military programs and services.

In a benchmark study of the EFMP ( Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2013 ), military families enrolled in the EFMP expressed concerns regarding stigma surrounding special needs family members and military career advancement. Focus groups and interviews with service members, family members, and service providers across eight CONUS installations revealed that some families initially did not enroll in EFMP, disassociated from EFMP services, or hid their family member's needs because of embarrassment and because of fears that they would miss out on assignments important for career advancement or reenlistment opportunities. Although current policy directs that assignments should be managed to prevent adverse impact on careers ( DoD, 2017d ), service members may still face difficult choices. To illustrate, an officer might have to decide whether to

turn down a key command opportunity overseas or in a domestic remote and isolated location, because the area has limited resources to support the family member,
take the career-enhancing assignment, but serve geographically separated from the family for 2 years, leaving someone else to care for the family member with special needs, or
take the family member along, try to compensate for the resource limitations, hope the condition does not worsen, and if on an unaccompanied tour overseas, be responsible for the cost of sending the family member back.

Within EFMP families, members with special needs are not the only ones who may need assistance. For example, deployments can present additional challenges, as the nondeployed parent can become overwhelmed managing care for EFMP family members, on top of all of the other family and household responsibilities while the service member is away from home ( Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2013 ). The nondeployed parent (or other caregiver) may have to quit their job or reduce their work hours to manage, which in turn can negatively impact the family's financial well-being. Especially in circumstances like these, the sole caregiver can have a dire need for respite care. Siblings may also become caregivers as well, assisting their brother or sister who, for example, has limited physical abilities or behavioral problems. While they may enjoy that role, it may also limit what else they are able to do in terms of extracurricular activities, socializing with friends, interacting with parents, or having time to themselves.

Each Service runs its own EFMP, so one of DoD's roles is to help ensure consistency and successful implementation ( Office of Special Needs, 2018 ). However, a recent GAO report raised questions about whether there were gaps in services based on wide variation in the ratio of EFMP staff to EFMP service members, the types of program activities, and the low number of service plans given the number of enrollees and requirement that all should have plans ( GAO, 2018 ). GAO recommended that DoD develop common performance metrics and evaluate the Services' monitoring activities, and DoD agreed and plans to do so ( GAO, 2018 ).

Overlapping eligibility for programs serving children with special needs. SOURCE: MCEC (2005, p. 29).

TRANSITION OUT OF MILITARY SERVICE

Examples of Prominent Themes Associated with Transition from Military to Civilian Life.

Retirement has traditionally been possible after 20 years of service, once any terms of service have been met, such as obligations after receiving additional schooling. Former spouses may be awarded a portion of a retiree's pay as a part of a divorce proceeding. As noted earlier, the new Blended Retirement System provides alternatives to this traditional system that resemble many private sector 401(k) plans.

After leaving the military, service members and their families may choose to stay in the same area as the last duty station, although those living in family housing will have to move off of the installation. Or they may move to pursue a job opportunity, live closer to relatives, live in a favorite part of the country, or live where there are other military-connected individuals and resources. The Transition to Veteran Policy Office (TVPO) is responsible for policy and implementation of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), 20 operated by 300 Family Support Centers at military installations worldwide. TAP offers a number of services and resources including counseling, employment assistance, information on veterans' benefits, and other employment and family support. An analysis of data on the use of support services administered by transition assistance centers is underway ( GAO, 2019 ).

Multiple studies have found that both service members and veterans earn more than their comparable civilian counterparts and that service members who worked in health care, communications, or intelligence occupations saw larger earnings in their post-military careers than other veterans ( Guo et al., 2016 , p. 5). One study that focused on women veterans' civilian labor market earnings found that military service was even more of an advantage for racial and ethnic minority women than it was for White women veterans, so much so that it raised their earnings as high as, or in some cases higher than, White nonveterans' earnings ( Padavic and Prokos, 2017 ).

Military life can offer tremendous benefits but also significant challenges. Some who enter will thrive, others will struggle or fail. Not everyone who enters will be willing or able to remain a military family member until the service members' transition to civilian life. The ongoing work for DoD, however, is to help prevent, mitigate, and respond to the negative impact of stressors to promote the well-being, readiness, effectiveness, and retention of quality service members and their families. Some of the challenges mentioned above may extend to parents, grandparents, siblings, close friends, and others in service members' personal networks, such as military separation from loved ones, concern about the safety of service members working in dangerous environments, and caring for service members' children or seriously injured service members.

Some events specifically related to military life can impact not just the service member but also other individuals in the family and subsystems within the family. Most notably, these include

pay and in-kind benefits, such as housing and health care
assignments to installations in other countries
deployments, sea duty, and temporary duty away from home
combat experience and exposure
service-related mental and physical injuries and death
career progression (or lack thereof), and
separation from military service and transition to civilian life.

These types of military experiences will vary across different subgroups and regions, too. For example, military life experiences such as frequency and length of deployments, options of installation assignments, and career progression are often linked to military occupation, and military occupations vary greatly in their personnel composition (e.g., by entry requirements, race, ethnicity, gender, and concentration in the active component or National Guard or Reserves). Additionally, some military families have significantly more privileges and resources than others. The differences in pay mean senior military officers are much more likely than junior enlisted personnel to be able to afford to locate their families in neighborhoods with greater resources and better schools; to hire help with housekeeping, yardwork, or tutoring; to be able to fly other family members out to visit; to pay for their children's college education, and so on. Regardless of the resources a family may have, however, some installations are located in areas where there are few or low-quality resources, or where the resources are already overtaxed because the civilian population has great needs. Thus, we reiterate here our call in Chapter 3 to be attentive to the ways intersectionality or overlapping statuses of numerous characteristics can shape how individual family members and families experience and interpret the events and features of military life.

CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSION 4-2: There is a lack of understanding of how military family well-being varies by race and ethnicity, the concerns of minority families, and whether the Department of Defense is sufficiently meeting these families' needs. Scholarship on racial/ethnic diversity in the military tends to focus on equal opportunity issues for service members (such as discrimination and promotion rates), whereas findings concerning well-being are scattered widely across the literature.

CONCLUSION 4-4: Since the end of the Cold War, the National Guard and Reserves have served at unprecedented levels, filling critical roles in disaster relief and homeland defense in the United States as well as serving in military operations overseas. However, they face frequent family separations, changes in pay and benefits eligibility associated with shifting military statuses, and disruptions to civilian employment and business ownership, and they may not even live near a military community that could provide formal or informal support.

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U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Military Personnel: DoD Should Improve Its Oversight of the Exceptional Family Member Program. Washington, DC: 2018b.
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As noted in Chapter 1 , for the reserve component, the committee focuses on the Selected Reserves, which refers to the prioritized reserve personnel who typically drill and train one weekend a month and two additional weeks each year to prepare to support military operations.

For further details, see health .mil/Reference-Center /Publications /2016/09/01/Advances-in-Army-Medicine-since-9-11 .

Less common reasons for attrition, in order of occurrence (specific numbers not provided), were drug abuse; disability, severance pay; failure to meet weight or body fat standards; character or behavior disorder; temporary disability retirement; pregnancy; permanent disability retirement; fraudulent entry; and alcoholism ( GAO, 2017 , p. 14).

For more information on National Guard domestic operations and authorities, see U.S. Departments of the Army and the Air Force (2008) .

For military pay charts, see https://www .dfas.mil /militarymembers/payentitlements /PayTables.html .

For an overview of the new system in a reader-friendly format, see https://militarypay .defense .gov/Portals/3 /Documents/BlendedRetirementDocuments /A %20Guide%20to%20the%20Uniformed %20Services %20BRS%20December%202017.pdf .

See https://www .usuhs.edu /medschool/admissions .

Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 33, Sections 3301 to 3324 – Post-9/11 Educational Assistance.

For more information, see http://www .usagso.org /en/our-council/who-we-are.html .

For more information, see https://www .bgca.org/about-us/military .

For more information, see https://statepolicy .militaryonesource .mil .

Sea duty refers to Navy personnel assignments to ships or submarines. It contrasts with shore duty , or land-based assignments. For more information, see http://www .public.navy .mil/bupers-npc/reference /milpersman/1000 /1300Assignment/Documents/1306-102 .pdf .

For a summary of these findings, see Meadows et al. (2016) .

For more information, see https://www .dol.gov/vets /programs/userra/userra_fs.htm .

The terms are specified under Section 10216 of Title 10 in the U.S. Code.

For example, a women truck driver being tasked with handling the unit's administrative work, or Black or Hispanic personnel being assigned the dirty or heavy manual labor.

See https://fas .org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44577 .pdf , pg. 19, Sec. 521.

Testimony of Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the American Military Partner Association, at Voices from the Field , a public information-gathering session held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on April 24, 2018.

Established in Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Sec. 1781c.

For more information, see https://www .dodtap.mil/ .

Cite this Page National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Committee on the Well-Being of Military Families; Le Menestrel S, Kizer KW, editors. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2019 Jul 19. 4, Military Life Opportunities and Challenges.
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Seeking Answers on Israel and Palestine

More from our inbox:, the u.s. and israel, united (briefly) by the eclipse, end-of-life planning, the church of trump, the peace sign, progressive as ever.

A photo illustration showing Israeli workers building a wall on one side, and a Palestinian child playing by a separation wall on the other.

To the Editor:

Re “ The Two-State Solution Is a Fantasy ,” by Tareq Baconi (Opinion guest essay, April 7):

Coursing through Mr. Baconi’s essay about the impossibility of a two-state solution is the notion that Jews have no legitimate presence in the Middle East to begin with, and that their presence there represents only the last gasp of the dying British colonial empire.

This argument turns history on its head. Jews and Judaism are of course indigenous to the region (when we end the Passover Seder in a few weeks, we will recite, as Jews have for millenniums, “next year in Jerusalem”) and the partition approved in 1947 was an attempt to provide for the legitimate claims of two peoples to a land to which they had each been long attached. The Zionist leaders of 1947 accepted this partition. Tragically, the Arabs of the region rejected it.

The war that Hamas began on Oct. 7 was not in pursuit of a future state in which Jews and Arabs would coexist. It was a violent expression of the idea that Mr. Baconi expresses in more polite but nonetheless clear terms, that the presence of Jews in their ancestral and historical homeland is fundamentally illegitimate.

Neil Schluger Bronx

Tareq Baconi argues against a two-state solution, considering it a ploy for continued Israeli domination. Yet he fails to articulate an alternative amenable to both Israelis and Palestinians.

Rather, he alludes to a situation in which one merely replaces Israeli domination with Arab domination. How will that end the bloodshed? How would the Israelis ever agree without being killed or expelled?

Each side must compromise; each side will be disappointed. But the only way to avoid another Oct. 7 or another nakba (Palestinian catastrophe), isn’t a forced marriage in which one side dominates the other, but a structured divorce in which each side has its property and rights recognized by the other.

Two states for two peoples isn’t the best option; it’s the only option.

Benjy Braun Washington

“The Two-State Solution Is a Fantasy” is a gift to the Jewish right-wing argument that Palestinians will accept nothing less than the annihilation of the Jewish state and that therefore Israel must do whatever it takes to ensure its security.

The author does the exact thing that he criticizes: a simplistic one-sided view with no acknowledgment that there are two populations who each believe deeply that they are entitled to live in the region without mortal threat.

Neither of them will simply disappear. To think otherwise is the real fantasy.

Sharon Silverman Chabrow Portland, Maine

Re “ White House Says Gazans’ Welfare Is Key to U.S. Aid ” (front page, April 5):

The escalation in President Biden’s language in dealing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel does not match the immorality of the conditions in Gaza.

As a longtime ally, the United States, from the beginning, gave Israel a broad license, in the form of arms, aid and support at the United Nations, to respond to the horrific Hamas attack on innocent Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.

Over time, Israel has abused and betrayed that trust by causing unnecessary civilian deaths and widespread destruction and deprivation in Gaza. Israel’s actions and inaction reflect a conscious indifference to civilian death and suffering.

That license must be revoked until a cease-fire is declared. Then, Israel must re-earn our support through scaled-back military operations that protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and concrete actions that relieve Gazans’ suffering.

Michael Curry Austin, Texas

The solar eclipse on Monday ( live updates , nytimes.com, April 8) served to unite humanity in the witnessing of a celestial spectacle in which racial, economic and partisan differences were set aside, however briefly, in a peaceful, awe-inspiring and communal experience of sublime wonderment.

As the sun was slowly yet inexorably obscured by the moon, all of our earthly human rancor seemed petty and ephemeral by contrast.

Compared with the magnitude and magnificence of our planet and its sun and moon and their heavenly dance, humankind’s quotidian travails and grievances are cosmically inconsequential, even if we foolishly and hubristically imbue them with incommensurate vehemence and import during our relatively fleeting lives on terra firma.

Mark Godes Chelsea, Mass.

Re “ How to Make End-of-Life Planning Less Stressful ” (Here to Help, March 27):

This helpful article is important, as so many people do not plan or have essential family discussions. As a result, the wishes of many patients are not respected, as no one knows what they are.

Some will receive unwanted treatment, and others might not receive treatment they would have wanted. Terrible conflicts between family members regularly occur, many unresolved.

Copies of the health care proxy should be readily accessible and should be given to relevant physicians. And people who are on Medicare should have advance care planning discussions with their physicians. These discussions are also very important and are reimbursable .

David C. Leven Pelham, N.Y. The writer is executive director emeritus and senior consultant, End of Life Choices New York.

Re “ Trump Rallies Are Evolving Into a Church ” (front page, April 2):

There’s a lot of alarming information in your article, but you stop way short of clearly naming it for what it is. Donald Trump and his “church” are the latest, clearest embodiment of white Christian nationalism, a perversion that stands the message of Jesus completely on its head.

When Mr. Trump “preaches” hate, division and resentment along the lines of race, gender and sexual orientation and openly advocates violence over peace, his role is more akin to the often invoked “Antichrist” his followers seem to fear so much.

There is little reason to beat around the bush. This is a marginal, extremist cult of personality that would lead the U.S. into a dark and apocalyptic place animated by white supremacy. The New York Times of all publications should be willing to call it what it is without fear of alienating his cult members.

Jerry Threet Victoria, British Columbia

Re “ A Sign Battered by Time ” (Sunday Styles, March 31):

As I put on my jacket on a recent morning — with a peace sign button affixed to it, one of many I have worn since the Vietnam War — I thought of the college student who commented in your article that he wouldn’t consider the peace sign “progressive or anything,” and that it merely signifies “a kind of neutral blanket statement against war and violence.”

If being against war and violence in a world convulsed by conflict and wanting all people to live their lives in peace, with justice, isn’t “progressive,” I would like to know what is.

Ellen D. Murphy Portland, Maine

US military veteran accused of having explicit images of a child apparently joined Russian army

B OSTON (AP) — A U.S. Air Force veteran who fled a charge of possessing sexually explicit images of a child told his lawyer he joined Russia’s army, and video appears to show him signing documents in a military enlistment office in Siberia.

Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former elected official in a small Massachusetts city, was expected to enter a guilty plea in Rhode Island in early January, but did not show up to court, according to prosecutors. Last week, video surfaced that appears to show the 28-year-old in Russia and expressing support for the country's war against Ukraine — footage that could be used to promote Moscow’s narrative of the conflict.

His lawyer, John M. Cicilline, told The Boston Globe that he called Puello-Mota on Jan. 8, the day before he was expected to plead guilty. According to prosecutors, he boarded a flight from Washington, D.C., to Istanbul, Turkey, a day earlier.

“He said, `I joined the Russian army,’ or something like that,” Cicilline told the Globe. “I thought he was joking.”

Cicilline said Puello-Mota wanted a career in politics and thought the criminal case had ruined his life.

“I’m sure he joined the Russian army because he didn’t want to register as a sex offender,” Cicilline said.

The Associated Press made several calls to Cicilline. A person answering his office phone said he would not make any additional comment.

Puello-Mota served in the U.S. Air Force and deployed to Afghanistan in 2015, when he was 19, media releases show. He later served with the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing as a security forces airman.

Puello-Mota was arrested in 2020 in Warwick, Rhode Island, after he called to report a stolen gun and police said they found nude images of a 17-year-old girl on his phone. He was charged with one count of having sexually explicit images of a child. He was later also charged with trying to deceive prosecutors and his commanders about the case. Cicilline told the Globe he reached a deal to plead guilty to all charges in exchange for an 18-month prison sentence.

Videos surfaced on Russian social media and local television in March showing the blurred image of a man in a uniform in what appears to be a war zone displaying the U.S. flag.

In video posted online last week, a man who looks like Puello-Mota talks directly to the camera, speaking in English over background music and Russian subtitles and discussing a military operation. His face is not blurred. He does not say his name, and the videos do not mention the Rhode Island criminal case.

President Vladimir Putin has eliminated nearly all independent media in Russia — and state media aligned regularly trumpet Russian victories in Ukraine, denounce the West and otherwise amplify good news while ignoring the bad.

The Rhode Island attorney general's office said in a court document last month that it had received images purporting to show Puello-Mota in Ukraine and Russia.

“While the state cannot verify the authenticity of the videos and photographs, if they are accurate the defendant is well beyond the jurisdiction of this court and, if false, the defendant is engaged in an elaborate ruse to conceal his whereabouts,” Rhode Island prosecutors said.

U.S. State Department officials said they were aware of media reports about Puello-Mota fleeing to Russia but have had no contact with him and have no way to confirm those reports.

The most recent video appears to show Puello-Mota entering a building in Khanty-Mansiysk and shaking the hand of a uniformed man. At the end of the video, he is seen signing a document.

The AP verified the location after examining satellite imagery and historical photos of the area. According to a plaque on the door, it’s a military recruitment center run by the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Obviously it’s a difficult situation. It’s war. It’s a special military operation,” Puello-Mota says in the video, adding that he was lucky to be with “people from the international brigade.”

“We did our work. We did our job. We did what we were supposed to do,” he said. “I was very lucky and fortunate to serve with those guys. I definitely would do it again.”

Ian Garner, an assistant professor of politics at Queen’s University in Canada, called it “a huge propaganda opportunity” for Russia.

"To be able to show off an American citizen who has chosen to reinvent themselves, to reform themselves and become a part of the Russian war machine seems to provide evidence that Russia is winning a much bigger spiritual war,” he said.

Puello-Mota held the rank of technical sergeant when he forced to leave the guard in October 2022 because of the criminal case, said Don Veitch, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts National Guard. His security clearance was also revoked.

Holyoke City Councilor David Bartley, who worked with Puello-Mota on the City Council, said he considers him a good friend. He said the person in the video looks and sounds like him.

“To me that’s him,” he said.

He knew of no connections between Puello-Mota and Russia and called the footage “shocking.”

“The Wil that I know was a good, decent person,” Bartley said.

A Facebook page attributed to Puello-Mota includes a photo of the Kremlin and an updated profile photo of a man in a uniform operating a drone. It says he is from Holyoke and currently lives in Moscow and works at the Russian Defense Ministry, which is spelled in Russian.

Under Rhode Island law, Puello-Mota's trial cannot begin without him being present.

Perry reported from Meredith, N.H. Associated Press reporters Beatrice Dupuy and Rhonda Shafner in New York also contributed.

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PAY AND BENEFITS

Financial Stress and Food Insecurity

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Changes to Pay, Benefits, Programs and Services

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