Military Family Challenges

Page 7

Military families experience unique stressors and situations that non-military families typically do not face. ​ What’s more is that these stressors often recur and sometimes within expected or unexpected timeframes. The military is distinctive in that it is considered a greedy institution (Coleman, 2003). This means that there are high demands for time and exclusive loyalty from its members. Likewise, families are a greedy institution so when military men and women have families there is a constant tug of war at play.

Historically speaking the military was comprised of mostly young single men. ​​ Today’s military is very different with the majority of its members still being men (84.9% in 2014), however just over half (55.3% in 2014) of active duty military members are reported to be married and 37.5% have children. This is an extremely large portion of the military that are participating in that metaphorical tug of war between their career choice and their family.​

Some common issues that military families frequently face:

Relocation
​It is not uncommon for military families to be told that they will be moving duty stations quite frequently.

Deployment   
This is sometimes a cyclical occurrence where a family member is sent to a war zone as part of their duty. It can sometimes occur with little warning making it more traumatic.

Reunion   
After deployment or separation there is a reunion period where the family must readjust to life with the member who was gone.

Family Separation
Whether it is due to deployment or training it is still a stressful situation.

Demanding Job
Military men and women are taking part daily in a high stress job. Often this includes extremely long hours that are coupled with physical and mental strain. 

Injury or Illness
After deployments military members can come home with a plethora of injuries or illnesses, some of them invisible to the casual observer. Often the service member may not even realize their invisible injury until a family member points it out. It causes an extreme amount of stress and has a lasting impact if not treated effectively.  

Death
The actual death or stress of threatened death (when a soldier is deployed to a dangerous war zone) is arguably the most stressful and traumatic component of military family life. 

Along with all of these unique issues military families are still experiencing the same stressors as non-military families. Family illnesses, financial strain, the stress of raising children and working are usual stressors for families but military families combine these with other stressors that are unique to their situation. ​  

Course Navigation Menu

​1. Course Agenda

• Pre-Quiz (1/4)

2. Part of the Community
3. The Military Family
4. Types of Military
5. Identifying Military Families

6. Getting to Know Military Families (2/4)
7. Military Family Challenges
8. Military Children and Stress
9. I Serve Too
10. Supporting Military Families
11. Ways to Support Military Families

12. Supporting Families (3/4)
13. Early Childhood Education
14. End of Course Quiz (4/4)
15. Course Evaluation Form​
Parking Lot
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