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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How the military changed my life

VETERANS DAY is a time to honor all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Those who swore with their lives – and those who paid the ultimate price, as well – share a bond few others understand. Military service changes people. Those who see combat death look upon life differently for the rest of their years. Those who enter the service without direction typically leave with it. Earlier this year, The American Legion Magazine asked readers to put pen to paper and explain how military service changed their lives. Hundreds of readers submitted their thoughts on mental toughness, discipline and education – how the service shaped them. Other submissions revolved around the lifelong friendships and unique bonds veterans have with one another and how they celebrate that camaraderie through The American Legion. Following are just a few of the responses our readers sent in. Bill Pelozzi, Spokane, Wash.: As I left for basic training, my dad, an 8th U.S. Army Air Force World War II veteran, said, “Son, learn to take orders because one day you may be giving them.” I learned to take them. A lot was said in those few words. A few years later, I was giving orders in 1968, as a commissioned law officer. We became men at 17, 18 and 19 years old. I learned teamwork, learned how to move smartly, how color has no bounds and the blood of black, red and yellow men could, and did, save lives of white men, and vice versa. I learned that life is precious to all my fellow troops and that taking an enemy life is not pleasure, but cheating death and saving one. I learned to listen and to let my words be few. So, after 40 years of marriage, I am still reminded by my wife whenever she looks at my Navy photo and says, “That boy left and never came back.” Felicia V. Young-Wilkinson, Alexandria, La.: The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, changed my son’s life. Adam was about to graduate from high school and was beginning to realize that it was time to make some very important decisions about his future. As our family watched in horor at the plumes of dark smoke trailing skyward from the World Trade Center attacks, we spent the following days experiencing a universal pain over the enormous loss of life, that we knew we shared with many people across the country. I remember breaking down into tears in front of my husband and son, saying, “Those people did not deserve to die in that way.” The pain I was feeling for their families was acute. Looking back on that conversation, I only now have come to realize how it would affect our family as well. During that time, I approached my son about his plans for college. He looked me in the eye and said, “Mom, I’ve been sitting in a classroom for 12 years. I want to see what I can do with my life.” That resulted in his acceptance into the U.S. Army. He served as a fuel transporter (77 Fox) during Operation Iraqi Freedom, with his father in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Adam decided to take his commitment a step further. Upon his return to the States, he decided to join the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a helicopter repairman in early 2005. But that was still not enough for him. He went to his 1st Sergeant and told him, “I want to do more.” With determination and a deep commitment, he studied and learned his craft well. Within two years time, graduating from “Green Platoon,” and after being in a heavy combat zone for five months in Operation Enduring Freedom, my son was promoted to sergeant and crew chief to aircraft 472 in October 2006. Adam chose to answer a higher calling. On Feb. 18, 2007, Sgt. Adam Alexander Wilkinson and seven other crewmembers and Special Forces soldiers gave their lives when their Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan. Because of the bravery of the crew members in their attempts to land, 14 soldiers survived. I will never forget my son’s words to me when he returned from basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., during a time when I had chosen to go back to school and challenge myself. He said, “Mom, you just need to focus.” If I have learned anything from the loss of my 23-year-old son, it is this. Throuogh his experiences in the U.S. Army, Adam believed that with discipline, perseverance and a belief in himself, he could accomplish anything. Jeffrey Sealing, Denver: I was in the U.S. Navy from November 1987 until October 1995. My grandfather and uncle were in the same branch before me. At RTC Orlando, Fla., while exercising outside one November morning, I watched a space-shuttle launch. It was awe-inspiring. Later, I was part of the decommissioning crew of my first ship. Next came Operation Desert Storm. From that time, I have three pictures etched in my mind. First, my ship, AFS-2, did a supply run with an ammunition and oiler ship (AOE) on whose decks, in pods of 25 each, stacked six across and at least 30 deep on each side, were Tomahawk missiles; Saddam had no idea about U.S. military might. Second is the picture of mom waiting on the pier when my ship returned. Third, I flew to my hometown of Grand Junction, Colo., where then-Mayor Gary Lucero and some Vietnam veterans met me at the airport. Those veterans were there to say that Desert Storm vets would not have the same kind of homecoming they had, which was marked by violence and hatred. One final thing: I watched from a TV on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt, CVN-71, the fall of the Berlin Wall. Robert Frankenstein, Beaver Dam, Wis.: Basic training taught me teamwork. My military uniform gave me pride. Serving in Korea taught me how to defeat fear. Living in a foreign country taught me tolerance. Orphans of war taught me compassion. Coming home made me thankful. I live with a lifelong sense that touching Korea with democracy gave its people the opportunity to reach for world-class industrial and technological success. Some years ago, I was wearing my Korean War veteran cap at a Labor Day picnic. While enjoying the corn roast, two boys came up to me in the park and actually asked me if I wasn’t ashamed to let people know I was a veteran. I was taken back but quickly realized they just didn’t know better. That was the day I decided what I would do in my retirement. I would enlighten children by preserving hundreds of local veterans’ stories. Soon, that grew into writing a World War II book, then construction of a memorial park, a veterans museum and a memorial hall. Children can now research, walk, talk and volunteer with local living history at the American Legion Post 146 Veterans Center, or at the memorial or the museum. Thomas F. Sas, Houston, Texas: As a teenager, I was the cook at a pancake house, assistant butcher at a supermarket and the guy who made doughnuts all night at Dunkin’ Donuts. Therefore, I dropped out of school and joined the Marines at 17. The Marine Corps sent me to cooks school, then to Gitmo, where I was assigned to be the assistant mess sergeant because I was the only cook who had taken typing in high school (even though I failed the course). My CO ordered me to take a five-day GED course and two months later my high-school diploma arrived. Back in the States, I received orders to headquarters battalion and was assigned to be a personal steward for a commanding general. With a lot of time on my hands, I worked for the commissary, driving a food and beverage truck out to the ninth hole of the officers golf course and the pizza man off base. I was totally enveloped in the food and beverage industry. Upon receiving my honorable discharge, I used the GI Bill to graduate from college. To date, I have performed as executive chef, general manager and CEO of more than 400 restaurants/hospitality establishments. The military gave me this career and changed my life.

John B. Barcia, New Windsor, N.Y.: I was born on May 13, 1927, in a section of New York City called Little Italy. I was 14 when the war started, and when I turned 18, it was was still raging in the Pacific. I was drafted into the Army and sent to Fort Bragg, N.C., for basic training. I had never been anywhere in my life. At Fort Bragg, I met men from all over the country. I still remember the name of our drill sergeant, Buckholtz, after all these years. He was influential in shaping my life. At the end of our training, he selected me and some other men to go to Georgia for a six-week course in IBM machines. My first question was, “What is an IBM machine?” After our course was completed, we were shipped over to Germany and assigned to the 65th Machine Records Unit. I was stationed in Frankfurt from 1945 to 1947 and will never forget the horrors of war. The city was completely bombed out. I was there during the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals responsible for the Holocaust. All were sentenced to death by hanging. The hangman was Master Sgt. John O. Woods, and although I did not speak to him, I saw him in our mess hall. After I was discharged in 1947, I went to college on the GI Bill. My life certainly changed. I am very proud of my service in the Army. God bless America. Chris B. Traxson, Rogers, Ark. : I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during a time of war, in May 2005. It was a great experience that has left a permanent, positive mark on my life. I was injured in Fallujah in October 2006 and spent more than two years in the Wounded Warrior Regiment before being medically discharged, honorably, in January 2009. I met great Americans in the short number of years I was enlisted in the service, from drill instructors all the way to the men with whom I served in combat. The camaraderie and cohesion among servicemembers cannot be matched anywhere in the private sector. I learned great life lessons in discipline, leadership, responsibility, honor, courage and commitment. I carry them with me in everything I undertake, on a daily basis. Military service is a commitment to a person’s country like no other. I will always treasure my short time in the U.S. Marine Corps and all the great experiences and people I came into contact with while I was enlisted. I was given regular opportunities to lead and develop my skills as a responsible American that have translated into instant success in civilian life.

Lt. Col. (ret.) James Burkholder, Jr., Bonners Ferry, Idaho: The son of an Idaho logger in the early 1960s, I knew life was tough. I went to work before dawn and worked all day. I worked with elderly men who believed in doing a day’s work for a day’s pay. They would not know retirement. They worked until they were disabled or dead. Dad’s war stories from the Philippines and Okinawa enamored me. I had uncles in the Big War and other kin who were in the Korean War. They gave me their medals and patches. So, of course, I joined the military, first to emulate my dad and family who had served our nation, second to receive a paycheck the back would cover, and third an opportunity for a retirement. Twenty-five years later, I did. In that time: 225 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom; nuclear alert in Germany and England; survived jump school during three years in the Army; missed my family from Korea; and admired America’s finest before retirement at the Air Force Academy. I was, and am, blessed. I have absolutely no regrets about my decision to serve my country and now thank God I have my health and retirement, things I wish could have come for my Dad and others long-gone, my fellow lumberjacks. Joe Zych, Okinawa, Japan: I was 19 years old when I joined the Marines and stayed 20 years. I came from a segregated town. My life was all white. The first morning in boot camp, there we were: all races, colors and creeds standing at attention together. Shortly afterward, we all went off to the war. One morning at about 2 a.m., I was attacked by Viet Cong, who threw a lot of hand grenades at me and many didn’t go off. My rifle was damaged, my arm was broken, and my head was in a daze. I couldn’t move. But a PFC named P.D. Jones came to my aid. Jones shoved live grenades to the side with his hands to make a path for me. I never even said thank you. Things happen so fast. Two things I do know: I saw a real hero push those grenades aside, and I thank God every day for life. Lt. Col. (ret.) Anthony J. Yates, Monroe City, Mo.: “You will get out of the service what you put into it, son.” These were the words of my World War II veteran father, when he said good bye to me on Aug. 24, 1965. On my way to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., I was kind of scared, somewhat reluctant, and not at all sure what the future would bring. What an adventure the military served up to me! The comradeship, esprit de corps, and lifelong friends were some of the positive aspects the Army presented for me. Officers Candidate School converted my academic record from mediocrity to achievement. The ability to accept challenges in leadership and scholarship later allowed me to pursue a civilian career in education, as wel as serving 28 years as a reserve officer. And the travel the military provided took me to places only Gulliver could dream of. A tour as an intelligence officer in Europe opened possibilities a Missouri farm boy could hardly imagine. Places like Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort McClellan, Ala.; and Fort Hood, Texas, presented our country’s history to me. I am better for having worn our country’s uniform.

James W. Smith, Stigler, Okla.: In May 1960, I was 20 years old, single, with no children. The military draft would be knocking at my door very soon if I did not go back to college. Financially, I wasn’t sure I would be able to. This seemed like a good time to fulfill my military obligation. A friend and I joined the U.S. Army on June 6, 1960, in Oklahoma City. The significance of that date was not lost on us. For a few years prior to joining the Army, I had developed a very bad habit of quitting. I quit sports in high school. I almost quit high school. I quit relationships. I quit college twice. If I didn’t like the way things were going, instead of digging in and working my way through the problem, I just quit. The funny thing about the Army is you can’t just quit, honorably. It wasn’t easy on me or the Army, but I finally got the message. The Army taught me discipline, determination, organization, pride and loyalty. Ken Carville, Wendell Depot, Mass.: When I turned 16 in 1952, with Korea raging, I asked my parents if they would sign me into the service when I turned 17. They refused, and I rebelled. I got married and found that I had to get her permission to join. After a threat of divorce, she signed for me to volunteer for the draft. I was accepted into the Army and took my training at Fort Dix, N.J. After completing radio school, I was shipped to Korea and served 16 months in country, stationed on the north side of the Imjin River. I crossed the Freedom Bridge numerous times and learned the definition of gratitude, and of reverence, for the soldiers who crossed that bridge to freedom. I had a new respect for my family, who wanted me to be safe and out of harm’s way. It changed my life in that I learned things in the service that can’t be learned anywhere else. Keeping your room clean is a cake walk competerd to keeping the barracks clean. Close-order drill teaches teamwork and how to take orders before you are qualified to give them. It taught me that 0 degrees is warm compared to 40 below, and that there is a time for bitching and a time for fighting. I’ve seen things, done things and been places most people only read about. If I were given a choice between trading my military life for 10 more years on this earth, I’d say, “Take a hike, Mike.”

Doreen Nelson Murray, Nalcrest, Fla.: At the age of 84, I feel privileged and honored that I have served in the military by being a WAVE (U.S. Navy Reserve), Pharmacist Mate 3/c. Ifeel gratitude for the simple fact that I can finally say thank you for having had the opportunity to finish my education, a bachelor of science degree in education, from the University of Minnesota. I had finished my second year at the university when I enlisted in the WAVES, on my birthday. My parents had to sign for me with a promise from me that I would go back to school and finish my education. Of course, I agreed to that. I got my degree with the GI Bill. I kept my promise and finished my education. How else did the military affect my life? I met my husband, Earl. He too has served in the military, U.S. Navy, Pharmacist Mate 2/c. He had returned from the South Pacific in World War II, havieng been through Navy boot camp and then sent to the South Pacific to serve with the 1st and 3rd Divisions of the Marines. Now, at age 86, having been married to each other for 63 years, we are still together. We have had six sons, five living as productive citizens and great men. One died in infancy. It has been a great story and a great life. Thanks to the military and our lives together.

Don R. Jacobson, Hayward, Wis.: Discipline is the glue that holds the military together and changes a person from civilian status to military status. My four-year stint changed me from a 22-year-old kid to a 26-year-old man in record time. I voluntarily left college and signed up to fight for the U.S. Army. I then started to value my citizenship like never before. I started to respect people and institutions. But the GI Bill really transformed my life and outlook. I had a year of college, plus what I considered the equivalent of another year as a candidate for OCS. At age 26, I knew I had to get to work as a civilian, so I enrolled under the GI Bill in a piano-tuning school. (I liked music all my life.) this lef to owning and operating a retail music store for a good share of my life. I also became a piano entertainer and lecturer and recently won a gold medal in the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.

Robert E. Johnson, Six Nations, Ontario, Canada: I joined the U.S. Marine Corps at point of entry, Buffalo, N.Y., March 1968, discharged March 1970, a Mohawk Indian introduced into the American culture and its diversity without any preconceived notions of people or distant lands. I chose the Marine Corps. It seemed to be in my interest to serve and experience the conflict of the time. I wanted to become a person of stature. I was experiencing personal challenges prior to enlisting and wanted major change in my existence. I served with 1/7/1 in the I Corps area, DaNang, as an 0311, a squad leader, a grunt for 13 months in country. Two birthdays were spent in the combat zone. I was asked a few times, “Why did you join?” My response was: “Because of the current reporting and the reports of many leaving the United States for Candada.” I was from Canada. I formed perceptions of people. For myself, a change came about, of positive approaches and meaning to the words “freedom reigns.” I, Robert E. Johnson of the Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, Canada, am a Mohawk Indian who served in the woods and in the bush. G. Wayne Hunt, Poway, Calif.: I have always been grateful to have joined the U.S. Navy after high-school graduation. As a young 17-year-old, I was surprised by the rigors of boot camp and visited a Navy chaplain a few times. He became a lifetime friend over the years. We named our son after him. I am grateful for the experience of having worked on the flight decks of two aircraft carriers, the USS Valley Forge, CV-45 and the USS Antietam, CV-36, during the Korean War. My Navy experience also allowed me to travel to Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong as an 18-to-21-year-old. Lastly, I remember all the great buddies I met during my service. The discipline I acquired and the GI Bill allowed me to get a bachelor’s degree in business and later a master’s degree in management and a J.D. in law.

Robert J. Raney, Scandia, Kan.: My family lost everything in the Depression. During high school, I worked to earn money for books and necessities. I was 17 when I graduated. At 18, in 1943, I entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and was discharged in 1946. I was hired by a wholesale grocery firm and married in 1946. My job required me to have a car. I purchased a 1947 Frazier in July 1948, and my payments were $115 per month for 15 months. In December that year, the company announced it was closing. Jobs were scarce. My wife, a registered nurse, made $160 a month. My military training taught me not to panic and to seek a solution. I enrolled in college on the GI Bill, which covered my college expenses plus about $90 per month. I found a job as a night bartender that paid $170 per month. I attended classes from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and tended bar six days a week from 5 p.m. until midnight for two and a half years, to get out of debt. I graduated with an advanced degree, became a college professor, and retired after more than 34 years of service. Clayton Ross, Walnut Creek, Calif.: I was no athlete, just a skinny kid without much energy. The discipline of morning calisthenics changed that. I discovered that the morning workout did not subtract from the energy I needed for the rest of the day; it increased it. So now, here I am, in my 80s. Lots of people my age are weak, sick or dead. But I am in great shape and good health. It must be those morning calisthenics I still do daily. And I am still skinny. Capt. (ret.) David Yarbrough, Coffeyville, Kan.: I was a very green country boy going to school in Nowata, Okla., and felt there was really no chance of my ever going to college. My family was poor. I wanted the good life, and I wanted to fly, but I knew it would never happen if I stayed in Nowata. I enlisted in the Air Force with two goals: one, to get my college education and the other, to become a pilot. I spent the first 14 months enlisted trying to get all my college credits together so I could apply to become an officer. This was pretty hard because I spent more than five of those years overseas, including a tour to Vietnam that interrupted my acceptance to Oklahoma State University under the Airman’s Education Commission Program. Upon my return from Vietnam, I was assigned to Pope AFB in North Carolina and while there I was hitting the books at three different colleges and universities at once. I had very little free time, with a wife and two beautiful girls, going to school and being in charge of the WRSK kits for C-130 aircraft. We had a deployment requirement to Germany and back to Pope, then England, then back to Pope. I had very good professors who would give me assignments, and I would mail them in. When I got all my credits together to apply for the Bootstrap Commission Program, I went to my commander to ask if he would write me a recommendation to place in my file going forward for the selection process. He indicated he really did not have time, but if I would write it, he would sign it. His secretary overheard this and told me should would help me write it. When I took it in for his signature, he said, “this looks like you can walk on water.” I told him the competition was so tough that I needed an edge other than my good grade-point average. I also asked him if he would make an appointment with his commander, so I could get his recommendation, which I did, all the way to division commander. I look back now and thank a very wise 1st sergeant who put the idea in my head because I was one of 40 selected, out of 400 who applied. I attended Officers Training School and went on to get my master’s degree. However, I never became a pilot. The Vietnam War was winding down, I was 32 years old, and the need was not there to get a waiver. I went on to complete 25 years in the Air Force. I loved the service. When I look back, I think all young people should spend at least one hitch in the military because it sure changes a person for the better. Bringing back the draft would not be a bad idea for America.

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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.

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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.

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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339 Military Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best military topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on military, 📃 interesting topics to write about military, 🥇 most interesting military topics to write about, 💡 simple & easy military essay titles, 🎓 good research topics about military, ❓ military research questions.

Similarities Between Business and Military Strategies Like in the military strategy, marketing aims to spread the influence of the business and conquer new “territories” to sell its products.
Are 18-21 Years Old Psychologically Mature Enough to Go for War/Military? This was done to improve the overall welfare of the service and the inclusion of the eighteen years old meant that they were psychologically fit to offer service in the military and war.
The Importance of Respect in the Military This paper seeks to discuss the importance of respect in the military. Therefore, respect in the army ensures that the jobs of both the seniors and the subordinates are done.
Work-Life Balance in the Military 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 […]
Military Interventions: Advantages and Disadvantages This is one of the possible outcomes that can be identified. This is one of the main arguments that can be put forward.
British Military Catering System’s History and Future This revolutionary event marked the start of enhanced cookery in the army. In essence, the system of production of food for British army had not been perfected.
Accountability of Equipment in Military And, the last task a commander has to do before the change of command ceremony is to account for all the property they had signed for and meet with the property book officer and the […]
“Iron Triangle” in Relation to “Military Industrial Complex” The true power of government and public policy lies not in the hands of the citizenry but in the hands of powerful special interest groups, media, and the corporate elite.
Military Professional Ethics This is where ethical decision-making must be applied to be fair to the nation and my friend. In conclusion, one has to stress that the military is expected to act in a good and ethical […]
Military Chaplaincy: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats The chaplaincy’s historical centuries-old experience in military events demonstrates that it has unique opportunities for the development of the spiritual and moral potential of soldiers, actualization and strengthening of spiritual support, and the need to […]
Artificial Intelligence in the Military The current paper will provide research on the virtues, shortcomings, and perspectives of the use of AI in the military. The issue of the usage of AI in military actions is highly controversial and has […]
Comparisons Between Business and Military Strategies The military strategy involves combatant skills that are used to fight enemies and safeguard the interest of international borders. In addition, they involve the acquisition of new skills and information that is useful in competing […]
Military Logistics and Commercial Logistics Logistics is the management of the distribution of resources and a thorough organization of the chain of supplies. Essentially, the supply chains should focus on the internal dynamics of logistics and have a chance to […]
Erwin Rommel: Military General in the Nazi Army Nevertheless, in early 1941, Hitler promoted Rommel to the commander of the German troops in North Africa, and shortly after, the whole world recognized the military genius of Rommel.
Combat Operations: Military Operations Analysis Thus, due to the supply of arms and provisions to the city, the Soviet Union army could defend the strategically important city and turn the events of the entire war around.
Substance Abuse in the US Military System Perhaps the real cause of the tendency of the soldiers to engage in substance abuse and the persistence of the problem is the detachment from military authorities at the end of service.
Wireless Sensor Networks in Military Applications A wireless sensor network can be characterized as a self-designed framework of remote systems to screen physical or ecological conditions such as temperature, sound, vibration, weight, movement, or contaminations and to pass information through the […]
The American Military and the Evolution of Computer Technology From the Early 1940s to Early 1960s During the 1940s-1960, the American military was the only wouldriver’ of computer development and innovations.”Though most of the research work took place at universities and in commercial firms, military research organizations such as the Office […]
US Military Spending In this study, we shall evaluate the impact of spending on the military as measured against other sectors of the economy of the U.S.
The Military Service: Reasons for Joining Army values determine the spiritual and moral orientations of the individual and underlie the actions, deeds, and motives of individual servicemen and military teams and are a kind of self-regulator of the behavior of servicemen.
Military in Space: What Will It Give the US? If these are the primary purposes of the current military strategy in space, there is more for the military in the future.
Cuban Crisis, Its Military, Social, Economic Factors In the era when the threat of a nuclear attack was viewed as the primary fear factor, the Cuban Missile Crisis created grounds for worrying about the wellbeing of the American citizens, hence the increase […]
Use of Simulation in Military The first type of simulation used in the military is live simulation. The second application of simulation in the military is the use of virtual simulation.
Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military The soldiers in the military are dedicated to serving and executing the commands given by their supervisors. In the military, followership and servant leadership are crucial approaches for ensuring effective performance to achieve objectives.
The Crusades and Military Campaigns The Crusades were armed expeditions of the peoples of the Christian West organized by the Church and the Papacy of Western Europe to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims and subjugate these lands.
Pastoral Counseling in the Military In turn, the standards of the Christian Church will help me to remain patient and understanding of the needs of soldiers so that they could progress in their spiritual development.
Optical Fiber Technologies Development and Military Use The benefits of optical fiber technology are the reasons that made the military sector to become an early adopter, and its usage is gradually becoming fundamental even in other fields.
Military Experience: Sergeant Major A rank of Sergeant Major is considered to be a high one and the person must have a reputation of a responsible and knowledgeable individual.
Personal Philosophy of Military Leadership Hence, it devolves upon the leader to provide the necessary inspiration, enunciate clearly his vision and mission for his subordinates and above all be faultless in his personal code of conduct and maintain the core […]
What Makes a Great Military Leader? Based on the current military standards, most of the great military leaders in the history of the US military would be considered as racists.
Military Draft: Arguments for and Against While the all-volunteer military force established in 1973 by the US has been adequate up to the end of the last century, recent events have resulted in the over stretching of the military forces of […]
Women in the Military Historically participation of women in the military dates back to times of the revolutionary war, due to the awakening of the world that, women also had a role to play as pertained to protecting their […]
United States Military JCETs: Lithuania The main goal of the Chief of Mission for Lithuania is to engage the country’s support and partnership to enhance stability and security in Europe.
The Congressional Medal of Honor in US Military While the Medal of Honor primarily seeks to reinforce desired conduct in soldiers, Sergeant Alwyn Cashe demonstrated selflessness and dedication that inspires fellow members of the armed services and the citizenry. Sergeant Alwyn Cashe depicted […]
Military Coup in Myanmar and Its Aftermath The goal of the military coup was to change the political order in Myanmar, which resulted in the change of all governing organizations.
LGBTQ+ (Queer) Military Discrimination in Healthcare Furthermore, the subject is relevant to the field of psychology as the current phenomenon examines discrimination in healthcare both from the psychological outcomes experienced by veterans as well as the perception of LGBTQ+ patients through […]
Eating Disorders in the Military Exposure to trauma is frequently linked to the emergence of eating disorders. As a result, soldiers develop an eating disorder due to external factors, which affect their mental and physical health, but it remains one […]
Civilian vs. Military Crew Resource Management Training In the practice of military crew resource management training, the development of the curriculum is preceded by the development and active use of a structural and logical scheme in the field of training.
The Lucifer Effect: Russian Military Invasion of Ukraine It is important to note that the statement that times of great tragedy such as war, genocide and disaster bring out both the best of us and the worst of us is true.
Salah al-Din, an Islamic Military Leader To study these events, it is crucial to consider the identity of Salah al-Din. In conclusion, it is important to stress that although the military victories of Salah al-Din caused much trouble for the crusaders, […]
Application of Irrefutable Laws of Leadership in the Military As a leader in the Army, I will let it be known to everyone that the decisions I take on behalf of the US Army will not be mine but for the rightful will of […]
How Contemporary Leadership Styles Are Relevant in Today’s Military As a consequence, the need to develop the competencies and abilities of leaders in the field is not generally considered a military core activity.
Individual and Structural Discrimination Toward LGBT (Queer) Military Personnel Consequently, LGBT military personnel are potentially even more vulnerable to mental health issues due to the combined stress of being LGBT and being in the military.
Military Medical Staff in a Conflict Area: Challenges and Obstacles The first type of obstacle that the healthcare staff face is related to the organization of the health system in the areas of humanitarian crisis.
Extremism: The Contribution of the Military The United States Army is strict against extremism, terming it as a harmful behavior that neglects the responsibilities entrusted to the military and instead undermines the rule of law. The importance of this topic is […]
The Role of the Military in Domestic Terrorism Acts The video focuses on the issue of domestic terrorism in the U.S.in light of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Sarah Rosetta Wakeman’s Participation in the Military Campaigns Although this source is not dedicated to the person under consideration, Rosetta Wakeman, it was chosen as it is instrumental in understanding the position of women in American society in the 19th century.
Dogs in the Military: Articles’ Rhetorical Analysis Despite the different pathetic natures of the two compared articles about dogs in the industry, their comparison proves that the utilitarian and ethical utility of a scientific article is detectable regardless of the level of […]
The Mutual Trust Element in Military Operations In the case of launching operation Urgent Fury, the cooperation and mutual trust between the US and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States were chiefly responsible.
Scaling and Success of DevOps for Military HQDA Army G-4 is a special unit involved in the development and evaluation of logistics processes, programs, and policies for the national military sector.
Role of Commander’s Intent in Military Operations In other words, the commander’s intent specifies the end state of the battleground in terms of the commander’s own forces, the enemy forces, and the territory.
Closing the Military-Civilian Career Gap A combination of the above-mentioned factors makes it harder for the ex-military people to work and interact with other employees. The inability to secure employment and the stigma from employers fuel the stress among the […]
Reverse Logistics of Military Service Concerning the reverse logistics of the military, the Navy completed research in 1998, “three fundamentals of RL having surfaced: dependability, consistency, and accessibility,” according to the research, the fundamentals of army reverse logistic procedures are […]
Redeployment Effort in the Military Moreover, the present objective of the logistics system transformation is to match the scale of logistical capacity to the actual demands of the military in terms of technological modernization and professionalization.
Post-Traumatic Growth Among US Military Veterans The first goal of this research is to describe the Prevalence of PTG overall and in the five domains. The second goal is to describe the nature of the association between PTG and PTSD symptoms […]
Bridging the Military-Civilian Career Gap The US military has one of the largest armies in the world and is the largest professional standing force. Skills transferability and military identity go hand in hand the military frames individuals to act in […]
Mandatory Military Training in the US The major argument in this article is that there is no longer a need for mandatory military training in the US.
Closing the Gap Between Military Service and Civilian Career The most important information in the article shows that the way veterans leave the military may affect their transition. This means that not all veterans have the same level of difficulty while transiting to the […]
Harassment in Military: My Squad Is Free From Abuse If there is a threat of sexual harassment to a private, he will go to a person he can trust, and I will do my best to become that person as his squad leader.
Military Effectiveness of Nazi Germany in 1939-1941 World War II is one of the most well-documented conflicts in military history, and there is an extensive amount of academic literature depicting the military effectiveness of the German army.
Women’s Military Service and Biblical Teaching It is necessary to distinguish between two ideas of equality, which are highly different in moral terms: the idea of equality for the elite, the formal but necessary basis of which are privileges, status, a […]
Gratitude to Military: Thank You for Your Service In my opinion, the military profession is one of the most dangerous and significant, and not every person can cope with the tasks assigned to such employees.
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation in Military CC: The patient interviewed on the military base. The patient has troubles sleeping after experiencing a traumatic event in Iraq.
Hazing and Sexual Assault on the Military Profession In that case, the issues affecting the integrity of the soldiers in the platoon will be fixed once and for all.
Proposed Solution to Military Spending Problem The government could easily cut the expenses by at least $100 billion and invest the money in other spheres that could provide security for the citizens of the US.
A Year of Duty: Why Mandatory Military Service Is a Great Idea A number of very beneficial social functions that it serves makes a case for implementing mandatory military service: it is capable of unifying people, resulting in economic benefits, and giving meaning to a person’s life.
Veterans’ Transition From Military to Civilian Life The VA has established several programs that provide medical, financial, and other forms of support to veterans to help them adapt to civilian life.
Combat Bunker to the Corporate Boardroom – Leveraging the Military Mindset The linkage of the military mindset and their application in business settings support the research and analysis of the selected research topic.
Leveraging the Military Mindset Into Business With YSG’s culture of hiring veterans and relatives to the veterans, this is an indicator that the company is benefiting from the military mindset in its business. The company has a significant number of employees […]
Navigating Religious Pluralism in the Military They also have a significant impact on the development of the religious situation in the country, the dynamics of relations between confessions, and their relationship with the state in the context of the rapid spread […]
Military Mindset and Its Application in Business Similar to the military organization, the elements of said leadership and mindset can be learned if there are appropriate resources and culture in place as well as influences that promote critical self-reflection.
Difficulties in Adjusting to Civil Life After the Military Therefore, it is crucial for the nursing staff to address this issue and to explain to Mike the consequences of his health problems. It is vital to inform the patient of his condition and to […]
The US Sanctions Against Myanmar Military Officials The US, along with the EU, is among the countries that use economic sanctions to achieve their political and economic goals the most frequently.
American Military University: The Ultimate Advantage Is an Educated Mind AMU is affordable and has programs in fields such as business, information technology, education and management.
Gender Inequality in Relation to the Military Service In his article, Soutik Biswas refers to the intention of India’s Supreme Court to influence the government and give women commanding roles in the army.
Military Security (Nuclear Deterrence) Nuclear deterrence is a military strategy suggesting that a state may use its influence to bar another country from utilizing nuclear weapons.
For Continued TRI-CARE Coverage for Military Retirees In light of the sacrifice members of the armed forces give to their country and the social, psychological and health challenges that retirees face during and after service, it is important to provide continued TRI-CARE […]
PTSD Dual Representation Theory Use in Military Personnel However, it is the position of this paper that this is mere gender stereotyping and the real cause of trauma among women veterans has to do with sexual harassment.
Military Medical Practitioners Malpractice The policy prevents them from filing lawsuits and claims against the national government on the grounds of medical malpractice. It allows for service members in active duty to file administrative claims against the government for […]
Failed Leadership and Triggering Military Coups in Mali The people of the Republic of Mali are used to having their heads of state deposed by the military. The Tuareg people are among the most aggrieved, and in 2012, they staged a mutiny aiming […]
Response to Terrorist Attacks: The Role of Military and Public Sector Entities Nevertheless, to understand the basis of such partnership, one has to understand the actions that the public sector takes and has taken to respond to terrorism in the United States and globally.
How the Military Made the Transition From Combat to Garrison The purpose of the briefing is to expound on how the military transition from combat to garrison has and is being conducted and the type of leadership style works best.
The US Military Veterans’ Mental Healthcare System The study’s main objective was to examine the Veterans’ gratification with VA mental health caring, its occurrence of delayed care, and the links of such results.
“Experiences of Military Spouses of Veterans With Combat-Related PTSD” by Yambo Spouses living with PTSD veterans are unprepared and struggling to deal with issues that their husbands experience.
Civil-Military Tension as Ethical Dilemma The first is to accept the situation as it is without questions, strictly following the orders and observing the limitations of their inferior position as consultants to the government.
Ex-Military Adaptation: Veteran Care Grant Proposal The adaptation process and strategies for its implementation are expressed in the project through a consistent approach to the employment of veterans.
The Military’s Role During the Fall of Suharto in Indonesia During the fall of Suharto in Indonesia, the military played a significant role as both the silent enforcer and active peacemaker.
The Military Partnerships: Humanitarian and Support Role The purpose of this paper is to discuss the humanitarian and support role of the military partnerships and the NATO command structure, involvement of the National Guard and military branches, and some vital functions of […]
Transitioning From Military to Civilian Life Since social adaptation after military service is a relevant social topic, this area is studied extensively in social disciplines.
Military Technologies Inc. vs. Guidance Systems LLC The stakeholders involved in the aftermath of the decision include the company, the government, the supplier, the alternative supplier, the community, and the competing company as a hostile stakeholder.
Military Transition To Civilian Life The presentation will review the usefulness of BMA, ET, and phenomenology for the transitioning processes that VMs experience as they go from military life to civilian life.
Burma Under the Military Rule in 1962-1988 It is necessary to add that the public had a specific idea on the military as people believed the military could rule the country as they had the authority and the necessary instruments.
N. Johnson’s Analysis of Military Operations in Uganda The defection campaign aimed at the TA commandment will eliminate the danger that TA poses to the local population and reduce the current number of 100 TA fighters to a minimum.
Media and U.S. Military Policy 2 This paper discusses how the ubiquity of media continues to affect U.S.military interests and how contemporary military policy responds to media ubiquity.
Alcohol Before and After Military Combat Deployment The conclusion of the article addressed the risk in the new-onset of heavy drinking, binge drinking and the alcohol-related crises among the soldiers who return from war.
Sex Trade in South Korea Around US Military Bases According to reports released in 2003 by the Korean Institute of Criminology and the Korean Feminist Association, hundreds of thousands of women in the country are involved in the sex trade.
Medication Errors at Riyadh Military Hospital: Medical Safety and Quality The safe keeping of medical records is the task of the medical records department. Medication errors are investigated at the hospital with regard to the degree to which the risk of improper management of patients’ […]
Multi-Touch Touch Screen Controls in Military Aircraft The attitude indicator is in the centre of the top row, the Airspeed indicator is to the left, the altimeter on the right, and the gyrocompass or heading indicator in the centre of the second […]
Contemporary United States Military Chaplaincy Tuttle elaborates that the government has the policy of encouraging the religious, moral, and recreation affairs as well as the development of members of the Armed Force.
Military Deployment From Social Service Perspective Among the main problems that led to the development of substance abuse, there is a radical change in the entire lifestyle, changing the previous residence, the decline of the financial situation, housing problems, and uncertainty […]
Hawks’ “Sergeant York” and Military Social Work The goals of York were to complete his military service as a brave and worthy man, who contributed to the protection and safety of the US.
The Potential Mental Disorders in the Active-Duty Military The article by Walker et al.titled “Active-Duty Military Service Members’ Visual Representations of PTSD and TBI in Masks” describes the study aimed to identify potential mental disorders in the active-duty military.
No Respect Given to Military Family The purpose of this essay is to study the impact of the problem of insufficient respect for military families on society and individuals and to find solutions to this issue.
Sexism Against Women in the Military The results showed that not all of the perpetrators and victims from the reports were connected to the military, and most of the victims were women.
Female Military in the Continental Army John Rees claims that the percentage of women in the Continental Army was around 3%, but the actual number is hard to find out since some women were disguised as men, and a lot of […]
How to End Terrorism: Diplomacy or Military Action? The goal of the terrorist acts is the intimidate the population for the purpose of rocking the political situation in the countries, which policy is controversial to the ideas of terrorists.
Latino Experiences in US Military It is assumed that the Latinos have increased in the military to replace the number of African Americans that has been reducing with years.
Conflict and Its Resolution Within the U.S. Military and Department of Defense Hence, the aim of the paper is to regard the key types of conflicts that appear within the organization, define how does the government manages these conflicts, and what can be made for resolving these […]
The Issues of Race in the Military Consequently, to fully comprehend and assimilate the nature of racial and ethical discrimination meted out on the black military personnel’s or to better put it for military officers of different race or colour, one will […]
Should National Governments Hire Private Military Contractors? When the services of private militias are enlisted usually the mission is dirty and dangerous and it is supposed to be a secret.
Crusades: Military Strategy or Religious Ideology? The main aim of the European powers was the recapturing of the Holy Sepulcher, as well as the lowering of Muslim influence in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Task Clusters in Military Learning Activity The first level in this framework is that of reaction whereby the attitude of the trainees is measured using a written questionnaire that measures their interests and motivation.a show of interest is a positive indication […]
Jobless Youth Joining the Military It is stated that most of the youths in America join the military due to expansion of the nuclear energy and the need for more employees.
Women Should Be Included in the Military Draft if the President Activates It This means that if there is to be a military draft, whether due to the need of health workers, or the already existing and growing numbers of women in the military, women should definitely be […]
Military Theorists: Carl von Clausewitz and Antoine-Henri Jomini Jomini just like Clausewitz saw the battle of the French Revolution and the various activities that shaped historical events at the time of the Napoleonic era.
Military Divorce, Its Causes and Effects As discussed earlier, due to their nature of training and the nature of the job, the military tends to be emotionally imbalanced with violent tendencies.
Roman Civilization and Its Military Power The Roman Empire used the first systems of the republic to conquer a lot but for the interest of a few who included those living within the cities as well as those who were close […]
Military Transformation in the US Marine Corps The consensus ‘Committee System’ of Command and Control as practiced by the British Doctrine was identified as the chief weakness in the success of amphibious operations.
“The Military Family” by James Martin The book chronicles the military’s efforts to deal with the social challenges and how the operational dynamics have forced the military to outsource and privatize many of the family support functions to civilian service providers […]
International Security Environment and Its Impact on the US Military The dangers of a nuclear armed Iran persist and the US will have to cater for the rise of China as a competing superpower.
Communication Amongst Military Families At the conclusion of this paper it is the hope of the writer that the reader have an increased understanding of the difficulties experienced by individuals under contract with the military as well as what […]
The U.S. Military Is Unprepared at Outbreak of Hostilities However, a close look at the development would definitely show that the allegation is the result of blowing the issue out of proportion and there should be no reason the US force, or the NCOs, […]
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Military Career The military career of Dwight David Eisenhower was closely connected with the development of the American state and international relations during the first half of the 20th century and till the end of the 1960s.
Historical Analysis of Military Situations in China The main target of the Soviet was to ensure that the two parties merged. What brought the Communists to power was the revival of the power of the peasantry through Mao Zedong.
The Sino-Russian Military Exercises and the US-Japanese War Game The purpose of this paper is to argue that the joint military exercises are informed by the diplomatic tensions between the participants, political events in the East Asian countries, and the scramble for the influence […]
Military: Carl Von Clausewitz Theories In modern times fog and friction of war are not obsolete, and their presence in warfare proves the theory of Clausewitz due to multiple examples of war tactics of today.
Reinstating the Military Draft If a draft seems quite inappropriate for other aspects of the military, then it is only logical for the same consideration to be made in terms of recruitment of soldiers.
Alexander the Great, Military Intellectual When Olympia was pregnant, the god’s are said to have communicated to her and the husband in a dream on the nature of the child to be born.
Uniform Code of Military Justice The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the corner stone of military law in the armed forces of the United States.
Military Leadership in the 21st Century The first challenge of any leadership is to feel the inevitability of tomorrow, meaning that one should be aware that one cannot lead forever and therefore, the delegation of authority should be a part of […]
What It Takes to Be a Military Commander To grasp the sheer amount of odds that one has to overcome to rise in the military hierarchy, it’s important to start at the beginning- the initial decision to join the military.
Iraq War and the Effects on the Military Family However, the effects of the wars have been felt by the nationals of the warring regions as well as the families of the troops fighting in the war.
Military Dictatorships in Latin America Prior to analyzing military regimes in Latin America and the causes of their emergence, it is of crucial importance to understand the concept of dictatorship, because, it has many forms, and can be interpreted from […]
U.S. Military in Iraq: Should They Just Leave? After the US defeated Iraq and succeeded in removing Sadaam Hussein from power, they continued to stay in the country in order to ensure that peace prevails in the country and ensure that innocent people […]
Private Military Companies’ Strategic Management This difference in terms of professionalism and reliability is one of the factors leading to differences in performance levels between the companies. In the case of Blackwater, they are not open to public scrutiny.
British Military Medicine in the 18th Century To trace the footpath of military medicine from the fourteenth century to the eighteenth century is akin to detailing the medical advancements that has accompanied military conquests from the early civilizations to the present post […]
Combating Access to Military Healthcare To change the situation, it is extremely needed to implement measures that would enable the service members and their families to gain access to healthcare in a Military health system.
Gender Politics: Military Sexual Slavery In this essay, it will be shown that military power and sexual slavery are interconnected, how the human rights of women are violated by the military, and how gender is related to a war crime.
Military Dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985) They studied records of interrogations of the government of Brazil so that they could be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the government in dealing with the issue of dictatorship.
NATO Organization Civilian & Military Structures Internal lettering is of the formal character, and is not always available for the reader, as it is of no interest for the inhabitant. It may be of scientific interest only for the researcher, and […]
Military “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy. Is It Legal? The aim of this policy is to allow homosexual men to serve the army in spite of their sexual orientation. Second, and related to the first advantage, the issue definition could allow Clinton to transcend […]
Military Substance Abuse Issue Analysis Military substance abuse, therefore, refers to the people working in the department of defense and in one way or the other are overindulging themselves in drug abuse or rather depending on a drug or chemical […]
Tupolev Military Aircraft: International Business Law It is proposed to take over the Tupolev Military Aircraft Production Unit from the Russian Government since it is not, presently, in a position, for financial reasons, to build military helicopters here.
Gender Barriers to Military Leadership In the battle to be a commander in chief of the world’s only superpower, Ms Clinton has been put onto the spotlight as a woman and as a leader and so therefore all the careers […]
Military Leadership: Qualities to Acquire To provide a broader perspective to military leadership and the lead role, and to provide a link between the key leadership functions of transforming, integrating, and mobilizing and the nature of work itself, a hierarchy […]
Military Conflicts at the Civil War With regard to the case of humanitarian assistance to the people of Somalia, it is important to consider the factor of the effectiveness of the measures taken in terms of their impact on the domestic […]
Total Military Experience Effects on Arrests in Prison Inmates The objective of the study is to find the relationship between service in the army and the number of arrests in veterans.
Military and Political Leadership According to Yeginsu, the “coolness and rhetorical skill” of the Kurdish politician Demirtas helped him become the primary opposition against the current leader of the country President Erdogan.
Sharp System and Its Misconception in US Military Due to the lack of efficacy of the current system and the resulting reluctance among women serving in the army to report about the threats of sexual harassment, the existing code of ethics and the […]
Powered Exoskeleton in Military & Space Industries The use of exoskeletons by the military will lead to a reduction in the need for heavy-lift machinery on the battlefield since the soldiers will be able to lift heavy objects with the help of […]
Sexual Orientation and Equal Rights in Military The issue of gay people in the army did not come to light as a problem that needed solving until 1992 when an army colonel was discharged from the army on the grounds of her […]
East Asian Military Before and After World Wars Kashima notes that the incarceration of Japanese citizens living in Hawaii by 1941 was the climax of an ongoing racial hostility, and the Pearl Harbor attacks simply catalyzed the process. The major theme of the […]
Challenges of Employing U.S. Military Power The analysis of the challenges will be based on the use of clear examples and historical facts from both conflicts to demonstrate the manifestations of all the explored weaknesses of the U.S.military force.
Why Must Political Power Have Primacy Over Military Power? In solving the issue of primacy between political power and military power over organizing counterinsurgency, the military’s connection and the supported political power is always a concern.
Military Justice Issues: People’s Rights and Freedoms According to the so-called declaration of the military men’s rights, that is, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, every single man in the army or the navy has certain inalienable rights and, certainly, responsibilities.
Open Homosexuals’ Effects on Military Morale Britton and Williams start by noting that when President Clinton announced his intention to lift the ban that restricted homosexuals from participating in the military service, a debate emerged in which the performance of lesbians […]
Domestic Violence Within the US Military In most of the recorded domestic violence cases, females are mostly the victims of the dispute while the males are the aggressors of the violence.
Can Terrorism Only Be Defeated by Military Means? Some have mentioned that it integrates the idea of political terrorism which comprises the use of violence by either a group or an individual with the sole intention of creating anxiety and fear towards a […]
African Union Military Force in Darfur Conflict The other criticism highlighted in the video is the use of a powerless African Union force to deal with the difficult conflict that faced the people of Darfur.
Treatments for Alcohol Abuse in the Military
Military Social Work: SA Scott Case
Military Social Worker and Posttraumatic Disorder
Military Social Work Services and Family Support
American Military Early Childhood Care System
Encouraging the Accommodation of the Military in Texas
Military Cyberspace as a New Technology
Ex-Military Socialization and Mental Treatment
Social Work in the Military Rehabilitation
Wide Area Network Acceleration for Military Field
Sexual Assault and Harassment in the U.S. Military
Military Social Work and Psychological Treatment
Psychological Trauma Care in Military Veterans
Leadership and Learning Organizations in the US Military
Military Operation Tomodachi: Communication Plan
Sexual Assault in the United States Military
Veteran Service Representatives for US Military
Military Social Worker’s Services for Family
Military Social Worker’s Services for Personnel
Military Families and Their Sacrifices
Alcohol Abuse for Military-Connected
Military Social Worker Intervention
Social Work in the Military: Psychological Issues
Military Trials: The Criminal Justice Procedures Violations
Military Law and One Team’s Concept
Long Deployment for Military Families
United States Military Challenges
Military Personnel Health Problems
Preventing Suicide in the Military and Veterans
Policemen of the World: U.S. Military Force
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Military Dictatorship
American Military Involvement in Haiti
The Ethics of Drone Use in Military Conflicts: A Kantian Perspective
The Ubiquity of Media and the U.S. Military Interests
Military Control of Students’ Demonstrations
The United States Military Spending
Virtual Reality in Military Health Care
Exoskeletons for Military and Healthcare: Marketing Plan
Soldiers’ Therapy in Military Mental Health Clinic
CNN’S Articles on North Korea’s Military Parade in 2015
Military Career: Human Resource Certification
Pakistan-United States Economic and Military Relations
Military Deployment Effects on Family Members
US Military Thinking and Concepts Development
Military Technology in the American Civil War
Native Americans, Colonial Militia, and US Military
US Militia System Evolution to US Military
Military Capacity of the US as a Young Nation
Technology in the US Military Capabilities Revival
Sexual Assault and How It Changed the Military
Learning From Crisis: Hospital and Military Examples
China’s “Military Exercises” Near Taiwan in 1996
Humanitarian Military Intervention Outcomes
The Battle of Sadr City as a Military Operation
Civilian and Military Tribunals Differences
Classical and Modern Military Strategists
The United States’ Military: Core Values’ Importance
Global Operations in Military Logistics Function
Military Logistics in Operation “Iraqi Freedom”
China’s Military Transformation and Its Regional Impact
Military Leadership: Great or Toxic
The United Arab Emirates Military
George Patton: General and Military Innovator
Military Strategy in the Afghan War
Military Affairs: Revolution and Development
Military Dictatorship Effects in Nigeria and Brazil
Military and Civilian Safety Management System
The War Finance Feature in Promoting Military Success
Policy in the Military
The Return of the Military Draft
Involvement of Psychologists in Military Interrogations
Leadership Development in the Military Context
“Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation” by Arthur Ferill
Mexican War: Diplomatic and Military Causes
System Engineering and the Positive Role It Has in the Military
Disaster and Emergency Management: The Use of Military During Disaster Response
The Military Sealift Command
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The US Military Experience in Films
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Mandatory Military Service in the United States
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The Lack of Child Care Facilities in the Military Communities
How Racial Discourses Subtend Military Projects
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How Military and Civil Courts Address Sexual Assault and Rape in the Military
Military Master Resilience Training Verses Positive Psychology
The Government Policy on Military Expansion
Kosovo 1999: Hacking the Military
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Military Equipments and the Technology of China in Early Modern World
Military Funeral Honors in the US Navy
Steps by the Local and Military Officials to Prevent the Spread of Avian Flu in Okiwan
Planning for and Implementation of Information Technology in Civilian and Military Organizations
United States Military as an Institution
The Evolution of US Military Logistical Procurement
How the Constitution Applies to Being a Military Leader/Officer
The Military Style Practices in Small Business Management
Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military Personnel
Gay in the Military
Safety in the Military Workplace
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Does Military Spending Impede Income Inequality?
What Is the Psychological Impact of Military Service?
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Can Military Force Promote Humanitarian Values?
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Does the Military Train Men to Be Violent Criminals?
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World War 2 Essay Topics
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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.

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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________. (2017a). The Third Quadrennial Quality of Life Review . (No 17-C-0436). Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/QQLR2017.pdf .

________. (2017b). Annual Report to the Congressional Defense Committees on the Department of Defense Policy and Plans for Military Family Readiness, Fiscal Year 2016 . Washington, DC.

________. (2017c). 2017 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community . Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2017-demographics-report.pdf .

________. (2017d). The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) . DoD Instruction 1315.19. Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/131519p.pdf .

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________. (2019). Military Service by Transgender Persons and Persons With Gender Dysphoria. Directive-type memorandum (DTM) 19-004. Retrieved from https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dtm/DTM-19-004.pdf?ver=2019-03-13-103259-670 .

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________. (2017). Military Personnel: Improvements Needed in the Management of Enlistees’ Medical Early Separation and Enlistment Information . Washington, DC.

________. (2018a). Military Readiness: Clear Policy and Reliable Data Would Help DoD Better Manage Service Members’ Time Away from Home . Washington, DC.

________. (2018b). Military Personnel: DoD Should Improve Its Oversight of the Exceptional Family Member Program . Washington, DC.

________. (2018c). Military Personnel: DoD Needs to Improve Funding Process for Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs . Washington, DC.

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Van Donge, N., Schvey, N. A., Roberts, T. A., Klein, D. A., (2019). Transgender dependent adolescents in the U.S. military health care system: Demographics, treatments sought, and health care service utilization. Military Medicine, 184 (5-6), e447-e454.

Werber, L., Schaefer, A. G., Osilla, K. C., Wilke, E., Wong, A., Breslau, J., and Kitchens, K. E. (2013). Support for the 21st-Century Reserve Force: Insights on Facilitating Successful Reintegration for Citizen Warriors and Their Families . Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

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Wilmoth, J. M., London, A. S., and Parker, W. M. (2011). Sex differences in the relationship between military service status and functional limitations and disabilities. Population Research and Policy Review, 30 , 333–354.

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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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100+ Military Essay Topics

The military, with its history, disciplines, strategies, and controversial issues, has always been a fascinating subject for both scholars and ordinary citizens. It’s no wonder that many students, whether they have military experience or are merely curious about the topic, choose to write essays about it.

Table of Contents

What is a Military Essay?

A military essay is a piece of writing that delves into topics related to the armed forces, defense strategies, historical battles, military ethics, the role of the military in national and international politics, and more. These essays can be analytical, argumentative, historical, or even personal, reflecting on one’s own experiences in the military. The objective of such an essay is to shed light on specific issues or to present a balanced argument about a controversial military topic.

A Quick Guide on How to Choose a Military Essay Topic

Selecting the right topic is crucial for any essay, and when it comes to military subjects, the stakes are even higher. Here’s a quick guide:

Interest is Key: Choose a topic that genuinely interests you. Your enthusiasm will reflect in your writing.
Relevance Matters: Ensure that the topic is relevant to the current socio-political climate or has historical significance.
Research is Crucial: Before settling on a topic, do preliminary research to ensure there’s enough material available.
Seek Diversity: Don’t just stick to the mainstream topics. Explore lesser-known events, strategies, or personal narratives.

Military Essay Topics to Consider:

Historical analysis.

The impact of World War II on modern military strategies.
The evolution of naval warfare: From wooden ships to nuclear submarines.
How the Cold War shaped military alliances and strategies.

Ethics and Morality

The moral implications of using drones in warfare.
Child soldiers: Understanding the tragedy and solutions.
The balance between national security and personal freedom in times of war.

Modern Warfare and Strategies

Cybersecurity and the new age of digital warfare.
The role of artificial intelligence in modern military tactics.
Understanding the military-industrial complex in the 21st century.

Role in Society

Women in the military: Breaking barriers and challenges faced.
How veterans reintegrate into civilian life and the challenges they encounter.
The impact of compulsory military service on societal structures.

International Relations and Politics

The role of NATO in today’s geopolitical landscape.
The military strategies of emerging superpowers.
Evaluating the pros and cons of military interventions.

Equipment and Technology

The evolution and impact of stealth technology in aerial warfare.
The role of satellites in modern military intelligence.
Nuclear deterrence: More of a threat or a necessity?

Training and Discipline

Analyzing the rigorous training regimens of elite military units.
The importance of psychological preparation in military training.
The role of discipline in shaping a soldier’s life and career.

Personal Narratives

Personal experiences of soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The role of chaplains in providing spiritual support in warfare.
A day in the life of an army medic: Challenges and rewards.

Historical Perspectives

The transformation of military strategies from ancient to modern times.
The tactics and impact of guerrilla warfare throughout history.
Military lessons from the Vietnam War.
The influence of the Napoleonic Wars on contemporary warfare.
The Crusades: A military and religious expedition.

Current Affairs and Modern Challenges

The implications of North Korea’s military ambitions.
The changing face of terrorism and its impact on global military strategies.
The role of the U.S. military in global peacekeeping.
China’s military expansion in the South China Sea.
The future of warfare: Bio-weapons and other unconventional threats.

Technology and Innovation

The challenges and benefits of integrating robotics into the battlefield.
The evolution of military communication systems.
The potential and ethics of genetically modified soldiers.
How military tech influences civilian technology.
The impact of space exploration on military aspirations.

Ethics, Morals, and Laws of War

Torture in war: An in-depth ethical analysis.
The use of chemical weapons: History and repercussions.
The Geneva Conventions and their modern relevance.
The thin line between soldiers and war criminals.
Are there ever justifiable reasons for breaking the rules of war?

Societal Impacts and Military Influence

The economic consequences of maintaining a large standing army.
Propaganda and its role in military recruitment.
How the military influences fashion and popular culture.
The psychological impact of war on soldiers and civilians.
Veterans and PTSD: The silent battle after war.

Training, Leadership, and Military Culture

The physical and mental challenges of Navy SEAL training.
The influence of ancient Spartan culture on modern military training.
Leadership lessons from military generals.
The concept of honor and valor in the military.
The importance of camaraderie and brotherhood in military units.

Military Intelligence and Espionage

The history and evolution of military codes and code breaking.
Espionage during the Cold War: The silent heroes and villains.
How technology is changing the face of military intelligence.
Counterintelligence: Protecting secrets in a digital age.
The challenges and successes of the CIA and MI6.

Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion

The history of women’s roles in the military.
Addressing LGBTQ+ rights within the armed forces.
Challenges faced by minority groups in the military.
The benefits of a diverse and inclusive military force.
Gender roles and stereotypes in the military.

Military in Literature and Media

The portrayal of war in classic literature.
War movies: How Hollywood shapes our view of conflict.
The role of war correspondents and their influence on public opinion.
Military-themed video games: Edutainment or glorification of violence?
The accuracy of military portrayals in popular TV shows.

International Policies and Alliances

The history and future of NATO in global politics.
Military neutrality: The case of Switzerland.
The pros and cons of global disarmament treaties.
The challenges of peacekeeping missions: A UN perspective.
The role of the military in post-colonial African states.

Military Medical Practices

Battlefield medicine: Evolution and advancements.
The ethical dilemmas of triage in wartime.
The development and importance of military nursing.
Psychological support systems for soldiers in combat zones.
Combatting epidemics in military camps: Historical and modern perspectives.

Strategic Defense and Military Installations

The architecture and design of historical fortresses.
The importance of military bases in foreign territories.
Underground bunkers and their strategic significance.
The role and evolution of aircraft carriers in naval warfare.
Missile defense systems: Balancing offense and defense.

Military Traditions and Rituals

The history and significance of military parades.
Taps and the Last Post: Understanding military funerals.
The tradition of military tattoos and their meanings.
Rites of passage in different military cultures.
Military awards and decorations: More than just medals.

Reserve and Paramilitary Forces

The role of National Guard units in domestic emergencies.
Comparing regular armies with reserve forces: Training, roles, and challenges.
The significance and operations of the Coast Guard.
Paramilitary forces and their impact on national security.
Militias and their influence on geopolitical stability.

Military in Environmental Contexts

Desert warfare: Challenges and strategies.
The intricacies of jungle warfare and its historical significance.
Arctic and mountain warfare: Overcoming nature’s harshest challenges.
The environmental impact of military activities.
Adapting military strategies for urban vs. rural combat scenarios.

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Useful References:

U.S. Military History – An in-depth resource on the history of the U.S. Army.
International Review of the Red Cross – A journal covering humanitarian law, policy, and action.
RAND Corporation – Provides research and analysis on defense and security topics.
Military Times – Offers up-to-date news and analysis on military issues.

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Essay writers reflect on life as military children

Published May 11, 2010
By Kimberly L. Wright
Air University Public Affairs

Military life Essays

Importance of my life in the military.

Joining the military was the best self investment that I have ever made. Before I joined the United States Army, I was an average day citizen. I use to work a twelve hour shift, four times per week job. At Walmart Distribution Center. Even though the pay was average, I took pride into every aspect of my job, but at the end of every work day, I would leave feeling unfulfilled and without purpose. I decided to join the military in hope to find direction in my life. Life in the military has changed

Personal Narrative: My Life In The Military

physically and mentally. Some of the changes I underwent were positive, and others were rather uncouth. Some effects of being in the military were abrupt, and others occurred gradually over time. It seemed like every time I looked around the Navy was reshaping some aspect of my life. Life in the military has had multiple effects on me. One effect the military has had on me was that it gave me a greater appreciation for family. I enlisted

Personal Narrative: How Military Simulation Affected My Life

How Military Simulation Affected My Life April 13, 2013, the day is finally here, and I had no clue the MAKO Advanced Combat Center (MACC) would change my life for the better. The MACC is a decommissioned NIKE missile base known as KC10L, now a airsoft field and Law Enforcement training area in Lawson, Missouri. The MACC is close to forty acres, and consists of many oldlooking buildings surrounded by a chain link fence with an old security checkpoint at the gate. The buildings were made of brick

Snowball A Monologue For Animal Farm

As I watched everyone look up to Snowball and Napoleon, I realized that I wasn’t sure what was going to happen after tonight. It’s a sure thing that we were going to rebel after the way Mr. and Mrs. Jones were treating us but I didn’t understand what we would get out of it. The ribbons that were given to me were all very pretty and special but I don’t see why it’s not right to wear them. As Snowball said, the ribbons were a symbolism of slavery. All us animals were used and neglected by the Jone’s

Personal Narrative: Life After The Military

Act One, Scene 2, Life After the Military I am relieved to know waiting on going to college was right decision. I appreciate the teaching methods that my professors have shown me since I began my studies. Hard work along with the instruction from the teachers has proved to me that South University is the college that will afford me the opportunities that a higher learning degree can offer. There is more to college than studying and making desirable grades, it also requires work ethic, experience

Personal Narrative: My Military Life

and commotion of cadet life. Though neither of my parents had any military background, I was one of ten children – yes, ten children. I grew up in Beaver, Pennsylvania – a beautiful, small town in the outskirts of Pittsburgh and situated on the banks of the Beaver and Ohio rivers. It was a very practical location for my parents to raise such a large family. There was ample space for housing and property in a location well removed from the overwhelming turbulence of the city life. However, the city was

Narrative Essay About Military Life

In the middle of southern Afghanistan, in the Kandahar province, on a small combat outpost sits a combat-hardened infantryman; he has been fighting the Taliban for hours on end, all summer long. The days were long, and the fighting was some of the fiercest that Afghanistan had seen in many years. We were in the heart of the Taliban, surrounded by opium poppy fields and grape rows as far as the eye could see. Some might say that simply being there would be the greatest struggle they would ever face

Personal Narrative: My Life As A Military Brat

My life as a military brat has not always been easy. In the last 19 years, I have moved five different times and dealt with my father deploying for months at a time. Moving is hard on military families because of having to meet new people, figuring out where to go to school, etc. Every military child is unique in their own way, whether it 's because of the different experiences he or she has attained from moving, the different cultures/languages, or even meeting new people. This would not be

David Bornstein's Bonds That Combat The Isolation Of Military Life

David Bornstein promotes The Blue Star Families support group in his editorial titled, “Bonds That Combat the Isolation of Military Life.” In it Bornstein reveals the hardships which military families face and highlights the ways Blue Star helps these families. Bornstein begins with a testimony from one of the many military mothers that the organization has helped, Amanda Yeram. Yeram joined the marines when she was 17, following her boyfriend’s enlistment. Eventually, Yeram left after marrying

Robert E. Lee's Early Life And Military Career

Northern Virginia, and his strategic leadership and military tactics were crucial to the Confederacy’s early success in the war. This report will explore Lee’s life, military career, and his impact on the Civil War. Early Life and Military Career Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the youngest son of Revolutionary War hero Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee and was raised in a family of distinguished military and political leaders. Lee graduated second in

Why Should Military Service Be Mandatory

count 1822 Should military service be mandatory? For my thesis I have chosen a topic of mandatory military service for all citizens, since I find it as a very important subject because there are many aspects to discuss. It is a topic that brings a lot of controversy and divides people opinion in half. Should the military service be mandatory or not? This issue has always been of great importance to discuss. Let us turn first to the definition of military service. According to Longman

Air Force Family Narrative

the oath to serve our great country. Military families come from all walks of life, joining together to be your new family away from home. I quickly ascertained a special bond that exists in the military family. Missed birthdays, ball games, performances and graduations are the reality of the military mobile life that I live. The military family understands the importance of plugging in immediately and having someone to watch your back. I serve in my military family because I comprehend the importance

Pros And Cons Of Military Families

1) Stress military families experience that are uncommon to civilian population. This emotional cycle of deployment begins when news of deployment released to the military family. It starts with a short period of all kind of strong emotions, such as fear and anger. As departure grows closer, a period of detachment and withdrawal may occur. This can happen to prepare for the person being physically gone. Military families often deal with a lot of stresses that are uncommon to most civilian population

American Military Self Analysis

I was ambivalent when I learned about their role in helping Jewish people in the camps because this act threatened my assumptions about the individuals in the military and the overall military. I became more questioning of my assumptions as I learned more about the military as a branch but still held on to the assumption of the military as helping the government maintain American power. As one could see above, I do not value violence as a tool to maintain superiority over other people. From a young

Summary Of Walter Dean Myers 'Fallen Angels'

The military is often considered a place where people are able to escape persecution based on their gender or their race but the reality is that the environment forces both men and women to have to act differently. Walter Dean Myers, author of Fallen Angels, depicts the military environment during the Vietnam War and how it affected male gender roles. Ashley Nicolas, author of, “Women in military are hurt by the bigotry of low expectations”, explains how women are also affected by military expectations

Women In Military

been an ongoing debate within politics and media since more military functions opened up for women. It has been said that women are not physically able to defend their country the way men can. Others argue that with new technical advancements the military do not have to relay solely on physical strength and that therefore women are just as qualified as men. While most western cultures strive for gender equality within society, the military is lagging behind. In order to understand why this is the case

Essay On Military Families

Challenges Impacting Military Families The following information is meant to be a general overview of the challenges impacting military families, and as is true concerning the individual service member, it is also held true for military families: each is unique. It is of the utmost importance to keep this fact in mind over any generalizations made. The challenges and stressors impacting military families are numerous yet this research endeavor is limited. This brief review will begin with an

Military Protests In The Military

handle it one of two ways. They can either take it how it is, or they can look for a way out. In the military there are very few ways out. The military suicide rates are rising already, we do not need to force young men in the military. The government should not mandate military service because it will make the young adults more violent, will lead to protests throughout the nation, and the military is just not meant for everyone. Over the 60’s and the 70’s, crime rose dramatically (Rohlfs,

Servicemen's Readjustment Act Essay

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act Tanner Irwin Northwest Christian High School English III Ms. Sharpnack February 27, 2022 Abstract This essay will discuss the background, social issues, biblical view, and positive effects about the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act. Before the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act there were hardly any benefits rewarding veterans for their service. Also, at the end of World War II there would be millions of homeless veterans unless something helped to stop the tragedy.

Military Service Research Paper

Although many people may be against two years of military for the young, I am all in for military service for the young for freedom, to help others and yourself, and strength. If we do not serve the military while we are young, we will not get nowhere in life. First, we should have to have military services at a young age for two years for freedom. Some may think we have all the freedom we need in our “free country”, but you can not just say you want something big and expect to have it, you have

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The Difficult Transition from Military to Civilian Life

Military service is difficult, demanding and dangerous. But returning to civilian life also poses challenges for the men and women who have served in the armed forces, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 1,853 veterans. While more than seven-in-ten veterans (72%) report they had an easy time readjusting to civilian life, 27% say re-entry was difficult for them—a proportion that swells to 44% among veterans who served in the ten years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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 contrast, veterans who say they had an emotionally traumatic experience while serving or had suffered a serious service-related injury were significantly more likely to report problems with re-entry, when other factors are held constant.

The lingering consequences of a psychological trauma are particularly striking: The probabilities of an easy re-entry drop from 82% for those who did not experience a traumatic event to 56% for those who did, a 26 percentage point decline and the largest change—positive or negative—recorded in this study. 2

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.

At the same time, higher levels of religious belief, as measured by frequent attendance at religious services, dramatically increases the odds that a post-9/11 veteran will have an easier time readjusting to civilian life. According to the analysis, a recent veteran who attends religious services at least once a week has a 67 percent chance of having an easy re-entry experience. Among post-9/11 veterans who never attend services, the probability drops to 43%. 3 Among veterans of other eras, current attendance at religious services is not correlated with ease of re-entry. 4

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.

Among the 18 variables tested, veterans who experienced emotional or physical trauma while serving are at the greatest risk of having difficulties readjusting to civilian life. According to the analysis, having an emotionally distressing experience reduces the chances that a veteran would have a relatively easy re-entry by 26 percentage points compared with a veteran who did not have an emotionally distressing experience. Similarly, suffering a serious injury while serving reduces the probability of an easy re-entry by 19 percentage points, from 77% to 58%.

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%.

At first glance, this finding seems counterintuitive. Shouldn’t a spouse be a source of comfort and support for a discharged veteran? Other studies of the general population have shown that marriage is associated with a number of benefits, including better health and higher overall satisfaction with life. 6

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.

The model predicts that commissioned officers are 10 percentage points more likely than enlisted personnel to experience few if any difficulties readjusting to life at home (85% vs. 74%), 7 when all other factors are held constant. Veterans who say they clearly understood their missions while serving also were more likely than those who did not to have an easier re-entry (77% vs. 67%). 8

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

Among the larger factors influencing the re-entry experience of post-9/11 veterans is religious faith, as measured by how often a recent veteran attends religious services. Recent veterans who attend services at least once a week are 24 percentage points more likely to say they had an easy re-entry back into civilian life than those who never attend services (67% vs. 43%). This finding is consistent with other studies of the general population that suggest religious belief is correlated with a number of positive outcomes, including better physical and emotional health, and happier and more satisfying personal relationships. 9

The impact of religious observance vanishes if the sample is based only on those who completed their service before Sept. 11, 2001. In fact, there is barely a one percentage point difference in the probability of an easy re-entry between older veterans who currently attend religious services and those who never do.

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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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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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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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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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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Military members can struggle with guilt when service duties impact their families, says UGA study

When one family member is stressed, the whole family may feel it. And this stress can boil over into their work life, including military service.

According to a new study from the University of Georgia, when service members struggle to cope with the personal and family demands of military life, they feel more guilt about their work and perceive their work does not enrich their family life.

“Service members give a lot to the career of being in the military,” said lead author Meredith Farnsworth, a 2022 doctoral graduate from UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences . “It’s about understanding how we take care of service members and their families in the best way through policy and programming.”

The researchers analyzed data from more than 200 military families made up of a service member father, civilian mother and adolescent child between the ages of 11 and 18. All three family members were surveyed about stress levels and relationship dynamics. Service members indicated how guilty they felt about their work impacting family life as well as how their work enriched their family.

“Family members are interdependent, and their stress can be contagious from one another,” said Catherine O’Neal, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “But it’s also true that each individual sees things differently. Some family members experience more or less stress, and that has implications for managing work and family life.”

Work-related guilt was highest among fathers who say they and their family have challenges coping with the demands of military service. In contrast, when fathers reported they and their family coped well with military stress, they perceived their military service enriched their family’s life (for instance, seeing the benefits of military service for their children).

“Research tends to take a deficit approach. For instance, focusing on what leads to workers feeling guilty about how their work impacts their family. It’s important for research to also take a strength-based approach, in identifying factors connected to family life being enriched because of work,” O’Neal said.

The researchers also found that when adolescents reported a more positive relationship with their service member father, the father generally reported lower levels of family enrichment from their work. One potential explanation, Farnsworth said, is that adolescents with good parental relationships open up about stress and concerns. That open flow of communication can make parents more aware of difficulties, leading to lower perceptions of work-family enrichment.

“In close relationships with high levels of warmth and less hostility, parents may hear more about their adolescents’ struggles with things that are hard, including military life,” Farnsworth said. “So service member parents might be less likely to say, ‘Oh, look at all the good things happening at home because of my work.’”

While all jobs and industries come with their own stressors, O’Neal said it’s important to understand the unique role of military service.

“Military is not just the workplace,” O’Neal said. “It represents a lifestyle with its own culture, especially for active duty service members.”

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The concept of work-life stress appears differently in military families, given the potential deployments and separations, as well as concerns for individual health and safety. Military service creates demands, such as relocation or the absence of a partner or parent, for all family members. But studies like this one can uncover new ways to support families through stressors.

“The more we can figure out specifically what’s going on and the ways military service creates guilt and family enrichment, the better positioned we are to create more effective and efficient policies to help families,” Farnsworth said.

This could involve workplace flexibility, centering families in support programs, and catching potential stressors early. But by taking these steps, it’s possible to improve overall job satisfaction and retention in the military, Farnsworth said.

Published by Military Psychology, the study was funded by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Civilian Life vs. Military Life Essay

Being in the Army has huge differences compared to being in the civilian life. There are many differences and there are some things that are the same, being in the Army and being in civilian life. The average day for a US Army Soldier consists of waking up at 0400 hours in the morning being to first formation; accountability formation by 0630 hours. Then from 0630 to 0730 hours a Soldier will do Physical Readiness training (PRT), wear as the average wake up time for a civilian would be around 0630 to 0700 hours. The Soldier will wake up, do PRT eat breakfast and go to first work call formation by 0900. The average civilian would wake up, eat breakfast, and go to work. The average Soldier would have already done a lot of things that a …show more content…

It is from an unknown author but I would like to share it with you. I think that it sums up military life vs. civilian life. Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end. You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water. You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward. You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt. You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags. You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again. You don't feel like helping out your dad today, so you don't. He does what he is told. You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists. You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow. You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He does not get to eat today. Your maid makes your bed and washes your

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Every morning a soldier makes their bed, conducts PT, and puts on their uniform. While making a bed is a small task to accomplish, it is an important one, a well-made bed looks neat, organized, and clean; very much the way a soldier is pictured by the vast majority of the public. Doing PT every day takes dedication, strength, and self-discipline to accomplish the task; everything that a soldier must possess to be successful. Looking and being physically fit is often overlooked, however it’s an important part of soldiering; SMA Daily once said in an interview with Army Times Feb 18, 2015, "It might not be the most important thing you do that day, but it is the most important thing you do every day. Because a soldier who's physically fit will look and feel like a soldier, and if you look and feel like a soldier, you'll act like a soldier.” Along with physical fitness comes the proper wear of the uniform; a proper uniform must be clean, have tapes properly aligned, and fit properly. The first thing that people notice about a soldier is their uniform, not the person, if a uniform looks poorly, so will the rest of the Army in that individuals eyes. If worn properly the uniform represents professionalism and discipline to the highest of

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In the United States, soldiers are currently returning home from war broken and scarred. While some physical wounds are clearly visible others are often hidden/invisible to the naked eye, but men and women proudly wear these wounds as a badge of courage and honor for protecting our nation. These men and women come home rightfully expecting help, assistance and care and get hit with the reality of poor care from the Veteran Health Administration and Department of Defense.

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The Life and Legacy of Medieval Knights: Valor Duty and Chivalry

This essay about medieval knights explores their significant role in the military social and cultural life of the Middle Ages. It discusses the rigorous training process from page to squire to knight highlighting their responsibilities as soldiers landowners and members of the feudal system. The essay also examines the chivalric code which emphasized virtues such as bravery and honor and how it influenced knightly behavior and literature. Additionally it covers the knights’ participation in combat including tournaments and the Crusades and notes the decline of knights due to advances in military technology and changes in the feudal system. The enduring legacy of knights in modern culture is also addressed.

How it works

Medieval knights hold a special spot in history embodying bravery duty and chivalry. These armored warriors were key to the Middle Ages’ military and social scene shaping Western civilization deeply.

To become a knight was a tough journey starting in childhood. Boys from noble families began as pages learning skills and manners while serving a lord. As teens they became squires diving into intense military training—riding horses wielding swords and mastering jousting. Alongside knights in battle they learned the ropes until finally dubbed knights themselves taking on duties and honors in grand ceremonies.

Knights weren’t just fighters; they were landowners in Europe’s feudal system. For their service they received fiefs—lands they governed and protected. This created a bond with lords and the peasants who worked their lands. Knights managed estates upheld justice and shielded their people keeping medieval society stable and structured.

Chivalry a knight’s enduring legacy was a code of honor—bravery integrity and respect for women and the weak. It shaped knightly conduct influencing ideals seen in legends like King Arthur and epic tales. These stories weren’t just tales but moral compasses that guided society.

Battle defined a knight’s life legendary in combat. Clad in armor up to 60 pounds heavy they fought on horseback and foot wielding swords lances and more. Armor protected but demanded strength and stamina. Knights dueled battled armies and showcased skills in tournaments—events mixing prowess with social bonding.

The Crusades marked a pivotal time for knights. These religious wars aimed to reclaim the Holy Land rallying knights from across Europe driven by faith adventure and dreams of wealth. Crusades were harsh yet they spread knowledge and culture leaving a mark on European history.

As time passed knights faced change. Advancements like the longbow and gunpowder made heavy cavalry less effective. Standing armies replaced feudal knights. By the late Middle Ages knights shifted from warriors to noble elites their era transforming.

Still medieval knights live on in tales movies and culture today. Chivalry’s values endure the knight symbolizing courage and honor. Though their reality was complex knights shaped history profoundly. They blend martial skill noble duty and chivalrous ideals—a unique chapter in humanity’s journey.

Remember this essay is a springboard. For more help and to meet academic standards consider reaching out to EduBirdie pros—they’ve got your back.

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

OPPORTUNITIES OR CHALLENGES?

THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY FAMILY LIFE: YESTERDAY VERSUS TODAY

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PAY AND BENEFITS

Financial Stress and Food Insecurity

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Education and Training

Activities, Facilities, and Discounts

GEOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT AND RELOCATION

Relocation: PCS Moves

PCS Moves and Children

PCS Moves and Family Financial Well-Being

TRAINING, SEA DUTY, AND DEPLOYMENTS

Deployments

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE SERVICE

Mobilizations as Disruptions to Service Member and Spouse Employment

Changes to Pay, Benefits, Programs and Services

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Variability Across and Within Groups

Servicewomen in the Military

LGBT Status

Race and Ethnicity

Families in the Exceptional Family Member Program

TRANSITION OUT OF MILITARY SERVICE

CONCLUSIONS

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Ethics and Morality

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Current Affairs and Modern Challenges