I have been a clinical psychologist for almost 20 years. Nine of those years were as an active duty Air Force (AF) psychologist. Additionally, I have been a military spouse for almost 14 years, with three of those years overlapping with my active duty service. Both roles have their own rewards as well as their own challenges. And (as you can imagine) when you combine the two, things can get a little interesting.
Blended families and military connected families both come with unique challenges. Combine the two and the challenges can be multiplied. When relationships end and children are involved, developing a co-parenting relationship can be challenging. Focusing on the best needs of the children can be difficult for some parents as the emotions and the hurt caused by the end of the relationship can take over.
It’s hard for me to believe, but the winter holidays are fast approaching (it’s amazing how time flies!). While this is often thought of as a time of celebration, it can also be a stressful time of year for many military families. I was recently asked about resources for military families and holiday stress, and I thought this might make a good topic for a blog post.
Most Service members see deployments as short term intervals, usually interruptions, in their lives. Family, however, is usually viewed as a constant. Communicating with our families, friends, and loved ones while we are deployed is a critical concern for nearly every Service member. Many find it difficult to strike a balance between trying to manage personal and family relationships and remaining focused on the mission and the needs of fellow Service members while deployed. Below is an abbreviated look at how deployment communication has changed over my career, ways my family and I have tried to adapt, and a look at future deployment communication challenges.
We know that military families are resilient. They are faced with many stressors that non-military families do not face (deployments, multiple Permanent Change of Stations (PCS), and repeated school transitions for children). Many military families navigate these stressors with minimal difficulty. While military families can navigate these challenges, there are things we as a civilian communities should do to support them. Thinking outside of the box can provide the opportunity to support military-connected families in our communities.