This paper investigates the relationship between military deployments and stress levels among service members and their families. Using a Likert scale survey of 20 participants at an Air Force base (8 adult males, 8 adult females, 4 children ages 12–17), the research measures the impact of deployment on marital conflict, child academic performance, and emotional well-being. The study presents statistical evidence of elevated divorce rates following deployments and examines post-deployment challenges including substance misuse, anger management, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, the paper explores these issues in international contexts, including the British military experience, to demonstrate the global significance of deployment-related family stress.
Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Human performance and optimization rely solely on the ability to reduce stress while increasing productivity. Is your career as a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman causing undue stress in your life? Does this stress affect not only your well-being but the well-being of your family too?
The following paper provides statistical data on divorce rates before and after deployment at select military installations to determine how much of a factor deployments are. This research provides insight into the emotional hardships families endure and their long-term effects, as well as explores why some families can overcome separation while others cannot. The research includes a sample analysis using a Likert scale of approximately 20 individuals located on an Air Force base: 8 adult males, 8 adult females, 2 boys ages 12–17, and 2 girls ages 12–16. The paper addresses divorce rates following deployments and the impact of deployment stress on the British military.
Military members and their families face everyday struggles like any other family. However, there is one particular issue that affects military families that does not affect anyone else: deployments. The frequency and length of deployments vary depending on the branch of service. Air Force tour lengths are four to six months, Navy and Marine Corps six to seven months, and Army twelve to eighteen months (Gomulka, 2006). These long periods of separation definitely take their toll on the service member, but what about his or her family at home?
The Army allows members deployed for one year or longer to take two weeks of leave to travel home because military leadership understands that mental well-being is a huge factor in soldier effectiveness. However, the Army does not shorten tour lengths because of budget constraints, even when doing so might reduce risks to soldiers and their families.
To address this issue, a Likert scale review was chosen as the best method to measure the effects of deployment on child development and divorce rates following deployments versus regular divorce rates. The Likert scale allows determination of the relative intensity of different items (Babbie, p. 179). Response options for all questions were Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, or Strongly Agree. Strongly Disagree held a point value of 1, while Strongly Agree held a point value of 5.
The survey for adults addressed the following questions:
1. Since returning from your deployment, you've had serious conflicts with your spouse or family member (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
2. You feel unappreciated upon returning from deployment (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
3. Because of the conflicts with your spouse, you feel an outside agency should get involved (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
4. Your deployment strained your marriage (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
The survey for children addressed these questions:
1. Your grades in school went down during your parent(s) deployment (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
2. Your grades improved upon your parent(s) return from deployment (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
3. You were depressed or saddened during your parent(s) deployment (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
4. You were happy when your parents got back (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
Many problems arise when a military member is deployed. The first is the emotional state of the family left behind (Pivar & Whealin, 2007). A period of sadness, loneliness, and tension begins at the time of departure and can last several weeks or longer, putting the family into a depressed state. Depression can lead to health-related issues such as high blood pressure, tachycardia, loss of sleep and appetite, and a range of other mental and performance issues. It may be days or weeks before the deployed member can contact his or her family to let them know they arrived safely. If the family has difficulty communicating with one another, such problems worsen during times of stress and add strain to the family (Pivar & Whealin, 2007).
The previously mentioned questionnaire was provided to 8 adult males, 8 adult females, 2 female children ages 12 and 15, and 2 male children ages 15 and 17.
On the adult questionnaire, for question one—since returning from your deployment you've had serious conflicts with your spouse or family member—the average score was 3.38 for males and 3.63 for females. For question two, regarding feeling unappreciated upon returning from deployment, the average score was 4.13 for males and 3.88 for females. For question three, regarding whether conflicts with a spouse should involve an outside agency, the average score was 3.63 for both males and females. For question four, regarding whether deployment strained the marriage, the average score was 4.43 for males and 4.75 for females.
On the children's questionnaire, for question one regarding whether grades went down following parent(s) deployment, the average score was 2.5 for girls and 4.5 for boys. For questions two through four, the average score was 5 for both boys and girls. The children reported that their grades improved upon their parent(s) return from deployment, they were saddened while their parent(s) were away, and they were happy upon reunion.
Based on the high rankings, it is safe to assume that deployments affect not only the spouse but the children as well. By using the interview and questionnaire technique, the study provides both reliable and valid data. Reliability is defined as the quality of a measurement method that suggests the same data would be collected in repeated observations of the same phenomenon (Babbie, 2010). Validity is defined as a term describing a measure that accurately reflects the concept it is intended to measure. Based on the research provided and the results achieved, both reliability and validity are apparent.
Even though classes and counseling sessions are available for soldiers upon return, there is not always a happy ending. Unfortunately, sometimes families are unable to resolve their stress and issues, leading to separation or divorce. In 2001, USA Today conducted a study on divorce rates following deployments at three Army bases and found that divorce rates surged from 37 percent to 56 percent when those troops deployed (Peterson, 2001). Why are those divorce rates so high? Is it because the family simply cannot thrive together anymore, or are there other external factors?
According to Stars and Stripes, Army researchers found that alcohol misuse rose in deployed members from 13 percent to 21 percent one year after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In other post-deployment surveys, anger and aggression issues increased from 11 percent to 22 percent after a deployment. Rep. Lane Evans, D-Illinois, believes that the military health care system is not fully prepared to deal with troops with post-traumatic stress disorder (Shane, 2005). These studies provide relevant data but are significantly outdated. Since the drawdown in the Middle East, troops are returning home, and studies need to capture the latest trends on stress for troops with multiple deployments.
Some subject matter experts argue that if there were a better reconstitution period and stress awareness seminars, divorce rates would decrease. However, others argue that if deployments were shorter—perhaps two months instead of an entire year—the health-related risks might decrease drastically. Needless to say, more studies and research are needed to find better solutions to issues that deployed military members and their families face. Soldiers need to be at peak performance, and with multiple deployments and combat-related injuries combined with family stress, combat effectiveness is slowly being reduced.
The effects of deployment stress are not limited culturally to just the United States military but also affect international armed forces. Using worldwide data enables readers to understand the significance of the stress issue across the globe. As British soldiers return home from war, their families have noticed a change in the deployed member's attitude. To help these soldiers, the British Ministry of Defence has provided military families with leaflets and presentations about the symptoms of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Many soldiers have become withdrawn, erratic, or depressed over the horrors of combat.
One documented case involves a Lance Corporal in the British Army who was sent to Iraq's front line in 2003. When he returned home, both his mother and sister noticed he was behaving strangely. They sought help from the Army but were constantly given the cold shoulder. Even when they reported that he was sleeping in the garden and suffering horrifying flashbacks of murder, the military initially did not respond adequately. He then started guarding his house obsessively, and to ensure it was fully protected, he stole firearms from his barracks. Upon a tip, military police raided his house, and he was sentenced to seven years in prison. His mother and sister felt betrayed by the military because they sought help and the military was unwilling to provide it. His family felt that although he served his country, his country turned its back on him. His mother and sister now both suffer from depression because they understand that his actions were not entirely his fault—he was suffering from post-traumatic stress and was not able to get the help he needed. In response to the rise of reported cases of PTSD in the British Army, the Ministry of Defence has taken these cases more seriously and is trying to ensure they keep both family and soldier well-being in mind.
The pure stress endured by a military member is unequivocal compared to the civilian sector, but the added stress from military deployments can put undue strain on a member. Research clearly outlines the human performance issues facing returning military personnel. The stress caused by time away from families increases both physical and mental injury. We must continue to research both the short-term and long-term effects of stress in military members and their families. In order to optimize troop performance, we must research the root causes of stress issues.
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