Transitions within the Military and Their Impact on Family

Service members and their families go through multiple transitions throughout the service members’ career. Transitions such as being gone for training (week to months), noncombat/combat deployments, permanent change in station (PCS), and expiration term of service (ETS)/medical board. These transitions can be stressful experiences for many service members and their families as it can bring emotional challenges, loss of supports, and difficulties with re-integration into the family system.

While there are many challenges that come with a military lifestyle, emotional challenges can be overwhelming at times. Military life can often be fast paced for service members, and at times, the service member can be away from the home conducting training, going to schools, or deploying to noncombat/combat zones.  Each family member can experience different emotional challenges during times the service member is away. Significant others adjust and take on more responsibility while going through the difficult emotions of their loved one being gone. In combat deployment situations, the uncertainty of outcomes can weigh heavy on their mind.  Service members face the emotional challenges of being away from home, trying to be supportive/struggling to help make important decisions from afar, experiencing trauma, and the potential of feeling different when they return home. Younger children can become confused as they may not understand why their loved one is not home and have difficulty with interactions when the service member returns. Adolescent children may already be dealing with natural emotional changes via puberty, in addition may take on more responsibility themselves, while trying to navigate the loss of support from the other parent.

Loss of support comes in many ways for military families. One way is by having to PCS to a different duty station. Service members develop bonds within their company, significant others create connection with other significant others, and children develop support with other children within their school system. When a service member PCSs, and the family moves to another duty station, each member goes through emotional challenges with the physical loss of support. Significant others may struggle to find support at the new duty location, and children may struggle transitioning to a new school system and making new friends. While old supports can still be reached via electronic communication, there is a level of emotional disconnect that can occur until new bonds are created.

Re-integrating back into the family system can be difficult for many service members. Military service members often leave home for training exercises. Sometimes this can be a week or two in the field at the installation, traveling to other states or countries to conduct training, or combat deployments. While the service member is gone the family structure often changes along with the absence of the service member. In a family system each person has a specific role, which are “the division of  responsibilities and tasks within a family” (Carpenter and Mulligan 2010). While service members leave for different reasons, the roles within the family can change, also called role reversal. The spouse begins to take on both roles of parenting, or older child may feel the need to step up and take on the role of the other parent. Re-integration into the family system can be difficult as the service member returns and attempts to resume their role within the family. Significant others have an established routine and may not want to change the routine. Older children may still be taking on the role of the other parent which can cause conflict within the family system. Service members who ETS often find it more difficult to re-integrate into the family system and civilian life. According to Bond et. al, “approximately 200,000 men and women separate from the US military each year. In some surveys, over 60% of post 9/11 veterans have reported difficulty adjusting to civilian life, compared to 25% of veterans from earlier eras” (paragraph 1). Some of the difficulties in transitioning to civilian life come in the way of loss of support, a shared sense of purpose, or loss of identity/purpose.

Each transition has its own unique challenges. Here at the Steven A Cohen Military and Family Clinic we provide support for service members going through transitions, significant others, and their children to help them navigate these challenges. We provide care through evidence-based practices which help provide psychoeducational and teach skills to help clients navigate rough transitions on their own. We have programs specific for children, adolescents, individual, couples, and families. While navigating these transitions can be difficult you are not alone, and we are here to provide additional support around navigating emotional challenges, loss of supports, and re-integration within the family system.