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Paper on the effects of deployment on military families
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Many of the Airmen in the United States Air Force face challenges and hardships at work every day. Currently longer deployments are an unnecessary hardship that has been added to the list. That is what I am here to discuss with you today. As the wars overseas have slowed down in the past few years the Air Force has seen the length of its deployments extended. No longer is the average Airman deploying for four months but instead they're seeing six month rotations. I believe standard four-month deployments are better for the Air Force than six months because longer deployments can precipitate family problems, boost the risk of mental health issues, and produce lower retention rates.
Family life is a major part of the military and ensuring members have a healthy life back at home leads to them performing better down range. Studies shows that deployments have a negative effect on both divorce rate and the mental health of service member’s children. According to a study that
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Despite efforts to keep people from separating such as giving out re-enlistment bonuses to select career fields or allowing people to select new jobs in the Air Force people are still getting out due to long deployments. A study by the National Defense Research Institute shows that service members with 12 or more months deployed in a 36-month period were less likely to stay in than someone with less than 12 months’ time deployed (Giglio, n.d.). At the current rate of six month deployments it will only take a measly two deployments to push someone to that limit. With post deployment retention rates being so low because of the length people are deploying it only makes sense to shorten them to four months. Our veterans that have deployed tend to be our most knowledgeable members in their respected career fields and it is a devastating loss every time one
Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (U.S.) United States. Department of the Air Force, (2012a) Change management (LM06), Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL: Department of the Air Force
After more than ten years of persistent counterinsurgency (COIN) conflict and multiple simultaneous responses to several natural disasters, the United States Army is at a crossroads regarding professional education for its officers and enlisted force. Considering overseas contingency operations in Iraq are due to conclude in December 2011 and by 2014 for Afghanistan, it is plausible that strategic planners are considering the future make-up of what will constitute the Total Army Force to include new educational criteria for what could be a smaller force than was needed for present day operations. While this may be “peace dividend” speculation, there is precedence for the Army to reevaluate its force structure and personal qualification requirements after every major conflict over the last century. . Even though defense budget reductions should redoubt army equipment priorities, training deferrals because of persistent contingency operations have inhibited enlisted professional development despite that counterinsurgency operations require refocused soldiers training to improve their sense of situational understanding and application of observable operational ethics through conceptual enlisted leadership evaluation efforts.
This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.
As America heads into a new year, we find our government tightening its purse strings and cracking down on excessive spending, with an emphasis on the US military. According to author Brad Plumer, a reporter at the Washington Post, “U.S. defense spending is expected to have risen in 2012, to about $729 billion, and then is set to fall in 2013 to $716 billion, as spending caps start kicking in.” Pared with a more drastic 350 billion dollar cute going into effect over the next ten years, the military finds itself cutting what cost the most to maintain and support troops (Fact Sheet par. 2). In recent years the military has bolstered an overwhelming 1,468,364 troops (Active Duty). These numbers are to be cut substantially; the biggest cut is to be seen in the Army. The Army must deal with a reduction of 80,000 troops, cutting its force of 570,000 troops to nearly 140,000.Subsequently, the budget cuts, which have led to a reduction of troops in the military, has driven the military to turn to advanced weapons technology that requires less people to m...
When we picture the United States Military we regard men and women in uniform fighting for our country. However, what we do not picture is the hidden problems. Stress of the job, members returning home from war, and combat create an increased stress level that can result in abusing substances and cause behavioral problems. The military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members safety.
Throughout the years of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have seen the media coverage of newly deployed soldiers and returning the faces of children and spouses left at home heartbreaking meeting and happy when returning soldiers. Many military parents have experienced multiple deployments and expanded over the last decade, but only recently has attention turned to the effects on children whose parents are deployed. Recent studies indicate that children of military families with a deployed parent is under stress, causing an increase in visits to pediatric care for anxiety, behavioral disorders and other mental health problems (Chandra, Lara-Cinisomo, Jaycox, et al, 2010;. Chandra, Martin Hawkins, and Richardson, 2010; Chartrand, Frank, white, and Shope, 2008, Flake, Davis, Johnson & Middleton, 2009; Gorman, Eide, and Hist-Gorman, 2010 ).
In these days and times of continuous military and terrorist conflict, military soldiers should be required to participate in pre and post deployment health assessments. That brings me to the question, “Why is pre and post deployment health assessments needed?” The revelant of pre and post deployment health assessments will test our soldiers to see if they have any mental issues. Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult. Some are manageable, some are not. Many times, we can successfully deal with them on our own. In some instances, matters get worse and one problem can trigger other more serious issues. At such times, it is wise to check things out and see what is really happening. That introduces the purpose of these totally anonymous and voluntary mental health testing self-assessments. The testing questions are designed so you can review your situation with regard to some of the more common mental health issues including, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, alcohol problems and more. The screening will not provide a diagnosis – for that you need to see a professional. But, it will tell you whether or not you have symptoms that are consistent with a condition or concern that would benefit from further evaluation or treatment. It will also give you guidance as to where you might seek assistance. We are affected by this because we could lose our love ones if we don’t know what kind of mental issues they have.
The very first hardship experienced is basic training, although basic training varies across all military branches they all serve the same purpose. Every year more than 180,000 people enlist in the armed (unknown 2014). That is about 180,000 people who had to leave loved ones behind and completely start a new life that may or may not include the ones that they love. Along with leaving loved ones behind there is also the challenge of completing basic training. Once the smoke has settled and all training is complete one can officially call themselves a solider, sailor, marine, or airmen which will officially make the member eligible for deployment operations. Some deployments may be easier than others but there is no doubt that deployments can definitely become a military hardship which can cause negative impact on a service members life. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most commonly reported psychological outcomes following deployment (Wright, Breanna K., et al. 2013). A military deployment can have a major negative impact on service member’s lives. Deployments can take a toll on a service members personal and professional life which could lead to issues such as depression. The military can have a major negative impact on service member’s lives, however if one remains resilient the fruits of their labor will become
Fritz, Gregory K. "Let's Consider the Mental Health Impact on the Children of War Veterans." Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter 26.11 (2010): 8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Jan. 2014
...They have studied members of 4 US combat infantry units 3 Army units and a Marine Corps unit using an anonymous survey that was administered to the subjects either before their deployment to Iraq or 3 to 4 months after their return from combat duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The outcomes included major depression, generalized anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD, which were evaluated on the basis of standardized self-administered screening instruments. But studies showed that they people that where deployed to iraq was dealing with the mental weaknesses much more than troops deployed anywhere else.
The children in military families face daily challenges because of deployment to war. Some do not understand why their parent has to leave, how long they will be gone or where they are going. The effects of deployment on children differ from the age they are. For example, an infant is going to act completely different than a teenager. Depending on the child they may feel unsecure because their comfort level has changed once their parent, guardian or older brother or sister has left. These people may be the only people around their house that they can trust. There is many different factors in how your child will react during the deployment process. You have to mentally and physically prepare your child for deployment, you must know how they are going to react, in order to watch out for them to keep them secure. Not only you have to prepare yourself and your child for deployment but you also need to prepare for them to come home and the challenges you may face as a family. Parents should support and watch their children of every age through every aspect of deployment, even when the family member is coming home, help them feel secure in their home, and help them talk though the emotions they face throughout the process of deployment.
Every year, newly graduated young adults struggle with the idea of what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Many chose to go to college, some chose to go straight to work, and some will join the military. For those who join the military, they have several diverse reasons on why they chose to join, with attaining the benefits for their college education and on the job training being among the top two reasons (Wang 398). With this in mind, it is important for all service members to be aware of what those benefits are and how it will impact their higher learning. Along with these educational benefits, there are also other areas in which the military makes certain service members are prepared to take on the daunting task of going to college;
Military kids are the ones that have it the hardest, they didn’t chose this lifestyle that they were brought into. Surprisingly, most of the time they are rather resilient. Military families are faces with numerous challenges and opportunities that help them develop diverse strengths
e. The military can be a positive experience for most men but for the majority of women, it is a bad thing not only on the women’s trust of fellow humans but it can kill her health in a short period.