The Negative Effects Of Deployment

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Since 2001, more than 2 million American children have had a parent deployed at least once; according to one study. For as long as I can remember, my father, Robert, was a member of the Vermont Air National Guard; other than my father,my extended family was also heavily prevalent in the military as well; both of my father’s elder brothers were members of the marines and army, and my grandmother 's brother died fighting in Vietnam. Deployment wasn’t an easy occurrence for any single person in my family, and it showed in the form of anxiety, and even depression. My uncle was part of the Army, and he was deployed a fair amount as well, so, my cousins knew the hardships. However, since our father’s were part of the military, we were presented with …show more content…

Other than the inevitable worry for the soldiers safety that comes as a result of deployment, the emotional front that is expected is arguably the hardest aspect of deployment for the spouse, especially if there are children involved. In a study by American psychologist and the University of Michigan, if a parent shows obvious signs of stress and worry, than the child is more likely to suffer from a psychological disorder. Likewise, if a parent who is going through this with a child is cold and unresponsive, then the child will most likely have emotional and behavioral problems; if the parent is responsive and caring, the child will not. Either way, this makes it so the parent is forced to fill a role that requires an immense amount of pressure. The prosperity of the child therefore does not just depend on the individual, but the social structures and programs around them; this includes the community, school, and family. If there are strong support systems that can help the child thrive during stressful and emotional times such as deployment, than military children can use the time their loved ones are away to mature, learn, and flourish. This is why programs such as the camps that were mentioned above are in place; they give the military child a sanctuary to learn leadership skills, interact with others who are in similar situations, and ultimately find

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