The Military Family

Today, there are more military family members than there are total uniformed service members. Sixty percent of the military are married, including more than eighty percent of all career-status personnel, and many have small children. They come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and they represent a wide variety of family types, including single parents, dual career military couples, and families with eldercare responsibilities. In an effort to cut costs, many of the services utilized by military families are being privatized or outsourced to civilian service providers. This guide is designed to benefit anyone who provides services to these families, particularly those who may have little or no prior knowledge of the unique nature of military families and military family life.This book contains research-based information about the unique needs of military families across various duty-related conditions, as well as within the context of military career demands. Its multi-service focus addresses the provision of human services in both peace and wartime. Topics include military spouse employment, retirement issues, family support during deployments, the New Parent Support Program, and the experiences of adult children of military parents. The authors encourage an understanding of military community-based programs and services, and they offer the reader numerous resources for collaboration with the military community.

A primer for civilian human service providers who, due to outsourcing and privatization of many services, increasingly find themselves responsible for issues involving the care and support of members of the military and their families.

Foreword by Gary BowenIntroduction by James A. Martin, Leora N. Rosen, and Linette R. SparacioThe Culture and Conditions of Military Family LifeToday's Active Duty Military Family: The Evolving Challenges of Military Family Life by James A. Martin and Peggy McClureThe "Citizen-Soldier" and Reserve Component Families by Josephine G. Pryce, Dorothy Ogilvy-Lee, and David H. PryceThe Special Case of the Young Enlisted Family by David S. Wolpert et al.Coping with the Unique Demands of Military Family Life by Leora N. Rosen and Doris B. DurandThe Role of the Senior Army Wife by Doris B. DurandMilitary Spouse Employment: Challenges and Opportunities by Theresa Russo, Lea M. Dougherty, and James A. MartinMilitary Retirement and the Transition to Civilian Life by David S. WolpertSome Unique Aspects of Military Family LifeWartime Stress and Family Adaptation by Leora N. Rosen, Doris B. Durand, and James A. MartinProviding Family Support During Military Deployments by D. Bruce Bell and Walter R. SchummMarital Adjustment During Deployment by Leora N. Rosen and Doris B. DurandFamily Advocacy IssuesUnderstanding Spouse Abuse in Military Families by Stephen J. Brannen and Elwood R. Hamlin IIResponding to Child Maltreatment Involving Military Families by Albert L. BrewsterTransition into Parenthood for High-Risk Families: The New Parent Support Program by Martha Salas and Leasley BesetsnyChildren and Adolescents in the MilitaryYoung Children's Adaptation to a Military Lifestyle by Henry K. Watanabe and Peter S. JensenThe Strengths and Vulnerabilities of Adolescents in Military Families by Dorothy J. Jeffreys and Jeffrey D. LeitzelBeyond Adolescence: The Experiences of Adult Children of Military Parents by Morten G. EnderAfterword: The Changing Nature of Military Service and Family Life by James A. MartinIndex