U.S. Military Affairs. The Trauma Men and Women Face when Their Spouse Has an Affair Overseas - Research Paper Example

 U.S. Military Affairs: The Trauma Men and Women Face when their spouse has an affair overseas. The United States Armed forces have played a remarkable role in defending the country’s borders against external attacks. Their role, however, has not been limited to the borders of the country. The United States has often used military forces abroad in situations of military conflict, potential conflict to protect the U.S citizens or to promote U.S interests in those countries. The U.S military is currently deployed in over 150 countries around the globe, with over 160,000 active-duty personnel and an extra 70,000 used in various contingency operations(Timothy, Dave and Laurie, 2010). The deployment of these officers comes in with a number of challenges especially to their spouses and children. This paper seeks to analyze the impact overseas military deployment has on wives and their children, and recommend preventive measures based on statistics from the Afghanistan and Iraq combat missions. The U.S began combat operations in Afghanistan in October, 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the war often referred as the Operation Enduring Freedom.The war in Iraq began in March, 2003 and is often referred as the Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than 2 million U.S military troops were deployed during these two operations. These operations have been uniquely characterized by deployments that are often repeated and extended. The impact of this trend on the servicemen and their family members is often extensive. The average length of deployment was 12-15 months, with the mean number of deployments being 2.2(American Psychological Association, 2007) Hosek, Kavangh and Miller (2006) argue that the stressors service members face during deployment may influence the experience of family members both during and after their return home. The service members experience several pressures, challenges, and obstacles. These include long working hours, strenuous training sessions, lack of privacy, extreme working environments, uncertainty, exposure to danger, separation from family and friends and so forth. The servicemen also experience intense trauma such as witnessing death of colleagues, explosions, exposure to decomposing bodies, blast injuries and so on. Additionally, the service members who do not partake in active deployment experience stress as a result of increased workload and responsibilities (Tanielian&Jaycox, 2008). Attitudes and stressors experiences related to deployment may impact service members’ decision to remain in the military. Those with positive experiences are more likely to stay in the mission while those with unpleasant experiences may feel weak and emotionally burdened by the service and opt to resign (Hoge, Castro, McGurk, Cotting and Koffman, 2004) Some combat members may return home with physical injuries, others with dilapidating psychological or cognitive injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorders, traumatic brain injury, and depression. Karney, Ramchand, Chan, Calderone-Barnes and Burns, 2007 links these mental injuries to increased substance use disorders, increased risk of mortality and difficulty in maintaining relationships with spouses, children, and friends. Pincus(2007) developed a framework titled,“The Emotional Cycle of Deployment” that analyzed the phases and transitions that military families undergo as a result of the deployment process. The model was developed through professional and personal experiences of military psychiatrists and personnel and is often used in the determination of effective intervention strategies. The model is divided into five phases that correspond to the military deployment cycle; beginning with the pre-deployment and ending with the post-deployment. The Pre-deployment phase is characterized by a notification of pending deployment and ends when the service member departs. Often, families have little warning on the deployment and the deployment in most times extends beyond the initial stated period. According to this model, the pre-deployment phase brings forth heightened anticipation of loss and denial from the family members that the person will eventually leave. The service member is subjected to long training hours in addition to setting the family affairs in order. They experience stress buildup that may stimulate increased arguments between the service member and the spouse. The Children may also feel the effects of the stress and increased tension and may throw tantrums, act out or demonstrate aggressive behavior. When the individual is deployed, the family experiences mixed emotions of anger, sadness, loneliness, relief, grief and so on. The spouse may also have difficulty in sleeping. The sustainment phase is the stage between the second month of deployment and until the service member returns. In this period, the family adjusts to the absence of the service member and develops new routines and ways of living. The family may begin to feel less overwhelmed and in control of the situation. Communication between the service member and the spouse may be difficult at this stage due to unreliability and limitations of long-distance communication. Children during this phase react differently based on their stage of development. For example, infants may refuse to eat or become moody. Toddlers may throw tantrums, cry, exhibit sadness or mimic the adult reactions to the deployment. Preschoolers may display aggressiveness, regressive behavior, irritation, and numerous complaints. School age children may complain of body aches, display aggression, and whine. Lastly, teenagers often isolate themselves, show anger, fight, rebel and may engage in risky behaviors. The redeployment stage is the period a month prior to the return of the service member. The family is anxious at this point and may develop mixed emotions ranging from excitement to apprehension in anticipation of the return of the family member. When the service member returns and starts reintegrating, there may be stress as a result of the necessary adjustments and change in routines. Infants may become unfamiliar with the returned parent and may cry when held. Toddlers may also be hesitant to be affectionate with the parent while preschoolers may feel angry or scared. Teenagers may isolate themselves, and school-age children may crave for attention from the parent. The nature of experiences of the families in this model, however, differs through the cycle depending on a number of factors. The factors include; length of deployment, culture, gender, number of deployments, the sex of the children, employment status of the spouse, and the demographic background of the family. Rohall et al.,(1999) point out that military personnel who are frequently deployed experience difficulties in adjusting to the family setting and managing home routines as compared to those who experience fewer deployments. The longer the parent is absent, the greater the risks of family dysfunction and the risks increase when the parent is the mother. They further assert that soldiers in the higher ranks are better able to adjust regardless of the duration and number of deployments. The families also tend to be more affected when the deployed family member is of the female gender as opposed to the male. The MCFP demographics report (2005) indicates that more than half of the U.S military at the time were married. There were at least 1.85 million children with either one or both parents in the military under active deployment or as reserves. Research studies on service members and spouses indicate that deployment had an impact on the marital relationship and the well-being of the spouse. Rauschnann et al. (1989) carried out a study on deployed Air Force pilots. The pilots with marital problems attributed it to lack of constant communication and the separation that comes with deployment. A study of the United States Army spouses prior to the Afghanistan mission found that deployment was more predictive of poorer psychological and physical wellbeing than the concerns about frequent relocation, death or injury. There are conflicting literature findings on the well-being of children and adolescents from military families, and the impact deployment has on these families. Lagrone (1978) found out that the incidence of behavioral disorders was higher in a sample of children and adolescents seen at a military health clinic compared to that observed in the general public. The researcher suggested that the army lifestyle contributed to the mental disorders in children born to military families. Further research studies however challenged these claims. Jensen et al.,(1995) in their research work conducted diagnostic interviews with military families.They found out that children in military families have similar, if not better, mental health outcomes as compared to their civilian counterparts. A 2010 study reported an 11% increase in outpatient visits for behavioral issues among a group of 3 to 8-year-old children in military families. An increase of 18% in behavioral disorders and 19% in stress disorders when a parent was deployed. The stress disorders result from the compounding effects of deployments, financial stress with regards to housing and home ownership, incarcerations, substance abuse and so forth. A reduction in these adverse effects requires a significant psychological plan that includes better data collection, reducing stigma-related barriers and stronger involvement of the chain of command The proportion of service members who were killed or wounded in the Iraqi and Afghanistan war was lower than those recorded in past conflicts. 5, 286 U.S troops died, and a number slightly higher than 36,000 were injured as of 2009 (Department of Defense, 2009).The decreased number of fatalities was attributed to enhanced body armor provided to service members and improved emergency and improved emergency medical care response in the war zones. However, more service members survived only to return home with severe combat-related injuries that required additional care. An estimated 10-20% of the Army and Marine Corps in the Operation Iraqi Freedom sustained mild traumatic brain injuries due to frequent blasts in the war zone. Hoge, Auchterlonie and Milliken (2006) carried a research on 303,905 soldiers and marines. They found out that19.1% of the troops that returned from Iraq and 11.3% of those that returned from Afghanistan reported mental health problems. This was in comparison to 8.5% of those that returned from other areas of deployment. Service members who experienced repeated deployments experienced severe mental problems that ranged from depression, anxiety and high levels of stress as compared to those who were deployed only once The Iraq and Afghanistan combat missions recorded an increase in suicide cases among the soldiers that served since the start of the conflict. In 2003, the suicide rate estimation was at 10-13% per 100,000 troops compared to13.5% per 100,000 civilians 20-44 years old and 20.6% per 20.6 civilian men 20-34 years old.(Allen et al.,2005).The Department of the Army (2009) indicated that 18-29-year-old male veterans had a suicide rate of 45% per 100,000 civilians in 2005 compared with 20.4 % of men within the same age group. Problems related to substance abuse in the Iraq and Afghanistan combat mission members, particularly alcohol were reported. Stahre et al.,(2009) carried out research that found at that 43% of the active-service component members were binge drinkers. The military personnel also showed an addiction to prescription drugs. The service members also face several non-health related issues. Gaps in pay and benefits have resulted in debt and other hardships. Some servicemen have been pursued the repayment of military debt. These include unpaid expenses for damaged or lost military equipment, travel advances, medical services, and insurance premiums and so on. They have also been prevented from receiving loans (GAO,2006).The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans(2009) reports that veterans are more likely to become homeless because of lack of skills that are readily transferable to the civilian sector. The Iraq and Afghanistan missions recorded the highest number of returning troops with mental health problems and traumatic brain injuries. These conditions predisposed many of them to homelessness. Service men who return home from deployment with physical injuries and cognitive deficits often experience marital conflicts. Depression, post-traumatic disorders, and traumatic brain injuries adversely affect personal relationships and pose a higher risk of divorce (Davila Karney, Hall and Bradbury, 2003).There was a recorded increase in number of divorces in military families since the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan combat missions. Cotton (2009) in his report indicated that in 2008, 8.5% of the marriages ended in divorce compared to 5.7% in 2000 in women. The rate of domestic violence is higher in military families than in their civilian counterparts. The rate of violence significantly increased in families where a member had been deployed for more than six months. The U.S Department of Labor (2012) in its report indicated that 21.6 living Americans have served in the armed forces. Fewer than one million of these military veteran populations serve in the labor market. The rate of employment in the veteran population is lower compared to their civilian peers. Employment in the veteran population poses an essential bridge to transition to civilian life and is a suitable agent of socialization. Work provides opportunities that uncertainty and culture change that is associated with this transition. Employment not only serves as a source of economic stability for the transition period, but also serves as a purpose for creating social support structure. This is important to both the veteran and the society as a whole. Research shows that gainful and meaning employment results to enhanced physical and psychological well-being. Unfortunately, military members have often found it difficult to secure gainful and meaningful employment after leaving the service. Stigmas related to mental health issues have often been generalized to the veteran community. This trend has played a role in the unemployment situation among the veterans (Artazcoz, Benach, Borell and Cortes, 2004). The increasing number of returning army personnel with unmet health care contribute to a variety of factors that are a barrier to employment. These include mental health problems, depression and stress that often need to be addressed prior to the veterans seeking employment. The media has often portrayed veterans to be suffering from Post-traumatic disorders; this has negatively impacted employer willingness to consider veteran employees. There are several barriers that hinder the deliverance of optimal help to the military families. There has been inadequate research on the evaluation of interventions that aim to support spouses of the servicemen and their families during deployment and reintegration. Much of the research has concentrated in the misconceptions of military families.There is inadequate research that is focused on the strengths of military families and interventions that capitalize on those strengths is available. The stigma that the public often associates with receiving mental health care has also prevented affected individuals in military families from seeking help. In May 2010, the president of the United States directed the National Security Staff to develop a framework that will ensure a coordinated federal government approach to supporting military families. The federal government sought to achieve this aim by harnessing resources and expertise in improving the quality of military family life and creating awareness in the community in helping support military families. This move would ensure that the U.S military recruits and retains the highest number of volunteers in its national defense and security. The service members have strong family lives while serving in the force, and civilian family members could live fulfilling lives while supporting service members and their families. The Department of Veteran Affairs set up a multi-year integrated mental health strategy that aims at promoting early recognition of mental health conditions among the military families. The strategy seeks to deliver effective, evidence-based treatments and implement and expand preventive services for active duty service members, reserve members, veterans and their families. The department also partners with other stakeholders in conducting workshops for the states and leveraging resources in mental health grants and substance abuse prevention and treatment. The partnership also helps in the development of strategic plans that strengthen behavioral health care systems for the returning service members. The Department of Defense works at improving the military health care system and enhancing the availability of mental health providers. It aims at increasing the quality of care available to the service members and their families. The department has further implemented free, confidential and convenient counseling options that encourage self-initiated treatment and improvement of the military quality of life (Department of Defense, 2007). The HHS, Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs have partnered in setting up mechanisms that enhance financial readiness through ensuring military members, and their families are not subjected to unfair financial practices. They seek to eliminate homelessness by promoting housing security among veterans and their families. The partnership will also ensure excellence in military children’s development and in their education through improving their education experience. The spouses of the service men also benefit from this partnership as they will be given opportunities to develop their careers and enhance their education (Whittaker, 2006). Social workers can help in addressing the challenges faced by the military families in a number of ways. They can provide support for projects that seek to mobilize community organizations on behalf of the families. They can do so by engaging community leaders in public functions in order to create action plans that will build support for the veterans and their families. The social workers can also help by raising awareness among schools and healthcare personnel. This can be done by supporting programs that train school teaching staff and nurses on the challenges children from military families face as a result of parent or sibling deployment. In addition, there is the need to reduce the number of servicemen relocations and increase the length of time between relocations. This move will help in reducing the negative effects that are associated with redeployment and will make the military families more intact (Lyne, 2006). There is also need for all involved stakeholders in the army family affairs to embrace positive psychology as opposed to the negative side. Positive psychology will help the individuals have more fulfilling and normal lives despite facing challenges. In conclusion, it is evident that there is the need for enduring efforts in addressing needs and developing long-term sustainable programs that will meet the challenges that are faced by the military families. The amount of research conducted on the deployed personnel and their families has not been significant. Much of what we know about the challenges faced by this community has been based on cohort studies. The government should fund more research work that will present more accurate data and conclusions about the health and social problems experienced by the military families. Services that seek to address the health and social needs of the military personnel and their families need to be continually evaluated. This will determine their impact and effectiveness in producing better outcomes to the community. References Allen, J. 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