I have been a clinical psychologist for almost 20 years. Nine of those years were as an active duty Air Force (AF) psychologist. Additionally, I have been a military spouse for almost 14 years, with three of those years overlapping with my active duty service. Both roles have their own rewards as well as their own challenges. And (as you can imagine) when you combine the two, things can get a little interesting.
Blended families and military connected families both come with unique challenges. Combine the two and the challenges can be multiplied. When relationships end and children are involved, developing a co-parenting relationship can be challenging. Focusing on the best needs of the children can be difficult for some parents as the emotions and the hurt caused by the end of the relationship can take over.
Blue Star Families (BSF), widely known for initiatives to better understand and support military families, recently launched an extensive diversity effort, the BSF Racial Equity & Inclusion (REI) Initiative. This post provides a brief introduction to one of the BSF REI’s first products, a study of the experiences of service members, Veterans, and families of color. Links to access additional information about the study and the larger BSF REI Initiative are provided.
Take a moment and think about the ways you prepare for emergency situations in your personal life. Various activities might come to mind, like stocking up on essentials at the grocery store when a major storm is about to blow through your community. Perhaps you imagine gathering phone numbers and contact information for loved ones and providers that serve you or your family members, imagining a scenario in which hard news needs to be communicated or individuals found for support. Whatever the emergency that came to mind, it is likely that you thought of your readiness to respond; use of information, tangible resources, or products; and/or connection with others.
Are you a member of Division 19? Division 19 of the American Psychological Association is the Society for Military Psychology and is one of the original divisions of APA having been established in 1945 as a charter division. If you are a military psychologist or someone who works with service members, veterans or military families I highly encourage you to take a look at all that Division 19 does for military psychology and has to offer its members.