Preparing for deployment involves more than checklists—it’s a deeply personal process that impacts both service members and their families. This blog shares a firsthand perspective on the challenges of balancing professional readiness with the emotional and practical realities at home. It offers insight into how support and preparation can ease this transition.
I have served on the Military Child and Family Collaboratory, here at the Center for Deployment Psychology for almost four years now. A part of that work has been the valuable insights that I have gained from, providers, policy makers, advocates and families at our bi-annual convening events. One common theme is that our military families are often described as resilient, even as military youth face unique circumstances and navigate settings and situations marked by constant change. Hearing this theme repeated led me to look more closely at how resilience is supported and defined within military families.
Military families are ready. Military children are resilient. These terms - “readiness” and “resilience” - are widely used as compliments, describing the strength, tenacity, and perseverance of military families to adapt and overcome the challenges of military life: family separations, frequent moves, and inherent dangers. And indeed, we celebrate the strength of these families. But how ready do families need to be? How resilient is enough?
Life as a military spouse is synonymous with frequent moves, starting over, and re-establishing connections. For a large portion of my married life, each PCS (Permanent Change of Station) and the initial social functions that followed brought with it a certain angst related to connecting- especially with other military spouses. Although I knew the intent was to meet, interact, and form connections, there tended to be an “elephant in the room” at each of these gatherings.
Military-connected children often demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience, thriving through many changes and transitions. However, they also belong to a population that experiences unique stressors such as frequent relocations, long separations from extended family, and having to adjust to new schools and environments repeatedly. While this lifestyle brings opportunities, such as exposure to diverse cultures and friendships around the world, it also may pose some challenges like disrupted routines, interrupted education, emotional strain, and family stress.