1. Contemporary Issues in American Military Families
David Coats and Matt Brugh

2. Objectives
Students will learn how family relationships are effected by one or more family members being in the armed forces.

3. Deployment Cycle The deployment cycle is divided into four phases:
Pre-deployment- the week before a service member is shipped out of the country
Deployment- when a service member is sent out of the United States to operate in a foreign country
Post-deployment- when a service member is sent home, reunites with his or her family and friends, and prepares to reintegrate back into normal life
Reintegration- the process by which service members return to regular duties after deployment

4. The Pre-deployment Phase
Service members go through regular training and perform normal duties
Family life is pretty normal, as the service member travels between home and work every day just like with a civilian job.
Within a week of deployment, the service member and the rest of the unit will receive a mobilization alert. This means they should start to prepare to be shipped out.

5. The Deployment Phase
Begins when service members and their units are moved from their home instillation to their designated theater of operations (any location overseas that military service members are sent to)
Can cause stress and anxiety within the family due to the service member being separated from the rest of the family
During the duration of deployment, the service member is stationed to perform duties overseas or in another location in the United States that is not the home instillation.

6. The Post-deployment Phase
Begins when service members return home from deployment and are reunited with their friends and family.
Families prepare for their loved one’s return and are excited to see them again
Upon returning to their home installation, service members prepare to be reintegrated back into normal life and regular duties with briefings, training, medical evaluations, counseling, etc.

7. The Reintegration Phase
The service member is conditioned to be brought back into normal family life, the community, and regular military duties
Use similar briefings and counseling to help service members get reconfigured to life at home.
Families may experience some stress during this phase as everyone readjusts to living together again.

8. Suicide Sadly, not all service members readjust to life at home.
In 2013, an average of 18.7 per 100,000 service members committed suicide after returning home from a deployment.

9. A psychologist’s explanation on the impact of deployment on both the parents and children of the family

10. Interview with soldier Sean Peterson participating in Pathways program
Interview with soldier Sean Peterson participating in Pathways program. Peterson tells his internal homecoming story.

11. Bibliography
"Deployment: An Overview." Military.com. Military.com, n.d. Web. 03 Mar
James, Trenton, and Jacqueline Countryman. "Psychiatric Effects of Military Deployment on Children and Families: The Use of Play Therapy for Assessment and Treatment." Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. Matrix Medical Communications, 9 Feb Web. 03 Mar
Kine, Patricia. "DoD: Military Suicide Rate Declining." MilitaryTimes. Military Times, 16 Jan Web. 03 Mar