The Emotional Cycle of Deployment

The peacekeeping missions in Bosnia provided a growing body of experience regarding the impact of extended deployment on Military Families; and since the end of the gulf war, Military Families have also experienced the emotional trauma of deployment on an unprecedented scale. Humanitarian missions and peace enforcement have sent our troops to Somalia, Cuba, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Military downsizing has increased the likelihood that each Soldier will eventually participate on an extended mission. The impact of these long separations is of increasing concern, with 60% of Soldiers now married and deployments being longer and often with shorter turn-around times. Different coping strategies are needed through the seven stages of deployment. Education of health care providers, military leaders, Soldiers and Family members to anticipate these stages is crucial to ensure the Soldier's safe return and to minimize familial trauma. Active-duty male Soldiers are more likely to be married than female Soldiers, but for those females who are married, nearly 4 out of every 10 are married to a member of the Armed Forces. There are approximately 255,000 married military personnel, 20,000 of which are joint military couples. With peace enforcement missions to Bosnia now entering a fifth year, there is a growing body of experience regarding the impact of extended deployment on military Families. In this paper, the emotional cycle of deployment experienced by Family members at home is discussed in detail. In order to provide a common frame of reference; this cycle is divided into five distinct stages closely correspond to the Soldier's experience of deployment: pre-deployment, deployment, sustainment, re-deployment and post-deployment.