Shadowed by War: Building Community Capacity to Support Military Families

The context of military service has changed greatly since the events of 9/11. The forward deployment of service members to active war zones, which involves the issues of separation, time away from home, and eventual reunion, increases the vulnerability of their families to multiple, negative short-term and long-term effects. This article explores these issues and suggests a new approach to building support systems to support these military families. To this end, a capacity-building framework is introduced, and 4 diverse and innovative social action programs consistent with this approach are highlighted. Implications for implementing the community capacity-building model are presented.