Guard and Reserve Spouse Separation during the Persian Gulf War: Coming to Terms With Uncertainty

During the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), more than 228,000 National Guard and reserve members were recalled to active duty. Little information exists about the effect of wartime military separation among the civilian spouses of guard and reserve personnel. This grounded theory study describes the effect of the Persian Gulf War separation on 14 guard and reserve spouses. Data were generated from in-depth interviews and were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three patterns of coming to terms with the separation emerged from analysis of the intensive interviews: (a) settling in immediately, (b) struggling followed by settling in, and (c) struggling without relief. Each pattern is associated with different patterns of social support that affect the relationship between uncertainty and adjustment. These findings provide important information for nurses who work with spouses who can anticipate this type of separation.