Turning Points and Trajectories in Military Deployment

Previous military family research has assumed a stable set of deployment phases. In line with critiques of such models within family communication, we identified the varied turning points and trajectories military spouses experience across deployment. We interviewed 50 Army and Army National Guard wives whose husbands served in missions to Iraq and Afghanistan. Participants graphed turning points and corresponding marital satisfaction levels across a recent deployment. Participants reported 519 turning points that fell into four supraordinate categories: Deployment/Military-Related Events, Life Events, Communication Events, and Other. Trajectories within each deployment phase reflected five patterns: Turbulent, Increasing, Decreasing, Stabilized, and Dipped. Most participants' trajectories reflected turbulence during the predeployment and deployment phases, and declining or dipped satisfaction during the postdeployment period. Results reflect varied experiences and provide useful information for those experiencing wartime separations or those supporting military families through deployment.