Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Killed in combat: The impact of the military context on the grief process.
Journal Name
Military Behavioral Health
Journal Volume
2
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
14-17
DOI
10.1080/21635781.2013.831724
Summary
Individuals grieve the death of a loved one due to military combat differently; however, social support and healthy coping are likely important to the grief process. A couple whose son died in combat with the Army Reserves was interviewed three times after their son's death about their grief processes (e.g., coping, support, stressors). Social support, honoring and remembering their son, and being able to grieve in their own ways seemed to aide these parents through the grieving process.
Key Findings
Both parents reported strong support from their community and their son's military unit, which shared stories and memories, provided care packages, and donated to memorials.
The father reported coping by building a memorial, public speaking about commitment, and honoring his commitments; he did not cope through anger or other's emotional support.
The mother reported coping through remembering her son, often with home videos or pictures, and experiencing her emotions; she did not report coping through anger
The parents reported the homecoming of their son's unit as their largest stressor.
Implications for Program Leaders
Coordinate groups of military families that provide both emotional and instrumental support on an ongoing basis to families dealing with the death of a Service member
Offer support groups for military families coping with the death of their Service member
Provide practical assistance for military families who have lost a Service member in planning funeral arrangements, managing financial changes, and finding mental health resources
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend education for all mental health professionals working with military families about the unique aspects of coping with the combat-related death of a Service member
Continue to support the provision of meaningful military rituals at the funerals and burials of Service members who died in combat
Encourage existing programs for grieving military families to incorporate ways for families to find meaning and memorialize their Service member
Methods
This case study collected semi-structured interview data from a couple whose son died during a deployment from an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion.
Both parents were interviewed about their grieving processes three times, at seven months, 12 months, and 15 months after their son's death.
Interview statements were transcribed and coded into categories (i.e., coping, stressors, support), and a second coder assisted in ensuring accuracy.
Participants
Participants were the mother and father of a deceased, male Army Reserves member.
The parents were in their mid-fifties, and both had finished college and were employed full-time; they had three children, two adult daughters and their deceased son.
The son had enlisted in the Army Reserves at 18 years of age and died at 21 years of age.
Neither parent had served in the military or had any previous experience with deployment.
Limitations
The parents may have reported their grief in the most socially desirable ways, introducing bias.
Researchers may also have introduced bias by coding and reporting grief in ways that were socially desirable, favorable to the military or the family, or supportive of their views on grief.
The single-case study design limits generalizability to other grieving family members and precludes making causal inferences about the effects of losing a loved one from military combat.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct a large, longitudinal study that examines the coping strategies used by parents, spouses, children, and other family members of deceased Service members dealing with grief
Compare well-being among family members of deceased Service members who do or do not decide to include military rituals in the Service member's funeral and burial
Investigate the effect of family members' ability to find meaning in their Service member's death on their well-being and coping strategies
Focus
Army
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The purpose of this longitudinal case study was to describe the grief process within a military context of two parents who lost a son in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The couple was interviewed three times during the year following the death of their son. The military context played a large role in postloss adjustment for the parents in terms of helping them find meaning in the loss as well as providing a source of support.
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