Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Romantic relationships following wartime deployment.
Journal Name
Journal of Family Issues
Journal Volume
34
Issue Number
11
Page Numbers
1427-1451
DOI
10.1177/0192513x12470799
Summary
U.S. Army Reservists and partners of U.S. Army Reservists were interviewed about their relationships after the Reservists returned from a year-long deployment in Iraq. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: intermittent idealized closeness, transition from independence to interdependence, transitions in primary sources of social support, and ongoing role renegotiation.
Key Findings
Intermittent idealized closeness (noting only the strengths and not the weaknesses of the relationship/partner) was evident immediately after return and soon gave way to more realistic views. However, for some couples who did not have positive interactions, this gave way to disengagement.
The transition from independence to interdependence appeared immediately upon return, but waned quickly for couples who had previously experienced deployment and remained a challenge for less experienced couples.
Participants faced multiple transitions in social support over the year.
Role renegotiation tended to arise after closeness and transitions were resolved and persisted for some time; these negotiations were more salient for men and appeared to be complicated or prolonged by external demands such as job transitions.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate military couples about the dynamic nature of reunion, some of the potential challenges of reunion, and strategies for coping with those challenges
Provide information to couples about both informal and formal support networks that may be useful during the reintegration phase
Continue to offer support groups for military families throughout the deployment cycle
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs for Reservists during reintegration and make available useful resources such as couples’ counseling and other support programs
Continue to support research exploring the effects of reunion on Service members and their partners
Encourage the training of professionals to better identify military families who are struggling following a deployment
Methods
Married or cohabitating Midwestern Reservists from a single unit who had been deployed to Iraq for more than a year and their cohabitating heterosexual partners were invited to participate.
Partners and Reservists were interviewed individually in person or via phone a maximum of seven times in the year following the Reservists’ return from deployment at approximately 2, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 52 weeks.
The semi-structured interviews focused on questions about relationships, stressors, coping mechanisms, physical and psychological challenges, and support networks.
Participants
Nine Army Reservists (89% male) and 10 partners (90% female) of Reservists who completed at least two waves of interviews were included in the study; eight of each were partnered with each other.
Reservists had a mean age of 30.3 years (SD = 10.6), were mostly White (89%), and had been in the military an average of 10.3 years (SD = 7.2).
Partners had a mean age of 35.6 years (SD = 11) and were mostly White (90%).
Limitations
The sample size was very small and used a single military unit which greatly limits the generalizability of these findings.
There was little information about predeployment or deployment factors that may have influenced couple reunion dynamics.
With the large number of couple interviews, participants missed interviews which may have impacted the findings.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine whether these four themes emerge in couples from other military branches
Examine the relation of these themes to relationship dissolution, satisfaction or functioning
Explore whether National Guard and Reserves families have more severe problems relative to Active Duty members
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
This study examines the romantic relationships of reservists following wartime deployment. Members of an Army Reserve unit and their partners participatedin seven waves of interviews in the year following the reservists’ return from deployment. Qualitative analysis of these 101 interviews from 19 participants revealed four themes: (a) intermittent idealized closeness, (b) transition from independence to interdependence, (c) transition in the primary source of social support, and (d) ongoing renegotiation of roles. Intermittent idealized closeness fluctuated over time and was an individual rather than a joint phenomenon. Couples had to relearn how to be interdependent, and for some this was the most difficult aspect of reunion. Individuals shifted away from partners for social support during deployment and gradually shifted back to relying on partners following reunion. Transitions in work and family roles were negotiated on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
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