Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society


Book Description

The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.




Military Brats


Book Description

Military brats' childhoods are often scarred by alcoholism, abuse, and an ever-present threat of a parent's loss to war. This eye-opening, sometimes shocking exploration tells what life is really like for the stepchildren of Uncle Sam. A new recovery group, Adult Children of Military Personnel, Inc., has been formed as a direct result of this book's publication.




Brave For My Family


Book Description

Davidson's father was deployed every year of his young life when, at 6 years old, four days before Christmas, the call came that he was injured by an RPG in Afghanistan. With vivid, compelling art by Davidson's own active duty father, this book tells the story of Davidson's brave journey during his father's service, recovery and return to battl




Welcome to Rota


Book Description

This guidebook is written by a military spouse, and designed to help new families moving to Naval Station Rota. Do you have orders to Rota? Are you wondering what to expect from the base, and how you will adjust to living in Spain? Are you curious about Spanish food, or eager to travel? Have no fear! The author shares her experiences and answers common newcomer questions. Inside you will find advice on topics such as housing and school options, services available on base, local restaurants and stores, Spanish food, and places to visit in a day or in a weekend. The book also contains traditional Spanish recipes (in English), GPS coordinates to local stores, parking lots, and entertainment areas, and hundreds of links to websites for more information. If you are moving to Rota, this is the essential book to help you make the most of your move and your time in Spain. If you are sponsoring a military family new to Rota, this book makes the perfect gift! It will help answer their questions, let them know what to expect, and make the transition process easier for the whole family.




I Miss You!


Book Description

Military families face stressful times that are unique to the military lifestyle. One of the most challenging situations, both for children and parents, is when a father, mother, or sibling is deployed for military service and must be away from the home. Children often experience sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, and loneliness, and they do not understand their own feelings or know how to express them. This book is designed to help children especially, but also their parents, during such difficult times. Based on many years of experience as a social worker, who has assisted military families experiencing stress, author Beth Andrews has created an excellent tool for allowing children and their loved ones to deal with the many emotions caused by deployment. The text and illustrations encourage children to discuss their feelings and to draw their own pictures to express themselves. The accompanying parents'' guide is designed to validate parents'' feelings and give them ways to help their children cope. Guided by this approach, a parent or caregiver can help their children understand why one of their parents or a sibling had to leave home, identify their reactions, cope with their feelings in a positive way, be assured that they are not alone, and try new activities to help themselves adjust. At a time when military families are asked to make many sacrifices in the service of their country, this reassuring book will be a welcome resource.




Why is Dad So Mad?


Book Description

The children's issues picture book Why Is Dad So Mad? is a story for children in military families whose father battles with combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After a decade fighting wars on two fronts, tens of thousands of service members are coming home having trouble adjusting to civilian life; this includes struggling as parents. Why Is Dad So Mad? Is a narrative story told from a family's point of view (mother and children) of a service member who struggles with PTSD and its symptoms. Many service members deal with anger, forgetfulness, sleepless nights, and nightmares.This book explains these and how they affect Dad. The moral of the story is that even though Dad gets angry and yells, he still loves his family more than anything.




Special Needs Families in the Military


Book Description

Offers advice to families in the military who are raising a child with special needs, covering such topics as diagnoses, financial support, education, medical care, case management, insurance, and advocacy.




Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan


Book Description

Nearly 1.9 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001. Many service members and veterans face serious challenges in readjusting to normal life after returning home. This initial book presents findings on the most critical challenges, and lays out the blueprint for the second phase of the study to determine how best to meet the needs of returning troops and their families.




Parenting and Children's Resilience in Military Families


Book Description

This reference examines the wide-ranging impact of military life on families, parenting, and child development. It examines the complex family needs of this diverse population, especially as familiar issues such as trauma, domestic violence, and child abuse manifest differently than in civilian life. Expert contributors review findings on deployed mothers, active-duty fathers, and other military parents while offering evidence for interventions and prevention programs to enhance children’s healthy adjustment in this highly structured yet uncertain context. Its emphasis on resource and policy improvements keeps the book focused on the evolution of military families in the face of future change and challenges. Included in the coverage: Impacts of military life on young children and their parents. Parenting school-age children and adolescents through military deployments. Parenting in military families faced with combat-related injury, illness, or death. The special case of civilian service members: supporting parents in the National Guard and Reserves. Interventions to support and strengthen parenting in military families: state of the evidence. Military parenting in the digital age: existing practices, new possibilities. Addressing a major need in family and parenting studies, Parenting and Children’s Resilience in Military Families is necessary reading for scholars and practitioners interested in parenting and military family research.




The Adventures of a Military Brat


Book Description

Join a brave boy as he shares the challenges and opportunities of growing up as a military brat. Follow him as he reunites with his family, anticipates an upcoming move, adjusts to his father's recent return, makes new friends and shows pride demonstrating military traditions.