The Deployment Cycle and Its Impact on Service Members and Their Families

Description:

This training module is intended to provide civilian mental health providers with an overview of the demographics of military families and the impact of the deployment cycle on the Service member and family unit.  It explores the unique experiences that Service members and their spouses and children face across the deployment cycle by examining research findings and psychosocial stressors associated with stages of the deployment cycle.  Strategies for promoting family resilience during separation and reintegration are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the demographic characteristics of Service members and their families.
  2. List the three phases of the deployment cycle and the events common to each phase.
  3. Identify stressors commonly confronted by Service members and their families before, during, and after deployment.
  4. Discuss challenges that Service members face in achieving successful post-deployment reintegration. 

Outline:

1. U.S. Veteran population
2. Types of service/locations
3. Wear and tear
4. Handout-Demographics 2012: Profile of the Military Community, Department of Defense
5. Active Duty vs. Selected Reserve
   a. Branch strength
   b. Implications of difference for Selected Reserve
6. Considerations for military families
7. Deployment cycle: pre-deployment stress 
    a. Ambiguous presence/absence
    b. Practical prep
​    c. Emotional prep
    d. Family and child stressors
8. Deployment cycle: stress during deployment
    a. Ambiguous presence/absence
    b. Deployment stress on families
          i. Phases
          ii. Spouse/caregiver-reported challenges for self
          iii. Trends in spouse/caregiver
          iv. 4 factors to well-being for children
          v. Communication (email, Facebook, etc.)
          vi. Children’s distress related to parent distress
          vii. Externalizing symptoms 
          viii. Youth-reported challenges
          ix. Trends in children’s reactions 
          x. Kids coping with deployment video
    c. Stress for Service members
    d. Firefight video
    e. Tough realities of combat
    f. Challenges of OIF and OEF
​    g. IED video
    h. Specific deployment challenges
          i. Operational
          ii. Cognitive
          iii. Emotional
          iv. Social
          v. Spiritual
    i. Women in deployment
          i. Roles
          ii. Sexual assault in military
          iii. Video – women, outside wire, driving, 1st person account
9. Deployment cycle: post-deployment stress
    a. Ambiguous presence/absence
10. Family reintegration
      a. Typical course
      b. Youth-reported challenges
      c. Youth reported challenges for self
      d. Spouse/caregiver-reported challenges for self
      e. Trends in youth
11. Service member reintegration 
      a. BATTLEMIND (reintegration challenge vs. PTSD)
      b. Video
      c. 5 critical challenges
             i. Overcome alienation
​             ii. Move from simplicity to complexity
             iii. Replace war with another form of high
             iv. Move beyond war
             v. Come to peace w/ self, God, and others

Duration: 90-150 minutes (requires break every 90 minutes)

Notes:
This module includes DVD / video clips that may be distressing to some audience members.  Speaker will disclose this to the audience prior to the presentation.

*Continuing education credits are available for this course. Fees may apply.