Life Goes On: The Experiences of Wives of Multiply-Deployed National Guard Soldiers

Abstract

Whether a service member is active duty or part of the National Guard, deployment of these service members is a major issue for most families. There is limited knowledge of the experience of multiple deployments on the family. The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of wives of National Guard soldiers that were deployed more than once. Nine wives were interviewed. An analysis of the interviews revealed four themes: (1) "Life Goes On" (i.e., despite the repeated deployments, life continues at home); (2) the "Guard is a Different Animal" (i.e., life as a National Guard spouse is different from that of an active duty spouse); (3) "It's a Mind-Set" (i.e., how wives cope their husband's deployment); and (4) "Going Back Again" (i.e., wives' experiences of multiple deployments). Exploring how multiple deployments affects wives of National Guard soldiers is helpful in understanding their experiences and the adjustments that must be made in family life. Knowledge of the experiences of these wives may help in formulating more effective interventions with families who have experienced multiple deployments.

Impact of Deployment on Military Families

“…Although military spouses have also voiced positive aspects of deployment, a substantial number of spouses experience challenges not only during deployment but also pre-and postdeployment (American Psychological Association, 2007). Spouses cite experiencing increased distress, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic distress, and adjustment diffi culties (Booth, Wechsler, & Bell, 2007;Gewirtz, Polusny, DeGarmo, Khaylis, & Erbes, 2010;Hoge, Auchertonie, & Milliken, 2006;Lapp et al, 2010;Lester et al, 2010;Mansfi eld et al, 2010;Nelson-Goff, Crow, Reisbig, & Hamilton, 2007, 2009Padden, Connors, & Agazio, 2011a, 2011bPatzel, McBride, Bunting, & Anno, 2013;Renshaw, Rodrigues, & Jones, 2008;Sayers, Farrow, Ross, & Oslin, 2009;SteelFisher, Zaslavsky, & Blendon, 2008;Tollefson, 2008). Furthermore, in a study of military spouses with a deployed SM, Padden and colleagues (2011b) reported that perceived stress secondary to deployment accounted for 52% of the variance in mental well-being.…”

“…Self-reliance in the form of trying to control their own environment and establishing priorities to determine what needs to get done and what could be let go was one method for coping with overwhelming responsibilities. Acceptance, positive reframing, avoidance, distraction by staying busy, and focusing on work or other interests were other notated coping methods (Dimiceli, Steinhardt, & Smith, 2010;Lara-Cinisomo et al, 2012;Patzel et al, 2013;Wheeler & Torres-Stone, 2009). Finally, self-care such as exercising was implemented by some of the spouses to cope with the stressors of deployment.…”

“…Melvin and colleagues (2012) found that resilience was a positive predictor of couple functioning even when individual posttraumatic stress levels were high. Coping strategies primarily related to self-reliance and social supports (Lara-Cinisomo et al, 2012;Patzel et al, 2013). Self-reliance in the form of trying to control their own environment and establishing priorities to determine what needs to get done and what could be let go was one method for coping with overwhelming responsibilities.…”

Substance Use and Mental Health Among Military Spouses and Partners

“…If NMUPD is occurring as a result of maladaptive coping in response to deployment, higher use among spouses of soldiers with only one prior deployment may indicate the first deployment is particularly stressful for spouses, while subsequent deployments are not markedly more stressful. In fact, qualitative work with National Guard spouses provides support for potential benefits of experiencing deployment more than once, as the coping and practical skills developed during the first deployment period can be used in subsequent deployments (Patzel et al, 2013).…”

“…Spouses and partners of military service members face unique stressors such as family separations due to deployments (Eaton et al, 2008), fear for the safety of their loved ones, and greater marital strain than civilian couples (de Burgh, White, Fear, & Iversen, 2011;Mansfield & Engel, 2011). There is also pressure put on the military spouse (i.e., spouses or partners of military personnel) to sustain the family in spite of these multiple layers of stress (Green, Nurius, & Lester, 2013), and they often must do so in an environment where they may be isolated from family readiness programs (Anderson Goodell, Homish, & Homish, in press;Patzel, McBride, Bunting, & Anno, 2013).…”