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.

The focus of this study was to gain an understanding of six military wives experiences while their husbands were deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. There were three themes that were derived from the literature and they were explored with the six wives: communication, reintegration, and self-esteem. The analysis of the research was qualitative, utilizing a phenomenological approach, consisting of structured interviews for the participants whose husbands were deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. To analyze the data Giorgio s (1985) phenomenological approach was used. The structured interviews were used to explore and gain an understanding of how the three themes impacted the wives while their husbands were deployed. The results showed that all three themes impacted the wives while their husbands were deployed. Self-esteem was not necessarily impacted by role reversal, but it was an integral part of the deployment process and how the wives felt about themselves. All of the participants experienced some type of difficulty communicating with their spouse during the time of war. The obscurity continued after the deployment and many had to learn how to initiate a different type of communication skill. The second theme dealing with reintegration proved to also be difficult on all of the wives. They all expressed their happiness with the husband being home safe, but struggled with the role reversal. The wives also struggled with giving up some of their independence. The third theme proved that for many of the wives body image was very important. Also important for them was their jobs and the role that they played as mother. This research is important to the field of psychology, those within the military culture, and those interested in knowing more about the military community. This is vital in helping others understand the plight of the wife during the time when her husband is deployed. It will also assist in providing and reevaluating the way wives are treated and the programs that are offered to support them.

Women and men are socialized to accept and perform certain gendered roles generally man as warrior/protector and woman as caretaker/protected. The United States Military depends on the wives of servicemen to embrace these gendered roles in order to carry out military operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF.) The conservative nature of the military, its demand for obedience and loyalty, the dependency of military wives on the military community for financial and social support to cope with the hardships of military life contribute to the reluctance of those opposed to OIF to publicly express this opposition and/or contribute to their negative perceptions of the antiwar movement. Although large-scale opposition to OIF among military wives is unlikely, to avoid further alienating military wives and potential allies, members of the anti-war movement should consider the impact that specific methods of protest have on military families and engage in anti-war activities accordingly.

Epic poetry and tragic drama provide us with some of the richest ancient Greek depictions of women who are married to soldiers. In tales of the Trojan War, as told by Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, we encounter these mythical warriors' wives: Penelope, isolated but resourceful as she awaits the return of Odysseus after his lengthy absence; the war widow Andromache, enslaved and displaced from her homeland after the fall of Troy; the unfaithful and murderous Clytemnestra; and Tecmessa, a war captive who witnesses her partner's breakdown and suicide in the aftermath of battle. Warriors' Wives compares the experiences of these mythical characters with those of contemporary military spouses. Emma Bridges traces aspects of the lives of warriors' wives—mythical and real, ancient and modern—from the moment of farewell, through periods of separation and reunion, to the often traumatic aftermath of war, to consider the emotional, psychological, and social impacts of life as a military spouse. By unearthing a wealth of contemporary evidence for the lives of the often silenced and unacknowledged partners of those who serve in the military, and by examining this alongside the ancient stories of warriors' wives, Warriors' Wives sheds fresh light on the experience of being married to the military.

The sometimes-forgotten valor of the service wife during the Vietnam War years, told through four very different women who come together and find the support they need. The women grapple with what the Vietnam War meant to us as a country and to them personally.

The highly anticipated sequel to award-winning Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives Regardless of whether her husband is currently deployed, a military wife needs spiritual reinforcements and biblical ammunition against the enemy’s attacks on her faith and hope. Faith Deployed…Again is for every military wife who wants more encouragement, who wants to deploy her faith—put it into action—again. Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives is filled with wisdom and insight from more than twenty-five Christian wives, representing every branch of the military. It explores how the Bible relates to a variety of topics including marriage, deployments, self-care and care-giving, reintegration, combat trauma, parenting, frequent moves, daily perseverance, prayer, spiritual warfare, serving the Lord, and more. Each devotional is based on the unchanging character of God and the anchor we have in Jesus Christ offering encouragement, strength, community, and hope to the heroes at home. Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives includes a bonus section of devotions written by and for Blue Star Moms. And a free online study guide is available at FaithDeployed.com.

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.

Distilled from nearly two hundred interviews, conducted from the 2003 invasion of Iraq on, Army Spouses marshals an incredible breadth of individual experiences, range of voices, insider access, and theoretical expertise to tell the story of US Army husbands and wives and their families during wartime in this century. Morten Ender offers the first contemporary study of the emotional cycle of deployment and its impact on military families in the post-9/11 world. Military spouses, as he shows, operate both near and far from the front lines, serving on the home front to support combat service in the so-called Global War on Terror that has intimately bound together soldiers, families, the military institution, the state, and society. He paints a vivid picture of army spouses’ range of responses to deployment separations that illuminates the deep sacrifices that soldiers, veterans, and their families have made over the past twenty years.

A high-ranking general's gripping insider account of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how it all went wrong. Over a thirty-five-year career, Daniel Bolger rose through the army infantry to become a three-star general, commanding in both theaters of the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. He participated in meetings with top-level military and civilian players, where strategy was made and managed. At the same time, he regularly carried a rifle alongside rank-and-file soldiers in combat actions, unusual for a general. Now, as a witness to all levels of military command, Bolger offers a unique assessment of these wars, from 9/11 to the final withdrawal from the region. Writing with hard-won experience and unflinching honesty, Bolger makes the firm case that in Iraq and in Afghanistan, we lost -- but we didn't have to. Intelligence was garbled. Key decision makers were blinded by spreadsheets or theories. And, at the root of our failure, we never really understood our enemy. Why We Lost is a timely, forceful, and compulsively readable account of these wars from a fresh and authoritative perspective.

Military spouses: Craft your best life possible! "... This great resource is full of practical advice as well as real-world examples that will empower spouses to have a life of their own while supporting their partners in the military lifestyle ..."—Ellie Kay, author, military spouse, and CEO of Heroes at Home The unique components of military life can make it challenging for military spouses to pursue careers and other personal dreams. This encouraging book, written by two experienced military spouses, shares lessons learned, success stories of fellow military spouses, life exploration exercises, and research-based ideas that can be applied to any stage of life's journey. Although this book shares examples specific to military life, the information and approach can be used by anyone to pursue your life dreams. Ready to follow your dreams? This book will help you: • Learn five keys to happiness you can apply every day, anywhere. • Explore your passions, strengths, and goals. • Discover possibilities for the life you want to live. • Create an action plan to move forward, even when you think it’s impossible. • Build valuable friendships and support systems along the way. • Enjoy the journey! First Lady of the Marine Corps Recommended Reading List Midwest Book Awards Silver