Many military members think about spiritual issues during and after deployment. It’s normal to look at the world differently after facing danger and death. After returing from such a situation, some people gain a stronger relationship with God, while others may question their beliefs or feel spiritually empty. Some may have questions about guilt and forgiveness, or may wonder how God could allow terrible things like war to happen. The traumatic events of deployment causes some people to feel like they are in a spiritual vacuum, alone and unable to trust. You may wonder: Was that person’s death God’s will? [...]

Long separations for deployments, classes, training and conferences can put a strain on children in military families. Just how much of a strain was the focus of a recent study by the RAND foundation, sponsored by the US National Military Family Association. The foundation interviewed more than 1,500 youth ages 11-17 who attended a US summer camp for children of deployed service members. The study’s results can help parents help children of all ages adapt to long absences. The length of deployments can serve as an indicator of stress. The foundation reported, “Families in the study with more months of deployment reported [...]

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – Signing wills and powers of attorney, canceling mobile phone and other contracts and consulting Legal Services about their responsibilities are just a few of the tasks Soldiers tackle as they prepare for deployments. The focus of briefings and meetings can often shift to married Soldiers and their needs, but Wainwright leaders and chaplains want to ensure that single Soldiers also make informed decisions about their relationships. Comparing the process to vehicle winterization in Alaska’s Interior, Chaplain (Maj.) Dwight Broedel, Fort Wainwright’s Family Life chaplain, said single Soldiers must also winterize their lives. The following linked story is [...]

Photo credit Brittany Carlson (USAG Stuttgart) Sgt. Humberto Hernandez, who returned from a year in Afghanistan with the 554th Military Police Company in May, shares a laugh with his daughter, 15-year-old Fernanda. Both say adjusting to life together again is great, but has its challenges. For Fernanda Hernandez, it was tough getting used to stricter rules with her father. For Sgt. Hernandez, it was hard to come home and see that rules had changed. STUTTGART, Germany — Children often experience a myriad of emotions when their mothers or fathers return from a deployment. Teens can have a hard time adjusting to [...]

All service people should expect some difficulty in reintergrating with family following lengthy deployments. The following article, from the US Army is helpful advice to spouses. Home again: military spouses and reintegration Sep 20, 2010 By Brittany Carlson (USAG Stuttgart) Photo credit Brittany Carlson (USAG Stuttgart Staff Sgt. Jay Harris says goodbye to his wife, Elia, as he heads to work Sept. 20. After Jay Harris returned from a deployment in May, the couple made some adjustments to ease the transition to living together again.   STUTTGART, Germany — Servicemembers face specific challenges after a deployment, but they’re not the only ones. Their [...]

Being personally resilient is about being healthy – and being healthy is more than the absence of illness. Good health is about notions of well-being and resilience – and resilience helps if you are deployed to an area of operations, either in a declared war zone or on a peacekeeping mission. Being a resilient person means that you are better able to ‘spring back’ from a difficult or traumatic moment. The Macquarie Dictionary defines Resiliency as: 1. Resilient power; elasticity. 2. resilient action: rebound, recoil, 3. power of ready recovery from sickness, depression, or the like; buoyancy; cheerfulness. There are [...]

It was 3 am. I sat in the sandbagged bunker guarding the entrance to the 400 year old Portuguese fort in Balibo, East Timor. Behind me nearly 100 Australian soldiers were sleeping peacefully. I was dressed in full camouflage battle dress, Kevlar flack jacket, and helmet. I rested the minimi machine gun in the crook of my shoulder and peered sleepily out through my night vision goggles at the Timorese village below. Suddenly I sat bolt upright and elbowed the soldier next to me. There was movement. A man was running fast towards the entrance to the fort. In his [...]

      If you think you have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it’s important to get treatment. Treatment can work, and early treatment may help reduce long-term symptoms.  If you think you have PTSD: Talk to your doctor. Talk to a mental health professional, such as a therapist. If you’re a veteran, contact your local VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service – 1800 011 046 Talk to a close friend or family member. He or she may be able to support you and find you help. Talk to your chaplain or local minister/priest/pastor.. Fill out a PTSD screen [...]