One key aspect of military life is frequent relocation, also known as permanent change of station (PCS) moves. According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), approximately one-third of military service members experience a PCS move every year. This report was created to assist DoD with preparing a congressionally mandated report on actions taken to enhance the stability of military families going through a PCS move and to provide a broader analysis of the relationship between PCS moves and family stability. The authors used a mixed-methods approach to compile a list of PCS-related family disruptions, to conduct a deeper dive into select disruptions identified by the sponsor, and to understand what programs exist to address these disruptions. This analysis demonstrates that moves are a stressor for military families and are associated with a broad set of disruptions to family stability. The authors found that there are a multitude of existing programs, policies, and services provided by DoD that address the many disruptions generated by PCS moves. While this research did not find evidence of a need for new programs, the results imply that there is room to improve the PCS move process to further alleviate family disruptions, particularly by increasing the lead time before a move is scheduled so that service members and their families have more time to plan their relocation. Methodologically rigorous evaluation of existing programs and services is also needed. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for areas where future work could help determine ways that existing programs could be further improved to better serve military families.

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.

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.

Analyzes a proposed policy of maintaining as much of forward U.S. Army presence in Europe as feasible by rotating units from the United States rather than by permanently stationing them in Europe.

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.

Serving Military and Veteran Families introduces readers to the unique culture of military families, their resilience, and the challenges of military life. It reviews the latest research, theories, policies, and programs to prepare readers for understanding and working with military and veteran families. It also offers practical knowledge about the challenges that come with military family life and the federal policies, laws, and programs that support military and veteran families. Boasting a new full-color design and rich with pedagogy, the text also includes several boxed elements in each chapter. "Spotlight on Research" highlights researchers who study military and veteran families with the goal of informing and enriching the work of family support professionals. "Voices from the Frontline" presents the real-life stories of support program leaders, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and most importantly service members and veterans and their families. "Tips from the Frontline" offers concrete, hands-on suggestions based on the experiences and wisdom of the people featured in the text and the broader research and practice communities. Third Edition features: Streamlined focus on theories and the addition of the contextual model of family stress and life course theory, including an interview with Glen Elder in which he shares his perspective on the development of life course theory and how it can be applied to understand development across individuals and cohorts. Personal accounts of 70 program leaders, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and, significantly, service members, veterans, and family members who offer insight into their personal experiences, successes, and challenges associated with military life. 20 new interviews with service members, veterans, family members, researchers, and clinicians that bring important topics to life. Updated demographics and descriptions of service members, veterans, and their families. Expanded descriptions of mental health treatment approaches with an emphasis on including family members. Updated exercises focused on providing services to military and veteran families. New online resources designed to further enrich discourse and discussion. Serving Military and Veteran Families is designed as a core text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on military and veteran families, or as a supplement for related courses taught in family science, human development, family life education, social work, and clinical or counseling psychology programs. Providing a foundation for working with increased sensitivity, knowledge, and respect, the text can also be a useful resource for helping professionals who work with military and veteran families.

This international and thought-provoking volume addresses both theoretical and conceptual issues of resilience in modern organizations, looking at areas of concern and providing suggestions for future preventative measures. In recent years, organizations across the world have been subjected to major upheavals as several crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Economic Crisis, and the Migratory Crisis, have contributed to the changing landscape of work. Individuals, organizations, and societies have been forced to re-think, re-adjust, and re-align in the face of adversity. The “survivors” of such upheavals are those who come to grips with the new realities of our times and encompass resilience in its entirety. This timely collection assesses resilience on critically important variables, such as socio-economic status, occupational type, and gender differences, and highlights preventative measures that organizations and individuals should take to maximise wellbeing and adjustment in these everchanging and challenging times. Essential reading for students, scholars, practitioners, and policy makers, this volume sheds light on the multi-faceted ways to enhance the resilience paradigm and offers insights into implications for future research in the area.