"Prepared for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy & Environment."

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.

What is the potential for a divergence in views among civilian and military elites (sometimes referred to as the civil-military gap) to undermine military effectiveness? Although a variety of differences were found among the views of military and civilian survey respondents, these differences mostly disappeared when the authors focused on the attitudes that are pertinent to civilian control of the military and military effectiveness.

Examines policy options that would reduce the cost of DoD family housing in the U.S. while attempting to protect the quality of life now enjoyed by families of military personnel. Photos and graphs.

This guidebook is written by a military spouse, and designed to help new families moving to Naval Station Rota. Do you have orders to Rota? Are you wondering what to expect from the base, and how you will adjust to living in Spain? Are you curious about Spanish food, or eager to travel? Have no fear! The author shares her experiences and answers common newcomer questions. Inside you will find advice on topics such as housing and school options, services available on base, local restaurants and stores, Spanish food, and places to visit in a day or in a weekend. The book also contains traditional Spanish recipes (in English), GPS coordinates to local stores, parking lots, and entertainment areas, and hundreds of links to websites for more information. If you are moving to Rota, this is the essential book to help you make the most of your move and your time in Spain. If you are sponsoring a military family new to Rota, this book makes the perfect gift! It will help answer their questions, let them know what to expect, and make the transition process easier for the whole family.