Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society

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 ? 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. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Family Well-Being, Readiness, and Resilience 3 Demographic and Military Service Characteristics of Military Families 4 Military Life Opportunities and Challenges 5 Stress, Risk, and Resilience in Military Children 6 High-Stress Events, Family Resilience Processes, and Military Family Well-Being 7 The Military Family Readiness System: Present and Future 8 Developing and Sustaining a Learning System to Support Military Family Readiness and Well-Being 9 Committee Recommendations Appendix A: Biosketches of Committee Members and Project Staff Appendix B: Agenda for Public Information-Gathering Session Appendix C: Authors of Memos Submitted to the Committee Appendix D: Acronyms and Glossary of Terms Board on Children, Youth, and Families