A Tale of Two Families

During military deployment, soldiers can become part of a system of people and experiences in their assigned military unit that may rival the importance of relationships and experiences within their natural families at home. Following deployment, returning soldiers may face the challenges of managin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Family journal (Alexandria, Va.) Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 238 - 245
Main Authors McAdams, Charles R, Foster, Victoria A, Gosling, David R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Alexandria SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC 01.04.2018
Subjects
Armed forces
Couples
Deployment
Families & family life
Family system perspective
Membership
Military deployment
Military personnel
Natural families
Participation
Personal relationships
Soldiers
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Summary:During military deployment, soldiers can become part of a system of people and experiences in their assigned military unit that may rival the importance of relationships and experiences within their natural families at home. Following deployment, returning soldiers may face the challenges of managing membership in two complex and powerful family systems, each with its own unique priorities, rules of engagement, and demands for the soldier’s attention and participation that may not always be compatible. Achieving a mutual understanding of the system of close relationships formed around military deployment and incorporating this new “unit family” system into a couple’s marital relationship and natural family system becomes a task that is important and, possibly, essential to successful family reintegration after deployment.
ISSN:1066-4807
1552-3950
DOI:10.1177/1066480718770157