Children of Deployed National Guard Troops: Perceptions of Parental Deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom

Abstract

<p>The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) began immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and has included two main operations: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in Iraq. Since their beginning, these operations have been sustained by significant numbers of troops. For example, in April 2008, 162,400 troops were stationed in Iraq, including 27,900 National Guard or Reserves. When taking into consideration the number of troops currently training for deployment, rotating in and out of the theater, or backfilling for deployed troops, the number of troops involved in GWOT efforts is actually much higher than the often reported number of “boots on the ground;” in 2007 an average of 320,000 soldiers were participating in GWOT activities at any one time. As of late 2007, more than 450,000 National Guard and Reserve troops had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, representing approximately 38% of all troops deployed to these two operations. Troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have been 12 or 15 months in length, and many service members have had multiple deployments in support of the GWOT. For example, 204,000 Army soldiers and more than 104,000 National Guard and Reserve service members have been mobilized more than once for operations related to the GWOT.</p> <h4>ABOUT THE AUTHORS</H4> <p>J. Brian Houston, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Program Director for the Terrorism and Disaster Center (TDC) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). Betty Pfefferbaum, MD, JD, is Paul and Ruth Jonas Chair and Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of TDC at OUHSC. Michelle D. Sherman, PhD, is Director of the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center; Clinical Associate with the South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center; and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at OUHSC. Ashley G. Melson, BA, is Special Programs Coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at OUHSC. Haekyung Jeon-Slaughter, PhD, is Senior Research Biostatician in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and for TDC at OUHSC. Michael W. Brand, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and is Project Director for TDC at OUHSC. Yana Jarman, DO, is Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at OUHSC.</p> <p>Dr. Houston; Dr. Pfefferbaum; Dr. Sherman; Ms. Melson; Dr. Jeon-Slaughter; Dr. Brand; and Dr. Jarman have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.</p> <p>Address correspondence to: J. Brian Houston, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L. Young Blvd., Suite 3261, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; or e-mail <A HREF="mailto:brian-houston@ouhsc.edu">brian-houston@ouhsc.edu</A>.</p> <p>This project was supported through funding from the South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The authors appreciate the assistance of the Oklahoma National Guard in recruiting the sample and for providing insight regarding the process of deployment.</p> <p>doi: 10.3928/00485713-20090728-03</p> <H4>EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES</H4><OL> <P><LI>Assess what is known about how deployment affects children of military personnel.</P></LI> <P><LI>Evaluate how children perceive and think about the experience of having a parent deployed to active combat.</P></LI> <P><LI>Choose suggestions for how clinicians and family members can help children cope with having a parent deployed to active combat.</P></LI></OL>