Military Service, War, and Families: Considerations for Child Development, Prevention and Intervention, and Public Health Policy—Part 2

Abstract

As the longest war in US history winds down, military families are preparing for a new phase of dealing with its impact: the enduring consequences of deployment separations, physical and psychological injuries, and loss. The urgency and uniqueness of two simultaneous wars of long duration fought by an all-volunteer military have propelled the rapid evolution of research and practice regarding the impact of war on military families. Consistent with existing developmental and prevention science research, data emerging from the study of military and veteran families suggest that both stress and resilience reverberate across the family system. There is growing evidence that the impact of war and its sequelae are experienced by not only the service member or veteran, but also their children, partners, and other family members. Recognizing that the implications of these experiences do not end with active duty service, but may cascade for decades underscores the need for ongoing research focused not only on the impact of wartime military service on children and families, but also on shaping a science-informed approach to costeffective, and scalable behavioral health preventive interventions and treatment for military and veteran families. The scale and tempo of this war has left our country with a large social, psychological, and medical footprint that now must be addressed by our systems of care; an undertaking that may well require unprecedented levels of support and coordination across military, veteran and public health institutions for years to come. Both Parts 1 and 2 of this special issue are designed to contribute to the current national dialogue on how best to plan for and provide services for our military families. Part 1